Miss Shetty and Mr Gupta

~Chapter 29~

this chapter is more like the continuation of the previous chapter 

Isha's POV 

 At the Birla Mandir , we removed our shoes and handed over our phones, preparing to make our way up the steep slope. I turned to Rishi, curiosity bubbling up inside me. "I always wonder, why do they take our phones away? This temple is so magnificent, and we can't even capture its beauty."

He smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "If we had our phones, nuvvu naatho paatu darshanam chesukokunda, just pics theesokni ekeda ekediko velthavo. Neelanti vaala kosame vaalu phones theesesukuntaaru."

I pouted playfully at his comment but couldn't argue with the logic. As we climbed the stairs, I took in the beautiful surroundings, noticing the vibrant bougainvillea plants lining the path. They added a splash of colour against the white marble of the temple, and for a moment, I was completely captivated.

The temple stood before us, a marble masterpiece, and I was stunned by its grandeur. (A/N: For those who haven't been to Hyderabad, trust me, Birla Mandir is a must-see. It's breathtakingly gorgeous!) We soon finished our darshan and started back down the steps, the temple surprisingly quiet for the time of day.

As we walked down, I noticed a large balcony area off to the side. Drawn by the view, I wandered over and stood there, gazing at the city below. Rishi followed, standing next to me. From our vantage point, we could see the Sachivalayam, NTR Gardens, Hussain Sagar, and a few other famous landmarks. Down there, life was bustling and chaotic as always, but up here, it felt peaceful—just us, the temple, and the open sky. We stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet serenity before heading back down.

I spotted a doorway with a sign above it that read "Library," and my heart leapt. My obsession with books kicked in immediately. Without thinking, I pulled Rishi by the arm and asked eagerly, "Can we please go to the library?"

He looked at me, considering my request for a few seconds, and then said, "No can do, Ishu," before heading down the stairs. I mentally scowled at him, my excitement crushed.

 Begrudgingly, I followed him down, sulking as we made our way to the car parking area.

On the way, I saw a beautiful pair of Jhumkas at a nearby stall, and my heart fluttered again. I was about to grab them when Rishi pulled me back, saying, "Isha, we don't have time... let's go." I freed myself from his hold and made my way towards the parking lot!

His tone was unusually brisk, and I was shocked. Rishi never acted like this before. He was always so easygoing, letting me explore at my own pace, but today he was different—bossy, even. I felt a wave of frustration wash over me as I stamped my feet all the way to the car, feeling upset and determined to get back at him.

That's when my revenge plan struck me—Rishi's most precious possession was his Range Rover. The last time Yuvraj had pranked him by touching it without permission, Rishi had nearly lost it. So, I spotted a pile of mud nearby, and without much thought, I stomped my Nike Air Max shoes into it just to annoy him. The minute I felt the squelch of mud, I regretted it, but there was no turning back now.

I climbed into the car and slammed the door harder than necessary. Rishi shot me an irritated look and said, "Mellaga, Ishu..." before starting the engine.

"Sorry," I muttered insolently, knowing I wasn't really sorry. I could feel his disappointment radiating off him, but I wasn't done yet.

I pulled out my phone, connected it to the car's speakers, and blasted Taylor Swift. Rishi tolerated her music sometimes, but he wasn't a fan—he thought she was a hypocrite, while I passionately disagreed. Taylor Swift was amazing, no one's opinion was going to change that. We'd had countless debates on this topic, but today, I was using it as a weapon.