Anuradha took Drishti to the guest bedroom
"Aunty. I'm sorry for all the inconvenience I caused. Not even in my wildest imaginations did I see this happening aunty" Drishti said as soon as Anuradha made her sit on the bed
"Relax Drishti. It will take time for everyone to accept what happened. I don't know anything about you Drishti, but I know people. I have seen all kinds of people and I can say that you are a good person" Anuradha said
Only if she knows.... Drishti thought to herself
"Listen to me beta. Marriage is a sacred bond. Our ancestors used to say marriages happen in heaven. It's true to an extend. The one up there na?? He might have decided who is for who even before we are born. And Shravan is the one who is written in your destiny"
"Aunty. You can't really expect us to go through with this wedding. We don't know each other" Drishti said
"I'm not forcing you Drishti. Just give it a try. And still you find it difficult to adjust, I will help you in a separation."
"I don't know aunty. I have always dreamed of falling in love crazily before getting married"
"Love can happen after marriages too"
"But there's no guarantee for that aunty"
"There is no real guarantee for anything Drishti. That's life. It's unpredictable. What will you do if you get married to a man you love and later fall out of love?? Things happen Drishti. What we can do is make the best out of it. When life throws lemons at you.... "
"I will throw it back and wait for oranges" Drishti said stubbornly making Anuradha laugh
"My daughter would definitely love you. She is going to follow you around like a puppy once she gets to know you"
"You have a daughter??"
"Another son too. Three kids. Shravan is the eldest. My younger son is now doing his PG in Yale and my daughter is in the boarding school. She is a twelfth grader"
"You people are from Mumbai right?? I have heard of Maheswari textiles in Mumbai" Drishti said
"We live in Mumbai. But Shravan is based in Bangalore. What about your family Drishti?? When are you going to break the news to them. Do you want me to talk to them??" Anuradha asked and Drishti covered her face in worry
"I don't know what I'm going to tell them"
"Are they strict?? Will they scold you??" Anuradha asked and Drishti laughed
"No. They are the coolest parents ever. But ofcourse even they would be worried if they hear
their daughter got married out of blue"
"Where's your home Drishti? What are you doing?? What are your parents doing?? I know I can't get to know you in a day. But let me know the basic things. I have a feeling that Shravan would want to leave to Bangalore as soon as possible, so I won't be getting you to myself anytime soon" Anuradha said
"I'm also from Mumbai aunty. My father's name is Vihaan and mother Divyanshi. I have a younger sister Damini. She is only ten. Actually now they are on a vacation and this is not something to say on a phone call. I will tell them when they return"
"You didn't go for the vacation??"
"I was supposed to go with them. I had my bags packed too. But then Siddhu called me. Siddu is my best friend. Then he told me how his brother had turned into a devdas and I had to cancel the trip to help them out" Drishti said
"Don't worry. Once you two get comfortable with each other, you guys can go on a honeymoon" Anuradha said with a wink
"Aunty... " Drishti hissed in embarrassment
"And call me mom when you feel comfortable with that" Anuradha said
It took her a while to call her own mother Maa. How can she start calling a stranger mom suddenly
Anuradha saw her squirm
"Take your time beta. No pressure " Anuradha smiled making Drishti sigh in relief
"Thanyou aunty"
"I hope you will give this a try Drishti. Shravan may look rude but he is a sweet boy. I'm not saying this because he is my son. You will know. Take rest for now. I will send some spare clothes for you" Anuradha said caressing her cheeks
As soon as Anuradha walked out Drishti took her phone and saw 17 missed calls from Siddhu
She called him back and he picked up on the first ring
"Where the hell were you?? Why weren't you answering your calls. Do you know how worried we were. We were planning to fly back to Jodhpur. Why are you silent. Answer me D"
"Over?? Took a breath?? Now can I speak?? " Drishti asked
"I was worried D"
"Well....something happened...." She said and proceeded to explain all that happened
"You got married??" Siddhu asked in horror
"That's what I just said"
"God!! How could you be such a fool to get
trapped D. You always say you are the smartest tool in the kit. What happened to all the smartness" Siddhu taunted
Drishti bristled at the insult
"I'm still smart Siddhu. If you haven't noticed ,let me refresh it for you. I scared off the jerk of an ex groom and got myself tied to the son of one of richest families in India. And imagine the amount of money that would come into my hands through this marriage" Drishti said smugly
She didn't notice the person who heard the conversation and backed away from the room without making any noise
Now that she thinks about it, Anjali and Rahul Singhania, her adoptive parents had left a trust fund in her name. She could only access it when she turns 25 or she gets married. Whichever happens first.
