CHAPTER 6
"Now what?" Gautam asked while racing.
"This is the tenth time I'm telling you! Drive slow!!!" Sneha shouted on his face.
"And I'm going to ignore you again." He said and laughed heartily.
"Humph!!" That's all she reacted.
She checked his license, RC, insurance papers and asked him around 100 times that if he is drunk or no? Before stepping into his car.
"Tell me the complete story now." She demanded.
He ignored her again.
"Mr. Gautam Chauhan!" She shouted.
"Okay, fine! Stop scolding me, like a real teacher! I tricked Riddhima, so that she'll stay in Delhi and take care of everything, I told her that biji is sick and I'm going to meet her, alone."
"So, why am I with you?"
"Because they want to meet my wife."
"But I'm not Riddhima.... do they know that?"
"Who?"
"Your family."
"No." He replied plainly.
"Then?"
"They haven't seen her."
"Oh.. Okay, and who is going to take care of the Glassglow part?" She inquired, when she recalled that Riddhima told her that she is handling only MLM and Gautam is taking care of Glassglow and Sneha, knew Avinash is the CEO of the company.
"What do you think?" He smiled playfully.
She gasped "You are so dead!"
"I know, that's why I dragged you!" He laughed.
There was silence for a few minutes, but then suddenly she shouted "Stop!!!" He immediately pulled the hand brake and the tyres clenched.
"What happened?????" He asked worriedly.
"I'm hungry." She said and smiled.
'I know what you are trying to do.'
He smiled inwardly.
"Okay, then." He said and took a sharp U-turn.
"Gautamm!!!!!!" She cried in horror and in return, he laughed.
After 10 deadly minutes, She caught her breathe again as he pulled the breaks.
"Are you insane??" She yelled once she was out of that deadly beast.
"Welcome to Tiite Da Dabba." He announced and winked.
'I'm starting to get a headache.' She thought and moved her head in denial.
She was not so hungry but the smell of the food knotted her stomach and she ate to her hearts content.
"So tell me about your family?" She asked while chewing.
"I don't like to talk about the circus." He said and laughed.
"I understood that, the moment I saw you. But seriously, Tell me? I want to fit in." She demanded again.
"Yes ma'am!" He saluted her and continued. "Well, in brief, Dad's got two elder brothers and a younger brother. All married, and in total I have 4 sisters, 2 married two single, and 7 brothers, 4 married and 3 single, and some kids of their own. Then we have my grandparents, darji and biji." He finished.
"And your father decided to shift because... ?"
"That's not important." He said with a grim expression.
"Well, alright." She said.
"Yeah. Baby, I will just come in a moment, need to pay the bill." He said after a beat and gave her a flying kiss.
"Just Go.." She shook her head but smiled.
30 minutes passed.
Initially she didn't notice the time but she was worried now, as she couldn't find him anywhere.
He went to pay the bill but didn't return. Unfortunately there was no battery in her cell. It was difficult for her cell to survive even a single call. So she noted Gautam's number and went to a pay booth.
"Hello?" He answered after 2 rings.
"Gautam? Where are you?" She asked.
"Who is this??"
"Sneha... Are you--"
"Shit!! Sneha.. I'm coming back. I'm soo sorry. I.. just wait." And the call disconnected.
'He forget me here!! What the hell??' She was angry and frustrated with him now.
She was furious when he came back. Though he apologized but still she punched him with all her force, unfortunately he was too strong for it.
As they passed and green fields emerged on their either side, Sneha's anger was replaced by joy and her happiness knew no bound. A life long wish to visit a village, to visit a place full of love and compassion. A life of simple people, fields and beautiful crops, little children with actual games instead of Xbox. All that she admired in movies was now a reality of her existence.
'Funny, she was not suppose to be here, Riddhima was. She belongs to Mayank' she thought.
'But now what the fate did. She is here with no lies but actually as Mrs. Sneha Gautam Chauhan, or Mrs. Riddhima Gautam Chauhan for now.'
She was lost in the moment when suddenly the car came to a halt.
"What wrong?" She asked in a confused tone while looking towards him.
"The glasses are black." He murmured not answering to Sneha's question.
"Huh?" She asked in a confused tone.
"Stay inside." He said and went out of the car.
It was then she saw almost hundreds of people standing in front of their car with a serious look and big dandas(hard stick). She worriedly glanced towards him who was approaching them. She was about to call him, when the suddenly she heard the sound of dhol, everybody started dancing and all the men gathered around him, picked him up and started dancing along with him. Gautam on their shoulder was going far from her.
'What is happening?' She thought and frowned.
Then she noticed that a flock of women gathered around her door, and dragged her out.
"Beautiful...."
"Good choice...."
"Modern but Desi..."
"Wow.."
All the women were talking among themselves and were dragging her along with them.
'So this is where he got his habit of dragging people?' She thought.
"From where?" A lady asked her in broken English.
"New Delhi." She politely replied.
