Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 17

I waited for her to sit down on the recliner opposite me and start talking, which she did without wasting any of my time, then she looked at me in the eyes.

"I tried talking to Sasuma, but she won't listen to anything we have to say... So... I want Akash to be happy." She spoke up. Her voice was firm but quiet. "But I don't like the Gupta family. Especially Phati Saree; she's too meddling." She paused for a moment, and I nodded in agreement. "But... I think I can tolerate Payal. She's.. a lot like Akash. So..." Okay.

I stayed quietly seated in my seat as she added after another brief pause.

"..So I'm okay with them getting married."

I felt my eyebrows slowly rising with each word as she finished, but I just thoughtfully nodded my head. She's ready to accept Payal. And she also agrees to be fine with getting married. That's...

"Why the sudden change of mind?" I asked as I stared at her with my forehead creasing in question.

"Heart." I looked at her with confusion before she added, "Change of heart. Akash thinks I don't care enough for him... So, to show him that I do actually care about him, I'm ready to accept Payal. With the... consequences." She said the last word with slightly wide eyes and a mocking tone, but I knew what she was talking about. By consequence, she meant.. the Gupta family.

"And what do you want me to do?" I asked with my arms resting on my knees.

"Do what you always do." She answered as she held my eyes.

I clenched my jaws as I caught the taunt behind her words and took a shaking breath in as anger wrapped around me and warmed me up from inside. But I gave her a small smile.

"I would've loved to do you a favor, Mami. But Nani has told me not to take any decisions on my own for the family. Given my past records." I paused and straightened up. "But I can assure you that Nani would definitely hear about the sudden change of mind, oh... heart, the sudden change of... heart."

She stared at me for a moment as I continued to smile at her. Soon she nodded and stood before leaving the room, while I dropped my forced smile and stood up before starting to pace the length of my room.

Is she planning some kind of revenge on the Gupta family because they called off the wedding?... Or, does she really care about Akash's happiness?

I should inform Nani, shouldn't I? I thought for another moment before deciding to inform Nani about it.

I stopped outside Nani's room and found the door ajar. Inside, Akash and Di sat with Nani on the bed while they spoke in an inaudible voice. I pushed the door open, and all three of them turned to look at me with a look on their faces like they were caught red-handed while doing something.

"Chote!" Di exclaimed, her eyes wide. While Akash and Nani just stared at me with a casual look on their faces, either they were really doing nothing or they were very good actors.

I stared at them for a moment before closing the door behind me and standing near the bed.

"What is happening here?" I asked as I pushed my hands inside my pocket and stared at them in question with a small, growing frown.

They all spoke at the same time.

"Nothing," Akash answered.

"Actually, we were," Di started.

"None of your business." Nani said before she looked away from me while I pressed my lips thin.

I nodded my head at them as they all stopped when Nani finished and said, "Right." I paused. "Anyways, Mami asked me to tell you that she's okay with Akash and Payal getting married."

"Really?" Di asked as she stood up from the bed.

"Maa said that?" Akash asked, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

I nodded.

"Why didn't she directly talk to me?" Nani asked with narrowed eyes as she stared at me.

"Because you don't want to listen to anything anyone has to say after that argument in the living room." I answered. "But be careful... I don't think she was completely honest." I paused. "Maybe she's up to something." And started to turn to leave the room, but halted as Akash spoke up.

"But why would she do that?"

"Because she's Manorama." Nani answered. She's still holding on to the argument.

"But at least, she agreed." Di suggested, and I huffed out a breath.

Nani nodded, and the whole room fell silent for a moment before she suddenly looked at Akash with a finger pointing at him and asked, "Do you still want to get married?"

He looked startled by her sudden demand but recovered soon and nodded. But before he could finish nodding, Nani already had her phone pressed on her ear.

I leaned against the wall with my shoulder and crossed my arms across my chest as she talked on the phone with a smile on her lips. Who is she talking to?

Almost six minutes later, she finally hung up and stared at us with a look of triumph on her face.

"Get ready. We are leaving for Lucknow exactly two days later." She said.