For as long as Niharika could remember, she led a simple life overshadowed by her own misery. Despite belonging to a well-established family and being the youngest child, she was the neglected one, living her life as an outcast.
She never hoped or d...
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At the dining table, there was a pin-drop silence throughout the living room, with only Shikha's voice echoing.
"Betaji, aur lijiye," she said to Amar, Prithvi's secretary.
"Nahi aunty, bas, I've had enough," he replied, his hand blocking his plate.
"Acha," Shikha acknowledged. "Beta ji, aap?" she asked Prithvi.
"No," he replied coldly, though not rudely. Another round of silence enveloped the room. Prithvi began to get up, saying, "The food was good, thank you for having me as a guest," and started wiping his face in a regal manner, as he always did.
Veer's father, Jairaaj Jamwal, cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Prithvi, I need to talk with you. Can you spare us your time?"
Upon hearing this, Amar, Prithvi's secretary, choked on his food. It seemed like he knew what was coming next, what was going on in his boss's mind. His boss, with his bossy nature, would likely decline the request, leaving Amar to handle the situation. "Arey beta, pani lo," Shikha said to Amar, redirecting everyone's attention towards him.
"Thanks," Amar replied, looking toward his boss, who hadn't spared him a glance.
Prithvi said, "Okay, sure, but I hope it's not about business."
Jairaaj Jamwal looked toward Prithvi after hearing his cold reply, and there was a thick tension between them that everyone could feel. Veer's uncle then said in a funny manner, "Arey Bhai, tum sab itne shant hoge, toh mera halka se khana kaise utrega?" Everyone burst into laughter.
"Prithvi, beta, do you know tumhare father or bhaishab ek zamane mein classmates hua karte the?" Veer's uncle continued.
"Oh REALLY?" Prithvi raised his eyebrow.
"Yes, he used to be my classmate back then, but after our graduation" jairaaj jamwal said interrupting. While wipe his hand.
Continued " we all started our families and lost contact with each other. I shifted here for business, and now you can see the Sandal Heritage. Kaise ek heritage ko apne sath le kar chal rahe hain," Jairaaj Jamwal said, His face looked proud.
"Oh, so should I call you uncle, right, Mr. Jamwal? Sorry if I said something rude to you," Prithvi said.
"Aree, nahi nahi, formal greetings are way better for us," Veer's father interjected.
Then Dadi spoke up, realizing no one cared about her bacchi absence or even missed her ."Arey meri bachi, nih-"
Veer's aunt interrupted, saying, "Arey beta, aur kuch loge?" and gestured her daughter, Ekta to take Grandma to her room.
"Dadi ma, apko apke room tak chod ati hu," Ekta said.
Dadi said "Haan beta, mujhe idhar se le chal, mujhe idhar nahi rukna, meri bacchi abhi tak nah..i..." trailed off.
"Tumne dessert to try hi nahi kiya," Chachi said, successfully grabbing their attention.
"Nahi aunty, I'm done. Thanks again; your food really made me taste authentic Karnataka food," Prithvi said.
"Arey,thanks mat boliye, betaji," Shikha said.
***
Prithvi was standing in the study room, waiting for Jairaaj to come. His gaze was fixed on a hanging grand photo frame of the whole family, each member wearing a big smile that masked their true emotions. It was complete, yet in reality, it felt incomplete as there was no evidence of Niharika.
"Mr. Prthvi, you are already here?" Mr. Jairaaj said, entering the room with his brother and son.
"I like to be punctual with time," Prthvi replied.
"Mr. Prithvi, I want to invite you and your family personally to Veer's wedding, which is two months from today," Mr. Jairaaj said.
"I'll try, but first, I need to check my schedule with my secretary," Prithvi replied, his hand inside his trouser pocket, walking towards the others.
"Okay, is there anything else you want to say? If not, can I leave? I have a prior meeting with my investors tomorrow," Prithvi said, concluding. Jairaaj Jamwal's expressions turned bitter. He stared towards Prithvi with aggression, gritting his teeth together, while Prithvi maintained a cold yet calm demeanor, with a hint of confidence.
"Yes, Dad, he has a really busy schedule. We should let him rest for now," Veer said, trying to balance the tension.
Jairaaj nodded, and Prithvi went his way to guest room.
***
Niharika's POV:
Everyone went to their beds, I guess I should too. I sneaked inside, reached my room, closed the door, and exhaled the breath I had been holding. Thank God, no one saw me. I leaned my back against the door, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. Just when I thought I was in the clear, someone knocked on my door. wondering who it could be.
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