ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡs

11. Bride's House

Natasha's POV

I was sitting blankly in my room, completely zoned out, until someone knocked on my door. Curious, I got up and opened it, revealing two women standing there with smiles, holding bags in their hands.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm Anjali, and she is Roohi. Sorry for the disturbance, but we were sent here to take your measurements for your wedding attire," one of them explained politely.

"My wedding attire? Who sent you here?" I inquired, puzzled by their unexpected visit.

"We were sent here from the groom's side of the family," the other woman replied.

"If we have your permission, can we take your measurements?" they asked, awaiting my response.

"How much is this?" I asked, pointing to one of the dresses.

"50,000 rupees only," she replied casually, as if it were a normal price.

"What!?" My eyes widened in shock. "50,000 ONLY!?"

"Y-yes, ma'am, 50,000," she replied, her voice trembling slightly in response to my reaction.

"Why? What's so special? It's literally simple. There are only a few designs," I protested.

"Ma'am, these are very expensive ones," she explained.

"No, no. Show me something cheaper. I don't have this much money to buy such an expensive dress," I insisted.

She nodded and began to show me another option.

"Here, ma'am, this is the cheapest in our whole store," she said, presenting a beautiful dress.

"How much?" I asked.

"30,000," she replied, and I was shocked once again.

"What!? It's cheap? From what angle?" I stared at her in disbelief. Then, the other woman spoke, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Ma'am, sir has ordered us to give you the best dress for your wedding. He said he'll pay for it," she explained.

"Why? Who is he? Is he a king? Or a millionaire?" I asked, annoyed by the intrusion.

"Yes, ma'am, you could say he is like a king—" she was interrupted by the other woman, who pinched her arm, causing her to hiss in pain. They exchanged a meaningful glance.

"What's happening? Is he a king?" I asked again.

"N-no, ma'am. She is just being silly. He is a well-known man and can take care of your needs. Don't worry," the other woman clarified.

"I don't need any man to take care of me," I declared, rolling my eyes and sitting on the bed.

"Ma'am, please choose a design, or else sir will be angry with us," she pleaded.

"Just tell him to choose for himself. All the dresses are very expensive and out of my reach. Tell him to choose one he likes," I replied, looking away.

They both bowed respectfully before me.

"Okay, ma'am, as you wish," one of them said, extending a card. "Here is our phone number. Please save it, and we'll let you know when the dress is ready."

"Okay," I replied neutrally.

"We'll take our leave now. Thank you for giving us your precious time. Have a great day ahead," they said before leaving.

I sat there, closing my eyes, trying to process everything that was happening. When I opened my eyes, I found my vision blurred by tears. I shook my head, holding back my emotions. I didn't want to cry anymore.