~imisha's pov~
As we climbed the stairs to the second floor, Ikshit pointed out a door that had the initials K.A. engraved in gold, catching my attention.
"This is Kartik bhaiya's room, and Tanmay bhaiya's room is next to his," Ikshit said, beaming with enthusiasm.
"Opposite Tanmay bhaiya's room is Ahaan's, and lastly, the room at the end of the hallway is the one we'll be sharing." Wait, what did he mean by "we"? Did that imply that we had to share a room? The thought of it made my stomach drop.
I knew I couldn't do it. I wanted to tell him that I was uncomfortable with the idea, but the thought of coming off as a spoiled brat kept me from speaking my mind. Instead, I just nodded tightly in agreement.
"Do you want to see our room first, or do you want to take a whole house tour?" Ikshit asked me sweetly.
"Can we see our room first?" I asked quietly. He nodded enthusiastically and started to walk towards the end of the hallway and I followed him.
As the door opened, my eyes widened in amazement.
The room's ambiance was a contrast to the rest of the house. The walls were painted in a deep shade of gray, and the furniture was adorned in black leather. The rug beneath my feet was a pattern of black marble. Large windows stood tall at the wall opposite to the door and the curtains were made of a dark, heavy fabric that could block out all the light.
Above the headboard of the bed was a large bookshelf. The bed was adorned with smooth Egyptian cotton dark bedsheets and white leather pillows.
Ikshit's eyes crinkled at the corners as he let out a soft chuckle. "We all have rooms that are customized according to our individual preferences," he explained in a gentle tone. "Since we didn't know what you would have wanted, your room is just plain for now. However, we can definitely go shopping later to get you some stuff to decorate your room as per your choice."
Wasn't this our common room?
"Wait, what do you mean by different rooms?" I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper.
Ikshit's expression turned serious as he nodded. "Yes, ever since we were born, we have had interconnected rooms," he explained. "Your room is located in the other part of the bedroom." He pointed to the far end of the room, where there was a door leading to another room. "You can even directly access the hallway from your room, but I don't have the keys to that door yet. That's why I brought you here."
Holy shit, interconnected rooms? That's so cool.
"Yeah ishu, it is." Shit, did I say that out loud?
Ikshit laughed heartily, "Yes, you did."
Damn, I was so embarrassed, I can't believe I said that shit out loud. I just smiled sheepishly at him.
As I looked around, I noticed that the room was quite spacious, with separate areas designated for different purposes. The space was decorated with comfortable couches, a TV, and an ample collection of books.
"Come on, I'll show you your room." I nodded at him and started following him. He opened the door on the other side of the bedroom and we walked in. It was simple and nothing too fancy yet. Having my own room made me feel more at ease.
"Tanmay bhaiya is really good at interior design, and I think you should definitely talk to him about your interior. He has helped all of us decorate our rooms, and we are all very happy with the results," I nodded at him in agreement, and he looked at me with a sad expression.
"Listen, we all really love you and we've missed you so much. You must have so many unanswered questions right now, but don't worry, Kartik bhaiya will tell you everything. And even if Ahaan seems like he doesn't like you, he actually has a soft spot for you. He's just scared of letting you in and blames himself for everything. He might act rude sometimes, but that's just his way of dealing with his feelings. We all really care for you and we would never have it any other way."
"I know you're hiding something. You're my twin, and I can sense your anxiety. Whenever you feel comfortable enough to tell me, I promise I'll never judge you. You can always confide in me," Ikshit spoke with sincerity in his voice.
I think my nodding at him came off wrong, but as he said, I really was anxious. I didn't know how I was going to cope and keep my secrets hidden at the same time. These secrets were my burden to bear, and if anyone found out, they would never want to deal with me. I felt lost and alone, but hearing Ikshit's words gave me a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you for understanding, but can we tour the house now? We don't want to get late do we?" I asked him trying to ease the tension with a newfound joy in my eyes. He beamed at me and nodded.
"Let's go get Ahaan, and we will show you around," Ikshit told me to which I nodded. Again.
We walked outside of my room and then outside of his room and went towards the room next to ours.
