Navya, let's talk." anant suggested.
navya gave Anant a questioning look. He walked over to the sofa, where navya was seated. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his.
"We're married," he said, stroking the wedding ring that adorned navya's finger, "and we don't even know each other, so let's talk."
"Okay. Let's talk." navya answered with a smile. She was genuinely curious about her husband. She only knew basic details about Anant, only what was required to be known to fix their alliance. She wished to know his views and his opinions, his likes and dislikes, and more about his past, but didn't feel it was right to raise any questions. She felt relieved when Anant suggested that they talk to get to know each other better.
"So what was your life like in India before we got married?" asked Anant.
"I woke up in the morning and made everyone breakfast. I usually visited the temple before going to class. I'd come home and study and spend time with Ma and Payal. And that's it." Replied Navya.
"Wow. You cooked. No wonder." Said anant, referring to Navya's large breakfast spread. Navya's lifestyle perplexed Anant. She was the daughter of such a renowned and wealthy businessman, but lived such a simple life. His lavish lifestyle was full of luxury. Navya was completely his opposite.
"What did you study?" Anant continued with the questions.
"Politics and Sanskrit," answered Navya. Navya began to fiddle with the end of her sari. She was becoming impatient. She wondered when Anant would give her a chance to ask him questions.
"And any boyfriends?" Anant continued.
Navya looked down. She was not expecting Anant to ask about her love life. She was raised with a traditional background. Though her father was a forward thinking man, he never made an effort to establish rules about dating or boys. Navya, however, always believed that dating was unnecessary in a society dominated by arranged marriages. There was a boy in one of her classes that she had fancied. She'd even befriended him, but never let the relationship go any further than that. She decided it best to withhold this information from Anant.
"No. I never had any boyfriends." Answered navya quietly. Anant was unexpectedly relieved. Before navya answered his question, Anant felt a creeping sense of jealousy overcoming him. He knew he shouldn't have any inhibitions about navya's past, but he couldn't help but feel possessive over her. The thought of her being with another man in her past didn't sit well with him. Anant smiled to himself, knowing that Navya was his and only his. 3
"And you? Any girlfriends?" asked Navya.
Anant's smiled immediately faded. He should've known that his question would come back to bite him. He hesitated for a moment. Should he tell navya about his promiscuous ways or the dozens of girls that have walked into and out of his life? He couldn't tell her he hadn't had any girlfriends. That would be an outright lie. However, he couldn't exactly tell her the truth.
"Yes," Anant replied, "I've had girlfriends before."
He watched navya's expression. She looked visibly saddened by his response but did a good job at trying to conceal her dismay. He was surprised she didn't push any further, prompting him to explain his past relationships "Oh." Was all she said. navya promptly stood up and made her way to the staircase. Anant was shocked at her sudden departure. Without a second thought, he followed behind her. She had already made it back to her bedroom, but hadn't closed her door. Anant stepped inside. navya sat on her bed, her back towards Anant.
"Navya? Are you alright?" Asked Anant slowing walking closer to the bed.
"I'm fine." Answered navya without even bothering to turn around.
"You asked, and I was honest." Explained Anant
"No. I know. I'm not upset." navya still wouldn't turn around. Part of her knew that someone like Anant would have past girlfriends though she had hoped otherwise. She wondered how Anant's girlfriends were, if he preferred pretty girls or smart ones or modern ones. She couldn't help but feel insecure. Maybe just maybe she wasn't quite good enough for Anant.
"Navya." Anant sat beside her on the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." She replied. She couldn't tell Anant about her insecurities. She didn't want him to see her as weak.
Anant sighed. He decided it would be best to change to subject.
"Tomorrow we have to attend a party in the evening. It's a business dinner. I've scheduled an appointment for you at one of New York's finest spas. You might want to buy a new dress, some shoes, jewelry, whatever you need." Anant said.
This time navya did turn around. She seemed puzzled.
"A spa appointment? Why?" she asked.
"To get ready for the party. They have all types of beauty treatments. Waxing, facials, massages, whatever else women need to be beautiful." Anant grinned. He hoped navya would enjoy a little relaxation.
"Thank you." navya replied. "Most husbands wouldn't send their wives to a spa unless it was a special occasion. I get to go during a regular day."
