Entwined

Chapter 10

Vivaan hurried to get his shirt. While he was dressing, Sanvika got out of the bed and was staring at the door with fear. Vivaan could see Sanvika flustered and nervous. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Relax," he said.

"I don't want to face this right now..." She mumbled.

"This is the 10th floor. You cannot even jump off the window."

Sanvika frowned. "Ah...shit. Better get this over with." She took a deep breath and walked to the door. The doorbell rang three times again in the time she walked to the door. She unlocked it to see her mother, Nirmala and older sister Prathyuksha.

"I am telling you, we should leave them alone. It's good that they are alone in there." Prathyuksha was telling their mother. Then she noticed the door opening. "Oh, Hi sis..."

But Sanvika could only see her mother's strict face.

"Hi, Ma..."

Nirmala walked into the room as if she owns the place. Prathyuksha followed. "Hi, Vivaan..."

"Hi di, Hi aunty..."

But Prathyuksha's smile went wider. "You have lipstick smeared on your lips. On the side." Vivaan hurried to wipe it away as Prathuksha lightly hit her mother's arm, "Mom, told you we should leave them alone. Let them make a baby, our problem will be easily solved..."

"Didi, that's disgusting," Sanvika snapped. "And..." her tone came down, "... what I - we do is none of your business."

But she could only stare at her mother. Sanvika always was scared of her mother. Then again, Nirmala was something of a person. Even her husband was slightly scared of her.

Nirmala just looked at Sanvika. "I just came to meet Vivaan," Sanvika mumbled.

"What are you wearing?" Nirmala asked.

She is meeting her mother after years and this was what her mother was asking her. But then her mother was always particular about their dressing style. Even their baby clothes were branded.

"Right," Pathyuksha looked at Sanvika with judgemental eyes. "Those shorts look like they are bought from a dingy streetside shop!"

"They are bought from a streetside shop," Sanvika said.

"Ew..."

The look on Nirmala's face was like she smelled something disgusting. But dignified as she was, she suppressed her words and turned to Sanvika. "We are planning to conduct the wedding next month."

"Huh?" Sanvika asked. "What wedding."

"Your wedding," Nirmala said as though Sanvika should know that already. "Vivaan's parents and we have discussed the details already. They also think that next month is a good option." Sanvika could see mild happiness on Vivaan's face. Biting her guilt down she said, "I am not coming back home." Sanvika saw the happiness vanish from Vivaan's face.

Nirmala turned to Sanvika. "One year is enough for your childish hobby. Now get back home."

"It's not a hobby. I am happy there."

"Stop the nonsense." Nirmala's voice did not sound angry, it was calm but intimidating. "If you want to run a restaurant, we can build you one. A high class one. Ne that will suit us." She said that 'us' with so much pride. "Not the shambles that you have there." Sanvika did not even want to ask how does she know the condition of her restaurant. Just because her parents never came to see her, it does not mean they don't have spies to take photos and report to them. It's worse than how they show in movies.