Sindoor | (The Devotion Duet Book 1) Indian Arranged Marriage Dark Romance

꧁Chapter 1꧂

Inside, Kethaki was happy to meet the Rathores, especially Tara and Vedika. She had always liked the women and admired their strength. She was also in awe of the relationship Tara had with Dev. The couples around her had shown that love could endure anything, including its worst enemy--indifference, and its twin--hatred.

Being around this couple was easy. They reinforced her ideology, that whatever their parents did to the outside world, was to protect the ones, who were a part of their world. She could also see it when her mother protected her father when he would come home after burning the world down to the ground, and her mother would sweep away the ashes, hiding every piece of evidence.

Of course, the world didn't know that. The world didn't know anything. And it was her job to ensure that, being her family's lawyer and all.

"So, how is your Om's new bride adjusting?" Meera, Kethaki's grandmother, sat with Sharda and Dhananjay, Aryan's grandparents, and opposite Kethaki asked, Vedika, who sat beside Kethaki.

"Akanksha didn't have to adjust, Aunty ji," Vedika started. "They had been together for years before getting married. She knows our place, inside-out!"

Meera nodded. "Did the post-wedding rituals take place at your home, or the one your son and Akanksha will move into next month?"

"Dev bhai," she said and pointed to her brother who sat in the adjacent sofa with Tara, and continued, "and I wanted the rituals to take place in their new home, but it's still being renovated, so we did it at our place. They are staying with us, for now,"  Vedika said.

"So you should have brought them along with you!" Kethaki said. Vedika, while drinking her tea, shook her head. But before she could start, Jaya interrupted, while coming out of the kitchen.

"They are newlyweds, Kethaki. They need to be given a formal invite before they can be invited over for dinner," she said and sat beside her daughter. "And besides, let them spend some time away from family."

She nodded.

"I still can't believe that Vardhan didn't show up to his son's wedding," Vinayak started, and Vedika froze upon hearing her husband's name. "He sent Shivanya to her brother's wedding, but didn't show up himself."

"Papa," Viraj said, who entered the living room from his study, and continued, "Why are you bringing that topic up?"

"Veer beta, people were talking all night!" Vinayak said.

"The wedding is over, Akanksha is home and Shivanya is back with her father," Viraj said, "so, what's the point in bringing this topic up now?"

"Okay. I won't open my mouth in my home again," Vinayak said to Viraj, then turned to Vedika, and said, "Sorry beta," while folding his hands in front of her.

His manipulation tactics didn't go unnoticed by everyone in the room, even by Adhrit and Arti, Viraj's younger brother and his wife, who were walking down the stairs, that led to the duplex floor.

But Vedika, being the softhearted woman she was, said, "No no, uncle. Please don't apologize."

"No beta, I should know when to speak, and when to keep my mouth shut," Vinayak said.

Before anyone else in the room could speak, and every single one opened their mouths, it was Meera who spoke. "Hanji," the old woman, who never spoke her husband's name, stared at him.

Vinayak turned to look away but didn't say anything.

Shivansh walked out of his room, which was closer to the main door, and sensing the tense atmosphere, paused. It was at that moment, that the doorbell rang.