Chapter 8:
8 June, Saturday, 2024
12:35 p.m.
Anika's POV
I was focused on the presentation being given by my secretary until my phone vibrated.
Taking it out from my pant pocket, I saw a notification;
Mr. Rai Mehrotra:
Be ready by 6. I'll pick you up from your mansion.
I frowned. Where is he taking me?
I sighed internally. It's been three days since I met him last time. It was because—
"I'm preponing the marriage. It'll be held after the coming ten days", is what he had said.
He wanted this marriage to happen as soon as possible because according to him, it was too much time consuming to have the marriage after twenty days which is nothing but contract-based.
So there was just one week left for my marriage.
I'd been too stressed because I was constantly getting calls from mami and dadi to get back to India. They're just so excited and wanted me to take a leave of atleast twenty days.
The pre-wedding functions will start from day after tomorrow and I'm heading back to India tonight.
I had talked about the leave-thing with Arnav and he agreed since he was in the same condition.
But the thing is that, I can't look straight into his eyes anymore. Every time I did, I remembered Dhruv's eyes which used to shine upon seeing me. Their facial features matched a lot, and the guilt was still there. I really felt so weak and powerless in front of him just because of my one deed in the past.
I lowered my head and sighed.
"Ms. Roy Chowdhury, are you satisfied with the presentation?", I heard someone calling me out.
I looked up and saw everyone was looking at me especially Mr. Breyan Werner who called me out and are waiting for my words.
I nodded and spoke, "I'm very pleased at Ms. Ryle's presentation. She did it on her own all alone since I was a bit busy in the past few days and couldn't have a look at it. So I appreciate it. But also, it doesn't depend on me entirely. I'd like to hear Mr. Werner's opinion too".
.
6:05 p.m.
I was wearing a deep-cut maroon quarter sleeve blouse which had flower designs made of rose-gold thread with a light amethyst saree which shined in golden upon light's reflection falling on it. A simple pair of golden studs and two pairs of bangles along with a thin gold chain is what my jewelry consisted of. My hair was half tied up, just for a simple look.
I had called him after the meeting and got to know that we were meeting his parents who are here in Paris. He said they wanted to have dinner together with their soon-to-be daughter in law.
To say, his whole family was here because they had to attend some relative's marriage.
I never dreamt of a family but whenever that thought crossed my mind, I wished to have a happy family. There'd be ups and downs, but I never wanted it to break. About marriage, it was also included in the mere thoughts that passes my mind sometimes. I just wanted the relationship between my husband and me to be healthy but here I am— signed a contract marriage.
I've always been like a butterfly—free and happy. It doesn't matter if there are struggles because everyone had them in their respective lives. I roamed freely and touched the highest point near the sky. I achieved everything I had dreamt of but now, my wings have been broken down. They've been crushed under his boots. As much as I hate to admit it, it's still the reality and I had accepted it.
I sprayed some Channel's vanilla perfume over myself before walking out with my purse.
Even if him and I were so distant, I needed to pretend like I was in a good relation with him. I hate the fact that I'll have to see the painful look on Neha maa's face. She'll be so upset when she will get to know about this contract after one year.
Locking the main door, I handed over the keys to the bodyguard standing by before walking out of the main gate.
There stood a black Mercedes shining in pride. It's the most expensive model in the S-Class. Of course it'd be.
Did I expect him to bring an Alto?
A man standing by the open door of the passenger seat bowed to me as I bowed back. While getting inside the car, I saw him sitting silently, looking straight.
He was dressed in a cream colored shirt and brown straight pant with brown boots. His hair was, as always, styled back and the mullets were tied up. I didn't fail to notice the vintage style Cartier watch.
We sat silently during the whole ride of around 20 minutes. He kept working on his tab and I just kept staring out of the window.
During the ride, I noticed the sky was decorated with soft clouds shining in soft purple with an orange hue of the setting sun rays. The crescent moon peeked from behind the clouds and a few constellations were seen.
I have been fond of evening skies since my childhood because most of the family outings I had with my parents and di, were in the evening and the pictures we had were the best. We seemed so happy and complete. Maybe their purpose in life was fulfilled that's why God decided to take them.
I sighed.
The car came to a halt infront of a huge white mansion.
He and his family was indeed filthy rich to have mansions everywhere.
We both got down and walked over to the main door, as I stood silently when he rang the doorbell.
The mansion was enormous, perfectly designed and built up, with both elegance and a deep sense of sophistication. The estate was too huge which had a wide garden at the front with a white marble fountain. Just white roses were planted there in the garden. I don't know about the other side of the mansion.
The moment it was opened, I was met by his family standing at the doorstep.
His mother held a silver plate with an earthen lamp and incense sticks along with some flower petals on it. A very small bowl contained vermillion mixed with oil and another one had a small amount of rice.
While his father stood beside his wife, the rest of the family members stood at the back, except for the absence of his siblings.
How can his family be so sweet when he was a bastard?
My heart melted as I smiled at them. Bending down, I touched everyone's feet and got blessings along with some gift envelopes as shagun.
(Good omen)
Maa performed the aarti before letting me step inside.
"Bhale hi yaha hum hamesha nahi rehte, par phir bhi aaj humari hone wali bahu aayi hai to itna karne banta hai", she said, as we all walked over to the living room.
I smiled at her and nodded.