"Who all in family?" Another asked.
"Mom, Dad, an elder brother and bhabhi(sister-in-law).
"Wow.." A few said in unison.
Her eyes were desperately searching for him.
All the ladies stopped in front of a huge mansion and that scared her. He said that it was small white house. But this place is huge!! She is definitely at this wrong place!!!
"Sneha.." Gautam emerged out of no where and she took a sigh of relief.
"Where are we?" She inquired.
"Home, where else?" He answered as he frowned.
"This??? This is a mansion! You said you have a small kothi." She whispered.
"Well, ya.. biji always say.. Chota sa ghar. Chota sa parivar. (Small house. Small family.)" He said and chuckled.
'If this is a small home then the small family would be....' She thought, as she waited at the entrance, for her welcome ceremony.
THE NEXT DAY
Riddhima was all prepared with her new design. It took 12 hours straight for her and the team to meet that monster's demands.
All night she was there in her office while the rich jerk slept soundly.
The moment she entered the house, she saw him and cursed her hard luck.
"Good morning, Ms. Riddhima. Breakfast?" Avinash asked with a big smile when she entered with big bags under her eyes and in her hands.
"Good morning, Mrs. Zia." She ignored him and greeted their cook.
"Good morning, Riddhima. Do you want me to fix something for you?" Mrs. Zia asked with a warm smile.
"A cup coffee would be perfect." She answered weakly.
"Why? No food? It's delicious today!" He interjected in a sweet voice.
She was in no mood for an argument so she just kept on staring at Mrs. Zia for her answer.
"I... I'll bring it your room. Freshen up till then." She hurriedly replied and went inside the kitchen to make a coffee.
Riddhima nodded and walked pass him, but was unable to miss his laughter.
After a long bath, two cups of Mrs. Zia's brilliant coffee and 3 hours of sleep. She was again on her desk giving final touches to her proposal.
Moreover, she was extremely angry with Gautam for his emotional blackmail and his trick.
He was intentionally dodging her calls and emails which were pissing her off even more.
Sneha's cell, on the other hand, is switched off. So it was for sure that she is with him... Or as the employees of MLM told her.
11:00 am as per her clock and her meeting was due at 5:00 pm. 6 hours, to sleep. She stretched happily when her cell rang or devil attacked.
"Where are you?" Nidhi demanded.
"Home." She replied.
"Come down here!! Immediately!!" She said forcefully in an anxious voice.
"Why? What happened?" She asked in a sleepy tone.
"We need to leave in an hour and I got up just now.. so much packing is left and I need to get ready, I'm freaking out!!!" Nidhi panicked.
"On my way." she said, took a packet of aspirin and climbed down the stairs.
'The Satan smiled along with Avinash!' She thought, when she knocked the door.
"Hey, I---" She was about to say but Nidhi dragged her inside, the moment she laid her eyes on Riddhima.
"Please.......just do something!" Nidhi pointed towards her messed up room.
"Nidhi!" She shook her up.
Nidhi didn't reply and chose to stare instead.
Riddhima rolled her eyes "Relax, go and take bath, I'll take care of this." She said and pushed her inside the bathroom.
Riddhima popped two pills, pulled her hair in a bun and started working.
After a few minutes the bell rang.
'Mayank.' She thought.
"It's Mayank! Riddhima, Can you get the door??" Nidhi shouted from inside.
"Yeah, going!" She said and carefully placed her Saree in the bag.
Riddhima loves this Saree, this looks perfect on her.
"Hey Mayank, she is...." words failed she when she saw who it was.
"Riddhima?" Tara questioned.
"Hi.. Tara.... Namaste Aunty." She greeted Tara and her mother that is Mayank's mom.
Mayank's mother is Cruella Di Villes's Indian carnation or so as it was described by Sneha and Gautam. Mayank's mom made thousands of plan how to get best use of her daughter-in-law, 5 months prior to their marriage. She is complete Hindi Serial mother-in-law material. She created a lot of drama and emotional blackmails when he announced his plans to live away from his family, after his marriage, along with his wife. She still holds grudge for the same and leaves no chance to make Sneha's as well as her supporters, Nidhi and Riddhima's, life difficult and complicated.
"What are you doing here?" His mother asked.
"Umm.. I was helping Sneha." She answered confidently.
"Why?" His mother suspiciously asked.
"Aunty, they are leaving for Udaipur today." She said.
"Yeah, he told me." Tara said.
"See." She happily agreed.
"Whatever, call Sneha . No manners! Her mother-in-law is sitting here and she sent her friend to greet me, that too dressed like that." His mother said and made a face.
'Dressed like this? I love these PJs! Gosh!' Riddhima thought.
"Umm.. She is not here." She answered apologetically.
"Then?" She raised her eyebrow.
"She asked us to help her. She got an urgent meeting in the office. Aunty...umm.. you can tell me, I can be at your service." She promptly asked.
Just when his mother was about to answer.
