Ishita's POV:
The fact that I'm taking a step back does not mean that I'm giving up. Sana's words affected me much that things don't always turn out how we think they should. A marriage will only be a label on me, it could have been possible that I would have loved Armaan and started a relationship with him, which might have led to marriage. But now after seeing the real side of him I don't believe we could be able to stand each other or make even a year together as a couple.
Cool, handsome, understanding Armaan is what I prefer, not the one who is getting married to me just so he can take over my company since my company is doing well. As Goel Family members are at the top of their fields, they certainly have control and power over the country. Aadesh is winning elections back-to-back which could make him a candidate for the presidential election in the future. Anamika Goel is the founder and developer of a digital payment application running well in India. Armaan has been on top as an industrialist and his business is doing well so obviously, they just want a name of success added to their family to dilute their business expertise.
Returning from Udaipur, I have realized that my enviable position of influence is something that makes me valuable so now, I'm going to play the game my way. No matter how much damage Armaan has done, nothing in the world will be able to stop me. I will make him pay for everything he has done in order to get control over me.
Ishita's OOTD:
Ritika entered my office and wished me, "Morning Ma'am... is something serious? Or am I getting fired?" she hesitantly asked. Not many employees were in the office as I came early today, "I have a life-changing offer for you but for that, I need your help and loyalty..." she nodded understandingly. She has been working with the legal team at my company as an apprentice, and she has a good understanding of the law but doesn't have a degree from any prestigious university. I explained everything to her and she listened to me attentively.
After two hours, Priya walked inside my cabin as Ritika called her in. "What are you doing in the boss's office? She hasn't come yet..." Priya asked her rudely. She wasn't able to see me as the lights were dim in the room, curtains were closed and I was sitting turning my chair. Ritika replied, "No, she hasn't as she was tired after her journey... so her driver came and dropped this file which she needs to be done immediately. That's why I stayed in her office so I could get it to you first...". Priya sighed, "Okay fine... but what is it in this file that was so urgent?".
Ritika passed the file to her, "Ma'am wants to start legal action against Armaan Goel, the CEO of Goel industries. All the crucial documents necessary to ruin Armaan Goel are in this file; she needs you to contact the best lawyer in this town to take this case to court.". Priya hummed in response and Ritika stepped out of my office.
As soon as Ritika left, I heard Priya calling someone in haste, I heard her whole conversation. "Raj sir... sorry to disturb you sir but this needs your attention. Ishita has collected all the critical documents needed to ruin Armaan Goel. She wants me to call the best attorney in this town for this case to go to trial." She hummed in response hearing from the other side. Then added, "Sir... I suggest you send some bikers or snatchers on the way so that they can get this file and Ishita won't doubt me as well for destroying these records." She replied okay and disconnected the call.
Ritika stepped inside the office slamming the door open, "What?... What do you want?" Priya replied in haste. Ritika increased the intensity of the dim light and with the help of the remote slides the curtains. Morning light rays entered the room glowing the atmosphere and I turned my chair to face Priya. She turned pale with her eyes bulging out, "Umm... I'm... sorry... I..." she wasn't getting any word in her mouth. "Don't worry I won't be telling Raj that his little pet failed to fool me..." she lowered her head in shame.
Standing up from my chair I walked around her in a semi-circle, "Do you think I won't notice how my father set up an investor meeting immediately after his vacation? Because he knew they came to me for help and you knew about it. My father wasn't in the city when I kissed Armaan and no one from this company saw us like that except you. Because I never discussed any business losses with my father, I have no reason to share my personal life with him. But here in all this, you are the one who's fucked right up the ass..." she pleaded with red puffy eyes. "I will make sure no one hires you at any position in his or her company. I'm sort of banning you from this industry and don't worry you can call Raj as many times as you want but he won't be able to do anything for you as he will be losing his position as well." Security walked inside dragging Priya out of the building.
"From now onwards I will take assistant interviews personally and won't let a butter tongue women near me." I mumbled to myself, Ritika raised her brows, "Ma'am... did you say something to me?" I shook my head and sit back on my chair. "Um... Ma'am, what are we going to do now? Those were worthless fraudulent documents and we don't have anything to file the case against Goel Industries..." Her words made me laugh a bit, she glimpsed at me in complete confusion.
