||CHAPTER 31||
《¤》

No, it wasn't that moment where I looked into the mirror and didn't identify myself due to the heavy make-up and smokey eye or hoop ear-rings. I had been styled many times, but yeah, these stylists did a fabulous job too.

But it was that moment where I was a bit too nervous, because though my job here was almost done, I still had to keep my side of the deal, and that meant appearing at the wedding where more obnoxious people would arrive, myself included.

"Why are you guys nervous?" I asked the cat-eye spectacled girl, since all of them were looking pretty tensed when I saw them through the mirror.

"Uhm," she cleared her throat, "Do you like your look?"

I raised my eyebrow, "Well, considering the fact that I don't like this stupid wedding and yet no one is asking me whether I like it or not, you guys have done a pretty decent job."

The second girl, with a weird nail art, placed a hand on my shoulder, "Your life will get better honey, don't worry."

I stood up, trying to remove the physical contact, "My life's pretty good, Mother Teresa, I'm just not on board with the wedding. But you should be happy, you guys just got paid."

The guy who was responsible for my hairdo winked at me, dancing his index fingers of both hands at me. I smiled back.

¿¤?

I have noticed that all kinds of paparazzis have a common, irritating question, and each time they asked it, I've felt like punching them on their faces, just to let them know how I felt.

The whole crowd of reporters were firing questions that were more difficult than the Physics retest I gave, but the one young girl with a mic to catch my reply waited restlessy for me to answer her question about how I felt about this marriage.

"I'm not the bride," I said in a clipped smile. "Am I supposed to feel anything about it?"

The security pushed them back, now allowing them to take my photographs only. Aryan was standing a few feet away from me, we had arrived at the same time, but apparently no one was interested in asking him how he felt about his uncle's marriage with her ex-girlfriend's mother.

When our eyes connected, I walked towards him, and he smiled.

"Vika darling," he hugged me, "I think we are living in the parallel universe."

I laughed, I got the irony in his tone.

We posed for some pictures before we were ushered inside the hotel's elevator, just him and I.

"Abhi bhi mauka hai," he said as the body guards left us alone inside the lift. "Bhaagna hai yaha se?"

"Kyu?" I looked up at him innocently, "Mujhe apne family me welcome nahi karoge?"

"Pagal hoon kya," he scoffed.

Leaning against back of the box, I smirked, "Mere liye ab bhi ho, shayad."

He laughed shaking his head. "Behave Vika darling, aaj sabki nazar is shaadi pe hogi, aur tumhe is cheez ka fayda utthana hai."

Last night, at the party, when we talked, I didn't think he was as serious as I was.

"You're still in for the stunt?" He asked when I didn't say anything.

"Why wouldn't I be? Peheli baar tumne apna dimaag use kiya hai pranks ke baremein sochkar."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but didn't say anything because the elevator doors slid open to reveal a wide, busy hallway.

Heads turned, whispers passed, smiles faked, cameras clicked.

But I swear my smile was genuine, because I couldn't contain the sudden elation I felt.

I had got Dad the deal, Aryan was going to help me create scenes, and hey, it was my mother's wedding.

"By the way," Aryan said keeping up with me, sliding a rose out of his sherwani pocket, "you look really pretty."

I looked curiously at the flower he was offering me, and took it. "You know I don't like flowers."

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged, "I do."

I sighed, walking into the huge banquet hall where my mother was to be wedded off. "I just realised you called me pretty, and you never called me that throughout the course of our relationship."

"Yeah, so you need to send your beauticians to my present girlfriend."

I frowned at him, "You... don't have one."

He pointed to a hoard of girls our age, giggling and taking pictures. "I will today, and with you around, I will need her to look like you. So please send your pretty-makers."

I bit my lip, smiling as he walked off towards them, and brought the rose near my nose.

It didn't smell bad.

¿¤?

So what if they didn't smell bad, it was annoying when I got loads of them.

The guys here were putting me in an awkward situation, because they were sons of the allies of Oberoi's, and with the deal on the mode, I couldn't misbehave or deny their attempts at smothering me with flowers.

