𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 | ✓

𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢

Annika and Gauri sat in silence in the car, as they contemplated what Svetlana and Saumya had said. Gauri didn't want to presume things about her Bade Bhaiya and Bhoujai's relationship, but Svetlana's words had clearly affected her sister-in-law.

"Annika Bhoujai?" Gauri shook the older woman who startled before looking outside the window and realising they had reached the mansion.

"Haan," Annika mumbled. "Thanks." She turned to the driver who nodded.

The two walked inside the foyer only to be met with the inquisitive frown of Kalyani Singh Oberoi.

"Puttar," Kalyani sighed, "Where did you two go?"

Annika and Gauri looked at each other before smiling as they turned to look at the older woman, "Woh kuch kaam tha Dadi." Annika replied.

"Kaisa kaam?" Kalyani prompted.

"Humare Bhavya ke liye kuch kharidna tha," Gauri cleared her throat. "Annika Bhoujai and I haven't personally bought anything for Bhavya as a wedding gift."

Annika nodded, "And we have the muu dikhai ceremony starting in a few hours."

"Haan! Haan!" Gauri nodded, "Chaliye na Annika Bhoujai."

The two left the elderly woman behind, all three failing to notice the being hiding behind the pillars, smiling wickedly with straight white teeth.

<>•<>

"Annika? Gauri?" The two looked up to find Roop Oberoi standing at the threshold of Annika and Shivaay's bedroom.

"Arre Buaji, aap?" Annika stood up, "Please, come in!"

Roop nodded with an unsettling smile that both the daughters-in-law ignored as they ushered the older woman inside. "What are you two doing here?"

Gauri and Annika looked at each other warily, before going with the same lie they had told their grandmother-in-law. Roop smiled. "How naive," she muttered. "Bhavya's muu dikhai ceremony is in a few hours, right?" The two nodded, "The guests will arrive soon." Roop nodded with a worried frown, "Woh Annika."

"Ji?" Annika smiled.

"Beta, there's a pair of jhumkas that used to belong to an old friend of mine." Roop smiled, flashing a set of perfectly straight white teeth, "Inside an ornate pink and jade box." She patted Annika's cheeks, "It's in the second room, near the foyer on the floor below."

"I'll go and get the keys to the store room," Annika nodded, walking to her wardrobe until Roop gripped her hand.

"No," at Annika's confused smile, Roop clarified, "I want you to go get it. I would go, but I'm severely allergic to dust."

Annika nodded understandingly. "Of course!" She turned to Gauri, "The decorators won't ever be done if you aren't behind them twenty four seven!" Gauri snorted before getting up and running downstairs to monitor the workers. "I'll go and get your jhumkas, Buaji."

Roop smiled sweetly, before scowling as soon as Annika disappeared from sight, "Tu aur Bhavya iss Oberoi empire ko jala degi, Annika. And Gauri will be heartbroken once she learns the truth—— and so will you. And for that," she muttered, "I wish you the best of luck. Daaton daaton mein."

<>•<>

Bhavya patted her hair, pinning the extended set of pearls to her bun, before she touched up her makeup with a smile. She hummed a familiar tune of a song that her father and mother used to dance to.