I explained to her, "Firstly, don't call me Ma'am... it's Ishita for you from now onwards. Secondly, it was never a plan to fight a case against him, he's Armaan Goel one of the most powerful men in this country. He could just simply suppress the case and we would turn into wrinkly old trout asking for help from the law." She nods her head and I went on, "His case history revealed nothing more than his erratic behavior as a teenager, so I dug deeper to find some skeletons in his closet but didn't get anything dark or suspicious that could help me. He seems to be decent as a business mogul...". Ritika shook her head amusingly, "No one is that decent... and a business tycoon born in money like him... impossible." I agreed with her "We just need to pull him to dirt and make him look less pretty by framing him for something nasty worth the board members losing faith in him..." she raised her brows, "Are you sure?" I nodded.
After finishing my work, I went home, the hall was dead silent and the house looked dull. I knew it would be like this as my little sister left the house. Getting inside my room I changed into a simple salwar suit with soft makeup to visit a temple. Whenever I feel heavy in my heart, I visit a temple it gives me the strength that someone has my back even if no one in this world believes in me.
Dropping a message, I waited for my mother to join me, walking in the garden I opened my socials and scrolled through hot topics. My picture with Armaan was ranked second on the hot topic list after the news of Kim Kardashian divorcing Kanye west. That asshole used the picture clicked before his announcement to show how much happy I was with him. Opening Kim's new post, I checked her stories, and fan reactions were pretty good as it was the most awaited moment for all of them.
Mom joined me at the temple, she passed me the pooja thali (worship plate) which included, Sandalwood paste, Flowers, Diyas, an incense stick, fresh fruit, milk, and a matchbox. Stepping out from the car I helped mom come out as well we washed our hands with holy water and stepped inside the temple removing our slippers.
Inside we joined the Sandhya aarti and other Hindu rituals including many prayers, the priest passed me the conch. Blowing air in, it made the purest sound clearing my mind and soul, touching the feet of the idol of Goddess Durga, I felt calm. Mom did her prayers and asked the priest about the rituals which were needed to be done after Esha's marriage. She also mentioned my marriage which make me scrunch my nose and leave outside.
This temple was built next to the river with stairs around the place, clicking some pictures of the sunset I sent it to Esha. A hand was placed on my shoulder, I turned "Mom... I think we... should... Um..." Nayantara Goel was standing there with her girl gang, seriously five ladies. She was stunned seeing me standing there "I'm sorry aunty, I thought it was... sorry..." I apologized to her. She passed me her sweetest smiled and patted my cheeks, "I was just taking a moment to enjoy the first time you called me Mom but you ruined it the next moment..." knitting the brows she giggled.
A smile formed on my lips, now I know from where Armaan got the gene of drama. But Nayantara is a nice woman, she runs a few NGOs I have heard about her as she used to get pharma medicines from us for the needy people. A woman came forward from the gang, "Jiji is this the girl you were talking about, she's so pretty..." she was wearing a light pink saree and had a plate same as us. I was standing there dumb folded waiting for my mother to appear and save me from these women. "Um, thanks... I think I should leave to find my mother..." I tried to walk away but the gang surrounded me.
Nayantara giggles, "We have found you after so many years how can we let you leave so easily..." Mom... Mom... save me, I'm gonna cry so loud the whole city would get know. Nayantara saw my uneasiness, "Don't worry we aren't going to eat... maybe just a bite..." my eyes widen, and she pats my arms and winked. I'm going to scream for help, Nayantara crossed her arms and interrogated, "So where did you meet my son for the first time?". Are we doing this right now? "Meeting..." I mumbled in a low voice. She asked a few more questions and I didn't know half of them, the rest of their answers were single-word answers.
Then she asks, "Did you guys have some intimate moments? Like not all the glory details...". I was stunned at her straightforwardness. I stayed silent for a while as I don't know what to say peeping from her side I searched for my mother. Nayantara cupped my cheeks making me look at her, "When I'm talking to you... you need to look at me...". Okay, here I'm the generous one not trying to create any scene and respecting her age ignoring the fact that she's the mother of Armaan and Aadesh two most powerful people in the country, or else I would have shown her a mirror and told her she's not only the bitch here.
