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atfirst i was angry at anant bt to the end i liked his possessiveness ...waiting for anya love session.
The next few days passed smoothly. Anant took Navya to only one other outing, a charity event where there was no dancing required. The two barely talked to one another other even at the charity event. anant left early in the morning before navya woke up and came home late at night. She didn't understand why he worked so much, but she thought it best not to disturb him when he returned home after a hard day's work.3
This morning, navya woke up early. She had a difficult time sleeping and eventually gave up trying to fall asleep. She got dressed for the day, choosing to wear a simple Anarkali style salwar kameez. She began to descend the stairs, but stopped to wonder whether or not Anant might be awake yet. She turned around and walked down the opposite hallway towards Anant's bedroom. She had never been inside his room before. She raised her hand to knock on his door, but hesitated. What if he was still asleep? She put her ear against the door, listening for any sounds that would indicate that Anant was awake. She heard nothing. navya took the risk anyways. She knocked. Nothing happened. She tapped her knuckles against the door more forcefully this time.
The door swung open and navya took a step back. Anant stuck his head out.
"Good morning Navya. You're up this early?"Anant greeted.
"Yeah. I couldn't fall back asleep." Navya admitted.
"It's good that you're up. Come in. I need to talk to you." Replied Anant. He opened the door wider and stepped to the side, waiting for Navya to enter. She walked in, and he closed the door behind her.
She looked around taking in the details of Anant's room. It was the largest bedroom navya had ever seen. It was almost double the size of her own room. The dcor was very modern and neat. He had a king sized bed and a massive plasma TV on one side of the room. There was a separate seating area at the back of the room near the giant windows. The curtains were opened allowing sunlight to spill into and illuminate the room. French doors separated a miniature office area from the main bedroom, and another set of French doors led out to the terrace. Navya continued to stare at the features of Anant's room completely forgetting that anant needed to discuss something with her.
"Navya." Anant attempted to get her attention.
"Sorry. What did you want to talk about?" Navya turned her attention back to Anant. She took in his appearance. His hair was disheveled. He was dressed in dress pants, but his shirt was slightly unbuttoned and untucked like he hadn't finished getting dressed yet.
"Us." Anant answered Navya's question. Navya was surprised. What could Anant possibly mean?
Anant walked over to his bed and took a seat. He waited for navya to join him.
"We need to figure us out, navya." Anant started.
"What do you mean?" Navya asked, completely confused.
"In the eyes of the law, we're husband and wife. In reality though, what are we? We live in separate bedrooms. We're not in love. We barely know each other. Nothing about us says husband and wife, so where does that leave us?" expressed Anant.
"I don't know. Friends?" suggested Navya. She understood Anant's concern. They needed to define their relationship and discuss their future together, but she didn't have an answer for him.
"Friends, Navya? Just friends?" Anant asked incredulously.
"Well...I don't know how else to classify us." navya replied.
"What about children? Do want children?" anant blurted.
navya gasped. She definitely was not expecting him to mention children. Truthfully, she had always dreamed of having a family. She wanted a son and then a daughter. However, she had given up these hopes once she and Anant got married. navya looked away, not wanting to discuss her now broken dream. Upon seeing her's reaction, Anant immediately regretted his question.
"navya, I di-" he started.
"Yes. I wanted children." navya interrupted.
"Wanted. Not anymore?" asked Anant.
"Anant, we can't have children. We're not even really husband and wife." navya said.
"We can, navya. We can do whatever we want." anant said quietly, almost in a whisper.
"No. I don't to." Navya said sternly.
"You don't want to have children or you don't want to have children with me?" anant retorted angrily.
Navya bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Anant had received his answer. He didn't really want to have children any time soon, but he did eventually. He didn't think he could handle the responsibility just yet, but one day he would be able to. The thought of Navya not wanting to have children with him infuriated him.
He sprung off the bed onto his feet. He stood still for a moment and took a deep breath before turning back to Navya.
"To what extent does our relationship as husband and wife go, Navya? You won't have children with me. Would you take care of me if I got sick? Would you oblige if I forbid you from doing something?" Asked anant furiously. He could feel his blood boiling. He was becoming increasingly frustrated.
"Of course I would!" answered navya. "I'll always take care of you if you need me to. And I wouldn't disobey you. No matter what the circumstances are, you are my husband." She finished quietly.
"What about physically? Am I your husband or your friend? In public, can I hold your hand or kiss you? We are married. Shouldn't we act like husband and wife in the presence of others? And here? Are we just friends or will you come to me at night to satisfy my needs and fulfill your duty as my wife?" Anant roared. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he felt that these questions needed to be answered.
Navya was astonished! How dare he speak to her this way? Yes, he was her husband, but that doesn't give him the right to treat her this way.
"I...I've never done...I'm..." Navya was finding it difficult to speak. She was at a loss of words. She didn't have the answers Anant wanted. Also, she was extremely uncomfortable talking about this matter.
Anant was quiet. He was waiting for her answer.
"I want to be the best wife I can be, Anant, but I don't think I can satisfy those types of needs." She said shyly. She looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"What if another woman did?" Anant asked maliciously.
To say that Navya was shocked would have been an understatement. She was speechless at what Anant was suggesting. How could he be so insensitive?
"What if I asked you the same thing? Would you let another man come to me at night?" Navya challenged.
