LRL Fic: Operation Marriage END pg 21

Prologue

 

"Navin, I'm afraid that we've got a problem."

 

Navin Singh Ahluwalia, second year cadet at KMA, looked up from his lunch to find his girlfriend Tanisha looking at him with a very serious expression on her face.

 

"What happened, Tanu?" he asked her concerned, Tanisha never joked about things like this, if she said something was wrong then it definitely was.

 

"My mother just called." she told him with a sigh, sitting down opposite him. "She's talking about getting me married off."

 

"So what did you say?" he asked, feeling nervous. They'd been together for almost a year now, and were very much in love but Tanu's mother kept asking her to agree to get married. She seemed to think that once Tanisha became an army officer, no man would want to marry her anymore.

 

"Well I told her no of course," Tanisha replied, "But Navin, you know that she thinks you're not serious about me."

 

"I know," Navin said sighing, "But you know what my situation is like. Until my little sister Naina gets married, my parents won't agree to my marriage. They're quite traditional about these things, and there's still almost a year left until we finish the academy…"

 

Tanisha rolled her eyes, "And then the very next day my mother will arrange my wedding, Navin. You know what she's like!"

 

"Alright," Navin said, realising that Tanu was right about her mother. He had met the woman last year and had found her truly terrifying. "But that doesn't solve the problem of how we're supposed to get married when there's no sign of my sister being ready to settle down."

 

Navin had just turned twenty two while his sister was nineteen and going to turn twenty in a few months. She was currently studying a business degree and last time Navin had brought up the subject of her marriage, she had flat out refused.

 

"Naina has her own ideas about marriage, she's determined that she will never agree for an arranged marriage, so that idea's out. I keep hoping she'll fall in love with somebody, but she just doesn't like any of the boys she knows."

Navin supposed that he was the first brother in the world who actually wanted his sister to fall in love with somebody. To be honest, he wasn't that keen on the idea, but he was afraid of losing Tanisha.

Suddenly Tanu's eyes brightened, "I have an idea!" she exclaims.

Navin groans, "Oh no, Tanu. This isn't going to turn out like most of your ideas is it?" He still remembered the time she had tried to set up Major Nair for a date with their yoga teacher in an effort to improve his mood….

"My ideas do not always turn out that bad!" Tanu exclaimed, "And this is the most sensible idea that I've had in a long time."

"Alright, tell me." Navin agreed reluctantly.

"Well Naina doesn't want an arranged marriage, and she doesn't like any of the boys she knows. So why don't we introduce her to a boy, do some subtle matchmaking and let true love take its course!"

Navin privately thought that Tanisha was being overly optimistic about the chances of the success of this plan, but didn't say so. He didn't want his girlfriend getting angry at him. "Alright Tanu, let's pretend that we put this plan into action, where do we get a guy from?"

"Navin, we are in a military academy, there's not exactly a lack of boys here in case you haven't noticed."

"You mean one of my friends???" Navin asked, horrified at the thought.

"Why not?" Tanu asked him, "It's not as if your friends are all that bad, just choose one of them. At least that way you'd get on well with your brother-in-law!"

She had a point there, no tensions about his sister going to a bad house. However Navin knew what most of the boys at this academy were like, and there was no way he wanted Naina anywhere near them.

"Tanisha, I really don't know, do you think that any of the boys here are suitable for Naina? I mean, they're all so…"

"Look Navin, it's just a suggestion. If it doesn't work out then it doesn't but you can at least think about it."

"Okay, okay, I'm thinking, it's just that, well you know, she's my little sister and I'm not going to fix her up with just anybody. I want her settled well, with exactly the right guy."

"I agree with you, Navin." Tanisha told him seriously, "I'm not about to ruin your sister's life just to fix mine, so we'll only put the plan into action if we can get the right guy."

"Well what are our options?" Navin asked her, peering around the mess and looking at the faces there.

"Okay, well we'll use a process of elimination and short list them!" Tanisha announced, Navin was still slightly suspicious of this plan working as Tanisha seemed far too excited.

"Yudi." Tanisha suggested, seeing their friend seated at a nearby table.

"Too nervous," Navin replied, "I know my sister, Naina would turn him into a shivering heap on the very first date. And besides, he's been following Shalini around for months anyway."

