Bonded Forever

PREPARATIONS

                  ˙✧˖🌸˙✧˖
  
One week later, Vaibhav was seated in his office, intently examining a stack of files when his phone buzzed. Seeing his mother's name, he answered swiftly, "Hello, Maa?"

"Hello, beta," Devika's voice rang cheerfully.

"Yes, Maa, make it quick. I'm in the middle of some important work," Vaibhav replied, his tone focused.

"Keep everything aside and come to the location I just shared," Devika said, her voice carrying a tone that he knew better than to ignore.

Vaibhav frowned, glancing at his phone. "Where? And why?"

"Do you even remember that you're getting married in a few days?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yes, I remember," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "But what does that have to do with now?"

"I'm waiting at the shopping mall. I shared the location," she answered firmly.

Vaibhav sighed. "Mom, seriously? I'm in the middle of something important here, and you want me to go shopping?"

"Yes, seriously! I don't want to hear any excuses. You're coming within the hour," she insisted. "And don't forget to bring Ananya with you. She's in the office, so you'll need to pick her up."

He let out another reluctant sigh, realizing there was no way he'd be able to get out of this.

Ananya sat at her desk, engrossed in her work when her phone rang. Seeing her mother's name, she answered, "Hello, Maa."

"Annu, be ready in a few minutes. Vaibhav will come and pick you up," Sumitra's voice came through, cheerful but with a sense of urgency.

Ananya's brows furrowed. "Pick me up? For what?"

"For shopping for your marriage, beta," Sumitra replied, the excitement evident in her tone.

Ananya sighed, irritation slipping into her voice as she replied, "Maa, no, I'm not going anywhere. I have a lot of work to finish."

There was a brief silence, then another voice took over. "Didn't you hear what your mother said? Be ready when Vaibhav arrives," Indrani's voice came through stern and unyielding, leaving no room for debate.

Realizing she had no choice, Ananya replied, "Ji, Dadi," in a resigned tone before cutting the call, not waiting another second to voice her frustration. She sat back, staring at her phone, mentally bracing herself for the outing and whatever this unexpected day might hold.

Vaibhav got Ananya's office address from Dev and drove over, reaching in about twenty minutes. As he walked into the office, everyone was surprised to see him. People whispered, wondering why he was there, since everyone knew of Vaibhav Singhania and his powerful reputation.

He ignored all the looks and went straight to the reception. "Please tell Ms. Ananya Khurana that I'm here," he said.

The receptionist called Ananya, and her heart skipped a beat when she heard Vaibhav's name. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and walked towards the reception. As she approached, Vaibhav noticed someone else—Veer Raichand, his business rival, who was coming forward with his assistant. Vaibhav's eyes glinted with amusement.

So, my wife works for my rival. Interesting, he thought.

Veer noticed Vaibhav and smirked. "What brings Mr. Singhania to Raichand's office?" he asked in a mocking tone.