"You wouldn't need another man, Navya! I'm perfectly willing to satisfy you in any way you want!" Anant exclaimed.
"We're not in love, Anant. It wouldn't be right." Navya tried to reason with him.
"If we fell in love before we got married, you wouldn't let anything happen until after we were married. Am I right? Well we are married, and anything that happens between us in this bedroom is considered legitimate in the eyes of world. So I'm sorry to say, but it would be considered right, Navya." Anant's voice rose as he spoke. This conversation escalated more quickly than he had intended.
Navya started to tear up. She grew frustrated as she listened to Anant. She knew that he was absolutely right.
"Please anant. Let's not talk about this." navya stood up, wiping away a tear. She needed to leave.2
Anant grabbed her arm before she could escape. She tried to pull away, but he held a firm grip.
"Tell me what you want me to do, Navya." Anant said softly. He loosened his grip, but he didn't let go of her arm. "What should we do about us?" he said.
"I don't know, Anant! I don't know. I've always wanted a husband who cared about me, someone who would eventually fall in love with me. We'd have a family together and live a perfect little life. But that's not what happened, and I'm sorry I can't be the wife that you want, Anant, but it is what it is." navya exploded. She immediately regretted what she said. She braced herself for Anant's inevitable rage.
"You're right." Anant said.
"W-what?" navya asked in disbelief.
"You're right. Neither of us wanted this. I wanted a modern wife. Hell, I didn't want a wife at all. And you wanted to marry a good man, a much better man than me at least. We're too different." Anant admitted.
"I'm sorry." navya said. She didn't know what else to say.
"No navya. It's not your fault. I don't know why I even brought this up at all. Everything was fine between us, and I just messed it all up." Anant replied.
"No. It's okay. We'll just figure it out as we go." navya suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. navya, I have to warn you, friend or husband, I am the jealous type." anant said with a smirk.
"You have nothing to worry about." navya smiled.
After their very interesting discussion, Anant and navya had breakfast together for the first time since the day after they got married. They kept their conversation as civil as possible, avoiding any topics regarding their marriage. Once anant left, navya decided to call Neha over. Maybe she could weigh in on the issue. She wondered if Neha and Nikhil had an arranged marriage.
"Hey navya! I'm so glad you called. I was so bored." Neha greeted as she entered.
"Hi Neha." navya replied.
"So what's this about? Calling out of the blue...what's up?" Neha asked.
"How did you know something was up?" navya asked.
"Come on, navya. As sweet as you are, you don't seem like the type who just calls over a friend just to hang out. Something must be wrong." Neha said nonchalantly.
"Well..." navya started.
"Hit me with it." Neha said excitedly as she settled herself onto the sofa.
"Did you and Nikhil have an arranged marriage?" asked navya.
"We had a love marriage. We met in college, fell in love, and moved in together. We just got married a few years ago. Late, I know, but I have commitment issues." Neha replied.
"You lived together before you got married?" navya's eyes widened.
"Yep. This is America. It's not a big deal." Neha said carelessly. "So you had an arranged marriage? That makes so much sense! I never thought I'd see the day that Anant got married." She added.2
"Why not?" navya asked.
"He wasn't the type to stick with just one woman. He never wanted to get married. He was just all business and pleasure. No responsibility." Neha said.
Suddenly the argument with Anant made so much more sense. He felt tied down because of navya. He asked her to reject him not because he was going to marry a stranger, but because he wasn't ready to get married. And when he suggested another woman...
"navya, are you okay?" Neha interrupted navya's thoughts.
"Yeah I'm fine." navya replied.
The doorbell rang before Neha could say anything else. navya stood to answer it.
"Hi Didi!" a peppy voice greeted as soon as navya opened the door.
"Payal?!"
"What are you doing here? Did you come all the way to America by yourself? Are you okay?" navya bombarded Payal with questions.
"I am by myself. I'm touring colleges. And I'm great! Didi, calm down." Payal replied.
"How did you travel all by yourself?" navya asked.
"It wasn't that difficult. I had a connection flight in Dubai. And when I landed here, I just took a taxi. The taxi driver knew the address. Good thing too because I didn't think to ask you. Who knew Jija-ji was so famous?" Payal explained.
"Payal, you didn't call or inform me." navya said, still distraught.
"It's called a surprise, Didi." Payal giggled.
"College in New York? What's wrong with Mumbai?" navya said, realizing the purpose of Payal's visit.
"Didi, you're here. Jija-ji is here. New York has amazing universities. Why not?" replied Payal.
navya didn't argue with her logic. She had a valid point. She opened the door wider, allowing Payal to enter.
"Didi! This house is amazing! So beautiful!" Payal exclaimed as she took in the sight before her.
"Hi! I'm Neha." Neha had made her way to the front door and now stood before Payal with her hand extended.
"Hi! I'm Payal." Payal took Neha's hand and shook it.
"navya, you didn't tell me you had a sister." Neha said. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Thanks! It's nice to meet you too." Payal replied.
"Is this your first time in New York?" asked Neha.
"My first time in America." Payal admitted.
"No! navya! You have to take her to Time Square. I know this new restaurant in SoHo. We can go there after I take you gals to Time Square. Tonight we're hitting the city. Payal, you're going to love it here." Neha said excitedly.
"Really? Didi, can we please? I really want to see the city." Payal begged.
