Page 47 of Twisted Deceit
“Oh, they got a phone call.” She smiled, taking in the detail of the woman’s outfit.
Ishani’s eyes trailed to where her husband and Nakul stood speaking on the phone, matching smiles on their faces.
“Must be an important call,” Ishani said, adding as if to distract her. “I have something that you’ll like to see. Come with me.”
Aadhya smiled and followed Ishani. It was rare for her to connect with someone so quickly the first time, and she was glad she felt comfortable with Ishani.
Was it because she knew Ishani had a similar type of marriage to hers except for the contract?
*****
Later that evening, she stayed in the main dining area an hour after dinner, avoiding her husband. It would be her first night back after kissing him in his office. She avoided his eyes and clung to her aunt’s side after returning from the Thakvar mansion.
She stayed on the patio off the dining area, hoping to avoid any conversations and go to their shared space after he fell asleep. She looked out into the gardens, remembering her time at the Thakvar mansion.
Ishani was excited to show off her favorite spot in the mansion, her library. The portrait of Nandini Thakvar, Nakul’s aunt, who was also her aunt’s best friend, was the highlight in the library.
What was a real surprise was to see a picture of her aunt and Nandini Thakvar in an old photo album as young girls. Even though it was her first visit, she felt comfortable with the people at the Thakvar mansion, which was rare for her.
“How long are you going to do this?” she grumbled under her breath and sat on the marble bench looking out into the open gardens with the fountain.
She didn’t know how long she sat on the outdoor bench before she heard footsteps approaching the dining area. She was in a dark spot on the patio and wondered who was up that late at night. She was the only one with a reason to because she could not be found sleeping in the guest rooms nor could she go to her bedroom before her husband fell asleep.
“Aadhya, let’s go.” She knew who it was before even he appeared in the dimly lit doorway. “We need to talk.”
She swallowed. “Oh, you’re still up?” It terrified her to have a conversation with him.
“Yes, let’s go.” He didn’t wait for her to come up with something clever to stall the talk he wanted to have. “Aadhya, now.” His voice was suddenly stern, and she got off the bench.
“I’m coming.” She could not avoid him; it was probably best to rip the band-aid off.
Aadhya muddled through a million different responses she could come up with, including the pillow theory for snuggling up against him the past few days after he fell asleep and for kissing him in his office. She told herself she would feign losing consciousness if the conversation got unmanageable or worse, maybe kiss him into silence again and run away until next time.
Whatever you do, don’t kiss him!
She approached the double doors of the master suite she had avoided the past few days and walked past him as he held the door open for her. She considered running into the bathroom and hiding there all night to avoid facing him, but she knew it wouldn’t work.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked, still avoiding his eyes.
“I need to attend another event and this one, I need you to go with me again.” His voice was calm, and she was suddenly relieved that he wasn’t confronting her about her behavior.
She turned to face him. “I’d love to go. When do we need to go?”
He stepped closer to her. “I’ll tell you.”
She scrunched her nose. “Why can’t you tell me now?”
“You’ll know once I have all the details.” He was being adamant again.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” She started to walk toward her dressing room when he held her by her elbow.
“I didn’t say we were done talking.” His voice was gruff.
She slowly turned to look at him. “And if you intend to work with me, you need to trust me.”
Did she trust him?
“I trust you to do the right thing for the people of the region,” the words escaped her before she could process her thoughts.
