||CHAPTER 33||
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Lounging on the beach chairs in a heavy ethnic-wear is more uncomfortable than wearing six inch heels- and I am saying this because I have experienced both. So I had resorted to leaning on my right arm which rested on the back rest, and sitting sideways, my head in my palm.
I was not crying. Surely I wasn't. No stream of wet tears drained down my eyes, my face was as dry as make-up could provide.
On the other hand, I felt like laughing on my pathetic life, like Aryan said he did. Hypothetically.
Out of the blue- and I don't mean the pool- a box of tissues was pushed infront of me. I looked up, and Vansh occupied the beach chair opposite me.
"Thanks, but I'm not-" sob, "-crying. I've caught cold."
"And then you'll say that something went into your eyes and your eyes would be sweating- oh, you're actually not crying."
Did he really think I was here to cry alone? Can't blame him, I did run off abruptly, thinking no one would notice that the bride's daughter wasn't present.
Oh, Armaan's irony was ringing in my ears.
"You want to go back in? The wedding just ended."
"No, not really. I don't know what to say to my mother. Can you believe it that I am actually more comfortable talking to her new husband than talking to her? And it's not like I share an admirable relationship with either of them!"
He pulled out a tissue, and sat back normally on the beach chair under the umbrella. Then he covered his face with the tissue paper, and started blowing it.
"What are you doing? Am I boring you?!" I asked, exasperated.
"Nahh," came out his reply from under the tissue paper. "This is kinda calming. Try it out."
I gave him a glare, not that he could see. His hand blindly found the tissue paper box and offered it to me. Oh his nerve!
But I guess it didn't hurt to try, right? So I pulled out one and immitated his steps with some difficult because of my clothes.
But boy, did he find me a relaxing thing to do.
"I feel like I am a kid doing this, blowing papers," I informed him.
"You are, Vika darling." I could hear the smugness in his voice.
"You're not going to let that go, are you?"
He chuckled. "Does your brother know that his new cousin was his sister's ex-boyfriend, who is still besotted by her?"
"Shut up."
"Aw Vika darling, aisa nahi bolte hai-" he burst out into laughter, and it was contagious. And so, momentarily forgetting about my dramatic oblivion, I slipped into consiousness.
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"Haan maa, wo mere saath hi hai- arrey! Aap baath tho aise kar rahi ho ki jaise Vika kabhi Mumbai me rahi hi nahi hai-"
Uhh, yeah. Jolly Bua was facing a hard time explaining about my disappearance to Daadi, who had been notified by none other than Mr. Oberoi himself. He was such a douche bag.
After finding me near the pool on the rooftop, Vansh drove me back to his hotel- where we met Jolly Bua coincidentally. And now, I was stuck entertaining Mikhael just to make him stop crying about his clothes.
Hey, I could understand the agony of my five-year old brother: the suspenders were hurting his shoulders, and he was not used to wearing bow-ties. But who was going to explain that to Jolly Bua? If her husband couldn't do it, I wont even try doing it.
When her call ended, she legit glared at me. "What were you thinking Arvika?" She asked sternly. "Tum bina kisi ko inform kiye kaise nikal gayi?"
"Shaadi khatam hone ke baad nikli na? Mai itni bheed me uncomfortable ho jati hoon, aapko pata hai na. Raman Oberoi always exaggerates, you know that."
"Exactly! What if he sends out a press report to sabotage with Deewan Corp?"
"Your faith in me really warms my heart, Jolly Bua," I shook my head.
"Dekho Vika, just because you're my favourite bhanji doesn't mean ki tum Company Image ke saath chhed-kani karo and main kuch na bolu," she paced around the hall. "Infact I am suprised ki bhai ne ab taq koi call nahi kiya tumhein."
Mikhael was looking at me with a cute expression, his chubby hands holding onto my thumb. No, not because I was his favourite cousin, this generation kids were too advanced for lame stuff like that. He wanted my phone to play his favourite game: Temple Run. I sighed.
"Jolly Bua, chill. Aap bhool rahi hai ki mai Mumbai ayi kyu hoon."
She looked at me with a quizzical expression. "What do you mean? Obviously for Maanyata's wedding!"
I let out a snort. "Now, that's a really lame reason- even Papa wouldn't be convinced. Guess harder Jolly Bua."