"Don't you want to rest first?" asked navya, concerned.
"No! I'll be fine. I'll just change, and we'll leave. Aaah! I'm so excited!" exclaimed Payal.
"Um...okay. Great." navya replied.
When the three returned home from a night out in the city, it was well past midnight.
"Bye Neha! See you soon." Payal called as she exited the taxi cab.
"Bye Payal!" Neha replied.
"Thank you for tonight. Payal seemed like she had so much fun." navya said
"No problem. She's a sweet girl. navya, I hope whatever is wrong between you and Anant turns out okay. See you later, okay?" Neha said. +
"Bye Neha." navya replied. She closed the door and watched as the taxi pulled away.
The two sisters entered the mansion quietly. navya hadn't called to tell anant that she was going to be home late. She also hadn't thought to mention that Payal had stopped by for a visit.
"navya?" Anant's voice resonated from the kitchen.
"Come on, Payal." navya said, leading her to the kitchen.
"Where have you been?" Anant asked as navya round the corner.
"I...Neha came over and.." navya started.
"Payal?" Anant said as his eyes landed on Payal. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Uh...surprise!" Payal said hesitantly.
Anant was confused. He looked at navya, waiting for an explanation.
"Well Payal came up to New York to tour colleges. And Neha was already here, so she suggested that we take Payal out to see the city. I'm sorry I didn't call to tell you." navya explained quickly.
"It's fine Navya. So, you had no idea Payal was coming?" anant asked.
"None." navya answered.
"Sorry Jija-ji. I thought it would be a nice surprise. I...didn't think it through." Payal confessed.
"No Payal. It's great to have you. navya, why don't you...give Payal the grand tour." Anant suggested. He was trying to hide is puzzlement and especially his disdain towards the situation at hand.
"Sure." navya said before leading Payal out of the kitchen.
"You don't think he's mad, do you?" asked Payal once they were out of earshot.
"No, not at all," Lied Navya. She herself didn't know. "Come on, I'll show you the study and the living room, since you've already seen the kitchen. Then we'll go upstairs." Navya said, changing the topic.
"This is Anant's room." navya pointed to the door of the master bedroom as she ended the tour of the tour of the house. "Your room will be near mine at the other end of the hall." She said.
"Yours? Isn't this your room too?" asked Payal, perplexed.1
"Actually..." navya started.
"It is." Anant said, emerging from the stairs. He had heard everything. "navya meant to say that your room will be near her favorite room. She spends so much time in there that it seems like she has her own bedroom." anant fibbed.
"But..." navya said.
"Payal, why don't you take a look at the master. I'm sure you'll be impressed." anant interrupted navya.
After Payal entered the master bedroom, anant turned to navya.
"Does she know about the business deal?" Anant asked.
Realization dawned on navya. Payal didn't know. She had no intention of telling her. Now she realized what Anant was doing.
"No. I don't want her to know." navya answered.
"Then she won't know. For all she knows, we're happily married. We weren't coerced into this in any way. And this is our bedroom, yours and mine. It's as simple as that." Anant explained.
"This is the biggest bedroom I've ever seen!" Payal exclaimed as Anant and navya entered.
"I thought the same thing." navya said.
Anant unexpectedly placed an arm around navya, pulling her close. navya stiffened in surprise. She questioningly looked over at Anant, who just gave her an apologetic look.
"Didi, it doesn't even look like you live here. No pictures, no decorations. There's not even a little temple." Payal observed.
"Perceptive, isn't she?" Anant whispered, slightly irritated. navya bit back a smile.
"Um...it didn't seem to go with the dcor of the room. Plus I set up a little temple in another room." navya said referring to the temple setup in her actual bedroom. "Payal, I'll show you your room. You must be tired." navya continued as she freed herself from Anant and led Payal out into the hallway.
"Goodnight Didi." Payal said once navya showed her her room.
"Goodnight Payal." navya replied as she closed the door. 5
Navya went back to Anant's room. They needed a game plan to make sure Payal doesn't find out anything she isn't supposed to know. navya was angry that Payal hadn't told her she was coming. She was sure Anant was angry as well, but he was doing a great job at hiding it. When she entered Anant's room, he was sitting on his bed. He stood up as soon as he saw her.
"Navya, we have to talk about this." anant said.
"I know. I'm so sorry. I didn't know she was coming." navya replied.
Anant walked over and closed the door before he spoke again.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter. She's here now." anant replied.
"Anant, I put her in the room right beside mine." navya said, realizing that may not have been the smartest thing to do.
"Dammit." Anant cursed under his breath.
"But it's okay. I'll just shift to a bedroom on this side of the house. She'll never notice." navya suggested.
"She will notice, navya. Just stay here." Anant replied.
"H-here. With you?" navya said. The idea of staying in the same room with Anant did not sit well with her, especially after today's conversation.
"Yeah. Why not?" Anant said casually.
"There's only one bed." navya blurted the first concern that came to mind.
"I'll sleep on the sofa." anant immediately replied.
Navya's eyes shifted towards the other side of the room, where the sitting area was. The sofa looked like it was there more for style than for comfort.
"Payal will be here for a few weeks though. I mean, your back will hurt after a while. It'd just be better if I moved to another room." navya said.
