Maruvarthai🤍

XVI

Anushka reluctantly approached her mother, where a tall stranger with an eager smile stood waiting, fidgeting nervously nervously by her side. He was dressed sharply in a light blue kurta, obviously poised for victory. Prabhas could hear him introducing himself, trying too hard and definitely overcompensating.

"Hi! I'm Vikram," the man bubbled enthusiastically, extending a stiff hand. "So, what do you do? I'm in business—import and export. Been making quite a name for myself lately!"

Anushka grimaced, half-listening as she mentally calculated how many seconds it would take for this torture to end. "That's...nice. I'm a forensic surgeon," she managed to say, a faint lilt of boredom lacing her voice.

"Wow! A forensic surgeon?" Vikram exclaimed, as if he'd just met a superhero. "That's fascinating! I saw this show once where... you know, you guys determine how people died or something? How cool is that? I mean, I'm no doctor, but I watched all seasons of Grey's anatomy!" He laughed, clearly pleased with his comic timing.

From just a few feet away, Prabhas almost choked on his laughter, exchanging glances with Rana. "Grey's anatomy?" he whispered between fits of mirth.

"You're missing the facial expressions, my friend. It's a whole act," Rana replied, trying to suppress a laugh of his own.

Anushka's expression, however, was one of forced politeness. "Yes, I handle a lot of... high-stakes situations like they show in Grey's anatomy," she said, feigning interest in the stranger while her eyes darted across the gathering to spot Prabhas. He met her gaze, and in that moment, a silent understanding passed between them. She was in a mess and desperately needed a way out.

"High stakes? Like, do you race cars or something?" Vikram asked, completely oblivious. "My cousin used to be a race car driver, could whip those cars around corners. Speaking of which... did I tell you about the time he took me for a spin?"

As Vikram rambled on, Anushka subtly pinched the bridge of her nose, exuding a perfect mix of humor and helplessness. She cast another long look to Prabhas, who pretended to be engaged in a conversation with Rana but was actually pinching his mouth to hold back laughter fully.

Suddenly, she heard her mother's voice cut in from their conversation. "Anushka, honey, be polite! He's good family. You two should bond."

"Bond?" Anushka thought, clenching her teeth. "What family doesn't suffer from a little database of nightmare encounters at weddings?"

She looked back at Vikram, who now had a gleam in his eye as he seemingly reached the pinnacle of his self-importance. "I've been working on this project that's going to revolutionize the import-export business. Are you into revolutionary things?"

Before Anushka could respond, she caught Prabhas' eye again, and he winked at her with that devil-may-care grin that usually spelled trouble. Behind Vikram's back, Prabhas was gesturing dramatically as if to say, "Run! Let's escape this madness!"

What happened next was like something out of a sitcom's best moments. Anushka pretended to cough, efficiently distracting Vikram as he turned his head in concern. Taking advantage, she swiftly leaned into a carefree Prabhas, who was now pretending to take an innocent sip of lemonade.

"Hey, you," Prabhas said, his tone light as he leaned further into the railing, a playful glimmer in his eyes.

"At least someone is having fun watching my misery" she replied, a teasing smirk plastered on her face. "Vikram is not taking the hint."

Prabhas chuckled, "Look's like you were having fun with the NRI hero your family thinks would sweep you off your feet?"

"Fun? My foot! Anushka crossed her arms, drawing closer to where Prabhas was standing.