Vrishali carefully painted the paper, she doesn't want to mess with this again. Her gaze shifted to the different papers laying on the floor. She needs to dry them up as she worked on her art.
Her classes started, she joined the local college but she is also doing her open degree course in the previous college online as only two semesters left.
She heard a knock on the door making her stop painting. "Come in."
Padmanabh entered the room surprising her. His gaze went to her hair as she tied it into a messy bun. He watched her sitting posture which made him gulp down the lump in his throat.
"Busy?" He asked her walking inside. She is sitting on the floor with all the drawing sheets and colours.
"Just finishing it off," Vrishali replied looking up at him. Without him noticing she checked him out. This is the second time he entered her room. She wonders why he is here, he became busy over the week.
"I'm going out to have a cup of tea, decided to ask you. Will you join me?" She smiled standing up.
"Love to, give me some time. I will wash this off and change my clothes," Vrishali spoke walking towards her bathroom. Not so purposely Padmanabh's eyes went to her back and legs as she wore a pair of cotton shorts. He blinked his eyes as he observed her back.
He looked away when she turned around, "Sit there, it will take some time."
Vrishali pulled her lips into the mouth as she controlled her smile, she caught him checking her out again. It's actually very funny whenever she turns around he quickly looks away.
Padmanabh admired her work which is laying on the floor as he waited for her to come. It's been days since he spent some time with her. Her college started and he was busy with his new project.
Vrishali quickly pulled the yoga pants on and grabbed a loose t-shirt. She brushed her hair before stepping out in a pair of slippers.
She is happy to see him, she missed his presence. Padmanabh stood up when she stepped out of the closet. He let her walk first as he silently followed her. He looked at the walls not wanting to look at her back. Now her messy ponytail and neck caught his attention.
He smiled watching her ponytail do the side-by-side dance as she walked ahead. He kind of adores her height, she is too small standing before him.
"How was the project?" Vrishali asked him as they got settled in the car.
"It went good, we are planning to renovate the rooms of present Amal Palace. It will be used as a hotel."
"That's good." Padmanabh drove to the usual place where they have chai(tea).
She spoke about her classes and the new friends she made as Padmanabh listened to her attentively. In college, not many know that she is married, the few who know about her marriage don't know about Padmanabh.
"They are very confused about why I married an Indian when I was brought up in New York," Vrishali spoke looking at him.
"What was your answer?" Padmanabh asked cautiously wanting to know the answer. Vrishali smiled shaking her head.
"Why should I tell you?" She asked him teasingly.
"Because I asked."
"I'm not going to tell you." Padmanabh shook his head as she smiled at him.
"Your cousins are coming tomorrow?"
"Yes! I miss them so much. They are coming in the early morning. You are going to be there right?" Vrishali asked. She hoped for the answer to be yes.
Padmanabh felt bad when her smile turned down when he shook his head negatively. He wants to be there and know more about her from her cousins. Sadly he needs to attend a meeting with his mother.
"Hmm, okay. Can we use the kitchen? We will keep the kitchen neat."
"As I said before, you don't have to ask me. It is your home too." Padmanabh explained.
"You should go and meet your grandparents. They must be missing you," Padmanabh said. He doesn't want her to miss her family, he wants her to go and meet them whenever she wants.
"Yeah, I was actually planning to meet them but dada and dadi aren't here. They went to a relative's house to attend a wedding," Vrishali spoke looking at Padmanabh. She observed that there are eye bags under his eyes because of lack of sleep.
"Aren't you sleeping on time?" Vrishali questioned focusing all the attention on Padmanabh.
Padmanabh glanced at her before shifting his attention to the road. He took a U-turn. "No, had to do late hours at the office to work on some important files."
"Oh, are you always like this?" Padmanabh frowned his brows not understanding her question.
"Pardon?"
"I mean do you always stay up late in your office working on those files and other work?"
"Most of the time, Papa can't work overtime and I need to look after his work and also ma's. I have to go through her schedule every day and arrange her meetings. So yes," he answered.
"Why would you arrange your mom's meetings and go through her schedule? I mean she has an assistant right?" Vrishali asked in confusion.
Padmanabh smiled, "ma has an assistant but she is a politician. You don't know what is going to happen whenever she steps out. I can't be irresponsible when it comes to ma. To make sure she is meeting the correct people, I arrange her meetings and look after her schedule," Padmanabh spoke.
He is surprising himself by talking more and more every day. Usually, he would not utter a word, he likes to stay quiet and not speak with anyone.
But here he is talking and having a normal conversation with her. Padmanabh did not even speak to his sister or any of his friends from school or college or childhood much.
They all know about him. Padmanabh is and was the silent guy who likes to stay away from everyone.
"I understand now, you must be tired by the end of the day," Vrishali said.
