Both Shraddha and Pranav were not on good terms again when Pranav left that morning.
She was fuming with anger and his father, Gautam was having a similar situation.
Shraddha turned on her heels and went to her bedroom. She wanted to break all the things around her and shatter them into pieces. But he had warned her not to touch anything that specifically did not belong to her.
She could not understand what she could do to make him feel miserable.
She was surprised when she was called downstairs by her father-in-law, to inform that he was leaving again. He placed a loving hand on her head and assured her that he will give a nice dose of sanity to Pranav.
She did not understand why he suddenly left and what was the reason for such a short visit.
Shraddha was absentmindedly brushing her hair, lost in her own thoughts. Her brush got entangled in her nuptial chain and she was pulled out of her reverie. She carefully entangled it and her eyes caught the sight of the gleaming diamonds in the pendant.
An evil thought slithered in her mind.
She tossed the brush back on the dressing table and picked up her phone. She looked for a website and found a few renowned jewellers that could give the most expensive diamond jewellery.
She called one of them and placed an order of a large bracelet for herself that could cost more than two and a half crores.
She was sure, Pranav would go mad when he will have to pay for that. She will then frame him for being insensitive and incapable to provide her basic needs.
She had requested that the bracelet be delivered by the early evening.
Pranav was aware that his father left immediately after his departure in the morning. He sighed in relief and focused on his work. He was aware that, he was being followed from last two days and he was not very impressed by the ways of his stalker. The man appeared new to his work and did not take enough precautions to keep himself in the shadows.
Pranav knew, there was a danger lurking in the dark corner.
By the late afternoon, he received a call from his security at home, informing him about a package received from a certain jeweller. The package was scanned and nothing suspicious was found. Pranav shook his head in disbelief as he realized who the receiver of the package was. He allowed it to be delivered to Shraddha.
She was ecstatic when she saw the beautiful bracelet. She had bluntly asked the jeweller to get the payment from her husband.
Pranav stepped out of the elevator and from the periphery of his vision, he saw a man trying to hide himself behind a car. Faking ignorance, Pranav walked to his own car, unlocked it and got behind the drivers seat.
He started the car and, in the rear view mirror, he could see the man came out the shadows, giving a death glare to his car.
Pranav just maneuvered his car towards his Villa.
He was well aware that the attack was just procrastinated and the man was waiting for a right moment.
He came home to find his wife in not a very good mood. Not that he expected her to give him a smile. He walked to the closet and locked it from inside.
He opened the locked drawers and placed his watch, pen and buckle of his belt securely. He then placed the belt in its designated place and locked everything back.
He took a long soaking shower and came out in a pair of comfortable lounge wear.
"Where are you going?" Shraddha asked when she saw him going out of the room.
"To attend the birds. You need something from me?" He asked looking at her.
She realized that he was calm as always.
"I wanted to show you something." She said with a smug smile.
He just raised an eyebrow. He was very well aware of what that might be.
She sprinted to the closet and came back with a velvet box in her hands. She forwarded that to him and he blinked as if he did not know what that was.
"Open it." She happily chirped.
He opened the box to find a beautiful bracelet tucked in there.
The diamonds glistened in the bright light. He looked up at her and she was already looking at him to gauge his reaction.
"I purchased it today. It costs two and a half crores. All those are diamonds." She stated, trying to be confident.
He picked up the bracelet and held it to the level of his eyes. He carefully observed it for some time and then furrowed his eyebrows.
"How much did you say?"
"Two and a half crores." She replied.
The way his features contorted, she knew, she was successful in pulling the desired strings. Any moment now, he would burst out on her and snap at her for wasting his precious hard earned money.
He looked at her.
"Come with me." he simply ordered.
She was taken aback by his unexpected reaction. She followed him silently as he took the stairs to go a floor below, with the bracelet and the box still in his hands. She widened her eyes as Pranav started walking towards a room on the fourth floor. She halted in her tracks.
He looked back at her when she did not follow him.
"What's wrong?" He asked concerned.
"You said I am not allowed here, except an emergency." She recalled his words.
He simply raised the bracelet in front of her eyes.
"Come." he ordered.
She was left with no choice but to follow him.
He stood in front of the double doors and she could not help but get intimidated by the magnificent beauty of the dark wooden doors, carved with intricate and delicate patterns.
The door creaked open and Jay stood in front of them with a confused look.
"Dau? You could have called me." He said as he realized his sister-in-law standing behind Pranav.
Shraddha widened her eyes.
Wasn't he supposed to be in Bhopal?
Pranav walked in and dragged Shraddha with him.
She was in a dark and dimly lit room.
"This. Have a look." Pranav raised the bracelet to Jay.
Jay nodded and looked at it with keen observant eyes. He looked more closely and then he looked up at his brother.
"May I?" He whisper asked.
"Sure." Pranav answered.
Jay switched on the lights and the room was just a bit more lighted. But it was still pretty dim.
He pressed a notch on his bed and side of the foot of his bed, opened up to reveal a series of various instruments and tools.
After Pranav and Shraddha were seated on a sofa, he pulled up a chair to seat himself near the newly opened tool section.
Shraddha was looking at it with awe.
Jay put on the set of special glasses and observed the bracelet on the small table top available there. He then used a small long tube with a special light beam and checked it very carefully.
Jay was using the tools skillfully to check the bracelet.
Finally, Shraddha looked at her husband who was busy in his phone, typing away furiously.
Jay took of the glasses and was keeping his tools back when Pranav looked at him.
"Good design. Four authentic Victorian cut two carat each." Jay stated.
Pranav chuckled.
Shraddha looked at the brothers in confusion.
"What is the price is the entire piece?" Pranav asked.
"Along with the gold, not more than twenty-eight lakhs." Jay replied.
Pranav laughed out loud this time.
"Dear wife, you are getting my remaining money back."
Shraddha was not able to understand anything at all.
"Any problem?" Jay asked.
"Not exactly. But I paid two and half crores for that piece." Pranav answered mischievously.
Jay raised his eyebrows and looked at Shraddha.
"For how many diamonds?" Pranav asked her.
"Fourteen." She answered.
"What? There are just four diamonds, others are cheap stones." Jay replied.
"How do you know he is right?" She asked looking at Pranav.
"He is a certified gemologist, and a diamond dealer. Accepting orders for diamonds, getting the raw diamonds from mines, cutting and polishing them and delivering them to perfect requirements is his prime business." Pranav explained.
Jay grabbed the box of the bracelet from Shraddha's hand and looked at the jewellers trademark.
"You could have told me, I would have crafted and polished the diamonds myself for you." Jay whispered, looking at the box intently.
"I can get those fake diamonds replaced with the real ones." Jay told her.
She did not know how and what to reply.
Jay pulled out his phone and dialled a number.
"Looks like, you are tired of the profits, Mr. Bharooch." Jay said to someone on the phone.
"A bracelet was delivered today. And you dared to use fake diamonds." He added after a moment.
"Really? Did you not recognize the address too? Charu Villa is not a name everywhere around Mumbai." Jay replied to the man on the other side.
"Half an hour." He said after a moment.
The call was disconnected, and Jay did not care about the apology that the man was offering.
"The refund would be given in half and hour." He said to his brother.
Pranav nodded and looked at Shraddha who was standing there on the verge of tears.
Jay smiled.
"I will get the diamonds replaced by tomorrow." he said.
Shraddha nodded meekly and walked out of the room.
----------------------------------------------------
Another chapter up.
Vote.......
Comment......
Love.......