| Dark Devotion |

6

I R A

"You promised me, Ira!" Niti scowled.

"I did no such thing!" I mirrored her expression.
I was in Niti's room, helping her pack her bags since she was going to stay with the Rajvansh family to plan the wedding.

Actually, she was packing while I was laying on her bed, flipping through a random magazine I found.

Since it was a good few hours between the residences, it was easier for her to stay at their place instead of constantly going back and forth to plan the wedding. And now she was trying to make me go with her.

"Yes, you did! Remember when we went out for brunch, and I told you I needed help planning the wedding? You told me you would be happy to help since you're staying here for a while and have nothing to do, anyway."
She insisted.

I stopped flipping through the magazine as I tried to remember when I had said that.

"Are you actually trying to implant a fake memory into my mind?" I looked at her accusingly.

"No." She avoided looking at me.

"Yes, you are, you sneaky little bitch!" I threw a pillow at her face. She let out a huff.

"What are you going to do here alone,anyway?"

"I don't know. Eat and chill with Mihir?" I shrugged.

I had been staying at the Palace for a couple of weeks now, and she actually had a point. I wouldn't have anything to do once she left. Unless I wanted to become best friends with Suman.

Yeah, no thank you.

I will probably go deaf if I have to listen to her speak one more time. I felt my skin crawling every time she called me 'darling.'

"You can eat over there. I'm sure they have everything you can wish for."
Niti looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Nah." I said, after pretending to think about it.

Normally, I would have found that to be convincing, but since I was trying to avoid Satan, I was happy staying at my father's palace.

"What if I make sure a cheesecake is ready for you?" My brows raised at the mention of cheesecake.
"Besides, Mihir will not be free all the time to hang out with you." She continued to argue, which was another good point made.

"I hate it when you're right." I sulked. Mihir had been incredibly busy these days, and I had barely seen him around.
"Why are you even planning the wedding? Just get someone else to do it for you."

"I am literally promised because of a business deal. The least they can do is let me plan my own wedding. And you have good taste, so you're helping me. I'm older than you; you have to do what I say." She let out a smirk.

"How lame of you to pull the 'I'm older than you' card. Which doesn't even work. But fine, I will go with you." I groaned as I rolled my eyes, and she squealed in excitement.

I resumed reading my magazine, trying to get some inspiration for my next design. Since I have once again extended my stay here, I have been working whenever my mother needed help, and I would email her my sketch ideas.

She has been surprisingly okay with me being here, which made me happy because I was enjoying the time with Niti and my father.

"I'm heading back to my room. I'm tired, and we have to wake up early for the Mandir tomorrow." I said as I rolled off the bed.

"Thanks for the help." Niti's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You are so welcome." I snickered and closed the door behind me.