(Even if we don't live here always, but still our soon-to-be daughter-in-law has come so we can atleast this much)
I was getting too attached to them that it might be hard for me to leave them after twelve months. I hate this nature. Attachments had always made me lose to whom I've been attached to. It was like a painful addiction—too addicted to it to let go but quite painful to bear.
I fear if I bring bad luck to them too. I don't feel anything inside me when I think of myself as a curse because I was used to it.
As I sat down with everyone in the living room, maa came and sat beside me, "How're you beta?"
I smiled at her, "I'm all good maa. What about you?"
Holding my hands in hers she said, "I was okay but now I'm the finest and happy". The excitement her voice holds is heart melting.
I'm sorry maa.
Poor her, who doesn't even know that she was welcoming her youngest son's murderer to her home as her eldest son's wife. Even if I didn't kill him, he was no less than a dead body lying on the bed with wires connected to his body.
My heart clenched. I smiled at her weakly, but the feeling of a burning stare on me started to bother me now. I had been feeling it ever since I came inside. I knew who's that.
"One second", she excused herself, before disappearing inside the kitchen at the far end of the hall.
I sat straight pretending to look around and found him staring blankly at me.
Taking out the phone from my purse, I opened WhatsApp before writing a message to Arnav,
Me :
Stop staring at me like that. You won't like to see your family being suspicious of us.
As soon as I dropped the message, the sound of notification from his side reached me.
I glanced at him and found him staring at his phone screen before looking up at me. I looked away when I saw his chachi approaching me.
But she held some different expression. She doesn't look happy by my presence here I guess because she has been in a sour mood since I saw her at the doorstep earlier.
She has put me in her own hot water. What did I do now?
The males of the family, except for Arnav, weren't here.
She came near me before sitting down beside me, "Anika right?". I nodded.
She nodded back before looking at me, "You know you're an alternative here?", she said, her tone bitter.
I scrunched my eyebrows while glancing at Arnav, who was sitting, scrolling through his phone, all unbothered. I looked back at her, "What do you mean Mrs. Rai Mehrotra?"
She scoffed. I really didn't understand what she meant.
"Don't act Anika. I know you well. I don't know why didi has chosen you", she spoke looking at me in disgust.
"And may I know why are you saying all these to me?", I asked trying to be polite no matter what. I had learnt it from my mother, who used to be so polite even when someone spoke harshly to her. She was a strong woman but her politeness and kindness had kept her alive even today in the acting world. People still remembered her and often praised her when I talked to them.
But I wasn't so polite, I was a tit for tat person. But sometimes situations forces you to keep quiet.
"It's because I want you to know what place you hold in this family. Before you, your mother-in-law's bestfriend's daughter was going to be his wife", she spat on my face.
So I'm a replacement here too? I chuckled internally.
"So what do you want to actually point out?", I asked holding onto my stoic face. She was getting on my nerves. Everything was already so fuckingly messed up and there she was, tangling it more.
She lowered her head before inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, prior to looking up at me again, "That you're nothing more than a mere replacement, so that you'd remember this and be in your limits. I don't think you have a place in his heart and will ever have. I don't know why he even wants to marry you", she spat, sparing me her unhappy look.
I knew I didn't have a place in his heart and would never have but replacement? I shouldn't be hurt but it still hurt. The fact that I was just a replacement in everyone's life hurt.
I sighed.
I nodded before looking at her, "Okay. If you're satisfied enough after warning me, then I shall go to the kitchen and help Neha maa", I replied before standing up once I saw her clenching her jaws. Of course she wasn't satisfied, given that she didn't get the annoyed reaction from me.
In my career, I had learnt that no matter how much messed up you are, never let others know about it. Everything people knew about me is the limited information I had set free. No one knew who I actually was.
I glanced at Arnav who was resting, with his head on the sofa's backrest with his eyes closed.
Such a nice life I'm welcoming where my husband doesn't even care if I was being insulted or tagged as a replacement.
"Maa", I called her out once I stepped inside the vast kitchen.
The kitchen area was wide, spacious enough to fit a lot of people. While the floor remained as polished wood, the ceiling glowed because of the recessive lights turned on. The walls were in white, just like the kitchens of elite households. Classy.
She turned around and gave me a smile, "Come here".
I nodded and walked over to her.
"Shall I help you with something?", I asked resting my hands on the marble cook top slab.
"No no it's fine. I'm already done. You won't make anything until your pehli rasoi", she spoke softly pouring kheer into the last bowl.
I nodded with a smile. Only she'll be my supporter I guess in the Mehrotra family. I don't want any support but still...
.
"Anika beta, what's your opinion about the marriage?", asked his father.
He was talking to me for the first time, which was like a surprise, but what I didn't expect was so much kindness in his voice. He was smiling.
Everyone in his family—maa, papa, chaha and chachi were seated together at the dining table for dinner. Even though they were having their food, the sense of awkwardness and weirdness twisted inside me because I really disliked such questions.
I smiled back, "I'm okay with it papa. It's my time to get married anyways", I kept one-third of the truth on the table, already feeling his gaze on the side of my face.
He nodded with a smile.
"Arnav", his chachi sitting in front of me called him out, who was seated beside me because his mother insisted him to.
"Have you met Arshi?", she asked shortly glancing at me.
I remained silent and stuffed the food into my mouth.
"Yes choti maa, she's in India currently", he replied casually.
Who's Arshi?
"Yeah you should. After all she's your ex-fiancée"