THE BLACKMAILED MARRIAGE

Detective Ananya Seksariya pt. 2- Mystery revealed...

Arjun winced.

"Can't you forgive me?"

"First of all you didn't apologize in the first place so you can't expect me to be the bigger person and always initiate and 2nd thing, apologies are given only when you give me the reason to commit the sin in the 1st place and 3rs point, at some point I may forgive but never forget."

Annu stood up from the dining table leaving miserable sprouts and her miserable spouse behind. 

Therefore bland food = bland mood indeed.

. . .

"Hey, Ramesh! Statistics done?" Annu said while entering the hall.

"Look who's back!"Ramesh roared.

"Enchante Madamoiselle!" Kanan roared and gave a flying kiss to Ananya.

"We heard that you had a honeymoon?" Kanan continued.

"Honeymoon? What? NO!"

"Oh yes!"

"NO!"

Nirmal scowled while everyone was keenly interested in Annu. After all, whatever Annu does, wherever she goes, she always gets herself to be the center of attention without even trying.

"Hey, Nirmal!"

Nirmal just glared at her.

"Oh come on! Don't be such a killjoy!"

"Annu, just leave it, we are never going to be like we were. SO just leave me!"

"I heard you got engaged."

"As a matter of fact, I did. . She knows many languages- Hindi, English, Ahmedabadi Gujarati, Kathiyawari gujarati, Surati Gujarati...."

"Wait.wait.wait. Are you sure, you are narrating her bio-data and not a gujarati hotel's menu card?"

"How dare you Anu! I belong to a very coveted social class and I belong to a girl belonging to the same social class."

Anu smiled ruefully and shook her head.

"What?" Nirmal frowned.

"Nothing, it's just that you spoke belonging in a sentence so many times. It seems your alliance is more of belongings and benefits than longings."

"Practice before you preach missy and don't lecture me on longings and belongings. At least I am marrying for society and family unlike you and your so-called husband whose wedding ceremony was not of 7 pheras but 21 - gun salute."

Nirmal ranted out and stopped expecting a sassy comeback from Anu.

Anu didn't utter a word nor smirked like she usually would. Comebacks are for the ones whose feelings don't matter to us and we give explanations to those who are willing to listen to them.

Nirmal was none of the above as she still cared for him but he didn't return the favor, she chose to remain silent and do what any familiar stranger i.e. acquaintance would say.

"Well, congratulations on your engagement! I want to give you a gift!"

"What?"

"Yeah!" She handed a box wrapped in wrapping paper containing cartoons of Shinchan.

Unwillingly, a smile emerged on Nirmal's face, he tried to hide it, but our Annu sensed him like a remote sensor. He didn't open the gift right away but did it just as Annu left.

She saw him through the glass window and saw him opening the wrapping paper and shoving it beside after folding it, as he would use it afterwards. He saw the bracelet and smiled. it was the same bracelet, that he had gifted her four years ago on her Birthday, just with a minor change. The inscription read 'My best bud-Nirmal' instead of 'My Best Bud-Annu'.