She now understands why he always stays in his office and works late at night. Before marriage when she stalked him secretly he never stepped out to enjoy his life.
Padmanabh stopped the car and parked it. He turned his face looking at Vrishali. He felt something change inside him when he heard her say that.
"Everyone gets tired at the end of the day, everyone got responsibilities to take care of," Padmanabh spoke indirectly opening his side of the car door.
Vrishali nodded her head stepping out of the car. She has a feeling that Padmanabh wanted to say something but he said something.
She closes the door and follows Padmanabh. There are many people who are sitting and sipping their evening chai.
"We will stay in the car, it is not a good idea to be out," Padmanabh spoke when he saw people. Before anyone could recognise them they walked back to the car.
"Okay," Vrishali agreed looking at the people. Padmanabh stood beside the car calling someone from his phone.
Vrishali smiles looking at Padmanabh, she pulls her phone out and clicks his pictures. She needs to send them to Hailey.
Her eyes widen when Padmanabh turned around while she is clicking his picture. Padmanabh smiled turning away seeing the expression of Vrishali. He caught her taking his pictures.
There are many times he observed Vrishali clicking his pictures secretly. He asked the guy to bring the tea and the kachoris.
"Hmm, this tastes yum!" Vrishali said eating the kachori. Padmanabh nodded his head eating his.
"Dada ji was saying that we will be going to Tirupati at the month-end," Padmanabh spoke.
"Where? Tirupati? Why?" Vrishali asked confused. She heard about Tirupati somewhere but she isn't able to remember.
"Tirupati is a pilgrimage in Andhra Pradesh. Lord Govind is known as lord Venkateshwara. Dadi ji said that a newly wedded couple visit Tirupati to seek blessings from the lord. Our family will be going to Tirupati," Padmanabh spoke.
"Oh okay," Vrishali said. Vrishali thought about it, this is the first time she will be doing a long journey with her husband and her in-laws. Heck, they haven't gone on a honeymoon yet. Padmanabh thought it was unnecessary of going on a honeymoon so he cancelled it.
"How we will be going?"
"By flight, we will be staying there for a week."
"A week?"
"Hmm, dadi Ji said that we will be doing Satya Narayan puja and there are many sightseeing places. So it will take a week, you will enjoy it there."
"You went to Tirupati before?" Vrishali asked Padmanabh.
"When didi got married. We visited Tirupati after their wedding. We went to places and it's a beautiful city, I go there once a year," Padmanabh spoke.
They drove back home, Vrishali is walking towards her room when she halted her steps.
"Yes?" She asked Padmanabh when he called her.
"Let's have dinner together," Padmanabh said. They never ate together after coming to this home. He felt bad leaving Vrishali alone and the thought of her eating alone made him feel guilty.
"Sure," Vrishali smiled opening her door. Padmanabh stood there for a few seconds shaking his head he walked into his room.
Vrishali smiled going through the photos she clicked of her husband. "Husband is hot," she spoke out loud.
He always seemed serious, he never smiled when he is with other people. He listens to everything but doesn't utter a word if it isn't necessary.
*
"Pass the chips," Manav yells looking at Riddi.
"Get yours," Riddi replied.
"Don't throw the trash on the floor," Vrishali scolds looking at Aadi. They decided to watch a movie after they did a vlog on this place.
"Can I have a house like yours," Nandini said looking around.
"Should I call Alok? Better I will send the video and tell him to build a home for you," Hardik bhaiyya said. Nandini throws popcorn at him.
"Shut up," Nandini replied. Alok is Nandini's partner. They will be having their engagement probably by next year.
"I love this place," Manav spoke dreamily.
"True," Riddi agreed.
"How is he treating you?" Hardik asked Vrishali.
"He is good and sweet. He is treating me well," Vrishali tells him truthfully.
"You don't have to hide anything from us, Vrishali. I saw him at the wedding, he doesn't talk or communicate with others. Is he ignoring you? Does he speaks with you?" Hardik asked patting Vrishali's head.
"It's true that he doesn't like to talk much, and he doesn't communicate but he speaks with me and asks me if I need anything. Even we go out for chai in the evenings."
"Really? Is he outgoing?" Riddi asked.
"Not really, he has to spend most of his time in his office. He is a hard-working person," Vrishali says eating her chips.
"Are you comfortable here?" Nandini asked.
"Yeah but college sucks. I mean I'm not able to habituate here. Even though the college campus is excellent the environment is so different from my previous college."
"By the way which college did you join?" Manav asked.
"INIFD."
"Ah? How did you get in?" He asked in shock.
"Why are you so shocked about it?" Vrishali ask.
"Haha, why wouldn't he? It's very tough to get into INIFD and you got admission and that too in the second year. It surely shocked him," Nandini spoke.
