Pride vs Prejudice

Chapter 26

She stomped on his leg.

"Argh-" Shiv let out before covering his mouth.

Ria waved her hand off, "He is really old."

"Old!" Shiv muttered under his breath.

"Old?" Koyal aunty asked pointedly, "It didnt sound like old person's voice"

Shit! 

"Of course he is old. Ancient!" Ria said, "You dont think Papa or Bhai would let anyone young here with me, right"

Koyal aunty raised an eyebrow towards Ria, "Sharad and Jaya sent the servant with you?"

"Of course, who else would?"

"But this is not your property. I would have known."

"It belongs to family friends."

'Mehra's are family friends? Since when"

"Since when?" Ria asked waving her hand off.

"Yeah, since when?"

"Recently," Ria spluttered.

Koyal aunty watched Ria carefully.

"What is going on?' Shiv asked after few minutes of silence.

"She is still staring at me," Ria muttered smiling back at Koyal brightly.

"Is everything okay, Koyal aunty?" Ria asked

"Hmmmm," Koyal muttered not looking away.

Five minutes later Ria sank into the sofa in the hall. She was saved. Just for a minute. Not by her ingenuity and definitely no thanks to Shiv. She was saved because Koyal aunty was getting late to get to the airport.

"What the hell was that?" Shiv asked striding into the house behind her.

The idiot!

"Did you have to scream my name on top of your lungs! Look at the mess you created!" Ria shot at him.

"I created! I created!" Shiv said throwing his arms in the air

"Who else?" Ria jumped off the sofa, " You got us into the pickle. It was your screaming which made her turn all detectivevy on me!"

"Detectivevy? Really! Is that even a word?" 

"Why the hell were you screaming my name?"

"In case you forgot, we are supposed to be shooting our kidnapping video today. The shooting crew that Nisha arranged is here and they can't wait forever."

"Koyal aunty is the biggest gossip there is. She is going to call my mom! Do you realise that! My mom is going to panic."

"You are worried about that!" Shiv shook his head.

"I care about my mom!"

"Did it register in your thick brain that our entire plan is now down the drain thanks to your conversation with your," Shiv waved his hands around, "gossip aunty"

"She is leaving for the airport. She might not call mom," Ria said tentatively.

"You think? Your gossip aunty is going to keep her mouth shut?"

"I can talk to Papa and he can make sure no one in the family hears about it." Ria said confidently, taking her substitute mobile.

"You are supposed to be kidnapped since last night." Shiv spat, "You just had a nice conversation with her in the morning. Told her you have servants sent with you. How does this add up? The kidnappers left you free to roam around? And in Sam's house of all things?"

"First of all, it was 'servant' not 'servants'-," 

"That is what you take away from this!"  

"Then what are you suggesting? This was our only plan! We just give up!" Ria yelled at him

"Just shut-up for a second and let me think!"

"That has never been your strength," Ria muttered

"What!"

"I am calling Papa"

"Go running to him! You can't do anything on your own!" Shiv yelled, "Do you even realise that we got this different numbers just so that they couldn't be linked to us?"

"Considering I beat you at good number of deals, I would say it is clear who is smarter one here and who is a cry baby" Ria shot back, "The kidnapping plan is gone as you have said. So unless you can come up with something better, as you say, by yourself, I am calling up my friends and Papa and figuring out of there is a better plan here to help my brother out. You see my brother is more important to be than my ego. Apparently not the case with you and your brother"

Shiv glared at her before pacing around.

Ria stared at her phone. Damn the person who invented mobile phones! What was her Papa's number? 9792 no 9782 no. Oh god! 

Shiv stopped and stared at Ria. He shook his head. No! Anything but this! 

But his brother! Argghhh!

Shit! Double Shit!

He didnt want to do this. Hell he didnt want to think of this. He didnt want to go a mile near this thought!

He took a deep breath! What was he getting himself into!

He shook his head. Took another deep breath and walked toward Ria. 

Ria's eyes snapped up to meet Shiv's as he snatched the phone from her hands.

"What the hell! Give me the phone back," Ria yelled.

"We are getting married!"

I know it has been long since I last updated the story. I can't promise I will be able to update regularly. But I am giving this a go. 

Hope you still enjoy this story after thing long a time.