Where am I? I ask myself, looking around the vast hall. It looked royal. With huge white marble pillars and red curtains on the gold plated windows.
Sunlight passed through the open windows, lighting up the hall.
"Welcome." I hear a lady's voice from behind.
I turn around to come face to face with a silhouette. Strange. Her face is blurry. It's only her body that I can see. What the fuck?
"You have come at the right time." She says in a high etiquette but grave way. If that even makes sense. More or less,her appearance screams danger.
"Where am I? Who are you?" I ask.
The lady starts laughing as if I told her a joke.
"You ask me who I am after playing with the mind of my son?" She asks in a sarcastic tone.
I get it. She is Dhruv's mother.
 
"No, it's too tight." I say and the girl doing my blouse knots eases it up a bit allowing me to breathe."Thank you."She nods her head and leaves me in front of the mirror. I didn't know that Eleanor had prepared an entire team to help me wear the saree. She thinks it's a difficult attire to wear as it's traditional. The great Eleanor got scared of a simple saree. The thought only makes me laugh my heart out.I stand in front of a long mirror and stare at my reflection. The team has done a good job on the saree as well as fixing my face.This time, I told Eleanor that it needs to look natural. She suggested that I go with a no-makeup makeup look. Seriously? I don't know these bullshit things exist. Makeup is makeup. If you apply it on your face,it will show anyway. How stupid is that? The whole equation can be solved by just not applying any makeup at all.
The car parks in front of a huge mansion. By huge I mean elephant sized huge. More like a castle…These people must be fucking rich.I was so lost in my thoughts and the mansion that I didn't notice Boris opening the door for me."Madam." I jerk my mind out of the thoughts and find Boris standing behind my side of the car, holding the door open."Oh, thank you." I blink my eyes and slowly step out of the car with my saree entangling me like my death rope. I'm well practiced with walking in sarees,but today is different. It's not that I usually walk into a rich and mysterious family's gigantic castle because I am pseudo- dating their son. Who is a total jerk!I stand in front of the car, looking around. Dhruv's place is as huge as this, but there's something more about this place. It's very soothing and looks close to nature. There's a lot of
"Tell more about yourself,Meera." Mrs. Saxena inquired.Shit! I didn't think of any story I should tell about myself. What should I say? That I am a sugar baby working for your son who will be paying my bills and my stepmother is trying to sell off my sister?"Umm...I-I'm an Indian born and brought up in Kolkata." I say and press my lips. Will this do?"Oh, that's nice. I have one of my friends living there. How many family members do you have in your home?""Two. My mom and my sister." I say, suppressing the urge to run and hide behind the curtains."What about your father? Does he live somewhere else?" Harsh asks.I clench my jaw tightly.Don't!"No." I say, my voice as audible as a whisper."Then?" Harsh frowns.I sigh. He i
"This is good." I say while gulping the rice down my throat.And then I remember. I should behave…"Um...I mean.""Just eat it,bro. If you're worried about lunch eti- what is it...etiquote? No." Harsh twists his thin lips in thought."Etiquette!" Shruti says and giggles and I can't help but wonder how pretty her smile is. Unlike mine which is like a drunk buffalo hit on the head."Yeah, whatever. Such english. But whatever it is,Meera, don't care about it. Eat with your heart,not with your mind. And if you were thinking that Dhruv's charismatic personality flows in our veins just because we have the same blood,then you are wrong darling."I see Mrs. Saxena suppressing a smile, while Shruti does the exact opposite."Quite strong words you've learned, Harshu." I hear a masculine strong voic
I look around to see the gazes fixed on me.Think Meera! Think! Or we're both dead today!"I...I was looking for the washroom actually." I say."Oh. You could have told us,Meera." Shruti says behind Ajay. And did I forget to mention that Ajay is still staring at me?"Umm, you two were...engaged in a discussion...so I thought I will try on my own and not disturb you guys." I flutter my eyelashes and act as the most innocent being who could have ever existed on this planet.Realisation dawns upon the siblings,one of them smacking their head."Poor child. You both do such childish things when there's a guest in the house!" I hear Mrs. Saxena's voice behind Dhruv. When was she standing there?"But mom,Shruti started." Harsh swiftly puts the blame on his dear sibling who looks like a ripe tomato,ready to burst.
"Ha! I won!" Harsh shouts in the middle of his mobile game.Shruti smacks him on his arm with sheer annoyance."Why are you shouting?? And stop your stupid game! Meera is with us right now."Harsh, as if a lightning bolt struck him, looks at me and then puts his phone away."I'm sorry. I thought that you guys are talking so I started to play a game." He gives a nervous chuckle, one that can make any angry person melt away.But I am not angry. Hell no! I'm furious! Dhruv has let me come with him as his girlfriend but he shows no such interest in even talking to me. He is using a cold shoulder over me. And I don't like it.Umm. But why?Because... because I am not used to this cold shoulder and he should know better than to leave in the midst of people I know nothing about. At Least I know that Dhruv is a dick. But I don't know much
I gulp in the lump of my throat. I'm so busted right now. Surely,Ajay knows everything and will be telling his family about it.Ajay stares at me for a prolonged minute."Ajay? You were saying something?" Shruti asks, breaking the cold silence in the room.Ajay shifts his attention towards Shruti and opens his mouth to say something when long footsteps approach the room."It is getting late. We need to go." Says Dhruv standing a few steps away from Ajay who certainly looks displeased with the interruption. Or that's what I think.I never wanted to say this. But maybe I should be thankful to Dhruv today. He saved me a lot of times and didn't go for his usual fake flirtatious attitude."Okay." I breathe a sigh of relief and stand from the couch."Why so fast??!!" Harsh whines.
Never in my life did I believe that a person whom I hated the most and couldn't bear at all will make me cry. If someone a few days ago had told me that Dhruv Saxena's insult will bring tears to my eyes in the middle of the road, then I would have laughed out like a maniac.But here I am. Crying inside Lai's bathroom, putting the shower to maximum speed so that Lai can't hear my sobs. The water running through the stream is cold but my tears are burning like a hot spring on my face.I don't know why I am even crying! Is it because of the shower? Is it because of the heavy day? Is it because of my inner guilt for eavesdropping on someone's family business?I can't say. But the feeling is so bad that at times I feel like I must strangle myself.Me. Meera Adarsh doesn't like at all when someone gets the excuse to tell me or better, remind me what a failure I am. And