Izhaar

Prologue

"Aap theek hain?" Annika asked her husband who merely nodded.

She and him got easily bored at Om's art exhibitions. While they felt proud of Om every single fine someone complimented his work, they were not philosophical or emotional enough to interpret a painting or a sculpture a connoisseur of art would be.

"Mr. and Mrs. Oberoi, oh my God, so good to see you." Mr. Kapoor approached them along with his wife.

"Mr. Kapoor, how are you?" Shivaay and Annika asked politely.

"Very fine. Thank you. How are you?" He asked in return.

All the while, Annika made small talk as  the perfect wife to the Oberoi heir and a good academic herself, "Mrs. Kapoor, you look lovely."

"Thank you. Elie Saab is a dream." She looks at her dress from the Elie Saab Spring 2022 collection. "Your saree looks beautiful."

"Sabyasachi and Anita Dongre never fail me." Annika felt more comfortable in anarkalis, sarees, and kurtis than western wear. Although she liked a good midi dress and formal ensemble with a tight fitting pencil skirt.

"I keep forgetting that you have a doctorate in computer engineering." Mr. Kapoor looked at Annika apologetically, "I guess I should call you Dr. Oberoi now."

"Technically that is true." Annika loved it when people called her Dr. Annika or Dr. Oberoi.

"Well, Mr. Oberoi and Dr. Oberoi, we will take your leave. Please tell your brother it was a lovely exhibition. I even bought a sculpture." Mr. Kapoor said, putting an arm around his wife.

"You are going already?" Shivaay asked.

"We left our son alone with my mom. We need to pick him up." The older man answered and left with his wife who hugged Annika once again.

Physical touch from acquaintances was always hard to comprehend for Annika, but in this circle she got used to it.

"Bhabhi, Bhaiyya!" Om approached them and hugged the two tightly.

"I sort of can't breathe." Annika struggled against her devar.

"Sorry." Om let go instantly.

"This is amazing, Om." Shivaay told his brother earnestly.

"It really is. And can I just say that the painting you painted of me is the best of all the works here?" Annika pointed to the surprise of the evening which was a piece of her surrounded by moonflowers, titled Mehtaab.

Om rolled his eyes playfully.

"Rudra is calling." Shivaay gazed at his phone and took the call.

"Bhaiyya, Bhabhi ko phone do!" Annika and Om could hear Rudra's voice and shook their heads. Rudra was in the same place too; he could not just walk over to them?

"Ru?" Annika put the phone beside her ear.

"Bhabhi, Romi is here. And she is pakaoing my brain about Renaissance artists and whatnot. Please save me." He begged his sister-in-law.

"Is she in front of you?" Annika asked, concerned. If Romi heard any of this, she would be doing Rudra's last rites soon.

Rudra denied, explaining that he was in the washroom.

"Coming." Annika said.

Shivaay looked at her with an invisible question mark around his face.

"Romi."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding.

"Oh yes, Om, yeh le, Dadi ne yeh bheja hain." Annika retrieved the small box from her clutch. It was a thin jewelry box, and if anything Annika learnt in her six years of marriage, it was that the Oberois loved gifting jewelry.