Nidhi entered "Mayank, thank god you are here. I was---" she said but caught her tongue when she noticed her audience.
'Crap, Nidhi.. why?' Riddhima thought and shook her head in denial.
"Out of water supply at your place babhi? (Sister-in-law)" Tara joked.
"No...Actually." Nidhi failed to explain and touched her wet hair.
"My mistake, she came out of her bath and I dragged her here to help me. A lot to do in a short span of time." Riddhima said and laughed lightly where as Nidhi preferred to smile.
His mother was about to comment when
"Can I get something to eat please? This pregnancy makes me hungry all the time!!" Tara demanded impatiently.
"Yeah, sure. What do you want?" Nidhi asked voluntarily, just to avoid the situation.
"Can I?" Tara asked with sparkling eyes.
"Of course, come." Nidhi said and took Tara inside the kitchen and left Riddhima awkwardly with Mayank's mother.
"So?? Umm... You didn't tell me what you want, aunty?" She asked, not sure what else to say.
"A masala tea would be nice, and lemon rice. I was looking forward for a good meal by my daughter-in-law." His mother said and sighed.
"Pakado's along with masala tea are perfect! And yes your lemon rice. I will just go and rush in with your dishes.." She said cheerfully to lighten the atmosphere.
"No... no, I don't want half cooked food. Take your time." She said while stretching her legs.
"Right...." She pressed her lips and briskly walked towards the kitchen.
She entered and smiled towards Tara who found a box of ice cream for herself and was talking to Nidhi now.
She picked up the utensil to make the tea.
"Riddhima?" Tara asked.
"Yes?"
"Something is wrong, right?" Tara raised her eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" She asked and glanced towards Nidhi who was herself confuse.
"Regarding your marriage? Both of you.. or actually all six of you!"
"We don't understand." Nidhi said.
"We pregnant women have sixth sense and according to that, well... I think Sneha is not really Mayank's wife." Tara said and smiled.
Riddhima was shocked and Nidhi was furious to know how?
"Tell me and Trust me." Tara said.
"Tara..." Riddhima was trying to cook something excuse in her head but ideas failed to come in.
"Look, I'm Mayank's twin, I share traits with him not with my mom. So, tell me." Tara said and was now eagerly waiting for the answer.
"You are right, actually.. umm.... I'm your brother's wife." Nidhi said after a complete minute pause and sighed.
"You are Mrs. Nidhi Mayank Sharma!! Fantastic!!..And Sneha? She is married Aditya's brother. God save her." Tara laughed.
"Well, I married him." Riddhima said trying to control her laughter.
"Oh.. Then, God save him!" Tara said and three started laughing.
"Well, no worries. I will keep your secret. But for now, I have to drag my mother back, she is determined to at least have a head message from Sneha." Tara laughed and went out of the kitchen.
"Wait.. her snacks and tea.? It won't look nice." Riddhima called.
"You don't love Sneha, do you?" Tara asked with a smirk.
'Just like her brother.' Nidhi thought.
"Maybe next time then." Riddhima answered thoughtfully and both the girls followed Tara to bid their goodbyes.
Riddhima was dead tired with all the activities by now. But it was too late to take even a small nap, so she started fixing her make up for the meeting.
THE GLASSGLOW
"Good evening, Mr. Singhania." Riddhima came up with an energetic smile.
'Still so lively? No women is as challenging as her!' He thought.
"Very good evening, Mrs. Chauhan." He said with a smirk.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Singhania but we have a slight confusion here. My name is Mrs. Riddhima Avinash Singhania, not Mrs. Chauhan." She replied tactfully.
He clenched his teeth.
'That's, Some guts!' he thought
"Can I see the proposal?" He demanded ignoring her statement.
"Yes, sure." She presented him her file.
He thoroughly read the file and after a few minutes "It's nice, I'm impressed." He said.
She proudly smiled, inwardly. 'Gotcha. Richie rich!'
"But, I want to change the location." He said with a sexy smile.
"I'm sorry?" She asked, her smile replaced with horror.
"I don't want my Gurgaon hotel now. I want this to happen in Delhi's heart, in my central Delhi hotel." He said.
"Sir.. I don't think--"
"Oh.. Is it difficult for you to handle this? You can tell me, I can ask some other--"
"Not an issue, Mr. Singhania. I will present you the new design within 3 days." Her confident smile returned.
"Make it by tomorrow." He said in a business tone.
"Tomorrow, it is then." She said clenching her fist.
'Root in hell, you monster!! Choke your own food! Fall from the highest point of the glassglow.!! Just die!!' She cursed him and planned various methods to execute his assassination.
"Great! Let's meet tomorrow then." He got up to shake his hand.
"Good bye." She formally nodded instead of taking his hand, turned on her heels and moved out.
After she was gone, He laughed
"Oh, how much I enjoy her annoyance!" He said happily while stretching in his office.
Note:
Gautam's house in the pind(village).