||CHAPTER 28||
《¤》

The security guard was determined to not let me inside the Oberoi mansion.

"Oh for goodness sake," I rolled my eyes. "Aap apne boss ko call karo, warna aapki naukri sachmein line pe hogi."

So far, my plan of being the victim was working well. The guard obviously couldn't wrap his head around the fact that their Mr. Oberoi's soon to be daughter would be arriving in an auto rickshaw. He eyed me skeptically, and so I fished out my phone.

I had my doubts when I dialled her number, but she picked it up immediately.

"Arvika? Where are you? Have you reached ye-"

"The security guard at your gate isn't allowing me inside. Now I know I'd like to go back no less that this man here does, but I don't think your husband would."

"Wha- wait right there. And please, please stop talking like that to me."

I'd rather stop talking to her altogether.

The guard stared at me for three more minutes, until another burly man with sunglasses emerged from the security door.

"Good afternoon mam," he greeted me before giving the poor guard a look which couldn't be read because of his glasses.

He led me in after the gates were opened for me, and I followed him till the doorstep, where a lady, maybe in her sixties, but in a very good health, was standing.
"Ah, Arvika beta," she had her arms wide open. She must be Raman Oberoi's mother.

I nodded at her, not really knowing what to say, but definitely not hugging her. "Namaste."

She walked me towards the staircase. Pleasantries didn't seem to be their forte.

"Raman abhi thoda busy hai, but I apologize from his side. It seems there was a blunder, kyonki hamne tumhare liye gaadi bhijwayi thi. I'll be sure to have a talk with the driver. I'm sorry, but I hope you have a wonderful stay here."

What was this? A PG service?

¿¤?

The room they had assigned to me, was surely made with the strange thought of me actually staying here. It had more pictures of me decoring the wall than my home back in Delhi had altogether.

I stood by the window, overlooking the lawn where the small pre-wedding invites-only party was going to be held that evening. It was five in the evening now, and I found it quite strange that my mind kept wondering about what was happening in Delhi. Down here, the guests hadn't arrived yet, but there were many people moving around, talking in circles. They were ther Oberoi circles.

A sudden knock at the door broke me out of my reverie. "Come in."

Isn't it strange that my mother had to knock before entering now?

"Safe flight?" She asked, as a maid entered after her, placing a mint green box on my bed.

I walked over to open the box, "I am alive now, am I not?"

She sighed, walking to the windows and drawing the curtains. "Please try to keep the curtains closed. Media wale bahar hi mandra rahe hai. Have you met Raman yet?"

"You mean the man who couldn't even send someone to receive me at the airport?"

"Are you sure you didn't see anyone with your name's banner out there when you landed?"

I plonked down on the queen size bed. "There were the media people. And there was a driver in a white uniform, from the Oberoi services."

"Then why the hell did you take an auto over here?" She started pacing the room. "Kya tumhe pata hai kal newspaper me hamari kitni negative publicity hogi? Did the media recognize you? God, Arvika tumne aisa kyu kiya?"

I looked away. "Maybe because they were there to receive someone called Arvika Oberoi. Last time I checked, your groom was not my legal guardian."

"Yet," she glared at me. "You should stop this attitude, right now." She said in a stern voice.

I scoffed.

"I know you don't want me to marry Raman, and I still don't know the reason-"

"You never asked me why," I shrugged, nonchalantly.

"Because I don't want to know, not a day before the marriage."

"It's funny how the roles are reversed," I muttered, remembering Armaan's words.

"Did you say something?" She raised her brow. Then, she sighed. "I... I just want everything to be okay between us."

I pursed my lips, not replying immediately. When her gaze didn't shift from my face, I blew out. "Look at yourself mom! Mai Delhi shift hui, aur aap is ghar mein! You didn't even tell Arnav, leave me out the situation, that you have shifted in the Oberoi residence, even before your wedding! You want everything to be okay between us? Well, please don't include me in your matters anymore than you do, because trust me, maybe Arnav shows nothing, but I will. Slowly, and silently or maybe quickly and loudly. So, let's make this our last meeting of fake confessions because I cannot bare it!"

