Our Arranged Marriage

XVI.

Vaishnavi came out of the closet, managing to walk with the saree.

"You don't have to wear it, you know." Shubman said.

"It's okay. I wore it, because I wanted to." She shrugged casually. Shubman smiled to himself.

"Don't you want to have some rest?" Vaishnavi frowned asking.

"No." Shubman said. "What about you?" He asked.

"If I sleep now, I'll fall into deep slumber." She chuckled making him giggle. As Shubman saw Vaishnavi approaching to the mirror, he quickly ran towards her getting up from the bed.

"Wha-" She was cut off.

"Yeh mera kaam h." He said cutting her statement. She frowned.

He picked up the sindoor box from the table making her smile as she realised what he meant. Opening the lid, he took a pinch of it in between his thumb and index finger. Looking into her eyes and then her middle partition, he filled the sindoor. She smiled widely, closing her eyes.

"Done." He whispered huskily due to their proximity. Vaishnavi opened her eyes. Their few second eyelock was broken by a phone call.

'Abhishek' The name flashed on Shubman's screen.

"Hello?" Shubman picked up.

"Sorry, I know newly married couple ko disturb nhi karna chahiye, but, just wanted to ask something. Shaam ko free ho kya dono?" Abhishek asked.

"Muh dikhai h plus kaleera ceremony bhi h shaam ko. Kya plans h? Ghumna phirna toh nhi hopayega I'm sorry." Shubman said.

"I know that, Shub. We were planning to visit your home."

"We, in the sense?" Shubman asked.

"I, Ishan, Virat Bhai and Anushka Bhabhi."

"Alright. Aajao." Shubman agreed. "Wese bhi, yeh rasam jaldi khatam hojayenge. Then we can hangout. Like gharpe hi."

"Of course. So, milte h. Chal bye."

"Bye." He hung up the call.

"Abhishek, Ishan, Virat Bhai and Anushka Bhabhi will be joining us for the evening. Would that be okay? Ya wanted to take some rest?" Shubman asked.

"Na na. It's okay. I would love to spend time with them. Wese bhi, nahi soh sakte h na. It wouldn't be decent, sab h gharpe ese kese sojau." Vaishnavi said, maturely. Shubman smiled and nodded.

'Ping me a message when you're free.' A message popped up on Vaishnavi's phone.

Vaishnavi frowned seeing the ID. 'Dristhi ma'am.' That's when something rang in her ears.
"I want you in my cabin tomorrow. I'll ask Dristhi for your resignation letter." Her eyes widened as she recalled.

"Shit." She mumbled biting her lips.

'Yes maam?' She typed back.

'Free? Can you spare time for a small video chat?' She recieved the text.

'Yes maam, sure.' She typed back hitting the send button.

"Umm, Shubman." She called Shubman who was scrolling his Instagram. "Can I use your laptop?" She asked after hesitating for a moment.

"Yeh thodi puchne wali sawaal h? Of course." Shubman said getting up and walking towards the cupboard. "Here it is." He said forwarding the laptop to Vaishnavi.

"Just a few minutes of video chat, please." Vaishnavi said taking the laptop and sitting on the couch.

"Han babaaa.. karlo." He chuckled.