Her marriage happened first. Now she could have her trust fund account open
She could get a new wardrobe
What?? She loves shopping!! And a new bride is entitled to a new wardrobe
"You are crazy D. Why did I even think that you wouldn't cause a trouble atleast for once" Siddhu said
"Siddhu. Don't tell this to bhaiyya and bhabhi. They will feel guilty. And I have not decided whether I want to stay married. I will give it a try. And if it doesn't work out, there is no point in letting everyone know"
"What about your parents??"
"I will tell them when they return"
"You are going to keep your wedding a secret to your parents for two months. Are you crazy?? This is not a daily soap opera Drishti. It's real life. These things don't work out effectively in real life"
"I will handle it Siddhu. Now go and help your bhaiyya and bhabhi"
"Take care Drishti. Be careful. They are strangers. Tell me the guy's name. I will do a discreet background check on him."
"Not happening Siddhu. I will take care."
"Call me if necessary. You know I will come over whenever you want??" Siddhu asked
"The guy is based in Bangalore Siddhu. So I will be back in Bangalore soon"
Shravan packed his bags in frustration
"All packed??" He turned around to see Isha staring at him
"Now don't give me the crap about only married for an hour. It's better I leave"
"Yes" Isha said and he looked at her in surprise
"You are not going to force me to stay with my bride??" Shravan asked in confusion
"No. This is a marriage you didn't want. You shouldn't stay married to her"
"What happened to you?? Until yesterday you were after me with my mom to marry me off."
"Not like this" she mumbled
"Isha?? Everything alright??"
"I don't think she is right for you. You know there are girls out there who would go to any extend trap rich men" Isha asked and Shravan Shook his head in disbelief
"You watch too many dramas. Yeah, there might be a few girls like that. But greed is not gender partialised. If there are greedy women, then there are greedy men too. And marrying someone for money?? These things happens in books and dramas."
"I don't like her" Isha said
"What did she do to you??"
"Are you telling me that you are already under her spell??"
"I'm not under any spell. I'm just realistic. How can you not like a person you don't even know. I don't know her, so I don't feel anything for her. And if she was someone who wanted to trap men for money, why would she talk about annulment??"
"That might be another one of her trick" Isha said grumpily
"Don't act bitchy Isha. It doesn't suit you. Anyway it's not as if we are staying married. She wants an annulement. I would give her one. Chapter closed"
"I wish" Isha murmered to herself
Shravan walked out of his bedroom, with his bag, after Isha, to get ready to leave. As he came to the living room his mother glared at him."I am leaving Mom.""What about your wife??" Anuradha asked in disbelief."What about her?? She can stay here as long as she wants and then can apply for annulment when she is ready." Shravan said coolly."You told me you would give your cent percent into this marriage, Shravan. You promised." Anuradha reminded her son of the promise he made before tying the knot.Damn!! His mother is furious. She just called him Shravan."I said that believing that I would be marrying Kiara. Kiara, who was supposedly left at the altar. Not trying to work out a marriage with her would be sin when I thought she was deeply hurt by her ex fiance." Shravan said."Oh my!! I can see you picturing yourself as a Prince charming riding a white horse and coming to rescue the princess from a miserable future," he turned around when he heard his brand new wife's voice and
The private jet landed in the Bangalore International Airport."You don't even have any luggage with you?? What's your plan?? A shopping spree with Shravan's credit card??" Isha asked and Shravan groaned mentally.What had happened to the sweet natured Isha?? Where did this bitchy avatar come from?? "Of course yes. I am a newly wed bride. New brides are entitled to their shopping spree with their husband's credit card." Drishti said, batting her eyelashes innocently at them."Of course I know girls like you." Isha said with derision."You ought to. You must be looking at the mirror at least twice a day." Drishti said sarcastically."For the love of God!! Will you two please shut up?" Shravan was finally losing it.What did he do to deserve this?? "Isha, I will drop you at your place. Will see you first thing in the morning. We have to get this deal somehow." Shravan said and Isha nodded her head.Business!! Drishti rolled her eyes!Shravan is reminding her of her father. Her fath
Damn it!! She is Drishti Singhania!The boys in her college are crazy over her and begging her for a single glance and this guy here, who was lucky enough to marry her, wants to keep their marriage a secret.Fine!! It's not as if she cares. "Fine. I am not dying to advertise it either." Drishti said with a casual shrug."And where is the bedroom??" Drishti asked and Shravan cursed himself for not thinking about it before.Where would she stay?? This is a two bedroom apartment and he had turned the guest room into a study for his office work."Actually there's only one bedroom." Shravan said and Drishti again shrugged as if sharing a bedroom isn’t a big deal for her."The kitchen is over there. The fridge is fully stocked. Rajesh kaka's wife comes thrice a week to clean and cook. She might have kept some food in the freezer too." Shravan said and guided her towards his roomLuckily his bedroom has a recliner in addition to a bed and he mentally thanked his interior designer for that.