She folded her hands, glancing at my crop top that she once hated.  "Your grooming team will arive in about half an hour. I don't want anyone to know about your thoughts on this wedding, so make sure you are on your best behaviour."

"Calm down Manyata, give her some space to breathe," Raman Oberoi stood by the door. "I'm sure she can handle herself pretty well."

She fumbled with the pallu of her saree, turning to him.

"How are you doing, Arvika beta?" He strode in, and I smiled despite the fact that I wanted to raise my eyebrow at his attempts.

"Excited, though I should be asking you that," I tilted my head to side standing up to accept his hug.

He laughed. "Manyata, can you leave us along for a few moments? We need our bonding time, right Arvika?"

Bonding? I gave my mother a straight look before replying. "Definitely."

"Just be ready on time," she said before leaving us.

Turns out, it would be our first one on one time.

"So, I heard that there was a misunderstanding... the driver must not have seen you, I guess."

"Maybe," I shrugged.

"Well, I hope that can be ignored yeah?" He walked us to the couches near the window. "Especially now, that you're going to be my daughter."

If the porcelain coffee mug on the table was in my hand right now, it would have hit him the next moment.

I tried recalling what my actual father wanted me to do, and so I giggled.

"This is exciting."

"Great," he laughed as well. "Your mother was quite stressed about how you'd be accepting me in your life, but I guess you are way more understanding than she thinks."

I was also way more devious than they both could think.

"So, tonight, at the small party, I want to introduce you to my close friends and other family members. I hope you don't mind?"

"I have a condition," I blurted out.

He looked taken aback. "Anything you want."

But this wasn't the right time for that talk. So I meandered its coarse.

"Until you are actually married off to my mother, please don't call me an Oberoi... you see, people might sense something's wrong."

Which definitely is.

"Oh, sure, no problem. Anything that makes you comfortable."

Like your absence, for example.

"So I guess, I should go now."

I stood up too, "Yup, can't wait to see you guys down there."

¿¤?

The Oberoi Grannies were one of the strangest beings on Earth- and I say this, not because I have a grandmother and she anything but looks her age, but because atleast mine acted her age.

For example, I had never met Aryan Oberoi's family when we dated, consequences of which didn't turn out too good. Because if I ever did, I wouldn't be staring at an Oberoi grannie trying to flirt with a guy younger than her own grandson.

But again, sitting at the lawn for pre-wedding feasts, I had nothing better to do.

I glanced at my phone, something I was constantly doing after arriving here. It was 8:27 p.m. Hours were left for this boredom to end.

Picking on the mint green dress, that my mother's designers had customised for me, I sighed. If I was in Delhi, I'd probably be doing the same. Sighing out kf boredome, I mean.

"Ms. Deewan," I heard someone whisper in my ear.

I instantly turned around, looking at my mother's new Personal Assistant. "What?"

"Maanyata mam is looking for you. Please follow me."

Not exactly thanking the lord for letting me escape the sight that was previously before my eyes, I walk behind the young lady towards fountain in the massive backyard of the Oberoi mansion. My mother and her fiance were chatting quite amiably with another couple, who seemed to be as old as them. Raman Oberoi's eyes landed on me first, and his polite smile turned into something uncanny- a smile that seemed genuine.

"Ah, there she is," he announced, letting his guests know about my presence. "Arvika, our daughter."

_____

Namoshtaii!

So here's the thing: I might start having some problems with Friday updates, so I guess I might shift the weekly updates to Sunday. Every month I have four to five exams, with syllabus size the Everest. So yeah, I was just thinking.

You will be able to predict one more thing: yes, I've got another Test tomorrow.

What's the last song you heard?

Going back to the story, anyone excited to meet Aryan Oberoi? I was ;D

Anyways, help me reach 1k votes! Read, vote, comment and promote!

~emcee.