She was clueless. I huffed out a breath, recalling the conversation between my father and I, when he had handed me and Arnav the tickets and he had stormed off to his room. That day, my father had told me the real reason- apart from the company image, and me being Raman Oberoi's step daughter- behind me being forced to attend the wedding.
"Raman Oberoi is buying your Nanaji's company, Vika," he had said, sipping on his coffee. "And if the Deewan Corp gets even a third of that hotel business, we can stop ourselves from being dragged into the ruins."
Confused, I had asked, "But we just started the Art Gallery, didn't we? I mean, it's new business. And aapne kaha tha ki Oberoi invest karne wale hai-"
"I know what I said, Arvika," he had cut me off, "but I said we need a future outlook here too. After your Nanaji's death, your mother's management has been handling three hotels in Mumbai, but there are five others that is still under her name, and after the marriage, Oberoi will be owning them."
I had given him a blank look. I knew all this- I wasn't that dumb. But it did take me a while to understand what he was hinting at.
"You want me to blackmail Mr. Raman Oberoi into selling us a few deals?"
"You said it," he had shrugged.
"But our company doesn't even have anything to do with hotel business-"
"And a week ago, it didn't even have anything to do with a recreational art gallery. It's all about expanding, Vika. You're smart enough to understand that. You will have to bag a deal, and I know you are the one who can do it."
I was unsure first, confident next. "Fine," I had shrugged. "I'm up for the... challenge."
"Remember the code-word though. You cannot talk to him directly at once about it. You need to seclude him out, and keep a lot of information hideous. We don't want everybody to know what we are upto, especially not your mother."
"Codeword?" I had laughed. "What is it? 'I know your secret!'?"
Dad had smirked. "It's what your Nanaji coded for business marriages." When I had raised an eyebrow, he said, "Bandhan."
"Bandhan."
It had made sense then, and judging from the expression on Jolly Bua's shocked face, it made sense now.
"You know about Bandhan?"
I shrugged, succumbing under Mikhael's adorable pout and giving him my mobile. "The ball's pretty much in our court."
From shock, her face turned into a surprised laughter, and she couldn't form proper sentences. "You- tumne- oh my god! Tumne Oberoi se Hotels jeet lee?!?!"
"Just two for now, the Udaipur one and the one in Noida. He's gonna send me the papers tonight."
My aunt wrapped me in a circulation-hindering hug, but I guess it was her emotions doing it. "Arvika, oh my god- jo ham saath saal se nahi kar paa rahe thhe tumne ek din me kar diya- I always knew you are going to be the better choice for the company!"
I smirked. I was so going to brag about this on Arnav's face.
"Thanks, bua."
When she released me, she sat with me on the couch. "So..."
I raised an eyebrow. "So?"
"Someone's into the brother's best friend clichè, huh?"
I knew who she was talking about. "What do you mean? I didn't invite Vansh- believe it or not, our mothers were once upon a time friends."
Her smile widened. "I know that. So childhood bestfriend clichè."
"Kya bakwaas kar rahi ho aap, Jolly bua. Sabki life ek clichè hoti hai."
"Some one's swimming on De Nile," she whistled.
"Aisa kuch nahi hai- you know I am very straightforward."
It was her chance to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, are you? Tho yeh batao, tum idhar Vansh ke saath kya karne ayi thi?"
It was better if she knew the truth. "He knows how I feel about this- ye shaadi, business, Arnav- everything. He's a good friend, and..."
"And what?"
"He stopped me from getting high, I hope you know what I mean."
She did. "Arvika- why? Tumne hamse baath kyu nahi ki- we are here for you!"
"No bua, no one was. I didn't want to bother anyone with my family troubles," I sighed. "But it doesn't matter now- he stopped me before I could even get a whiff. Creepy... but cute."
She squeazed my shoulders. "He is a good kid, I know. And aage se, please talk to us Vika. I know this is a confusing stage of your life, but we are here to help you."
I could talk all I wanted, but who said they were going to listen?
"By the way," she cleared her throat, "isn't Vansh's mother, Mrs. Mehra in Shillong right now? For some charity event? I wonder what he is doing here..."
Her smirk mirrorred mine as I shrugged. "I don't know, bagging deals in a private party, maybe?"
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Namoshtaii!
How many of you got the 'Bandhan' thing? I've mentioned it once or twice two or three chapters ago. I hope u can now figure out what it was/is about.
This chapter is assigned to Mistee_ for the competition.
So, read, vote, comment and promote!
~emcee.