"Navya, stop over thinking this. Why even take the chance? If you stay here, Payal won't suspect a thing. I'll be fine on the sofa." Anant persisted.
"I'll take the sofa." Navya relented.
"No, Navya. Either I take the sofa or we share the bed. You are not sleeping there." Anant declared.
"Tell me if your back hurts." Navya said. She felt guilty for imposing on Anant in his own bedroom, but she thought keeping the truth from Payal was more important.
"I will." Anant said with a smile.
He walked over to the bed and picked up a pillow before heading over to his closet to fetch a spare blanket. navya watched as Anant set up his makeshift bed on the couch. Another feeling of guilt washed over her.
"I'm going to change." Anant said as he retreated into the bathroom.
Navya took this opportunity to hurry over to her bedroom and grab some clothing. She took out a small suitcase and quickly stuffed it with as many saris as she could fit. She also packed some valuables and essentials. Navya paused as her hand rested on the doorknob. She turned around and went to her temple. She picked up the statues of a few Hindu gods before making her way back to the door. She cracked open the door and stuck her head out. She looked left, then right, and then left again as if she were checking for traffic in the empty hallways, but in reality she was making sure Payal wasn't lurking about. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she rushed down the hallway back to Anant's room, suitcase and statues in hand. 2
navya opened the door and quickly shut it behind her. She felt silly when she realized how fast her heart was beating. She was acting as if Payal was the police instead of her sister. 1
"Why are you so out of breath?" Anant asked.
"I..." Navya was at a loss for words as she looked up and came face to face with Anant. Anant, who was shirtless.2
She quickly turned around. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as embarrassment settled in.
"What's wrong?" Anant asked, stepping closer.
Navya wouldn't turn around to face anant. Apart from the actors in films and the beggars on the streets, she had never seen a shirtless man before. She definitely had never been stuck alone in a room with a shirtless man. 4
"You aren't wearing a shirt." Navya said quietly, her back still turned.
"Oh. I usually sleep without a shirt, but if it makes you uncomfortable..." Anant trailed off as he searched for a t-shirt.
Navya felt another rush of guilt.
"No! It's okay. Sleep however you like." Navya didn't want to inconvenience him anymore than she already had.
"It's fine, Navya. You can turn around now." Anant, now fully dressed, said with a slight chuckle.
"Anant, I'm sorry. You're having to give up so much all because of me. Sleeping on the sofa, wearing a shirt, sharing your room. I'm really sorry." Navya apologized.
"It's okay, Navya. Marriage is all about sacrifice, right?" Anant replied with a wink.
Truth be told, Anant did feel imposed upon. Payal showed up with no notice whatsoever, which didn't bother him at all. He was rather fond of his sister-in-law. The fact that he was being forced give up the comforts of his own bedroom just so she wouldn't find out about his and Navya's true relationship, however, irritated the hell out of him. He was more than willing to share his room with Navya, but he was hoping she'd agree to share his bed rather than preferring him to sleep on the sofa. He couldn't bring himself to voice any of his complaints though because he didn't want to hurt Navya's feelings.
"We should go to sleep. It's really late." Navya observed.
"Goodnight, Navya." Anant said, taking a seat on the sofa after turning the lights out.
"Goodnight." navya replied, as she settled herself onto Anant's bed.
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A thunderous sound erupted from the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table, interrupting both anant and navya's deep slumber. navya sleepily reached over and slammed her hand over the snooze button. She sat up and allowed her eyes adjust to the darkness that continued to envelop the room in the early morning hours. navya was taken aback at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings at first. She had forgotten that she had spent the night in Anant's room. Her eyes drifted towards the sofa across the room. There, Anant was still asleep. navya could make out the silhouette of his body as it lay peacefully on the sofa. navya stood up and walked toward the sofa.
"Anant." She called softly, so she wouldn't startle him. anant didn't respond. He was dead asleep.
"anant, wake up." navya tried again, a little more loudly. Anant rustled in his sleep, but didn't open his eyes.
Navya stepped closer. She bent down and sat on her knees, leaning against the arm rest where Anant's head was. She hesitated before placing her hand on Anant's shoulder. She tapped it gently.
"Anant." She said, leaning in close to his ear.
Anant inadvertently grabbed navya's hand. He pulled her so that her elbow rested on his chest. She felt her cheek grazing against his chin. Anant's eyes fluttered open. He paused, assessing the sight before him.
"Navya? What are you doing?" he asked hoarsely.
Navya looked down. She felt anant's chin moving against her ear as he spoke. She wasn't comfortable being so close to him. She lifted her hand that was held by Anant's hand. He looked at their hands and immediately let go.
"Sorry." He said as he sat up. Navya stood up and took a step back, giving Anant room to stand up.
"Your alarm went off a few minutes ago. I was trying to wake you up." she explained.
"Thanks." he said, "I have an early morning meeting. If I had slept through it, I would've been in so much trouble." He said with a smile.
navya stifled a yawn. Anant frowned.
"You should go back to sleep. Sorry about the alarm. I forgot I set it." Anant said.
Navya nodded, thankful that Aman had made such a wonderful suggestion. She walked back towards the bed as Anant went into the bathroom. she felt herself drift back into a deep sleep. She let herself succumb to the comforts of Anant's bed.