"Jiji... you're scaring her..." the pink saree lady spoke, Nayantara raised an eyebrow at me, "Someone who's going to be a part of the Goel family should not have the feature of fear." This lady is surely something, "Um... but I haven't agreed to the marriage yet..." I hopped in between their conversation. Nayantara smiled at me, "I know that's why we are here to have a small talk with your mother to get the permission. Then arrange to meet you and all that crap..." trust me every time this lady smiles, something is surely cooking inside her.
My mother smiled walking toward them, "You don't need to have any permission. You're going to be my daughter's mother-in-law; you can visit us whenever you want." See I told you she knew my mother was close to hearing her, so indirectly she got the permission without technically asking for the permission. "Now you have said it by yourself I will be right outside your door tomorrow evening..." Nayantara announced humbly.
She introduced the people to her, "Anjana Ji this is my younger sister-in-law Deepika (pink saree one), and these are our friends, Namrata, Mansi, and Anita." They nodded their head and started chatting, laughing at lame jokes. I have forgotten half of their names but the pink saree one seems to be the funny one, Nayantara is unpredictable and the others were rich housewives doing some social work.
After sometimes they planned to have some chai and snacks at the nearest hotel and I just tag along. Because I can't leave my mom all alone here with them, Nayantara from time to time was giving me happy marriage advice. I can feel she was putting effort to make things happen even if I gave some cool shoulders to her. I feel bad for her, she's wasting her efforts on me as I'm going to marry his son for just the name and my company. I can't be the perfect daughter-in-law because for me these things don't matter as, since my childhood, I have been dreaming of being the best in my career. I have invested years to make myself better during this process these being wife, and daughter-in-law never crossed my mind and now it feels like a joke and turns the whole atmosphere awkward.
Most of the time I stayed on my phone and keep track of my work, soon it turned dark outside and the ladies decided to have dinner together before heading back home. Someone walked inside the private dining area wearing a cyan suit blazer with a white shirt and white sneakers. His eyes landed on me as Nayantara introduced Armaan to my mother and he forwarded his hand and had a small talk with her. My mother exploded with happiness meeting him and they discussed the grand wedding.
I lost my appetite and stood up to leave the dining area and walked to the attached balcony to get some fresh air. Mom objected to it at first then gave up glancing at my poker face. Stepping out I confronted myself as I was doing this for myself, my dreams, and most importantly my legacy. My maternal grandfather once taught me some decisions might scare you of their outcome but they are the decision that makes a person winner. People scare to make life-changing decisions and that's why most of them aren't successful.
Armaan came outside and stood beside me looking outside at the dark with glimmering lights around the town. "You don't need to leave the place just because I walked in. You can simply tell me to leave and I will. Mom just wanted me to pick her up as she was out with her friends. Honestly, I didn't have any idea that you might be here or I would have made up some lies." I glimpsed at his side profile.
He combed his hair with his fingers while a gust of wind blew through it. His caramel eyes met mine, they were dark in the soft light falling on his face. Avoiding his handsome feature I expressed, "I wasn't here to meet your mother any way she just met us in the temple and I respected her opinion to come here. You don't need to give me any explanation as we aren't a thing and know well, I hate you. So, I just want you to clear this thing in your mother's mind I can't be her perfect daughter-in-law." He grips my arm firmly, "It's not like that... and why do you hate me?" it made me laugh a bit.
I crossed my arms removing his hands and stared right into his eyes "You have become my business rival taking over the company I worked for. If I ever did the same to you, will you love me for that of course not then how do you expect me to be the one cool with it... why because you're a man who could get his wife's assets after they get married?" he sighed and replied, "Are you hearing yourself? What kind of argument is it?". I commented, "A girl asking for her rights to have access to her assets even after marrying a rich dude."
He shook his head, "I'm not selling my shares at any cost giving you the open road to be the CEO." My lips curved, "Even I don't want you to do that because some things have their own pleasure when done under pressure. I would make you sell it and stop dreaming about a happy marriage because I will turn it into a disaster so you could realize that you did a big mistake marrying me..." walked past him inside the dining area.
I think that's what happy marriages are made up of: a wife threatening her husband to turn his life into a disaster.
*maniac author*
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