"Ali." Tanisha said, looking at the boy next to Yudi, she wasn't about to reject anybody simply on the basis of a different religion. They had to examine all possibilities.

"Waaaay too traditional and shy, Naina would be bored within a few hours." Navin said rolling his eyes, "Besides, haven't you realised that he's in love with Pooja yet?"

Tanisha nodded, conceding that he had a point, she also thought there was something going on between those two.

"Okay, what about Alekh then. Naina already knows him, right?"

"No offense to Alekh, but no way am I getting my sister married to an alcoholic tapori guy." Navin tells her, "Besides, when I took Alekh home last holidays they showed absolutely no interest in each other that way whatsoever. I wouldn't be surprised if Naina sends him a rakhi this year." Navin added.

"Okaay, Abhimanyu then." Tanisha suggested, as their long haired friend walked into the room. "Just imagine, your sister could be a princess!"

"And have you forgotten that Abhimanyu is already going out with Nandini?" Navin asked her, "Besides, I really don't think that the life of a princess would suit my sister."

Navin studied the rest of the room in despair, not a single good candidate among the lot of them. He was just about to tell Tanu that her plan was a dud and they might as well give up, when his best friend walked into the room.

Navin suddenly regained hope, yes, this could work, this could definitely work! He was good looking, intelligent, funny and polite, but still had a sense of humour and fun. Basically he had all of the qualities that Naina had stated she wanted in a man. Navin watched as his friend grabbed a plate and piled food onto it, then made his way over to sit next to them.

"What's up guys?" Raj asked, "You haven't touched your food yet."

Navin and Tanisha exchanged knowing glances, they had found their scapegoat.

Navin grinned mischievously, Raj would never know what hit him.

Edited by andreamcl - 16 years ago

Aaaahhhh!!! That was sooooo cuute!!! I LOVE Navin now, more than I did when he had the dialogue "she is much more to him" in the LRL last test episode lol. It's really pleasant to read, do continue soon after receiving feedback!
Edited by RJOpal - 16 years ago

Aweome awesome awesome.... luved da intro sooooooooooo much!!!! OOOO cnt wait to read all of this ff, pls do cont soon, its really interestin n different from all of the other lrl ffs i hav read... u have to cont as soon as possible plsssss!!!! 👏 👏 👏

👏 i just love it yaar,cont soon.....

😆 love it!!!! pllllz continue soon....waiting eagerly to read more!

hey great intro yaar.....raj is the bakra.... 😆

dear great FF

totally diff idea

waiting to see how Raj handles all this

after all he is the bakra
update soon 👏

cool story, do continue soon

Hey guys, thanks for all the really inspiring comments, I hope that you enjoy the next bit!

Chapter One

The plan was to be executed in a number of stages, starting with stage one that very day. After Navin and Tanisha had settled on Raj as their scapegoat… uh, suitable candidate, they began planning in earnest.

Navin expressed his doubts, he didn't think that Raj would ever fall for a plan like this.

"You just have to act natural," Tanisha coached him, "Don't let him know that there's anything going on. If your sister is as pretty as you say she is, he should fall in love all by himself when he meets her!"

"Alright, well then we need a plan to get them to meet." Navin told her, and Tanisha's eyes lit up.

"Exactly! So now listen to step one of 'Operation Marriage'!"

" 'Operation Marriage???' what a stupid name!"

"Well can you think of a better one?" Tanu asked him, sounding offended and as if she was about to get angry at him.

Navin quickly changed his mind, not wanting his girlfriend to be annoyed at him, "No, actually I think that Operation Marriage is a very appropriate name for this plan. Go on, tell me what step one is."

As Tanisha outlined the plan, Navin started nodding, this definitely was one of her better ones. While he still wasn't quite sure about setting up his little sister with a guy, he definitely wouldn't mind it if Raj became his brother-in-law.

Later that night…

Trying desperately hard to act casually, Navin approached Raj in the gym where he was busy exercising.

"Hey Raj," he greeted him.

"Oh hey Navin, have you finally found the time to work out?" Raj said, grinning. It was well known within the academy these days that most of Navin's spare time was spent with Tanisha.

"Very funny, yaar, yes I have finally found the time." And to prove his point, Navin picked up another set of weights and began lifting them. He didn't say anything for the next few minutes, remembering Tanisha's advice. 'Don't rush it,' she had told him, 'Raj will get suspicious'.