Navya heard a knock at the door. She groggily rose to answer it. Sunlight seeped into the room. Anant had left hours ago, and navya hadn't even noticed. She realized that it was now late morning. She swung the door open and was greeted by Payal's cheerful face.
"Didi! You sleep too much." Payal declared as she walking in.
"Payal, what time is it?" navya asked.
"Almost ten." Payal answered. 8
"I'm sorry I overslept." It was so unlike navya to sleep in this late. anant usually left around six in the morning and navya woke up at eight. She didn't know why today she let herself stay in bed until ten. +
"It's okay. I just woke up half an hour ago." Payal chuckled.
"So...what should we do today?" navya asked.
"We can make breakfast or I guess it would be brunch now. Then we can make lunch. Does Jija-ji come home for lunch? Did he say what he wanted for dinner?" Payal rambled on.
"Payal!" navya exclaimed trying to get Payal's attention.
Payal stopped talking and looked at navya, waiting for her to continue.
"He doesn't let me cook." navya said quietly.
"You don't cook?" Payal stared at navya, wide eyed. "But you love to cook. Who cooks then?" Payal was confused.
"The chef cooks. The maids clean. I don't really do much." Navya explained.
"I guess when you're the wife of someone so important, it would make sense for you not to do chores. In India, though, we did everything. And we're the daughters of someone very important." Payal huffed.
Navya laughed.
"You're so silly." navya said.
"Didi...can we go shopping?" Payal asked suddenly.
"Shopping? Why?" Navya asked.
"America is so fashionable, especially New York. There's so much here that we couldn't wear in India. Please! Let's go shopping." Payal said excitedly. 2
"Sure. We can go shopping. Let's have breakfast first." navya relented.
"Thank you!" Payal jumped up and engulfed navya in a hug.
After breakfast, the two sisters got ready to leave. They both wore a salwar kameez in differed colors. navya opted for a more modest Anarkali style, while Payal chose to wear a short sleeve Churidar style. As navya slid her bangles on, Payal burst into the room without knocking.
"Didi! Hurry up!" Payal complained as she plopped herself onto anant's bed.
"Just give me a minute." navya said.
Navya suddenly paused.
"Payal, we should ask anant." navya declared.
"He won't mind." Payal replied. 2
"But still...I'll just call him and then we'll leave." navya reasoned.
Payal groaned. navya reached for her cell phone and dialed Anant's number.
"Hello?" Anant's velvety voice answered.
"Anant, I hope I'm not disturbing you." she said.
"Not at all navya. What's going on?" he asked.
"Payal and I wanted to go shopping." she said slowly.
"Great! Payal will love that." He replied.
navya stayed quiet.
"You called just to tell me you were going shopping?" Anant asked unsurely.
"Um...no. I was asking permission." navya said quietly.
"Navya, you don't have to ask my permission to go shopping or go out or do anything really. I'm not the type of husband who wants to control every aspect of his wife's life. Anytime you want to go somewhere, take the limo and go. It would be nice, however, if you called to tell me if you're planning on coming home late though." Anant said sincerely.
Navya blushed. She was glad she had her back turned towards Payal so that she couldn't see her face as it reddened. She was elated at how much freedom Anant was allowing her and at how much he trusted her to go out alone.
"Navya?" Anant said, trying to get her attention.
"Yes. Sorry. Umm thank you. We won't stay out late." Navya said quickly.
"Okay. I'll be home early, but you and Payal take your time." Anant replied.
"Early? Why?" Navya asked.
"There just isn't much to do today." anant said. "Plus we wouldn't want Payal thinking that I'm never around." Anant chuckled.
"We'll try to be done before you get home." navya said.
"Whatever you want, navya. My credit card is in my office. It should be on the desk somewhere." Anant told her.
"Oh okay. I'll find it. Thank you." It didn't even occur to navya that they would need Anant's credit card. She was grateful that he'd told her.
"Sure. Bye, navya. See you at home." Anant said before hanging up.
"So what did he say?" Payal interjected. navya had forgotten all about her.
"He said we can go and his credit card is on his desk." navya said with a smile.
"See! I don't know why you worry. Jija-ji is so nice. He's pretty cool too." Payal said.
"Yeah he is." navya agreed. "Let me find his credit card and we'll leave."
navya went to Anant's home office. She'd only been inside of it twice, once when she first arrived and again when she gave Payal a tour of the mansion. She never felt comfortable being around Anant's business papers. They seemed really important, and the last thing navya wanted to do was misplace something significant. She started carefully searching through the documents lying on the desk. She lifted each document and file, looking underneath everything. She still couldn't find the small, platinum plastic card. There was only one pile left. The credit card must be underneath it. It had to be. navya's eyes fell on the title of the third file in the pile.
"Aashritha Hotel and Resort, Mumbai." navya read aloud. Curiosity got the best of her. She opened the file. A few photos fell out. navya picked them up. The pictures were of an old, white haveli (mansion) somewhere near Mumbai. The place seemed somewhat familiar to her, but she couldn't readily identify it. It was a beautiful building. Maybe she had seen the hotel site with her father sometime in the past. She decided to leave the matter alone. She put the pictures back in the file. Under the whole pile of files was the platinum credit card that Anant had given her before. She grabbed it, and quickly left the office.
"You took long enough." Payal chided as navya made her way to the front door.
"Sorry. I found it though." navya said, holding up the credit card.
