Ujjwal and Maanvi nervously glance at Ishika, noticing the bill in her right hand.
"Give me the bag," Ishika says, extending her hand. Her tone is soft, but her expression is serious.
"I-Ishika, um..."
"Kumar, hand over the bag," she insists.
Reluctantly, Ujjwal hands her the bag.
Ishika opens it. At first, she sees Ujjwal's t-shirts on top, but as she digs deeper...
"Women's perfume," she says, pulling out the bottle and reading the label.
"Jiju bought it as a surprise gift for you!" Maanvi blurts out in panic. "Right, Jiju? You told me, didn't you?"
"Y-Yes," Ujjwal quickly agrees.
Ujjwal finds Ishika's serious expression cute.
Ishika continues searching through the bag, pulling out another item. "Nail polish," she reads aloud.
Before Ishika can say more, Maanvi grabs a nail polish bottle from her hand and exclaims, "Thank you, Jiju, I love this gift!"
"You're welcome," Ujjwal replies quickly.
Maanvi breathes a sigh of relief, thinking they've escaped suspicion. But then, Ishika reaches into the bag again and pulls out T-shirts and pants- all are Maanvi's size.
Maanvi lowers her head in embarrassment, using her hands to cover her face. It's obvious she's been caught.
On the other hand, Ujjwal tries to lighten the mood. "It's fine, Ishika," he says, "She is my sister-in-law, after all."
"Come on, Ishika, let it go," Ujjwal pleads. "If my sister-in-law asks for something, I have to fulfill her wish, don't I? Besides, I'm glad she bought these things."
Hearing this, Ishika finally smiles a little, and they know she's no longer upset.
Meanwhile, Rupam, who had recognized Ujjwal and Ishika from a previous family function, notices them from afar. She avoids them, not wanting to engage in any conversation.
~
After dropping Maanvi at her new house, Ujjwal turns the car toward a jewelry store.
Ishika, puzzled, asks, "Where are we going, Kumar?"
"To the jewelry shop."
Ujjwal stops the car at a red light.
"I'm not upset anymore," Ishika clarifies.
"I know."
"Then?"
"You didn't find any nose ring you liked, right?" Ujjwal says.
"I was just looking, thinking I might wear one at some event later."
"Hmm."
"We can buy it later, Kumar."
"No, let's get it now," Ujjwal says, driving forward as the light turns green.
~
At the jewelry shop, the jeweler places a box on the counter. Ishika scans the various nose rings, picking out one to try on.
"How does it look, Kumar?" she asks.
"Beautiful," Ujjwal replies, his gaze fixed on her face. Ishika can see he's mesmerized.
Blushing, she looks back at the nose ring box and chooses a simple yet elegant design. When she tries it on, Ujjwal is speechless for a moment.
Every nose ring she tries looks perfect on her, but this one feels special.
YOU ARE READING
Conditions Of Shashank | 18+
RomanceIshika, a dark-skinned and chubby woman, has endured years of harsh taunts and cruel whispers. People ridiculed her appearance, declaring no one would ever truly accept her. Their words cut deep: "No man will marry someone like you?" "Anyone who...
