Page 76 of One Hellish Desire

“And Devki Estate?” Mom snaps. “Is that a petty issue too? I don’t think so. Your grandmother wants to stay close to this place. How will you convince her not to?”

Now I am speechless. In all this, I actually forgot how I will convince Daadi to stay with us abroad. Forever?

MAAHI

Meera Singh Grover will never accept me as her daughter-in-law, nor do I have any affection for her. Since Vikram and I announced our marriage, she hasn’t even looked at me, let alone spoken to me. She’s clearly disappointed in her son, but that’s his concern, not mine. My only worry was Daadi’s approval, and I have it. Now, I’m at my boutique, and so is my friend Preet.

“Shopping?” I ask her as she picks a few of my bridal designs from the collection.

“Yes, but not for me. You are the bride, Maahi, and every bride needs the perfect dress for her wedding.”

I know. I had imagined a different wedding for myself, unlike what I’ve settled for. There will be no rituals, just a court marriage. As if reading my mind, Preet grabs my arm.

“Just say it. I’m sure he will fulfill it too,” she teases.

I don’t comprehend her words until she explains.

“Believe me, I have this gut feeling he can cross any borders for you.”

Really? I don’t believe this.

“Why is everyone believing his feelings for me except me?”

“Well,” Preet chuckles. “Don’t you see he has sacrificed Devki Estate for you? You told me how much that land means to his father and their business. Yet, he has agreed to your condition of giving up his rights to that property only for you.”

I nod. He has agreed to that, and I have no doubts.

“So, Maahi,” she pinches my cheeks, “if he can sacrifice that, his feelings for you have to be strong. Don’t you think he could have any other woman swooning for his attention? Why is he stuck on you then? And marriage? That’s a big decision for a man who lives abroad and could easily settle for live-in relationships rather than giving his partner a permanent commitment. Don’t you think so?”

Preet’s words force me to think along those lines. Prince Pompous’s so-called feelings for me do seem strong, but despite all that, if he thinks he can rule my life and make decisions for me, I will never agree. My phone buzzes with an incoming message, which I reluctantly open. It’s from Vikram.

‘Send me your passport details.’

I flinch, knowing why he needs those details. He wants me to fly with him to the US and is preparing for my visa. I never thought he would be this quick.

“What?” Preet queries, seeing me lost. “Some ‘miss you’ message from your man?”

“Worse than that,” I sigh. “He wants my passport details.”

“Wow. That man is quick.”

Yes, he is, but now it’s high time we talk about our future living arrangements. I know he assumes I will fly to the US with him forever, but he is clearly mistaken. He and his family abandoned Daadi; I won’t.

VIKRAM

It’s been three hours since I asked Maahi for her passport details, and she hasn’t replied. At first, I thought she might be busy, but it’s impossible she hasn’t checked her messages for this long. She cannot ignore me if that’s what she’s doing. Ever since Mom asked if Daadi would agree to move with us to the US permanently, I’ve been thinking about it non-stop. I know Maahi will never leave Daadi, so I must convince Daadi somehow. While working on that, I’ve also started preparing their permanent documents for the move.

“Vikram,” Daadi knocks on my door, and I quickly rush to let her in. “Is Maahi working today?”

“She is,” I nod.

“When will she shop for the wedding then? I know it’s a court marriage, but I still want her to look her best and wear something traditional.”

Traditional? I smile, knowing how stunning she’ll look. The thought of her decked up for our wedding fills me with crazy anticipation.

“Look at this,” Daadi says, pulling out a red designer saree from her bag. “I bought this for Maahi for her wedding day.”

I touch the fabric, already picturing Maahi in it. She’ll look breathtaking.

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