"Oh, I wasn't the one who applied. Padmanabh got me a file containing the details of all the fashion universities. I selected INIFD and told him. He did everything on my behalf."
"Waah, should I ask jija ji(brother-in-law) to get me into my dream college?" Manav asks. Vrishali laughs shaking her head.
"Who? you? You ran away when he was standing with Ajitesh bhaiyya. First stand before him without getting scared then ask about the college," Riddi taunted Manav.
He throws a pillow at her face while Hardik and everyone laughed. "Yeah...Yeah... he was scared to talk with him," Aadi said.
"Hahaha, Vrishali's husband is intimating and scary," Manav tried to justify.
"Hey, my husband isn't scary. Yeah, he is intimating but he is a kind person," Vrishali said looking at Manav. Nandini and Riddi looked at each other before a sly smile played on their lips.
"My husband?" They teased Vrishali. Vrishali's cheeks got heated but she rolled her eyes not wanting them to know.
"Yup, I'm married to him so obviously my husband," Vrishali said.
Padmanabh stopped walking looking down at his shoes as he heard what Vrishali said. He smiled to himself when he heard Vrishali say, my husband. This is new to him, he never dated someone and hearing things from Vrihali does something to him. Exhaling heavily and standing straight he walked into the theatre room.
Vrishali's eyes widen when she saw Padmanabh walking into the room. He is wearing a black kurtha shirt, everyone sat up straight seeing Padmanabh.
"Kamma gani," Padmanabh greeted Vrishali's cousins with his hands joined together as he does a namaste.
"Gani kamma," they replied with hands joined. Hardik and everyone stood up from their seats leaving Vrishali like an odd one laying on the seat with a chips packet.
Padmanabh eyes meet Vrishali's. She is looking at him with wide eyes, she looked like a cartoon.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to visit you all early," Padmanabh spoke looking at everyone.
"It's fine, you don't have to be sorry jiju sa," Hardik said. Aadi paused the movie.
"Please sit down," Padmanabh said. Sitting beside Manav who is looking at Vrishali with wide eyes.
"Kaiso ho app sab?"(how are you all?) Padmanabh questioned.
"Hum sab tik Hain, app kaise ho?"( We all are good, how are you) Aadi answered.
"I'm good," Padmanabh replied. He can feel Manav's nervousness. Vrishali and Nandhini shared a look before laughing making everyone look at them.
"Manav, breath..." Vrishali pointed out.
"Oh yeah..."
"Manav breath Manav..." Aadi said laughing, Padmanabh not understanding looked at Vrishali clueless. Vrishali's eyes met Padmanabh's who is already looking at her. She would be lying if she says she didn't feel the goosebumps and weird but good butterflies in her stomach.
"Shut up..." Manav rolled his eyes throwing pillows at Riddi, Aadi and at Vrishali.
"Why?" Vrishali took the pillow which hit her and threw it at Manav.
"Stop making fun." Riddi and Aadi threw pillows at Manav at a time.
"Are we?" Nandhini spoke which made Manav throw a pillow at her.
"Woah." Now it was Nandhini who threw a pillow at Manav which hit his face with full force.
"You!" Manav stood up with a pillow and beat Nandhini.
"Is this a pillow fight? I will join..." Vrishali said excitedly getting up with a pillow. They all forget the fact that Padmanabh was sitting there clueless about why they are fighting.
"Hardik bhaiyya help me. They all are against me!" Manav yelled when all three girls hit Manav. Padmanabha sat there in shock watching the cousins' pillow fight.
"Riddi, I'm in your team. Stop hitting me on my face girl," Aadi said when Riddi hit him.
"Oh, I thought it's boys versus girls."
"Okay...Okay... Stop... You girls win." Manav said out loud when Nandini twisted Manav's right ear. They all stopped fighting looking at each other before laughing.
"Gosh, I miss these fights," Hardik said pulling Vrishali's hair.
"He used to fight with me every day over everything," Vrishali said pinching Hardik's leg.
"Yeah, we used to watch those videos in the family group," Riddi said.
"I think I still have those videos sent by Gauravi Chachi," Nandini said. Padmanabh looked at Vrishali in confusion, he don't know anything about her past life. He only knows that she doesn't have any siblings and lived all her life in New York.
"Jiju, Hardik bhaiyya used to live in Chachi's home in New York. He did his MBA in New York, Hardik bhaiyya and Vrishali are very close," Aadi told Padmanabh.
Padmanabh nodded his head looking at Vrishali who is now arguing about something with Hardik. She rolled her eyes at Hardik, for some reason Padmanabh couldn't take his eyes off her.
Day by day there is this unknown pull that makes him want to see Vrishali. He stays back in the office so that he can control the weird feeling that he doesn't understand growing for Vrishali.
*
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