The driver was waiting by the limo. He opened the passenger door. Payal sat inside and scooted over to make room for navya.
"So where are you taking me?" Payal asked once they were settled inside the limo.
"There's this amazing boutique in the city. They have the best sarees. We could try going to Queens. I know there are a lot of stores there. Maybe we'll find a nice Salwar Kameez or two for you. Neha likes SoHo, but I don't think the stores would have clothes for us." navya explained. 2
"Sarees and Salwars. I can those in India. Didi, what about Western clothes?" Payal asked excitedly.
"What about them?" navya asked reproachfully.
"We're in America. We should be wearing jeans and sundresses." Payal replied quietly.
"Payal! What would Baba say?" Navya said incredulously. 1
"He's not here. Jija-ji won't care. I don't see what the problem is." Payal answered.
"I still don't think it's a good idea." navya said.
"Come on Didi! You would look great in jeans! With a figure like yours, Jija-ji would flip." Payal tried to convince Navya.
"You can get them if you want. I'm not wearing them." Navya said sternly.
Payal didn't argue any further. She knew better. She knew that navya wouldn't relent. She was very strict about the way she dressed ever since she was a teenager. Payal wanted nothing more than to be modern, but navya couldn't care less.
They stopped by the boutiques that sold Indian clothes first. navya bought many new sarees. Payal gave in. She couldn't keep herself from buying some outfits. navya called Neha up and asked her to suggest a few places she could take Payal to shop for Western clothing. Neha gave them the names and locations of too many stores to count. navya opted for whatever was closest to wherever they were. 2
"What about these?" Payal said, stepping out of the fitting room.
"They're too tight." navya commented.
"You're not even looking." Payal complained.
"It doesn't matter. They all too tight. Try a bigger size." navya replied.
Payal scrutinized the jeans that she now wore. She liked them. navya hated them.
"I think I'll get these." Payal said, still looking at the mirror.
"Okay, get them. But you're getting a bigger size." navya said. She had the power of the credit card. Payal couldn't buy anything that navya didn't approve of.
"Fine." Payal gave in.
navya smiled to herself. She was pleased with her victory. They finished shopping and were on their way back home.
"How much do you think we spent?" navya suddenly asked.
"I don't know. A lot." Payal said casually.
"A few thousand dollars, I'm sure." navya said, looking worried.3
"Jija-ji won't care. He like a gazillionaire!" Payal said, smiling with assurance.
"We shouldn't just take advantage of his wealth." she said.
"He won't care. Baba can pay him back if it's really a big deal." Payal suggested.
"How would Baba feel about paying for your skimpy Western outfits, Payal?" navya said sarcastically.
"Hey! They aren't skimpy. The dress I bought isn't even that short. And I got bigger jeans." Payal said defensively.
"Relax Payal. Baba doesn't need to know." Said Navya.
Payal smiled. Even though navya didn't approve of what Payal bought, Payal never had to worry about her telling their parents. The sisters had an understanding between each other. No matter how bad, they told each other everything. Every single thing. And no one else needed to know about any of it, especially their parents. Navya's business deal marriage was the only thing she had kept from Payal. She couldn't bring herself to tell her, not yet.
anant wasn't home when the girls returned. navya was glad that they had beaten him home.
"I'm going to go try on the bigger jeans. I hope they fit. You should try on that gold sari. It looked good in the store, but it seems to fancy for you." Payal said as they entered the mansion.
"Thanks Payal. I can always count on you to dampen the mood." Joked navya.
Payal beamed as she ascended the stairs. navya followed behind her. A few minutes later, Payal barged into anant's room wearing her new pair of jeans.
"Look how great they are!" she announced.
navya emerged from the bathroom, wearing the gold sari.
"See I told you a bigger size wouldn't hurt. I think they look better than those tight ones." navya commented.
Payal didn't say anything. She stared at navya with a wide smile.
"What are you looking at?" navya asked.
"You. That sari is amazing, Didi! Such style! You look beautiful." Payal exclaimed.
"You do." Anant's voice interjected.
navya turned around. anant was standing in the doorway, his eyes glued to her. She blushed, lowering her gaze.
"Wow Payal. Very modern." He commented when he saw Payal's outfit.
"I know right! I'm so fashion forward." Payal joked.
Anant looked at navya again.
"Where are yours?" He asked.
"My...?" navya asked, a little confused.
"Jeans." Anant answered.
"I...I don't..." Priya became flustered.
"I knew it!" Payal interjected. "I told you Jija-ji would love to see you in jeans! I mean she has a great figure, right? Why hide it under all these sarees?" Payal reasoned.1
"Payal." Navya warned.
"She's right, you know. You should've gotten a pair." Anant smirked. He knew navya would never wear jeans.
"I'm going to go change." navya said, quickly scurrying back to the bathroom.
Anant chuckled.
"Don't worry Jija-ji. She'll wear them one day." Payal said.
"How do you know?" anant wondered.
"She obviously cares what you think. I bought her a pair on the sly. Don't tell her they're from me. She'll wear them for you. She'll do anything for you." Payal said confidently before leaving to go back to her own room.
Anant stood there flabbergasted. The Payal knew and the navya he knew were so different. navya wouldn't do anything for him. She wouldn't have his children. She wouldn't wear an evening gown. She sure as hell wouldn't wear jeans for him. 2
Just then, navya emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the Anarkali salwar kameez she was wearing earlier.
