Vrishali bites her lip as she gazes at the man sitting beside her. He is reading the file as their driver drives them to their home.

Vrishali is excited to see the sujan rajmahal. Last night, she spoke with Hardik, Nandhini and Riddi. They informed her about how lucky she was that she got to live in sujan rajmahal.

It is one of the peaceful and beautiful small palaces. No one has entered the place as it is a very private property of Jaipur. She is wearing red kurtha and black leggings.

"You can visit your cousins and family. I know ma didn't allow you to meet them; here you can meet them," Padmanabh spoke, breaking the silence.

Vrishali turned her face as she watched him close the file. "Okay, can I invite them to sujan rajmahal?"

"If you feel happy and better, you can invite them anytime. You don't have to ask me for permission. Sujan rajmahal is your home too." He gave her a small smile, and she smiled back.

His humble words always make her feel giddy. Her crush on him is becoming much stronger than what she felt before.  Padmanabh believed her eyes were the most magnificent feature. He would never say no if she looked into his eyes.

He hasn't seen or spoken to her due to being busy with work. The rest of the ride is silent until they reach the Sujan Rajmahal, where Vrishali finally turns to look at Padmanabh. The car drove towards the main entrance through the huge gates that had opened. Vrishali observed the front garden as they passed the paved road.

"Wow! This is beautiful," she said while looking at the flower garden. She stepped out of the car and was immediately hit by the various floral scents."

She stands before the flower garden, her smile widening. Padmanabh is watching her from behind and smiles at her huge grin.

"It took me four years of special care to create this beautiful flower garden," Padmanabh said proudly.

"You took care of this garden?" Vrishali asked in surprise. "Hmm, yes. I always wanted to take care of this garden. The gardeners take care of it if I'm not present." Vrishali hummed. The house helpers had taken care of Vrishali's luggage. 

"I always wanted a personal garden, but we couldn't have one in New York," Vrishali said, reminiscing about her home. "We lived in a two-bedroom apartment, and having a garden is out of the question." 

"In the backyard, we usually grow vegetables, but one side of the garden is empty as we haven't thought of anything. Suppose you are willing to have a personal garden. You can use the backyard."

"Really? That's so cool." Padmanabh nodded. "We have a gardener, and he will help you with everything." 

"Okay."

"I will give you a home tour." Vrishali smiled and followed Padmanabh towards the main entrance. 

Vrishali observed the house's interior. "This hallway leads to the sitting room; from there, we can enter the living room." The hallway walls are adorned with traditional royal touch wallpapers, which add to the beauty of the space, along with a few antique pieces.

They entered the sitting room, which appeared to be a grand royal hall. She was amazed as she looked around; the room was simple yet elegant. After that, they moved on to the living room, a blend of traditional and modern styles. Padmanabh gave her a tour of the entire house before eventually taking her to the kitchen.

"We have a temple beside the kitchen, and you can access the kitchen garden through this door. It is also the backyard of the kitchen."

Then he led her to another side of the house as Vrishali followed him excitedly. "This is the window room or window hall," Padmanabh said, opening the doors.

"Wow!" gasped Vrishali as she gazed around the room. The entire place was designed with Indian architecture and windows, reminiscent of the olden days. She approached the window and saw a small stream in the beautiful sunset.

"This room has been special to me. It is one of the reasons why I have moved here," Padmanabh said. Vrishali admired the room. "It's a beauty."

"Indeed." Padmanabh was captivated by her stunning face as she wore the vibrant red kurthi. He couldn't help but gaze at her beauty.

As she traced her fingers on the window, his eyes were drawn to her cute nose. He imagined how beautiful she would look with a nose ring, which he had seen her wear a few times. 

They spent another ten minutes admiring the rooms before Padmanabh walked her towards her new room. Vrishali opened the door and was immediately taken aback by the room's interior and the bookshelf's separate section. 

"My room is beside yours. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Vrishali nodded. Padmanabh looked at his wristwatch.

"I will be leaving now. There is food in the kitchen, and Joshiamma will help you. I will be back by evening," Padmanabh said. Vrishali was looking at him, and he adored her eyes. Vrishali opened and closed her mouth. Vrishali wanted to see what his room looked like.

"You want to ask something?"

"Can I check your room?" Vrishali asked quietly.

"Sure, you can go in, but don't forget to close the windows if you open them." Vrishali beamed, and a smile grew on her face.  "See you in the evening." Padmanabh turned around to leave after getting calls from the office. He couldn't help but turn around to gaze at her.

She stands where he left her, gazing at the paintings on the walls. He smiled before exiting the palace. Vrishali cautiously pushed open the doors and stepped into the room. Her eyes widened in amazement as she took in the opulent interior. The bed was immaculate, and everything was neatly arranged.