"You're welcome, Navya." Anant said.
anant and navya continued with their questions, careful not to touch on any controversial subjects or uncomfortable topics. Once the day was done, they each were familiar with each of one another's likes and dislike. They felt like they'd known each other for ages even though, in reality, they'd only known each other for a few days.
"Well, I think I'd better retire for the night. I've got an early morning tomorrow." Stated Anant. "Oh and navya, you don't need to make breakfast anymore. We have a chef and maids. You don't need to do anything anymore. In fact, I'd prefer that you don't." he said as he walked towards the door.
"But what should I do all day?" asked Navya.
"Anything you want. Take up a new hobby, relax, go out. Just don't clean anything or cook. No wife of mine should be doing any household chores." anant replied. He shot Navya a wide smile, showing that he was being sincere.
"Alright." Navya replied. She wasn't entirely sure why anant didn't want her doing any chores, but she didn't question it. Navya's mother had always told her that she would need to know how to prepare a variety of meals, how to raise children properly, and how to keep a house neat in order to stay in her husband's good graces, but here Anant was telling her that none of the above was necessary.
"And here." Said Anant, holding out a platinum credit card. "It's yours for whatever you need."
Navya took the card. It had his name on it. She smiled. Anant Bajpai. And she was now Navya Bajpai. Mrs.Anant Bajpai. Navya liked the sound of that.
"Goodnight!" Anant called from the hallway. He had left before she had a chance to thank him again.
The next day, Anant woke up early. He had a lot of work to catch up on and decided to go to his office early. He was relieved to find that navya had heeded his advice and slept in, instead of waking up to prepare breakfast for him. A smile crept on anant's face as her remembered the amazing breakfast spread she had prepared the morning before. He hated Indian food for breakfast, but he would eat anything navya made without a complaint. Maybe he was wrong to ban her from cooking.
navya woke up a few hours after Anant had left. Her mind drifted to her impending spa appointment. Needless to say, she was excited. Clad in a simple, blue salwar kameez, she made her way down the stairs. Kamla hurried up to her.
"Ma'am, Sir left these for you." She stated. She held out several papers with information about the spa including the time of the appointment and the address. navya looked through them, paying special attention to the various treatments and services offered. Most of them seemed unnecessary to navya. Why do women go through such lengths to feel beautiful?
"Would you like some breakfast? I'll have the chef prepare whatever you'd like." Offered Kamla.
"No. It's fine." navya replied, most of her attention still focused on the papers in her hand.
"Yes ma'am. The driver is waiting whenever you're ready to go." Said Kamla.
"Oh okay," navya walked towards the door. She was surprised to see a black limousine waiting for her in the driveway.
"Is this really necessary? I limo just to take me to the spa..." navya turned to Kamla.
"Sir's orders. The driver was instructed to take you wherever you want to go to the spa, boutiques, wherever." Kamla answered.
navya sighed as she stepped towards the driver, who was holding open her door. She sat inside after quickly thanking him. He drove her to the spa first, where navya encountered some rather eccentric women who gushed over how great it must be to be young and newly married. After hours of tweezing and waxing and other forms of meticulous primping, navya was glad to be back in the comforts of the limousine.
"Ma'am, where to now?" asked the driver.
"Oh...um...I need to go shopping, I think." navya said. She explained how one of the eccentric women she met in the spa, who happened to be Indian, told her about a boutique that sold designer saris. She couldn't quite remember where it was, but once she told him the name, the driver immediately recognized it.
navya shopped for a few hours. She enjoyed being out on the streets of New York City alone. Since she had often braved the streets of Mumbai by herself, the streets of New York seemed like child's play compared to the chaos that occurred in India. She took pleasure in her new sense of independence and the amount of freedom Anant allowed her.