Shravan woke up to find the girl all over himHer legs were thrown over his and hands were around his neck and her head in the crook of his shoulderHer hair is spread all over her face, some spilled over his chestGod!! What a torture to wake up with He pulled out from her hold not so gently, but her highness didn't wake up. She simply cuddled into the pillow instead of him and continued sleepingThere was drool near her mouth and she looked utterly adorable like a babyAdorable?? Have you gone crazy early in the morning Shravan?? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked into the en suite to get ready for the dayEven after he got ready for office Drishti was still asleepHe thought of leaving a note for her but then decided against itWhy make new habits?? ****Drishti woke up to the continuous vibration of her phoneLast night her phone had been battery dead and she had plugged it in near the bedside tableDoes the phone gets switched-on on it's own once charged??
Two days laterShravan was going through some files when the door opened and one of his best friends and business partner came in"Mithran!! How is the construction going on??" Shravan asked. Mithran had been out of the city for a surprise inspection on one of their new resort construction siteMithran manages the construction wing of SM while Shravan manages the business wingMithran Yadav is the M in SM Industries"Good evening to you too. I'm good and the journey was comfortable. Thank-you for asking" Mithran said sarcastically and Shravan sighed"Sorry man!! This Malhotra deal has been giving me a headache for a while""As I said before, I think it's better to look for some other site for the new resort" Isha said coming into his cabin"Good evening sweetheart" Mithran wished Isha with a flirtatious smile only to get a stink eye in return"Isha!! You know I don't back down when I want something" Shravan said"I know. But D Love is very special for the Malhotras. I don't think the
"So?? What's the plan for tomorrow??" Drishti asked and Siddu looked up from the phone"I won't be coming to the college tomorrow. Have to help mom with the preparations" Siddu said"You won't be coming?? What about me?? You think I will attend the college when you enjoy with the dinner preparations at home??" Drishti asked glaring at him"What do you expect?? You want me to ask you to join me??" Siddu asked sarcastically "Why not?? I'm your bestfriend. Abhi bhai is like a brother to me. So obviously I should also be helping you there" Drishti said"Exactly. You practically live in my house rather than the hostel. Then why do you suddenly need an invitation. If you want, just come" Siddu said with a shrug and Drishti scratched his arms with her long nailsSiddu hissed in pain "You are not a human. You are wild cat" Siddu said examining the scratch marks on his arms"Invite me properly or you will get more of that" Drishti said stubbornly "What the bloody hell is this. Since when di
"What the hell is this??""How dare you pull out my clothes??" They both asked at the same timeShravan took in a deep breath. He is not interested in an argument. "It fell out when I opened the cupboard. It wasn't arranged properly I guess" Shravan said politelyDrishti gritted her teeth hearing that polite tone again"You are accusing me of not arranging the clothes properly??" Drishti asked spoiling for a fight. "Accusing??" Shravan asked in astonishment "Yes! I haven't seen you in two days and the first thing you do when I finally see you is complaining" Drishti said with hands on her hips"I'm not complaining. I'm simply stating the facts. I had a shower. I came out. I opened the cupboard to get a pair of clothes and all these fell down. In a heap. And the cause of that being it not being properly arranged. Where's the complaint in this. Or the accusation??" Shravan asked and turned around without wasting for a reply to get his clothes He pulled on a T shirt and then again l
Drishti came out of the bedroom wearing an orange checkered shots and grey t shirt. Her hair was left open and still wet. She walked straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and poured herself some juice. Then she looked towards the living room and saw Shravan still at the same place working seriously on his laptop"Do you want some juice??" She asked out loudly gaining his attentionShravan looked up from the laptop and saw his wife standing near the refrigerator with bottled juice raise high so that he could see. "Yeah sure" he mumbled distracted by her long legs exposed for viewShravan shook his head to clear his thoughts. Don't be a creepy pervert, he told himselfDrishti came with two glasses of juice and sat across him and crossed her legs and his eyes darted towards her legs once againThey look so smooth and silky!! Does it feel silky too?? "Juice" she said handing him a glass snapping him out of his fantasy land"Uh yeah" he said flustered and gulped the juic