MALANG

13. The perfect couple

Jaisalmer

"Nitya? Beta can you please get Vani's duppatta from my room? I think I left it there on the bed only."

"Sure. I'll get it right away... But which way to go, aunty?"

"Go straight and its right next to the swimming pool."

"Okay."

I adjusted my own dupatta and headed towards the swimming pool. I was in Somani mansion right now, helping Mrs. Senior Somani to get done with her son's engagenent ceremony.

Elder son. My subconcious reminded gently.

Ofcourse! The younger one was 'supposed' to get married to Nityami Bharadwaj right? I could help but sigh at my fate.

Oh what mess I had got myself into!

It wasn't like I had agreed to the marriage proposal. But then I hadn't completely rejected it either. It was the question of Vani's marriage and I didn't want a single thing to go wrong because of me. It was a different case though that I was happy to sacrifise myself for her, whenever and wherever needed. But as long as I had the opportunity to play safe, I was going to utilize it with all my might.

Thus when Mrs. Somani asked about the alliance last day, I simply demanded some time to think and atleast five meetings with her younger son.

She too had complied readily, given that I wasn't refusing to become her younger daughter-in-law.

I didn't know what had gotten into her. Neither she knew me properly nor she had any inkling about my past. It made me wander whether my green eyeballs were the only reason why she wanted to trap me inside her mansion forever.

Coming to the mansion, the place was literally overflowing with people. Maids, decorators, caterers, immediate and distant family members, Mr. Somani's business partners, Vani's colleagues, Vivek's friends- not a single soul was missing from there..... And yet only I was the one whom Mrs. Somani found to run her errands upon!

I huffed irritatedly as I recalled the sly woman's tactics and haulted before the swimming pool.

I had reached the pool but what's next? Infront of me there was a crossway that lead to two rooms in the opposite directions, one at the right and one at the left.... which one of the two had Mrs. Somani talked about?

Suddenly I got nervous and cold. There wasn't anyone in sight whom I could ask for help. This part of the mansion was relatively away from the central hall and detached from all sorts of human interaction. It was strange I know, but I guess thats how the Somani's liked to maintain their privacy.

To hell with the privacy! I muttered under my breathes and marched towards the room situated at the left wing.

There was no seconds thoughts after that as I pushed the door open and walked straight into the magnificient space which probably seemed bigger than the 2BHK apartment that Vani and I jointly owned.

For a brief period of time I kept staring the room, its cream and maroon walls, the mandalas doodled on them, the family pictures hanging from antique wooden frames, an antique wooden rocking chair, an antique mirror, a wooden cupboard and night stand and most importantly, a huge wooden king-sized bed with no dupatta on it.

It was really the Somani's master bedroom right? But if so then where was Vani's red dupatta here?

I didn't get anymore time to think as I was held by the elbow and pulled to a rock hard surface that seemed to be breathing softly.

Here my own breathes got hitched in my throat.

"May I know what is this beautiful intruder doing in my room?" A husky male voice rolled down my ears.