After a long day of shopping and primping, Navya heaved a great sigh of relief as she entered Anant's mansion. The day had been hectic, and the actual event is yet to come. Navya hurried upstairs to her bedroom. She had two hours before Anant was expected to be back. She eyed the sari she had just purchased. She spent abundant amount of time sifting through the many designer saris the boutique had before she finally found this one. It was perfect in every way. It was a light shade of pink with the heavier embroidery than anything else in the store. The blouse had lace sleeves that reached the elbow and a sweetheart neckline. The sari itself had a modern design, unlike anything navya had worn in India. It was snug from her hips to her knees showing off her curves. There were pleats right below the knee causing the sari to flare slightly at the bottom. The saleslady had referred it as a "mermaid style" sari and told her that the style was more popular in the foreign market rather than the Indian one.
It didn't take long for navya to get ready. She had gotten her hair and makeup done already and simply needed a few touch ups. Her hair was done up in a sophisticated up-do. Her evening-appropriate makeup was heavier than what she was used to, but she was confident Anant would approve. navya hadn't bought any new accessories or shoes as Anant had suggested, deciding to wear ones she had brought with her from India. She felt guilty about her excessive use of Anant's credit card. The sari hadn't been cheap and neither was her little visit to the spa and not to mention the pricey lunch she had had before coming home. She thought it wise not to waste any more of anant's money.
navya scrutinized herself in the mirror. She definitely looked like Anant's wife. She was sure that she could compete with the rest of the glamorous wives of the wealthy businessmen of New York. navya's phone began to ring. Breaking her gaze away from the mirrior, navya searched for her phone. She quickly answered it after locating it.
"Hello."
"navya, it's Anant." Anant's voice sounded distracted as if his concentration were elsewhere rather than on this conversation. "Listen, I'm running late. Have the driver bring you to my office and we'll leave together from here. Okay?"
"Sure." navya replied.
"Are you ready?" asked Anant, still sounding distracted.
"I am. I'll leave right now." She answered promptly.
"Great. See you in a bit." Anant quickly hung up before she could reply. navya dismissed it. He must have been really busy.
The driver informed navya that Anant's office was about half an hour away and that the party venue was a swanky hotel just a few minutes away from his office. The limo stopped in front of an entirely too tall skyscraper. The driver held open the door as navya stepped out of the limo, careful not to get tangled in her sari. He followed her inside and informed the lady at the front desk that "the boss's wife" was here to meet him. navya was led up to the top floor by a slightly disgruntled middle aged secretary, who tried her best to put on a polite faade in an effort to please her boss's wife.
navya knocked on the door and waited for a reply before entering. She saw anant seated at a large desk intensely staring at a computer screen. He was dressed in a very fancy tuxedo. His neat appearance seemed out of place sitting behind the untidy desk, which had papers strewn all about.
"Anant." Navya attempted to get his attention.
"Navya, just give me a minute. We'll leave a little while." Anant said quickly. His eyes never left the computer screen. Navya took this moment to look around his office. It was rather larger with a huge window that contained quite the view of New York City. There was seating area off to the side. navya felt the urge to wait on the very comfortable looking sofa while Anant finished up his work, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the window. She gaped at the city lights, complete in awe of their beauty.
She turned her attention back to Anant. He had stopped staring into the computer screen and was now looking down while shifting through some papers. His eyes flickered up. He briefly glanced at navya before turning back to his papers. Suddenly, Anant looked up again. His eyes slowly traveled the length of navya's body. navya felt shy under his gaze. As soon as Anant's eyes reached navya's face, he stood up and made his way from around the desk in one swift movement. He rapidly walked up the navya. His expression stayed stern the entire time. navya instinctively took a step back. anant looked her over one more time.
"What the hell are you wearing?" anger was apparent in his voice. 8
"I..." Navya was shocked. She was at a loss for words. This was not the reaction she was expecting.
"I told you to buy a dress. An evening gown, navya, not a sari! This is a very important party. I needed you to look perfect." Anant yelled. He did nothing to hide his anger. 4
navya felt tears forming in her eyes. She looked down, ashamed with herself for angering Anant. 1
"This isn't India, you know. You can't just walk around the city in a sari like it's normal. Maybe you should update your wardrobe, adopt a more Westernized look. You are my wife, Navya. You have an image to live up to. So far, you've failed." He was no longer shouting at her, but the maliciousness of his tone was all too apparent.
navya thought back to all the hours she spent getting ready, all the time in the spa, all of the time she spent finding what she thought was the perfect outfit. Suddenly her confidence was reduced to nothing. She thought Anant would be elated by her transformation from a Plain Jane into a glamour queen, but sadly that wasn't the case. She no longer felt that she could compete with the wives of all of the other businessmen. She no longer felt that she was worthy standing in the same room as Anant let alone accompanying him to an elegant party.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't think th-" navya started.