"navya, would you do anything for me?" anant asked suddenly.
navya hesitated.
"It depends." She finally answered.
"Would you do anything for Payal?" he asked.
"Of course." navya answered immediately.
She didn't understand why Anant was asking her all these questions.
"Good. Payal wants us to go out tomorrow night...on a date." Anant lied. 5
navya looked at him questioningly.
"It's what husbands and wives do apparently." anant explained.
navya was confused. Payal hadn't mentioned a date to her. She would have to go out with Anant though, otherwise Payal would become suspicious.
"Alright." navya said.
Anant didn't know what had gotten in to him. He had no intention of ever taking navya out on a romantic date, and of course Payal hadn't actually asked told him to take navya out. He was relieved that navya had agreed, but now he was in a fix. He quickly rushed to Payal's room.
"Payal." He called out as he gently knocked on the door.
"Jija-ji? What's up?" Payal said after flinging the door open.
"I need your help." Anant replied.
"Sure. With what?" Payal asked. She motioned for him to enter.
Anant followed her inside her room. He took a seat on a chair as Payal settled onto her bed. She looked at Anant, waiting for him to continue.
"I need you to lie to Navya." Anant said cautiously.
Payal's smile faded. A puzzled expression appeared on her face.
"Lie to Didi? I can't lie to her. Why would I lie to her?" Payal was confused. She had never lied to her sister before. Well, when they were children, she would occasionally tell a fib here and there, but they had been innocent little white lies. Payal had a feeling whatever it was that Anant wanted her to lie about was much more serious.
"I'm taking her out on a date." Anant stated.
Payal nodded, unsure what that had to do with lying. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She knew that navya had never been out on a date before.
"I told her that you wanted us to go out alone together." Anant admitted.
Payal said nothing, assessing the situation.
"So what's the problem?" She finally asked.
"Payal, I told her it was your idea so she would say yes. I need you to lie to her when she asks you because she will ask you." Anant explained.
"That's it?" Payal asked.
Anant slowly nodded. He thought Payal would be more concerned about lying.
"Of course I'll do it! Aww...this is so romantic. Jija-ji, I'm so amazing! I can't believe I came with such a great idea." Payal enthused with a wink.
"Yeah Payal. You sure are something." Anant said, playing along.
"So where are you going to take her?" Payal asked.
"I don't know." Admitted Anant.
navya waited anxiously for the limo to approach. She had never been on a date before. Even though Anant was her husband, so technically it wasn't a real date, she was still nervous. Dates were supposed to romantic. And navya wasn't the least bit romantic. He heart skipped a beat at the thought of Anant being romantic. He was caring, but she'd never actually seen his romantic side. To take her mind off of Anant, navya went to Payal's room. Payal would definitely be able to distract her. +
"Payal?" navya called as she approached Payal's room.
"Yeah Didi. What's up?" Payal asked, emerging out of the door.
"Tonight is the night." navya said. 2
"I know! Are you excited?" Payal beamed.
"I don't know. I guess so." navya said. "Payal, why did you ask Anant to ask me out on a date?"
"I...uh...feel like I'm in the way." Lied Payal. "I thought that you two deserved some alone time away from me."
"Payal! You're never in the way. Anant and I aren't..." navya paused. They aren't in love.
"Aren't what?" asked Payal.
"We aren't the romantic type." navya admitted.
"Well if you'd go out on a date with him once in a while, maybe you would be." Reasoned Payal.
"He's busy, Payal. He works so hard. He doesn't have time for all of this. You shouldn't have asked him." navya chastise.
"But Didi, he wants this." Payal said quietly.
"Now, how do you know that?" navya asked.
"When I came up with the idea, he seemed excited." Payal fibbed.
"Payal, you shouldn't get involved." navya said.
Her words stung. Payal knew that a the relationship between a husband and wife was something that no one should get in the middle of, but Anant had practically forced her to get involved. She wondered why he didn't just ask her sister out without telling her that it was Payal's idea. Would navya have refused?
"I know. I'm sorry." Payal said.
A comfortable silence fell between the two sisters. Payal was contemplating how to ask her next question, while navya allowed her thoughts to drift back to her impending date with Aman.
"Didi," Payal said, breaking the silence, "What if Jija-ji asked you out? What if it wasn't my idea?" Payal asked. "Would you have said no?"
"He wouldn't have asked me." navya answered.
"What if he did?" Payal insisted.
"I would've said no." navya said.
Payal's eyes grew wide. She tried to suppress her shock.
"Why?" she asked incredulously.
"I've never been on a date before. I'm not romantic. I'm so unprepared. Anant would've never asked me if you hadn't asked him to." navya explained.
Payal heaved a great sigh. navya needed to be more open minded about romance.
"Didi, chill. It's not an exam. It's a date!" Payal said.
Navya slumped slump down onto Payal's bed. Payal took a seat beside her. navya looked miserable. She seemed so unwilling to spend the evening with her husband. Payal started to grow suspicious. This date thing was Anant's idea, so obviously he wanted to go out with her, but navya was so reluctant. Why was she so unwilling? Payal decided not to ask. Maybe it was just her sister being her unromantic self. Suddenly Payal's eyes grew wide in realization.
"Didi!" she exclaimed.
