Page 46 of Twisted Deceit
She had seen an older couple standing behind him during the wedding and assumed they had to be his parents. She was told the couple was on a holy journey to get the precious stones and jewels blessed at the fifty-one temples to start commissioning the Goddess statue.
Their car ride was silent, and she meant to start a conversation a few times, but he looked intensely at his phone every time she glanced his way.
Was he avoiding her?
He had to be. He had been cold from the time she kissed him in his office. It was probably best because Aadhya had no explanation for her actions lately.
If anyone were to ask her what her end game was, she would not know since anything she did, she wasn’t thinking, let alone planning it. From the time she kissed him in his office for no reason, she had been staying away from her husband. She stayed with her friends in the guest rooms their entire stay, and she had no other option but to return to her husband that night. She wondered if they were staying at the Thakvar mansion that night.
How was she supposed to face him after kissing him for no reason a few days ago?
She was pulled out of her thoughts when his phone started to ring. “Shivay, we are almost there.” A long pause later. “Okay. I’ll talk to you when we get there.”
Aadhya thought it would be an opportune moment to ask the questions that reeled in her mind. “Will your other brother and his wife also be there for their three-month ceremony?”
“No. It would just be Shivay and Ishani.” It wasn’t until days after her marriage to Nakul that she learned about Rishab and Gauri Bhil’s wedding from her aunt. They were married a day before their ceremony.
“Not today; they performed the ritual yesterday.” His tone was not curt, but his message was limited like he didn’t want to prolong the conversation.
Aadhya decided to hold off on asking further questions. She still could not comprehend the mindset of her husband and his brothers to leave their luxurious lives abroad to fight for the region’s peace. Lost in thought, she kept to herself.
Soon, they were at the gates of the mansion. As soon as the car entered the compound, she was in a safe haven. A feeling very few places had in her mind, and she found it surprising that she had the connection even though she had never visited the place before.
The vehicle pulled up in front of the main doors. A set of stairs led to the door, and she noticed the entrance was beautifully decorated with yellow and orange marigolds. She was meeting his family for the first time but was not anxious about it.
A group of women was waiting to welcome them, and in front of them stood a tall man with the same eyes as Nakul. Next to him was a beautiful woman decked up in traditional clothes with a sweet smile.
Aadhya looked forward to getting to know Ishani. In her excitement, she took a step too fast as she ascended the stairs, and her foot slipped.
She lost her balance and knew there was nothing to grab onto. The only thing to do was brace herself, but her fall soon broke. She felt a strong arm steady her, and she heard the collective gasps of the women as her husband held her to him. “Watch it,” he said before letting her go to lead her up the stairs by holding her hand.
Shivay and Ishani smiled as one of the women held up a tray of burning camphor. She ran the tray in circles in front of her and Nakul. “Aadhya, welcome home.”
Aadhya smiled at the woman. “Thank you.” As they approached, she averted her eyes to look at Shivay and Ishani. “Shivay and Ishani, it is so good to meet you finally.”
“Likewise,” Ishani said and added, “Please come. We have everything ready for the ritual.”
The woman who had performed the welcome ritual cleared her voice and said, “We heard that Aadhya has a beautiful voice. We would love to hear her sing before we start the ritual.”
How did the Thakvar people know about her singing?
Aadhya was not in the habit of singing in public, and she panicked a bit. And a moment later, a cool breeze swept over her, and she felt at ease. It was as if she was in the middle of the gardens at the Kanwar mansion, where she had sweet memories with her aunt, like the patio at the Jangid fort, where she had precious memories with her mother.
Looking at the women gathered, she smiled and said, “I’d love to.” She caught the puzzled look in her husband’s eyes but ignored him and took a deep breath.
Aadhya chose a simple song, one of her aunt’s favorites, and by the end of the song, the people gathered were smiling with joy, warming her chest.
“That was so beautiful,” Ishani smiled before leading her to the house's main entrance.
Later that afternoon, Aadhya stood to one side of the living room, looking at the large Thakvar family portrait. It was similar to one mounted on the wall at the Kanwar mansion. She wondered if the extended family had moved out of Singoor due to the unrest, just like her relatives had to the nearby city.
It felt nice for the four of them to sit together and chat. Nakul’s older brother was not much of a talker, but his wife made up for it with her enthusiasm. She enjoyed talking to her and, a couple of times, caught her husband observing her, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
Why was he looking at her like that?
Ishani excused herself to arrange for some refreshments, and soon after, the brothers excused themselves when they got a phone call, leaving her alone in the large open space. She started exploring the space, admiring the beautiful artwork and memories on the walls.
“Where did the brothers go?” Ishani asked, pulling Aadhya out of her observations.
