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“That’s not important,” I argue. “I have something more important to share.”

She is about to agree to my demand when suddenly the huge screen connected to the projector turns on and the video of Aarav and my wedding plays on it. No!!!! He shot it? When? Were there cameras installed in that temple where he married me?

My grip on Daadi’s arm loosens as everyone stares at the video, watching the clips of me and Aarav completing the marriage rituals, including him carrying me in his arms during the pheras. My mouth dries. He has intelligently cropped the video to portray that I had my approval for this wedding. It doesn’t look like he blackmailed me to do so, or I was least interested in him.

Daadi glares back at me with shock and then stares at the screen again. The questions in her eyes scare me. Why did Aarav do this now when I was about to confront her? Now I understand why Aarav threw this party and invited Daadi and Mohit. He wanted to claim me as his wife before the public – another blow to the Raichand family in his race to destroy them.

My body shivers, legs tremble as the video ends and the lights are turned on again, putting me in focus along with Aarav Raichand. People have already started gossiping with each other when Aarav speaks again.

“That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. I got married to this beautiful woman called Jhanvi Sikand two days back in the most low-profile style, keeping that event very private.”

The light on me intensifies, and every pair of eyes in the party have their gazes on me as Aarav continues. “Jhanvi Sikand is now Mrs. Jhanvi Aarav Raichand.”

The moment he says this, people clap and soon I am surrounded by unknown guests congratulating me and Aarav separately. I am literally pushed away from Daadi who stares at me with a shocking expression on her face and tears in her eyes. This is what I was afraid of. It’s all my fault. I should have known Aarav would play a stunt like this and ruin every opportunity I had to share this news first. It was my duty to confess everything to Mohit and Daadi when I had the time to do so, and I failed miserably.

CHAPTER 11

Aarav

I did it!! Yet again!! Seeing the dread on Durga Raichand’s face has been my dream for the past few years, and now that it’s fulfilled, it makes me proud. She never even imagined I would play this card. That I would marry the woman, she wanted her other grandson to marry. I can see Mohit in the same stupor, at the bar counter, though I am sure the moment he comes out of it, he will pounce on me for answers. He’ll not believe this so easily. I finally managed to shake Durga Raichand and Mohit’s personal lives too.

Whilst I am still busy taking wishes from the guests and mentally celebrating my win tonight, my gaze falls back on Jhanvi, who is crowded by people passing their wishes, and she has no effing clue what to do about it. Though I am still far from her, I don’t miss her teary eyes and the confusion on her face mixed with pain and anger. She might burst out crying if these people don’t stop wishing her for our marriage. I quickly gesture to my guards to take care of the situation, who takes over the guest management, insisting everyone get inside the Party Hall for dinner and desserts.

The moment everyone disperses, I make my way to Jhanvi, who looks terribly mad at me for presenting the truth of our relationship like this.

“How could you?” she mutters, holding her tears.

“What did you expect? I will marry you and never claim you as my wife?”

She is about to say something when Mohit reaches us. He cannot stand on his own, all thanks to the countless pegs of vodka he had a while ago.

“You married my Jhanvi?” Mohit scowls.

“She was never yours, Mohit,” I rebuke. “You and your grandmother knew that very well all these years.”

That’s true. Jhanvi’s father always kept telling Dad that he would like his daughter to marry me once we grow up. That he saw his potential son-in-law in me and would very much like to change their friendship more meaningful and stronger by getting Jhanvi married to me. Durga Raichand had known that too, but she never supported it, and after that accident when she gave shelter to Jhanvi, she had already started dreaming of making her Mohit’s wife in the future.

Mohit tries to clutch my collar but two of my guards stop him and pull him behind. He struggles but is no use.

“Leave him,” Jhanvi shouts at me and though it hurts seeing her taking their side still, I play it cool. I don’t want to hurt her more than she already is tonight.

“That’s true. Your father wanted to get you married to me. I have heard him telling that to my father. You were mine, Jhanvi and your father had approved that when he was alive.”

Jhanvi gives me a scathing look.

“You want me to believe a man who has always played his tricks on me? Never,” she shouts. “And it doesn’t matter what Dad had planned. If he knew you would turn out so revengeful when you grow up, he would never have wished you to even be around me.”

Jhanvi is hurt, so I ignore her words at the moment. But they hurt me, I admit. Durga Raichand, who was lost in this entire drama, finally returns to us, and I get this moment to interact with her where, for a change, I am the one who is on the winning side.

“You are lying,” she screams. “If you think by showing us a photoshopped video, we will believe you married Jhanvi, then you are the biggest fool.”

“I have the uncut version of this video too, Durga Raichand,” I snap.

I have always called her by her full name. Despite being my grandmother, she doesn’t deserve to be called so when she never acknowledged me as her own blood.

Aman quickly reaches me with a file and I show it to her.

“The court has approved the marriage papers which Jhanvi signed before we performed the rituals.”

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