As Kavya entered the head office of AK Group in Prahlad Nagar, her heart swelled, just a little bit. She'd dressed her best, wearing a black A-line skirt paired with a peach turtleneck sleeveless top, golden hoops around the ears, heavy makeup, and black stilettos.

She walked in through the golden revolving doors that zealously guarded the entrance of this magnificent fiber-glass structure, taking little shallow breaths to calm her racing heart.

She'd been twenty-two when she'd first landed in Ahmedabad and had spotted this building while sipping on coffee at the Cafe Coffee Day right across from it. She didn't know who owned it, but like every immigrant who made lofty promises to themselves, decided she would one day work here. She didn't know what this company did. She was only enamoured by the exterior.

She waited patiently as security put her purse through an x-ray scan. She then lifted her hands sideways to have the security scan her being before she picked up her purse and made her way to the elevators.

As she waited for her elevator door to open, she casually glanced around to take in the decor and surroundings of this larger-than-life structure. The lobby had 18-foot ceilings decorated with square-shaped crystal chandeliers. The floors were lined with black Italian veined marble. The elevators themselves were a work of art. Protruding on the exterior of the building, the elevator had a three-fourth glass enclosure, giving the riders, as it rose higher, the magnificent view of the Ahmedabad skyline.

Kavya restlessly tapped her foot. Her meeting today was with Savita Joshi, head of HR. She wasn't sure if she'd been called for an interview or was going to be offered a job. The phone call she'd received had been rather cryptic. She hoped it would be the latter. The elevator dinged to indicate its arrival, increasing her anxiety. She stepped into the corporate version of modern art and pressed 25. As the elevator inched upwards, Gujarat faded from her vision. All that remained were her dreams of becoming Mrs. Anuj Kapadia.

*****

Dinner was a lavish affair. Kavya had herself taken the effort to cook a full vegetarian spread for the entire family - Kadhi, Dal Dhokli, Undhiyo, Bajre ki Roti, Pulao, Papad, Kheer, and Halwa. Vanraj smiled. It had taken Kavya a while, but she had finally come around. He was happy. His parents had accepted Kavya, his children had accepted Kavya. It seemed, after today, that Kavya too had finally wholeheartedly accepted his family. He looked at the idol of Kanhaji that graced the temple in their house and mouthed a thank you for setting everything right.

The idol was a free-flowing modern idol of Krishna and Radha. The two were fused in one body with separate heads, the flute wrapped around both of them, binding them with the music. It was a beautiful piece of sculpture and yet not one that would be placed in a temple. It had been Kavya's choice. While Hasmukh and Leela didn't approve of the change, they both kept quiet for their own reasons. After Anupama's departure from the Shah household, Hasmukh had stopped saying anything, and Leela kept quiet because Kavya mattered to her son. She didn't want to criticize Kavya's choice and make things difficult for him.

Vanraj turned around. Not seeing Kavya anywhere, he was about to go looking for her, when he saw her making her way out to the living area, wearing a beautiful red sari.

"What's special," he whispered in her ears, his eyes drinking in the beauty of his wife. Anupama had never looked this beautiful or glamourous. His traitor mind went back to the televised press conference. Anupama didn't look glamorous, she looked regal.

Brushing the thought aside, he asked again.

"What's the rush V," she'd whispered, equally seductively. "Let the whole family gather and then I'll share."

As he loosened his tie and sat down, waiting for the rest of the family to join them, he tugged on Kavya, forcing her to sit on his lap, his desire getting the better of him. Just then his parents arrived and Kavya hurriedly got up, looking embarrassed.

Leela smiled. Things between these two were finally sorting themselves out. She looked at Kanhaji and mouthed a thank you.

"So what's the big news Kavya?" Hasmukh asked.

"Bapuji, I just got offered a new job!" she squealed excitedly.

The news hit him and drained colour from Vanraj's face. He didn't know Kavya was looking for another job. She hadn't bothered to tell him or discuss this with him. The change in her son's expression didn't go unnoticed by Leela. Oblivious to it all, Kavya continued: "I got offered the role of Assistant Head of Marketing at AK Group."

Vanraj sat up, shocked. AK Group was owned by Anuj Kapadia, Anupama's fiance. While Bapuji got up to bless Kavya with more success, Vanraj asked: "But Kavya, that's the exact same position you have at A&M Global. Then why change your job?"

Leela looked at her new daughter-in-law with piercing eyes, waiting for an explanation.

"I know V, but the new job is slightly different. The current Head of Marketing has been assigned part-time to work as Anuj Kapadia's PA. Apparently, he's been rather busy recently, since his engagement," she added under her breath before continuing.

"This means, I will be the acting head of marketing. The experience I'll get from this would be amazing," Kavya crooned, unable to see the strained expressions on the mother-son duo.

"And how do you know all this?"

"The HR person who interviewed me said so. I might even get the opportunity to work directly with Anuj Kapadia." She clapped her hands in glee.

Vanraj willed himself to control his temper. "What is the package they are offering?"

"I will be taking a pay cut from what A&M Global is currently offering, but there's always a trade-off, isn't there? The experience and the brand AK Group will look great on my resume."

It was Vanraj who had advocated for Kavya's exorbitant salary at A&M Global, something his seniors had always held against him. Whenever his promotion came up in conversations, this was one black mark he hadn't been able to dodge.

Vanraj took a deep breath, his mind made up. "Kavya you're not taking this offer."

Kavya looked flabbergasted.

"Why V?"

"Because I said so."

"So?"

"So?"

"V," Kavya tried to reason. But he cut her off. "No means no."

She closed her eyes, her lips quivering in anger. When she opened them, she'd made up her mind.

"Vanraj Shah, I'm not asking for your permission to do what I want. I'm simply telling you."

While Leela and Hasmukh stared at the scene in front of him, Kavya continued talking back to Vanraj in a callous manner.

"This is my life and I decide what I want to do. I don't need to listen to you. I will not listen to you. If you don't like what I'm doing, then that's your problem, not mine."

As she walked away from the living room, the food lay forgotten on the table. But another memory reminded Vanraj of its existence.

"Anupama, you will not attend Devika's wedding."

"But why?" Anupama had whispered and yet Vanraj had heard her.

"I don't like her."

Anupama stared at him in disbelief, waiting for him to explain himself.

"She ran away from her house, didn't think about her parents, and is marrying a person from outside the caste. Are these the kind of friends you have? What does this say about you?"

"But, but... she is my best friend," Anupama had wailed.

"Well, in that case, you're better off without them. You never had the brains to make friends with well-cultured women anyway. If you hadn't gotten married to me, you would've also turned out like her, characterless."

Anupama felt like someone had slapped her. Yet all she'd done was mutely nod her head and get on with her chores. He'd heard from his mother two days later that she'd been crying herself on the balcony. But he couldn't care less.

As he stared at Kavya's retreating figure, he looked at his mother with a hurt expression in his eyes.

"Don't you worry," Leela rushed to console her son, "Today, she'll have to answer to me."