Ikshit knocked- no, banged on the door. I cringed, I still wasn't used to loud voices. He probably noticed it and quickly apologized. "Shit, I'm sorry ishu, are you okay? He asked me.
"Yeah all good," I spoke confidently. I finally felt my fierceness come back. I was strong but being around my brothers made me go all soft and sappy.
Now Ikshit started knocking rapidly on the door, the door suddenly flew open and Ahaan bhaiya got his nose hit by Ikshit's knuckles. "Oops," exclaimed Ikshit.
I giggled but immediately shut up when I saw Ahaan bhaiya glaring at me.
I glared back. He was taken aback. Again. Hah, take that.
"What do you want?" Grumbled Ahaan bhaiya.
"We have to give a house tour to ishu, come on," Ikshit spoke firmly, all joy drained from his voice.
"Do I have to?" Asked Ahaan bhaiya annoyingly. "Yes, Kartik bhaiya said, but if you don't-"
"I'm coming, give me a minute." Ahaan bhaiya said cutting Ikshit off. He closed his door and came out 5 minutes later.
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It felt like the house tour went on forever, and by the end of it, my legs were sore and my lungs were begging me for mercy. But as we walked through the mansion, it became clear to me that my brothers were really fucking rich. I couldn't help but wonder where they had earned such a handsome amount of money.
The house was marvelous. Every room was more impressive than the last. We passed through an indoor swimming pool. Next, we came across a gaming room, complete with every console and games. Beyond that was a trampoline, a tennis court, and a water slide in the outdoor swimming pool. Further still, we found ourselves in a home theatre, where there were comfy and cozy seats, a huge screen, probably even bigger than the cinema hall screen, and a cabinet stashed with all kinds of snacks and sweets.
As we explored further, we discovered two underground garages, a spa, a library, and two gyms. The bar was fully stocked, and there were 5-10 offices in the other part of the mansion. Outside, we found an outdoor seating area, complete with comfortable couches, and more than ten guest rooms. It was a breathtaking sight, and I couldn't believe that my brothers had access to all of this luxury.
There were bodyguards stationed everywhere. They were outside each room, at the entrance to the mansion, and probably patrolling the grounds as well. It was clear that they were earning more in a day than I could only ever hope to earn in a whole month at my previous workplaces.
After touring, my brothers told me to unpack and get ready since it was already 2 p.m. and we would leave directly after lunch.
I climbed the stairs with difficulty since my ribs had been cracked once again when Camilla punched me in the guts. My lungs were screaming for air and after what felt like a thousand steps I finally reached my bedroom. I opened the door and saw my bag placed on the floor.
It seemed so out of place in this luxurious and fancy mansion. I also, couldn't help but feel like an outsider in all this luxury that my brothers seemed to be a part of.
As I went to the bathroom once again, I was left in awe.
The bathroom was not just a bathroom, but a luxurious oasis. It was larger than my old room, and every inch of it was adorned with elegant accessories. The fancy cabinets were filled with an assortment of toiletries that I had never seen before. There were scrubs, loofahs, exfoliators, body gels, shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, candles, scented oils, face masks, and so much more.
I explored every drawer. The more I looked, the more impressed I was. And then, I did something I had longed for - I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower.
The warm water fell on my skin, and it was pure bliss. I had never experienced such luxury before. At my old place, showers were always cold as Carter would turn off the geyser.
In fact, one time, he even broke it when he found out I had been secretly turning it on. It was hell, especially during winter.
Wrapping one of the many white towels around my body, I walked out and picked a somewhat subtle outfit. Now that I knew my brothers were rich, I had to make an impression.
I felt like I had to make an impression even though they were my brothers and Ikshit told me they would never judge me.
Shut up Imi, did you forget? We have trust issues.
Shaking my head, I put on my simple outfit and started making my way downstairs. I didn't see anyone in the living room, so I went to the dining area since we would be having lunch right now.
As I walked into the room, I noticed Tanmay bhaiya putting the finishing touches on his special meal. The aroma of his delicious cooking filled the air.
