Artful Deceit & Love ✔️

6.Rivalry

Mridula knocked at Leela's door. The door opened to a tired Leela staring at her with a small smile.

"So, how was your trip to Pushkar?" She asked as she walked past Leela to enter her room.

"Umm...I had told you that I had gone to meet a friend...she was very sick...So I rushed out without informing you." Leela said in a low tone.

"Who is this friend of yours?" As Mridula asked the question, Leela looked the other way.

"My friend from school...Arya...yeah...Arya!"

"I don't remember any of your friend named Arya..." Mridula eyed her sister in suspicion.

"Because I never told you about her...now leave that tell me how was the party?"

Mridula understood that Leela was lying to her. So, she didn't tell her the truth about the party either.

"It was okay...I made a friend named Jiya...and the party wasn't boring as I spent most of my time talking to her."

Leela nodded her head while listening to her.

"You know you can tell me anything...anything at all, Leela...Remember that?" Mridula said as she walked closer to her sister. Leela stared at her for a while and all of a sudden, wrapped her arms around Mridula tightly. Mridula also did the same and only left her when Leela backed away.

"I'll leave now, you rest now!" She said to which Leela merely nodded her head. Her tired face showed that she had not slept the entire night.

Mridula was walking back to her room when she met Digvijay on her way.

"How is she?" He asked her worriedly.

"She is avoiding me...Otherwise, I would have asked her myself."

"Give her time, Digvijay! She'll tell you everything once she is comfortable around you" Mridula said. She knew that Leela's truth is something that she'll only tell anyone if she trusts that person and right now, Mridula knew that Digvijay didn't have her sister's trust.

~~~~~~

In a huge conference hall, a meeting was going on. It was for a new petrochemical plant that was to be set up in Rajasthan. There were many bids for the deal but only two companies were finalized: Shekhawat Groups and Rajawat Entreprises.

The documents were submitted and so were the tenders. Now, only the result was to be announced.

Vaibhav looked at the opposite side of the table. He saw Uday sitting there, radiating confidence as usual. He seemed like he would surely get the deal.

'I just want to defeat this Shekhawat for once. Last time also he took the deal from me. But not this time..' He thought as he saw Uday looking at him with an arrogant smile.

Soon, the government official entered the room. Both Vaibhav and Uday stood up to greet him.

"Gentlemen, as you know there can only be one company to whom we can give this deal to...So without any further ado..." He looked at the two powerful men, who could sit in their lavish palaces and not work but here they are competing for a business project.

"This deal goes to the Shekhawat Groups..." He said as he forwarded his hand to Uday for a handshake.

He then looked back at Vaibhav, who was clearly fuming with anger.

"Of course! You'll give him the project...after all who could deny his father's orders. His connection and friendship with the CM is known by all!" Vaibhav commented as he eyed Uday in anger.