So yeah, my once genuine smile turned into an awkward one, but these guys were so dumb they didn't get the hint.

I stormed towards the bride's room where my mother was supposed to be getting all modeled up for another one of her big days.

Her make-up artists didn't stop their work when I barged into the room; they must be used to the hustle and bustle. I couldn't see her in the midst of the crowd, she was being tended to everything at once.

"Who is it?" I heard her mumble, and saw her face being caked up. "I have already signed all the documents regarding the contract."

Documents and contracts, huh?

"Unfortunately, there seems no contract that gets me rid of all these things!"

"Arvika?" She opened her eyes, halting her crew's movement. I sat opposite her, a not-so-happy expression adorning my features. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, looking at my mother getting ready to be the bride," I tilt my head, smiling sarcastically. "You know what I am doing here. While you mentioned about me to your dear husband, you forgot to mention the fact that I am not really a big fan of flowers."

She eyed me, which I suppose was a bit difficult with the make-up being carried on uninterrupted.

"You're my daughter, can't you just deal with the fact that you're innately beautiful."

Thank god I wasn't just as innately witty like her.

"Is this his way of paying back?" I raised my eyebrow.

"I don't think anyone can hate flowers Vika, stop bringing up everything for yourself."

I didn't hate them, I was just not a big fan of such light flirtings.

"Now, even if you mind, you need to get out of here, and show your face out there."

The roses didn't have thorns, but at that moment, I so wished that they could be realistic.

The beauticians continued there work as I stomped my way to the door.

Walking back to the banquet hall wouldn't have been a tedious job if I wasn't stopped by another guy, who was apparently waiting for my arrival by the long hallway.

"Hey," he started eyeing the twelve flowers in my hand. "I can see that you like flowers."

"The situation is quite the opposite, you know," I sighed, eyeing the yellow rose in his hand. "That's for me too?"

"If you want," he held it out to me.

"My twelfth flower today," I held them tightly. Angst had to drain out of somewhere.

"Yellow rose is a symbol of friendship. That's why it's our site's logo, I guess." He walked with me, "Pretty, right?" 

"The method trying to get a better position on the Oberoi Industries? More like petty."

He didn't get the joke, at least that's what I got from the awkward smile.

"So... Which school?" He asked, as the crowd of the wedding came into sight.

"More like which city, actually," I squiched my nose. "But it's okay, the eleven guys before didn't know about it either."

From what I gathered, he was a shy and plain old boring guy, who clearly was born into the profession, not for it.

We neared the round tables where the guests were seated, and I nodded at a few of them, whose face I could recall.

"I'm Swarhit, by the way," he said as slowed our pace.

I brought my hands forward for a shake, smiling. "Arvika, but you probably know that. Thanks for the flower, though."

He was very shy, atleast that's what I gathered from the way he excused himself from the small talk we tried to conjure.

It wasn't his fault though, it was me who was not so friendly, and that's not even just appearance wise.

I turned, glancing at my phone which showed me dozens of notifications, and then at the flowers. Judging from the different colours, people would seriously be misled into thinking that I was a rainbows and unicorn person.

I was wearing another pair of heels, which meant that with the amount of walking I did, I should have been dead yesterday, and so I walked towards the empty chairs and tables for some lone time.

And then, stopped in my tracks.

Well, surprises tho definitely tumhe milne wali hai.

Ishita definitely wasn't joking last night.

Because I definitely wasn't imagining Vansh Mehra standing a few feet away, with a vase in his hands and my favourite devilish smirk on his face.

_____

Namoshtaii!

You guys expected Arnav to be coming, right? :D

Idk y but I love it wen Vika interacts wid Aryan. Also, few of you wanted sneakpeaks of the upcoming chapters, and I decided to go ahead with it! I will be doing so, but on my message board. So, follow me if you want to read what you can expect in the upcoming chapters!

Also, quick question! Does anyone want to be a character of DJH? Like be another character of the crew? I've got an interesting idea, so if you do want to be featured, please comment your opinion!

Should DJH enter the wattys? I wanna try once, because next year, it won't be able to qualify. I really don't know, what's your thought?

Well, read, vote, comment and promote!

~emcee.