Natasha had inconspicuously walked into the lavish banquet hall but in no time found herself the center of attention. It was her first public appearance after her marriage after all. Nervously fidgeting with her purple and gold raw silk saree she realized that an old, wrinkled face was looking at her with particular interest."Jayant's mother," Majid whispered near her ear from behind.Promptly, she folded her hands in Namaste and walked towards the woman to congratulate her.This was her first official task as Vaghela daughter-in-law, thrust onto her by none other than her grandfather-in-law. Normally, it was Kunal's responsibility to represent the Vaghela's at such an event. He wasn't going to do it this time. Everyone in Vaghela Mansion knew that. Hard to miss the point when the antique glass dining table, wi

Samar paced outside the small bedroom at Jayant's flat. JK stood tensed in a corner. Half an hour back, Swapnali had collapsed. Just like that. She was sitting on the bed and bam, keeled over, and dropped on the floor unconscious without any prior warning sign. Samar panicked. JK grew hysterical. It was kaki who finally emerged out of her five-day-old stupor and rushed to her daughter-in-law's side. The doctor was summoned and was presently checking her inside.The vibrating phone burned a hole in his pocket. Out of sheer irritation, he fished it out and barked, "What is it, Maahi?"He knew it was her without even looking at the caller id. She had been doggedly persistent in calling him since the last five days. But she was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. He had realized how easy it was to say that her family name didn't affect his love towards her. It did. W

Six Months LaterMaahi leaned on the muscular shoulder with a sigh as a reassuring arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer into the warmth of security. How she'd missed him! They were sitting against the headboard on her bed in her bedroom in the Vaghela House. It was very early morning and although it wasn't totally dark outside anymore, the light hadn't arrived either."I missed you so much," she confessed."I missed you too, sweetheart. I would have come way sooner had you let me," Archer Calhill replied affectionately."I know," Maahi said. She had asked him to come the day before and within thirty-six hours, he was here. In fact, he had landed in Mumbai a few hours back itself. Ever since bhaiya had been shot and she bowed out of Samar's l

Maahi smiled at the night duty nurse and quietly closed the door behind her after checking up on her grandfather. He was sleeping peacefully, under the effect of painkillers probably, for it has just been ten days since he had been shot. He was moved back home as soon as he was out of danger. In the business, to which their grandfather had dedicated his life and sacrificed everyone else's, it was considered wise to recuperate in one's stronghold. Lying helplessly in the public building, where security arrangements could never meet the rigid standards, no matter how meticulously they were made, was akin to tempting the fickle fate.Without making a noise, she moved to the room two doors down. Similarly, she opened it and took silent stock of the situation there. Her brother was sleeping, and his male nurse was dozing off in the comfortable chair in the corner of the room. These days her brother didn't require much nighttime care. Satisfied, she closed that door as well.

As the aircraft touched down, Maahi started winding up her long chain of thoughts, as long as this flight from Zurich to Delhi. And what thoughts they had been! It was like she had relived her whole life in her mind in those scant hours. Having just left her brother permanently at a facility in Switzerland had left her feeling rather poignant. The feeling, she guessed, similar to when one left their parents at an old age home.Tiredly, she collected her hand baggage and stood up to deplane. Luckily this time there was no extra security check-in her honor. Vaghela name had lost almost all its steam in the past year. It was a brief respite, she knew, for she was going to get a new surname soon, the one that was all the rage these days in power corridors. Jagtap.And sure enough, her future husband was waiting for her as she exited the airport. Patiently waiting next to his car, emitting a strong fuck-off vibe to four very wary policemen standing a few