So Navin waited until Raj finished his exercise and only then started the conversation he'd planned.

"So Raj, are you going home for Diwali?"

"I don't know, yaar. Dad and mum will spend the whole time entertaining clients and going to fancy parties, I can't stand that type of atmosphere." Raj sighed, "But what other choice do I have? To stay at KMA at celebrate with Nair?"

"Well you could always come home with me." Navin offered, "We've got more than enough room in the house."

"Thanks Navin, but I really don't think it's a good idea. You hardly ever get to go home to see you're family, it's probably best to see them alone."

"Don't be silly, Raj." Navin said, getting slightly desperate that his plan wasn't working out. "Alekh came home with me last holidays and the whole family loved him. And if they liked Alekh then I doubt they'll have a problem with you."

At this moment, Raj started to get slightly suspicious. It almost seemed as if Navin was just a bit too keen for him to come home with him for the holidays. "Navin, tell me the truth. Why are you asking me to come home with you?"

Navin fumbled for a believable reason and said the first thing that came to his mind, "Tanisha!"

"I'm coming to your house because of Tanisha?" Raj asked, getting genuinely confused now.

"Well, yes, because you see…" Navin quickly made up a reason, "I want to introduce Tanisha to my family."

"And it is important for me to be there, why???" Raj was not understanding his friend's logic.

"Because her mother doesn't want her to travel alone with me. She said if somebody else came too it would be fine."

Personally Raj wasn't sure why Tanisha's mother would be happier that her daughter was going to be travelling with two boys rather than one, but she was a rather strange woman.

"And if I come along then she'll allow Tanisha to go?"

"Exactly!" Navin exclaimed, relieved that Raj seemed to believe him. "So are you going to help me out?"

"Well, I guess so. I mean, isn't that what friends are for?"

"Thanks, yaar." Navin told him, "You have no idea how much this means to me." Raj really, really didn't know what it meant to him.

An hour later…

"Me coming home with you for Diwali was not part of this plan Navin!" Tanisha told him angrily.

"What was I supposed to do? He was getting suspicious and it was the only excuse I could think of! Just be glad that he believed it."

"But how am I supposed to convince my mother to actually let me go with you?"

"Do you want to get married or not?" Navin asked him, then an idea came to him "Just tell her that I'm taking you to introduce you to my family properly. She'll think that I want to propose soon and definitely allow you to come!"

Tanisha considered this, "Not a bad idea, I'll call her now." She told him and left from there.

Navin realised it was time that he made a phone call as well.

Heading to the mess, he told Suriji that he wanted to use the phone and dialed his home number, waiting until a familiar voice came on the line.

"Hey sis, it's me!" he told Naina happily, privately thinking that she had no idea what he had in store for her.

"Navin Bhaiyya! It's great to hear from you, you hardly ever call home these days! You must be pretty busy with Tanu." Naina teased him.

"Ha ha, very funny, Naina." Navin replied, "Now listen carefully, I'll be bringing two friends home with me for Diwali this year."

"Great!" Naina replied happily, "Is Alekh Bhaiyya coming with you again."

Navin was suddenly relieved that he hadn't decided to pick Alekh as Naina's potential husband…

"No, actually I was going to bring my friend Raj with me as he doesn't want to go home, and Tanu as well…"

Navin's ear was suddenly pierced by a squeal on the other end of the line that went on and on and on!

"Naina would you stop that, you're going to break my eardrum!" he told her.

"Sorry Bhaiya, but wow, you're bringing your girlfriend home with you!" Naina's voice became more serious, "This is a big step. You've never introduced us to any of your girlfriends before."

Navin realised that Naina was so focused on him bringing his girlfriend home that she hadn't said anything about Raj at all.

"Look Naina, just don't embarrass me in front of her, whatever you do! Please tell Ma and Baba about Tanu and Raj coming and make sure the guest room is ready for Tanu, Raj can stay in my room."

"That's cool, Bhaiya. Don't worry, I'll handle Ma and Baba. I can't wait to see you at Diwali!" she told him excitedly, "I'm really missing you!"

Navin couldn't wait either. So far everything was going perfectly, neither Naina nor Raj suspected anything, and their first hurdle had been overcome.

Awesome part.... ya the alekh haiya part was cute.. awwwww i cnt wait to see the part where nain n raj will eet each other... that shud be interesin!!!!!