Deception- Lying with sincerity

"Rule number 5," Priya spoke calmly looking straight into Jayveer's eyes. As if punched hard in the gut, Jayveer's expression turned remorseful. Like me, everyone was quiet and trying to understand what rule number 5 could be.
Priya moved her gaze from Jayveer to Hitesh and in fear, the boy swallowed the leg piece in his hand. He was a big mouth, unlike most of the accounts nerds who spoke only about numbers. He coughed hard and Manav patted his back but the food travelled in his windpipe making it difficult for him to breathe. His coughing became persistent and Jayveer suggested he drink water.

Priya clenched her fist in a ball. Was she going to punch him? If Hitesh could, he would have run from there watching Priya's tight fist but she put her hand below his rib cage and above his navel. She moved it in a circular motion bringing him instant relief.

"Just why you should eat only the authentic is to avoid such accidents. Of course, talking less or not talking at all should be your first choice. Sadly, people don't exercise their choices properly." Priya stood straight when Hitesh's breathing was back to normal.

"Thanks." He said genuinely but still huffing.

Manav didn't want his subordinates to have issues with each other so, he intervened and warned, "Hitesh, I think you also need to apologise for the taunts you directed at Priya. I don't appreciate it and will take action against it in the future."

Hitesh apologised sincerely and was escorted to his room by his junior.

"Priya please have your dinner. It's not good to keep grudges over food." Manav forwarded a plate to Priya but she smiled bitterly.

She ate a spoonful of the vegetable and stated, "Food is like God to me, and disrespecting it is the last thing I can ever do. Anyways, I have refreshed our dear Head Chef's memory of some forgotten rules and he will brief you about my denial to eat if he thinks it fits. Thank you for a fantastic evening, goodnight." Priya left my heart in an uneasy space. The girl was misunderstood and perhaps, she preferred it that way.

Priya moved out of the main resort area. Is she quitting? Mehta will slaughter them if she leaves. I should be happy but I am not.

Why is she going to the quarters where labourers live? She scanned the area and saw the labourers eating in a group from the huge tiffins sent by Jayveer. Their children were running around with meatballs in their hands and she smiled looking at them. She clicked a few pictures of them and I knew she got her social media content for the day. That's what the poor is used for these days.

"Hello!" She greeted the group with a big smile, a genuine one that I have never seen on her face. "So, did you like the food?" She asked them in a chirpy voice.

"We have never tasted anything so delicious." A lady mason replied and asked Priya, "Are you from the hotel?"
Priya gave a small nod in agreement and saw the kids giggling looking at her.

She walked up to them and they stood straight suppressing their laughter. She bent to their height and asked them, "Do I have horns on my head?" The kids looked at each other amused by her question. They didn't reply and to my utter surprise, Priya twirled one child around and put him down making all of them laugh. "Now tell me why were you laughing at me?" She asked them in a slight baby-like voice.

"Didi he said he saw you on tv." One of the boys said and Priya's smile diminished for a second.

She composed herself and said, "Shall I tell you a secret?" Priya raised her brows and the kids nodded yes. "The girl you saw on tv was not me. She was my duplicate. Don't tell anyone, okay?" The kids looked shocked and Priya ruffled the boy's hair and smiled at their reaction.

"Are you here for some work, madam?" A lady asked Priya and she shook her head negatively still looking at the kids who were off to play another set of games. The lady followed her gaze and said, "They are extra happy today. The food was like a feast and the fried potatoes in a smiley shape as they show on tv were like a treasure for them. Thank you for being so kind and considerate. The day was too tiring and most of us were too drained out to cook. The food arrived like godsent."

Priya stood there listening to the lady taking credit for the food Jayveer sent. So wicked.

"What sweets do the kids like?" Priya asked the lady and she thought for a while.

"Honestly madam, we don't eat sweets regularly. Basic dal roti is what satisfies us and it is what we can afford. Though on festivals we make sweets like halwa or barfi and on some good days someone gives the kids toffee and it keeps them happy and hungry for more for several days." My heart went out to the lady who described her struggle nonchalantly.

Priya gave her a comforting smile and went waving bye to the kids. I thought she would donate something or promise to get the poor kids things they love. But she just walked away.

While heading back to her room Priya saw a labour drinking alcohol and without saying a word, she gave a 500₹ note to him and he gave the bottle filled with an orange liquid to her. She gulped the liquid and coughed. "Ahh!" She exclaimed in pleasure or otherwise, I am not sure because she was drinking from the bottle on her way to her room.

She swiped the key card to open the room and opened her heels to ease her toes. The master light lit the room in bright yellow and Priya shrieked, "Fuck!" in fear, putting a hand on her heart and questioned with a strict expression, "how did you enter my room?"

Are the ex-lovers going to make out after the fight? Porn night, is it? Get me popcorn.

Jayveer rose from the couch he was sitting on and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know why I am here still if you want me to say it in words, I can..."

"Don't waste your time and mine. We don't owe each other explanations." Priya cut him short and put the bottle of alcohol on the side stool.