Meanwhile, Ikshit was placing the plates and utensils on the table, ensuring that everything was perfect for the upcoming meal.
Ahaan bhaiya and Kartik bhaiya, on the other hand, seemed engrossed in their phones.
When I walked in, everyone immediately greeted me, I greeted everyone back and took a seat next to Kartik bhaiya who was seated at the head of the table.
Tanmay bhaiya came and sat across me.
I saw two ladies coming out of the kitchen, and they started serving us. "I made the noodles and chicken!" Tanmay bhaiya exclaimed, pointing at his dishes proudly. I smiled at him, to which he beamed back.
"So Imisha, can you tell me what you like to eat? So I can make your favorite dishes from time to time, yeah?" Asked Tanmay bhaiya enthusiastically. I didn't want to tense the atmosphere but how could I tell him that I lived off pieces of bread and oats?
"Anything is alright, everything you make is delicious anyway." I complimented with a tight smile on my face.
"You don't have anything favorite? I'll fix that! From today every day, I will at least make you one food item for every meal, and then you can tell me yeah?" I nodded at him and he happily went back to his food.
I saw Kartik bhaiya and Ahaan bhaiya have a conversation kind of thing through their eyes but their eyes snapped back to their food when I looked at them.
Shit, are they suspecting something?
I pushed my fork around my plate. My stomach felt full and heavy, but there was still so much left on my plate. I knew I didn't have an eating disorder, but my tendency to eat small portions meant that I lost my appetite quickly.
I shifted in my seat and nudged Ikshit, who was sitting beside me. He turned to me with a questioning look, and I gestured to my plate with my eyes, hoping he would understand that I couldn't eat anymore. He looked at me with a sad expression and nodded in understanding.
As Kartik bhaiya and Tanmay bhaiya became engrossed in their conversation, Ikshit quietly scooped up the remaining food from my plate and deposited it on his own.
I whispered a soft "thank you" to him, and he responded with a gentle smile. "It's okay," he said, "but please try to eat more next time. I will ask them to serve you less."
I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. I knew it was important for me to eat more, not just for the sake of others, but for my health and well-being.
I ate the leftover veggies on my plate grabbed all the empty plates on the dining table and carried them to the sink.
After rinsing them, when I was about to wash them Kartik bhaiya called out, "Imisha? What are you doing?" and walked over to me.
"I was just doing the dishes." I looked at him confused. Was I doing something wrong?
He sighed and walked over to me and placed the dish away from my hands on the counter.
"Imisha, you don't have to wash dishes, we have people for that." Of course, he did, I knew it when I viewed this freaking mansion from outside, I just wanted to be of help but he didn't like it I guess. When did I let any of that stop me though?
"Oh, I know that, why don't you let me wash my dishes? Not everyone's, just mine." I asked.
I had washed my dishes since I was 7. What was the difference now? I could still do them.
I definitely had a death wish arguing with him like that.
"I am sorry Imisha, but I did not work hard to become rich just so that you would have to do household chores. Some of your brothers do not even make the effort to move a glass from their room to the kitchen, even if they are heading there. I am not saying that you should follow their example, but it would be better if you let the maids handle the basic chores. After all, they are being paid to do so," explained Kartik bhaiya.
"I've been doing my own dishes, and I will continue to do them. It won't make any difference, okay?" I argued, and we both knew what I meant. He sighed.
"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I shook my head no.
I couldn't help feeling frustrated. I was an independent woman who did not need to be treated like a princess. I wanted to make my own decisions and chart my own course in life, regardless of my family's wealth and status.
"What's taking so long Kartik? Come on, we are getting late!" I heard Tanmay bhaiya shouting loudly, I took off and left the kitchen, the dishes to be washed long forgotten.
I walked up to him with a fake smile on my face and asked, "Are we leaving right now?"
"Yes! Ahaan is getting the cars ready. Are you ready?" Tanmay bhaiya replied with excitement in his voice.
"Yes, I am, but can you give me a minute?" I asked quietly.
He nodded his head in agreement, and I went upstairs to my room. I could feel their eyes burning into my back as I walked away.
(IMISHA'S OUTFIT)
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