"What happened?" navya asked quickly, a little surprised at Payal's sudden outburst.
"What aren't you dressed yet? Jija-ji should be here any minute!" Payal nearly shouted.
"He told me to wait until he got home before getting ready." navya explained.
"What is he up to?" Payal questioned.
"Your guess is as good as mine." navya replied. "I'm going to go wait for him in my room."2
"Mmkay see ya!" called Payal as navya exited.
she walked into Anant's room. She didn't want Payal to ask any more questions. She had gone to Payal so she could take her attention away from this date, but Payal had made her even more nervous.
"Navya." Anant's voice called out.
navya spun around quickly facing the sofa where Anant was attentively perched. She neatly leaped out of skin upon setting sights on him. She hadn't even heard him come home.
"You scared me." navya said, trying to calm her breathing down.
"Sorry." anant chuckled. He stood up and walked towards navya. He handed her a flat box, wrapped in shiny wrapping paper.
"What is this?" navya asked.
"It's what I want you to wear tonight." anant replied.
navya looked down at the box and back up at Anant. A panicked expression appeared on her face. Anant's smile faded.
"It's not an evening gown, navya, or even worse, a pair of jeans." Anant said, mock horror in his tone. 4
"Then what is it?" navya asked suspiciously.
"Open it and find out." Anant mused.
navya cautiously unraveled the wrapping paper. She set it aside and worked on opening the box. Her eyes fell on bright red fabric. navya lifted the fabric up, examining it.
"A sari?" she said. "You bought me a sari? You hate when I wear sarees."
"I don't hate when you wear them. I just think you should wear something else once in a while." Anant defended. "Get ready. Take all the time you need. We leave in two hours." Anant walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Navya was absolutely elated. This was the first time Anant had given her a gift, and it was a beautiful gift. She rushed into the bathroom, eager to wear the sari. navya's happiness dwindled as she saw her reflection in the mirror. The sari was gorgeous. It was a bright red color with rose embellishments throughout. However, the blouse showed a lot more midriff than navya was comfortable with and the sleeves were much shorter than what she was used to. The part of the sari that draped over the shoulder was sheer, meaning it concealed nothing. navya sighed. She felt so exposed. She could've worn something else, but she didn't want to hurt Anant's feelings. Navya decided to continue getting ready. She did her hair and makeup rather quickly. She wasn't sure how elegant the venue would be, so she decided to go with a simple look. She was putting on her jewelry when there was a knock at the door.
"Payal." navya said aloud before making it towards the door.
"Payal, I haven't finished getting ready yet." navya said as she swung the door open.
It wasn't Payal who had knocked. It was Anant. His eyes raked over her's body. navya shied away from Anant's gaze. She instinctively crossed her arms over her stomach in an effort to hide what the sheer sari didn't. Anant frowned.
"You don't like it." He said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"No! I love it." navya said.
Anant looked at her suspiciously. He could tell she wasn't comfortable.
"It just shows a little more skin than I prefer." navya told him. 6
anant rolled his eyes. He took one of navya's hands and pulled her arm away so he could take a better look at her. She looked breathtakingly beautiful just as he had hoped she would when he bought her the sari. His eyes involuntarily traveled down her body again. When he looked back at her face, he noticed a deep blush had appeared. She was looking at the ground, avoiding eye contact with him.
"navya, you look great. If you're really that uncomfortable, I don't mind if you wear something else." Anant said. "I should tell you though, I'm the only who's going to see you. We'll be completely alone where we're going."
"I'm fine. It's really a lovely sari, Anant." she said. Now that she knew that only Anant would see her, she felt a lot more relaxed. "So," navya continued, changing the subject, "where are we going?"
"That's a surprise." anant said with a wink.
"Anant," navya protested.
"I'm not telling you. Now, come with me." anant grabbed her hand and rushed her to one of his luxury cars. He was in such a hurry that he didn't allow navya to even say goodbye to Payal. Anant took the keys from his driver. He opened the passenger side door for navya before positioning himself in the driver's seat. 1
"Ready to go?" he questioned.
she nodded briefly. navya revved the engine and began driving. navya stared out the window, taking in the scenery as they drove by. The city scenes soon meshed into countryside scenes. Displays of rolling, green hills and tall trees filled navya's vision. She looked over at Anant, who was focused intensely on the road. He glanced over at her and smiled.
"Are we almost there?" navya asked.
"Why? You can't stand being in the car with me for a few more hours?" Anant smirked.
"A few more hours?" navya said, horrified. They had already been driving for what seemed like an eternity.
"Relax. I was just kidding. We're almost there." Anant chuckled.
The car ride with Anant hadn't been unbearable. It had been quiet. They didn't speak much. Anant was focusing on driving, while navya continued gazing out the window taking in the scenery. 1
Since the ice was broken, Anant decided to continue the conversation.
"So when you think of a romantic date, what do you picture? Long walks on the beach? Watching the sunset? What?"he asked. He quickly glanced over at her, who was blushing. He grinned.
"I really don't know," navya admitted, "I've never been on a date." She added quietly.
"Come on, navya. You must have some idea." Anant insisted.
"Sunsets are nice." navya said.
"I'm sorry we missed it. Next time." Anant replied.
navya's heart skipped a beat. Anant, whether he realized it or not, just said he'd take her out on another date.
"We're here." Anant announced.
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