"That's right. You didn't think. Dammit navya!" Anant interrupted exasperatedly. 2
A single tear escaped navya's left eye. She lifted her hand to wipe it away before Anant could notice. Too late.
"Don't. Don't you dare start crying." He said harshly. "We need to leave otherwise we'll be late."7
Navya wiped away the tear and made every attempt to prevent herself from crying any further. Anant walked out of his office and proceeded down the hallway without even waiting for navya. navya took a deep breath and silently followed behind Anant. She climbed into the back of the limo and settled down next to Anant. He had what seemed like a permanent scowl etched onto his face. navya couldn't bring herself to look at Anant. An uncomfortable silence fell between them as the limo drove towards the hotel. This was going to be one hell of a party.
Navya gawked at the exterior of the five star hotel that stood before her. The limo driver held the door open waiting for her to exit, but navya was too caught up in the luxurious sight before her.
"navya. Come on." anant waited for her at the entrance of the hotel.
Navya exited the limo and joined Anant. She took a deep breath before following Anant inside. The lobby of the hotel was unlike anything navya had seen before. The dcor was pure Victorian that couldn't be found in India. She mindlessly followed behind Anant, as she gaped at her surroundings with immense fascination. anant paused in front on the entrance of the grand ballroom.
"Navya, I don't know if you've ever been in this type of setting before. Just do whatever everyone else is doing. If they laugh, you laugh. If they're drinking, you drink. Be polite even if someone says something stupid. Fake it if you have to. If the other wives aren't contributing to the conversation, you shouldn't either. And please navya, just get through this for me." Anant warned. He seemed just as nervous as she was.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine." navya said with a smile. 2
Anant gave Navya small smile before taking her hand in his. He led her through the double doors. As soon as they entered, many of the people turned their attention towards them. navya knew anant was well-known in the business community, but she didn't know that he was this well-known. Anant squeezed her hand letting her know that everything would be okay. He led her over to a rather large group of men and their wives. They were an older crowd, much older than Anant and navya.
"Anant! How are you? It's been a while." A tall man with graying hair stepped forward and engulfed Anant in a hug.
"Hey Steve. I'd like you to introduce you to my wife, Navya." Replied Anant.
"Wife? You went off and got married without even telling us?" Steve said incredulously.
The others looked in, surprised expressions planted on their faces. navya wondered if these were Anant's friends or simply his colleagues. Steve seemed like the friendliest of the bunch, while the others seemed less sociable.
"Anyways, it's nice to meet you Navya." Continued Steve, gently shaking navya's hand.
He turned back to the group.
"This is Walter and Elaine McDonald. That's Greg and Megan Robinson. David and Elizabeth Oliver. Miguel and Maria Vazquez. And this gorgeous red head is my wife, Kate. And the couple walking up right now is Nikhil and Neha Sachdev."Steve finished introducing all of the people, pointing to each one as he introduced them. navya noticed that the Robinsons were the youngest couple of the group besides navya and anant. The Sachdevs, the only other Indians here, seemed like they were in their early thirties, still younger than the majority of the people present.
"Navya, darling, your outfit is simply divine." Elizabeth Oliver commented.
"Thank you." Replied Navya quietly, unsure whether or not her compliment was really sincere.
The men fell into a comfortable chatter as the women simply watched on, taking a sip of champagne every now and then. None of them said anything. navya, remembering what Anant had told her before, also remained silent. navya gazed at Neha. She was just a little older than her, but she looked as if she could be navya's age because she was so stunning. She opted for a bright red evening gown that flown regally down to the floor. Neha noticed Navya watching her and walked over towards her. "Hi Navya!" Neha said quietly. "God your sari is exquisite. I wish I could handle wearing one."
1
"Thank you. Your dress is very beautiful." Replied Navya.
Neha opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a man who had joined the group.
"Hey Anant! How was India?" A vibrant blonde haired man hugged Anant, careful not to spill the drink in his hand.
