Yes i smiled as I texted her back

"So, this is a bit awkward, eh?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Awkward? For you maybe. I'm doing good. Thanks." She sounded witty. "Haha, that's nice to know," I said. (like I had any other option!) A whisk of cold wind blew by as we took yet another step into the park. "So, what else do you do when you run out of patients to treat?" I tried to sound witty too. "Running out of patients? Oh, You wish!" She chuckled a little. Sarcasm? Maybe. "But yes I am into a lot of other things," she continued, "photography, baking, painting, giving advice when not asked for." "Hahaha, you're funny." I chuckled. "I try." She said. I finally saw her warm, genuine smile. "Plus, you're pretty too!" I said timidly. "Thanks." She replied, looking towards the ground. "So, I guess you don't believe in the theory of giving a compliment for a compliment," I said hoping for a little sweeter talk. "No, no, you look good too." She teased me. "Haha, I don't trust you now." I laughed. "Yeah. You shouldn't. I was lying anyway." She said without blinking. "Umm, okay..." I felt a little disappointed. "I'm sorry. See, that's the problem with me. I'm too blunt." She was serious now. "Oh, no, no, it's okay." I tried to lighten her mood. "But if I may," I continued, "What did you not like about my appearance anyway?" As a guy who was always showered with compliments, I was curious to know now. "Trust me, you don't want to hear." She said with a straight face. "Trust me, I can take it." I sincerely hoped so. "Hmm, okay," she took a deep breath. "So, your beard, or should I say, 'freakishly-tiny-hair-pretending-to-be-a-beard', what happened there, fella? Is facial hair on men suddenly considered non-mannish?" She said, moving her fingers on my cheeks. "Okay, so you're clearly not a fan of clean shaved men." I began to speak. "No. Please don't interrupt me. Let me finish now," she said sternly. "Okay, there's more," I mumbled to myself. Ignoring my mumbling, she continued, "And why are you wearing that? I mean, I know your parents must've persuaded you to wear something bling and traditional. Apparently, you're supposed to dress up to impress someone for this arranged marriage thing, while actually wondering how they'd look beneath all these layers of clothing." She said without taking a breath. "Woah" I was, well...woah. "Or do you actually like wearing this?" she continued, "If that's the case, then that's cool. But if not, then why go through this horrible pain of pretense. How hard it is to be your normal self. Gosh!" She finally inhaled. I was a little surprised and taken aback. This thing right here, about her, was what separated her from others. All this while, I have always been showered with compliments, but for the first time, someone made me think. Seeing me not reacting, she said, “I am sorry for being so straightforward and blunt. This is the reason why I never consider myself fit for arrange marriages.” I noticed the sense of guilt in her voice. I noticed how her smiling face changed suddenly to a serious one. And I wondered, “honesty is the thing people seek in others, and that is the very thing that drifts apart the two souls.” “No, no, it's nothing like that. I, uh, I actually like this thing in you,” I told her. She seemed surprised. As if something struck her, as if she heard those words for the first time. “I hope so,” she said, wondering. As I drove my way home, I kept on wondering about the nature of the society we live in. I kept on wondering how we accept pretentiousness as a part of our daily life and how bluntly we reject the honesty we come across, and ironically, we seek and speak of honesty all the time and when it finally shows up on our doorstep, we cease ourselves from opening the door, or maybe it's just that we don't want to. My trail of thoughts was interrupted as I heard my phone beep. “After seeing and knowing everything, would you still choose to marry me?” Her text read. I didn't reply. “If I choose to marry her, I will be heavily criticized for marrying a girl who has been rejected quite a few times. Words will be said around the corner,” I said, holding a glass of whiskey. [But then again, isn't it the human psychology: judging others even before they get a chance to know the other person? Isn't it the basic human instinct to criticize someone for taking the road less traveled? Isn't it the basic human nature to let words out for a person who doesn't wish to choose “normal?”] “But, isn't it something that you have always wanted in your girl? Different from others; straightforward; to tell you what's good for you and what's not, and not just go around flattering you and showering you with false compliments? And on top of that, haven't you always wanted your girl not to be fake, like others you come across every day? And when you finally have a chance, you are letting yourself ruined by the thoughts of society. Oh, you poor soul!” The man looking at me from behind the mirror said. This is what introspection does to you: remove all the clouds of doubts you have been holding inside. And in that moment, I had understood what I had wanted. And in that very moment, I knew who I had to marry. And in that moment, I knew I would be one lucky person if I marry her. “Yes,” I smiled as I texted her back. ©nomeee