Page 2 of Always? Forever.
Chapter 2
15 days later, 30 October
Kartik
I decided to try one more time to convince my mom to get rid of this ridiculous condition. Mom had her own media house in New York, The Daily Ghup. She loved talking about what was going on within the entertainment industry. Her office was in Soho. While she and Dad lived with my paternal grandparents in Mumbai, India. She frequently traveled back and forth for work.
I liked reading about this stuff too sometimes. But I loved reading about book reviews. I read a lot as a kid, and still do. My mom has a separate department for bookreviewers. Every year she selects 10 interns out of which 5 get hired permanently and 2 get funding for a project.
On the way to the office I get a call from my grandmother, the very person who has put forth a condition that might as well ruin my life.
"Hello Kartik," Nani greeted me with her usual eccentricity.
"HiNani,how can I assist you today?" I replied, knowing her unique methods of persuasion always amused me.
Despite her unconventional ways, I cherished her deeply. "I was wondering if you still recall our agreement and if you've made any progress in finding a compatible partner," I groaned inwardly as she straight on got to the point.
"Nani," I questioned, unable to contain my frustration, "Is it truly necessary for me to get married to claim the inheritance that rightfully belongs to me, as Nanu intended?" I could hear her scoffing on the other end; she was undeniably a sassy lady.
"You're fortunate to have the privilege of choosing your bride," she continued, reminiscing about her own time, "Back in our era, we didn't even know each other's names until after we were married." She shared more anecdotes, but I had to abruptly end the call as I arrived at my mother's office, desperately seeking a way out of this predicament.
Deep in thought, I mulled over my options as I entered the bookstore before heading to my mom's office.
The bookstore I go to is an old bookstore that has new copies of books as well as old ones and I love to find old copies as sometimes they have annotations or notes from a person that they had gifted the book to but sadly ended up in a thrift store. It’s just three blocks away from my mom’s office. I collect those books, once I collect around 100 of them I’ll start a site trying to find the original owners in case they lose it.
Stepping into the quaint bookstore, a melodious chime above the door announced my arrival. My eyes scanned the cozy space, searching for the delightful lady who oversaw the shop – Rory. In her fifties, Rory had married a renowned author, Jess Mariano, the brilliant mind behind the bestseller "The Subsect." Jess had graciously gifted me a personally signed copy of his book, a kind gesture spurred by his wife's fondness for me.
Navigating the winding aisles, I scoured the shelves for books that might contain those precious annotations. Suddenly, the familiar bell above the door chimed once more, causing me to snap around in hopeful anticipation of Rory's arrival. She often sets aside special finds for me. However, it wasn't Rory who entered this time; it was a striking brunette, her chest heaving with exertion from rushing. I strained to catch a glimpse of her from my position at the rear of the store, peeking through the gaps between bookshelves.
"Rory, I'm here, and I really need those books, please," I overheard her pleading, her voice laced with desperation,as though the absence of those books would result in some dire consequence.
"Rory, I can't afford to jeopardize my internship within the first week; it won't reflect well on my resume," I couldn't help but chuckle softly to myself, confirming my suspicions.
I casually strolled toward the front of the store, attempting to maintain a semblance of discretion, as if I weren't intentionally eavesdropping on their conversation.
She frantically scanned the front bookshelves in search of the books, and as she heard my approaching footsteps, she jumped in surprise. In her haste, she lost her balance and landed on the floor with an "Ouch," sitting down rather ungracefully. I couldn't help but look at her with an amused grin as she fixed me with a glare.
"You could at least lend a hand now, considering you're the reason I fell," she huffed, clearly not in the mood for any playful banter.
I held back my retort and simply smirked, realizing that Aarush might be right – I was becoming too predictable. "I was actually going to say you look like you need some help," I replied, extending my hand to assist her. My parents had raised me to be a gentleman, after all, not an asshole.
She regarded my extended hand with narrowed eyes but eventually accepted it, allowing me to help her back on her feet. As she gathered her belongings, I couldn't help but admire her, finding her almost adorable in herbutterfly-patterned sweater and jeans. Her brown eyes were complemented by those small, front-facing locks – were they called bangs? Yes, bangs, though not the typical kind that hung on her forehead. Her hair was long and layered, and I realized I had been staring, likely making her uncomfortable.
Before I could say anything, Rory's voice interrupted the moment. "Oh, there you are! I was wondering where you were today," she greeted the brunette.
"Hi Rory, I apologize for being late, but I'm even late for work," the brunette responded, clearly in a hurry.
Samaira
"Hey, Gorgeous," the charming guy greeted Rory with a dazzling smile that made my heart skip a beat. We were still in the midst of our debate over whether he was cute or not, mainly because he had startled me and caused me to land on my butt. My face was probably flushed with embarrassment, but I'd been through more embarrassing situations than this.
Rory responded to his greeting with a warm smile, the kind I hadn't seen her give me before, and I couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. Rory then turned her attention to me, concern dancing in her eyes. "Samaira, you're never late. What happened?" she inquired as she began retrieving the books I had pre-ordered.
"Ugh, don't even ask!" I launched into a rant, the words spilling out as I recounted my morning woes. "My coffee pods were empty, and when I finally found one, my coffee machine decided to play dead. Then, my contact lens had expired, so I had to resort to my glasses. But, since it's drizzling outside, I had to take them off for now, and I'm practically blind at the moment. I almost got zapped by the coffee machine, and to top it off, there was an endless line at Starbucks, and they ran out of my favorite drink. So, I haven't had my caffeine fix for the day yet," I huffed, feeling exasperated.
As I rambled, I sensed someone's eyes on me, and, sure enough, it was a cute but somewhat irritating guy. I turned my head in his direction, attempting to shoot a glare, or what I hoped resembled one, but instead, he regarded me with a playful glint of amusement in his eyes.
Rory chuckled, her head shaking in amusement as she handed me a stack of six books. "Here you go, honey," she said.