"It was great, Chris! I'd like you to meet my wife, Navya." Anant gestured over to Navya.
"My my it's a pleasure to meet you." Chris looked at Navya, a goofy smile playing at his lips. Navya smiled back.
"Nikhil! We have to dance!" exclaimed Neha, grabbing Nikhil's hand and dragging him to the dance floor as the orchestra began playing its first song.
Many of the couples followed suit. Anant continued chatting with some of the men, ignoring Navya. Navya watched as the other couples danced. Many of them looked so in love. They gazed passionately into each other's eyes as they swayed to the music. She looked over to Neha and Nikhil. Nikhil looked flustered as he looked down at his feet, while Neha stifled her laughter. She watched as Anant continued on with his conversation, wondering if he would ever ask her to dance. 2
"Anant, would you mind if I asked your wife for a dance?" asked Chris, suddenly appearing by Navya's side.
Anant's expression hardened. He stared at navya for a moment before speaking.
"No. I don't mind." He said coldly.
"Great! May I have this dance?" Christ asked, holding out his hand. 6
Navya looked at Anant again. He continued to stare at her, a blank expression remained on his face. Navya placed her hand in Chris's and followed him out to the dance floor. Anant watched as her silhouette vanished into the crowd.
Chris placed one hand on Navya's waist and took her hand in his other hand. He pulled her close and began moving to the music.
"So, how long have you known Anant?" he asked, attempting to start a conversation.
"A few days." Navya answered.
Christ looked at her in disbelief.
"We had an arranged marriage in India." Navya added quietly.
"Oh...that makes sense. I didn't think Anant was the type to just settle down." Chris replied.
Navya became puzzled. Why wouldn't Anant be the type to settle down? She decided to keep her curiosity to herself.
"So you aren't in love with him?" Chris suddenly asked.
Navya lowered her gaze. She respected Anant, but she wasn't sure if she loved him just yet. She shook her head in response to Chris's question.
"Lucky bas***d." Said Chris under his breath.
Navya's eyes grew wide. She was stunned at what Christ just said about Anant... "No no! I just meant that he's lucky to end up with a wife as pretty as you without even trying." Explained Chris.
Navya giggled. Chris was sweet. They continued to dance until the song ended. Navya turned to leave as the orchestrated stopped playing, but Christ grabbed her wrist.
"One more song?" he requested. She was happy to oblige. She was enjoying Chris's company. navya started looking around the room for Anant as the next song started, but she didn't see him anywhere.
"Navya, you're so beautiful." Chris nearly whispered. He was watching her intensely as they danced.
"Thank you, Chris." navya replied.
"Anant should appreciate you more. He didn't even ask you to dance, which was extremely fortunate for me." Mused Chris.
"Umm...I...he..." navya didn't know how to reply to that.
"Shhh." Chris placed a finger over navya's lips. "I can tell you know how to make a man happy." He pulled her closer as they danced. navya felt uncomfortable in his arms. She felt his hand that was resting on her waist travel to her back, caressing the bare skin between her blouse and her sari.
"Chris." She started pulling away from him, but he tightened her grip. 6
Navya stopped struggling for a moment and waited for Chris to loosen his grip. He continued to caress her making her feel even more uncomfortable. She broke away from him and hurried off the dance floor. Her eyes searched for anant. She didn't see him anywhere in the crowd. She began searching the crowd for Neha's bright red dress, deciding that it would be easier to spot red rather than trying to distinguish Anant's black tuxedo from the sea of the black tuxedos surrounding her. She couldn't locate Neha either.
navya felt suffocated. She needed some air. She needed to get away from Chris, who she was sure was searching for her. She rushed to the double doors. Before she could exit, she spotted Anant and his group huddled in the corner. Anant was engrossed in a conversation with someone she didn't recognized. He seemed irritated. navya quickly strode over to his side.
"Your marketing scheme is all wrong. You're trying to appeal to the wrong audience. Switch advertisers, spend a little, and you'll evade bankruptcy. It's as simple as that." Anant said, his voice raising a little.
"It's simple when you have the means that you have." Replied the man he was talking with, frowning.
"Anant." navya tried to get his attention.
