Page 27 of Married in Vengeance

“Aadhu, I love you. But you’ve been known to do some fucked up shit. Now, rack your brains and tell me what you did to piss off that ridiculously gorgeous but horrifically uptight man you married.”

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Aadhya hissed. “I mean,I did him,but I didn’t do anything to him. You think I haven’t been going over all our time together in my head. Over and over and over?”

“Then,” Gayatri sat up, her school principal face on. “Ask him again.

“I’m telling you.” Aadhya shoved her hands through her tangled curls in frustration. “He’s not telling me anything.”

“Then I’ll ask him.” Gayatri shoved off the bed and started to march towards Ram who was backing away from Pooja and her intrusive finger.

“Gayu no!” Aadhya scrambled to keep her friend back. “Please don’t get involved.”

“You got me involved by using me as a human contraceptive.” Gayatri was struggling to keep her voice down. “Isn’t that what you’re doing? You invited all of us over so that you didn’t have to be alone with him?”

Aadhya saw Ram glance over at them.

“I invited you all over because I wanted to annoy him,” Aadhya muttered.

“Gee thanks,” Gayu said sarcastically. “Nice to know I’m an annoyance for hire.”

“And because I didn’t want to be alone with him.” Aadhya swung her leg, scuffing her flip flop against the shag pile carpet they were standing on.

“Guys!” Gayatri raised her voice, her school principal voice coming to the fore now. Like good children, everyone in the room quietened. The music continued to blare. “Party’s over,” Gayatri said. “Let’s go.”

She took it for granted that everyone was going to obey her, which to be fair, they automatically did. Gayatri had that invisible something that frightened the shit out of people without them quite understanding why.

Ram shot her a deeply grateful look that Aadhya resented. He never looked at her with nice expressions like that. All she got was scowls, glares, and frozen nothingness.

“Fix your shit, Aadhya Reddy,” Gayatri instructed now, her voice low enough for only Aadhya to hear. She reached over and hugged Aadhya tight. “I love you babe. Don’t give up until it’s time to actually do so.”

“And how will I know when it’s time?” Aadhya hugged her friend back, wishing she didn’t have to go. Once she left, Aadhya would be left alone with the Unbearable Grump.

An ineffable something flashed over Gayatri’s face as she pulled back. “You’ll know, sweetie. We all know when we hit the wall of no-return.”

Aadhya squeezed her friend’s hand in comfort, knowing Gayatri’s painful past but also knowing that she shouldn’t mention it. Not if she didn’t want Gayu to grind her stiletto into her foot.

“It was nice to meet you again, Ram,” Gayatri said sweetly as she herded the others towards the door. “Sorry about the mess.”

“Not at all,” he said politely. “Aadhya’s friends are always welcome in our home.”

It was impressive really, Aadhya reflected, how absolutely genuine he sounded when he said that.

“Waaaiiiit,” Nidhi screeched, stumbling back towards the center of the room. “I haven’t said bye to Ram as yet.”

“That’s not necessary,” Gayatri said hastily, grabbing for her and missing. An ominous gurgle came from Nidhi that had Aadhya’s instincts screaming.

It all happened in slow motion from that point on. Horror tended to do that; slow down action and time.

Aadhya reached for Ram intending to yank him out of the way but slipped, the palm of her hand slamming into Ram’s back and propelling him forward instead.

The gurgle got louder and a second later, Nidhi threw up all the alcohol she’d been guzzling from the moment she’d arrived.

All over, Ram’s perfectly polished, gleaming black shoes.

Aadhya’s horrified gaze rose from the mess on the floor to meet her husband’s murderous gaze.

Oh dear. This wasn’t good.

Fifteen

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