Vrishali walked over to the photo frames on the side desk in Padmanabh's office. She looked at all the pictures and smiled at his childhood photos. She took out her phone to take pictures of them, but she suddenly stopped as she looked at the pictures of him from his college days.

There were five of them. In every picture, he stood beside a beautiful girl. Vrishali frowned as the girl was seen wrapping her arm around Padmanabh or looking up at him with awe eyes. 

Vrishali scolded herself for overthinking and picked up the other photo frames. "She must be his friend or college mate. You have photos with your male mates, too." 

She spent the remaining time checking the mahal and the backyard. She is in love with the place, and she finally returns to her room. She met Joshiamma―who is the cook. She felt good having Joshiamma in the dining area. 

They had a conversation, and Joshiamma mentioned that she was leaving the palace in a month, but there was another cook.  She learned that Joshiamma was brought from Kochi, as Padmanabh is fond of Kerala and Karnataka cuisine. 

After entering the room, she immediately sat on her bed and looked around. Even though she knew at the back of her mind that Padmanabh and she would have separate rooms, she was still hoping to share the same bedroom with him. It was disappointing for her to realize they would be sleeping in different rooms after all.

 She sighed as she fell back on the bed and looked at the ceiling. A thousand questions were running through her mind. She closed her eyes, brought her hands to her eyes, and massaged her eyebrows. She missed her life back home; she missed her friends and the college, she missed the fun she had getting ready for the late-night parties. 

*

"Sir, Diya Kumari ma'am is here to meet you," Tarun informed Padmanabh. He glanced at Tarun and then turned his gaze towards the door. After a brief moment of contemplation, he sighed and nodded in agreement. Tarun left the room, and Padmanabh patiently waited for his mother. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a furious-looking Diya Kumari entered.

"Good afternoon, Ma. Did you have your lunch?" Padmanabh asked as Diya Kumari took a seat.

"Yes, I hope you already know why I'm here." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Ma. . . We have already gone through this matter. I understand that you are upset, but what's done is done. You must come to terms with the truth and make an effort to connect with Vrishali. You cannot make assumptions about her listening to others. I do not want you to badmouth her or our marriage."

"Please, do not put me in any kind of awkward situation. Nor make things rather complicated without knowing Vrishali." Diya Kumari scoffed and shook her head. 

"I don't think she's the right person for you. I don't understand why you agreed to marry her. It's not too late. You haven't gotten too close to her yet. I suggest you break it off with her and find the right person to marry," said Diya Kumari, speaking heatedly.

"Mom, I understand that you're worried about me. But have you ever met Vrishali? You haven't seen her before the wedding, and you don't know her. Please get to know her before you talk about separation."

Diya Kumari grunted her teeth in annoyance; no matter how often she told her son, he didn't listen to her.

"I know all about her flings back in New York. She isn't even old enough, and here she is having one-night stands like every week." Padmanabh clenched his jaw as he controlled his anger.

"I'm telling you to stop spying on Vrishali, Ma. Not all the words you hear are true. Don't trust the words you hear and judge someone."

"Oh, so I'm wrong now. I need to know about my so-called daughter-in-law. It's not spying. See, see with your own eyes." Diya Kumari pulled her phone out, showing him all the pictures Radhika sent her.

Padmanabh went through the pictures. Vrishali was standing between two boys, shouting something as the photo clicked. It looked like she was at a party. The next photo was of her in front of a huge building, where everyone around her was drinking. She kissed a guy on his cheek. 

He took the phone from his mother. There were a lot of pictures. Mostly at parties, and Vrishali looked like a wild child. They quickly deleted the images and blocked Radhika on Diya Kumari's phone. "I don't want you to spy on her. I won't ever talk to you if I see you spying on Vrishali's personal life."

"What?! Aren't you going to say anything about this?" Diya Kumari asked. Padmanabh returned the phone to her, not mentioning that he had blocked Radhika. 

"Should I? Ma, they are her friends. Even if they are her past boyfriends, I don't care. What matters is her present and future. Please, I request that you not bring her past matters anywhere."

"Are you standing up for her?" Diya Kumari demanded, her tone firm and unwavering. With these pictures, she hoped to provoke anger in him and make him take action. She had asked Radhika to provide pictures to turn Padmanabh against Vrishali.

Padmanabh looked away as he didn't want to lose his cool before his mother. "She is my wife, ma. I'm her husband. If I don't stand up for her, who will?"

"Please, I have work to do, Mom. Please go home safely and leave me a message when you arrive." Diya Kumari left the room in an angry mood. Padmanabh sighed deeply while leaning against the chair. He would lie if he said he had no thoughts after seeing the photos.

He would be guilty if he learned that Vrishali was in a relationship. They didn't ask her if she is in love with someone, Padmanabh looked out the window as different thoughts ran through his mind.

There was a knock before Tarun opened the door. "The Sharmas are waiting in the meeting room." Padmanabh got up from his chair, picked up the files and left for the meeting.

*

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