"Well if you knew how to control your resources properly, then you'd have the means too." Anant said, frustration evident in his voice.
"Anant." Navya said a little more loudly this time.
"Excuse me." Anant said. He turned to Navya, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the group to give them more privacy.
"So how is the party going?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink.
"Can we leave?" Navya blurted out.
"Leave? Why? Did something happen?" Anant seemed a little worried.
"No...I just don't feel well." Navya didn't want Anant to know what Chris had done. She didn't want to get in the way of their friendship or professional life.
"Didn't you have fun dancing with Chris?" asked Anant.
"Hey navya. Where did you run off to?" Speak of the devil. Chris appeared behind Anant.
"She doesn't feel well." Anant answered for her.
"Well that's too bad. I was hoping to persuade her into another dance. Come on, Navya. I'll take care of you." Chris said, his eyes bore into Navya. She looked away.
anant looked at Chris and then back to navya. She visibly seemed uncomfortable around him. Chris had done something to upset her. Anant was sure of it.
"You can't leave now. The evening is young." Continued Chris optimistically.
"He's right, Navya. We can't leave now." Anant said.
Navya looked at anant. Her eyes pleading with him.
"Will dance with me?" he asked with a smirk.
"What?" Christ said with a shocked expression.1
"What's the matter, Chris? Can't a man dance with his own wife?" Anant said with a hint of spite. He wasted no time in grabbing navyaa's hand and pulling her to the dance floor.
He placed her hands around his neck and placed his own around her waist. She wouldn't look at him. Her attention was on the ground. Anant continued to dance with navya in silence. He found himself admiring her beauty. This was the first time he'd seen her this closely.
"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he finally asked.
Navya looked up at him. She hesitated before answering.
"Nothing. I just don't feel well." She stuck to her story.
"Come on Navya. Tell me what's really wrong. Did Chris do something?" Anant replied.
"No." navya looked away before answering. Anant was confident that she was hiding something.
"What did he do?" Anant asked through gritted teeth. He couldn't figure out why he was angry. He just was.
"He...He didn't...It's just that dancing with another man seemed wrong." She said. navya stated the first excuse that came to mind. Her excuse wasn't completely untrue.
Anant's expressions softened. He suddenly felt bad for not asking navya to dance earlier.
"Don't worry. I won't let another man dance with you, navya. You're all mine." Anant stated. He gazed deeply into Navya's eyes as he spoke. She blushed and instinctively lowered her gaze.
The song came to an end, but Anant didn't want to stop dancing with navya. He pulled her slightly closer to him as the next song started, indicating that he wanted to continue dancing. navya didn't object. They continued dancing and talking for what seemed like hours. Anant forgot about all of the business deals and offers he'd planned on lobbying for this evening. Instead, he focused all of his attention on navya.
The party came to an end. anant was secretly relieved. The evening had been too long. He was anxious to go home and relax. He bid farewell to all of his colleagues. Chris approached Anant as he was exiting the hotel.
"That was some party, huh. I'd never been so bored in my life." Christ commented.
"Yeah. The crowd was a lot older than what you're probably used to." Anant replied. He glanced at navya, noticing how uncomfortable she became as soon as Chris appeared.
"The highlight of my evening was dancing with your wife." Christ said, eyeing navya.
Anant took a step to the side, obstructing Chris's view of navya.
"Yeah mine too." Agreed Anant.
Anant's limo rounded the corner and stopped in front of the hotel. He protectively placed his arm around navya as they walked up to the limo. After helping her into the limo, he turned back to Chris.
"I hope you enjoyed dancing with my wife tonight because you'll never touch her again." Anant growled before walking around to the other side of the limo.
Chis watched on in shock as Anant's limo pulled away from the hotel.
Anant didn't know it, but navya had heard what he said. She smiled to herself as she reflected upon the events of the evening. Anant had yelled at her, ignored her at the beginning of the party, danced with her until the end of the party, and now he was threatening the man that misbehaved with her. She was pleased but thoroughly confused. At times, it seemed like Anant disliked her. Other times, it seemed like they were friends. And sometimes, he treated her like his wife. These were the times navya enjoyed most.
Edited by storywriter098 - 7 years ago
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