Jayveer framed a sentence in his mind and then said, "I got food. We can eat together or separately, you can choose."

"Are we seriously doing this shit?" Priya's expressions were bitter and I could feel the tension between them was high.

Jayveer took out the casseroles from the cabinet of the food trolley and served food for himself and Priya. "You still prefer chicken more than mutton?"

Priya took a deep breath probably to calm herself before taking a bite of chicken and stuffing it into Jayveer's mouth. "Congratulations on your first meal and I wish you prepare dishes that make people smile with contentment."

That was sweet but what was it actually?

"Priya, what is your problem? Why can't you just forget and move on? I admit that I spoke a little too much today but considering our "relationship" you cannot blame me if I think you just didn't want to have the food I prepared. I am human and simply forgot the rule of chefs eating their first prepared meal together." Jayveer's tone was a notch higher than his usual but it didn't affect Priya. She stood there as if she knew it was coming.

Did you read the stress Jayveer made on the word relationship? Ex-lovers confirmed.

On receiving no response from Priya, Jayveer put his hands on his toned hips, and said, "Fine. If that is what you choose, I will leave. Though even after whatever problems we have I was hoping we could continue with the age-old tradition that also brings luck."

Priya sighed in frustration and sat on a chair kept in the room. "Serve me." She ordered like a queen and Jayveer clenched his teeth together in irritation but he knew his anger won't affect the person it was meant for. Checking the temperature of the food, he served Priya and moved a stool opposite her chair.

Putting some chicken curry on a chapati Priya took a bite and closed her eyes to concentrate on the flavours that exploded in her mouth. Jayveer waited patiently for her reaction but she didn't give any.

Even in a mourning ceremony, faint sounds can be heard but Jayveer and Priya were as quiet as the nights in winter.

Priya took sips of her drink occasionally making Jayveer suspicious. The look of the drink was poor and Priya was a too high society for it. Before Priya could keep the bottle away Jayveer snatched it from her hand and took a big chug from it.

"Ahh! What drink it is? Poison?"

Priya rolled her tongue on her lips to wipe the smile that appeared from Jayveer's reaction and shrugged her shoulders avoiding answering his question.

"Where did you get this from?" Jayveer sniffed the drink and scrunched his nose at the pungent smell.

Priya took the bottle from his hand and gulped the liquid down her throat. Her eyes became blood red probably because the alcohol was too strong for her.

"Easy there." Jayveer cocked his brow to warn her but Priya loved defying him and he should know that by now.
I am all set for a drunk ex-girlfriend scene.

Priya finished the drink in the bottle and said, "You seem to forget a lot. Try eating almonds and walnuts." She made eye contact with Jayveer catching his attention. Who wouldn't dive into the enigma of those attractive eyes? And Jayveer was no saint.

"My drinking capacity is known to all. Anyways, I am planning to make liquor chocolates and just thought of trying a new variety of alcohol. Clearly, it will burn the intestines of the five-star audience." Jayveer laughed richly and for a change, Priya joined him too.

Ex-lovers to friends trope starting soon.

Jayveer kept the used dishes in the cabinet and washed his hands in the bathroom. He took the liberty to scan Priya's stuff kept in the dressing room.

If he weren't her lover I would term him a pervert for going through a lady's personal belongings. What was he trying to find I don't know. A perfume, underwear like Joe from You, or something I am not familiar with.

He took out a velvet pouch like he knew it was always there and looked inside it. He dashed out of the bathroom in anger and showed it to Priya catching her off guard. "You still have it?"

Stones? Priya had stones in an exquisite jewellery pouch. We non-precious stones and rocks have never been kept so safely. Priya's face looked as if she saw the ghost of the past come hunting for her. She snatched the stones from Jayveer and shouted, "How dare you go through my things?"

"You think I came here to have food with you? Nah! Don't get your hopes high Miss Mohan. The moment you mentioned rule number 5, I knew you were still stuck to the past and the rubbish rules we were asked to comply with. Vengeance should be your second name." Jayveer threw the pouch on the floor and raked his hands in his hair in frustration.

Priya picked up the pouch and against my expectations, she simply told Jayveer, "Get out" In a very calm, and 'not to mess further' voice. Jayveer didn't wait for a second more and left closing the door loudly.

Those are resort gates, not your private property, you idiot. I can't believe Jayveer could be so rude and mean. I gave him full marks for being considerate enough to have dinner with his colleague as a ritual they followed but he was here on a mission in which he succeed.

Priya spread the small, brown, and grey-coloured pieces of rocks on the left side of the bed. I recognise them probably they know me too. Stones from different nations- divided by boundaries, united by nature.

Priya slept on the right side of the bed and touching the stones, she whispered, "Goodnight my most treasured possession. Thank you for making me stronger every day by reminding me of the deceit I faced without any regrets."
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Dear Readers,
I hope you are enjoying the story as narrated by our dear narrator.
Can you guess the reason, Jayveer and Priya dislike each other? Drop in your thoughts and the correct answer will get chocolate ( virtual only. 😄)
Stay hooked to know more about the stones in a velvet pouch.

Lots of love!