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“She doesn’t want to speak to you or your boss. You get that?”

“Two things, Miss Parekh,” he snaps. “Low down your tone and let your friend speak for herself.”

Jaya is about to retort, but I hold her hand and gesture her not to. I always believe in peace. Such fights spoil everyone’s mood.

“Sorry,” he looks at me again. “I didn’t introduce myself. I am Aman Mathur. Aarav’s childhood friend and also the VP of his company.”

Anyone related to Aarav is my enemy now, so I don’t reciprocate his smile.

“If only you were not related to Aarav, I would have said it was nice meeting you, Aman.”

My reply brings another fresh smile to his handsome face.

“Aarav is not that bad.”

“Friends lie for friends. You are no different. Now please move.”

He doesn’t obey my orders and instead quickly types something on his phone and then looks at us again.

“I can’t let you leave until Aarav approves. In fact, you don’t have to leave anywhere. This is where you belong now. This is your home, Jhanvi. You have married Aarav.”

“I don’t consider that as marriage. He blackmailed me and no matter how much you and he try to frame it in the positive light, I will never accept it. Now walk away.”

His phone beeps. Aman quickly checks his message with a frown.

“Fine,” he turns back to us. “I hope someday you will give this relationship a chance. Be safe.”

He moves away and me and Jaya quickly make ourselves out of the mansion. Was that Aarav’s message he got? Did he really let me leave?

CHAPTER 13

Aarav

I let Jhanvi leave my mansion. Not for long though. Wherever she goes, I will make sure she returns to me. I watch Jhanvi and her friend Jaya step out of the mansion and get in the cab, which the latter might have booked for them. I know exactly where they are going. Jhanvi wants to clear the misunderstanding between her and Durga Raichand and Mohit. She will not stop until that happens, I am aware. Cunningly, my wife ignored wearing the outfits I chose for her. Not surprising, but I really had a good time selecting those for her and ordering them on priority after bringing her home.

Last night I couldn’t sleep at all, which is strange. My plan had succeeded. I won my first round of the raging war between me and the other Raichands by marrying Jhanvi and also publicly announcing her as mine before the world, but oddly I was so restless throughout since I brought Jhanvi into this mansion. Though I got to meet her once after she was conscious, I still wanted to know if she was doing well, did she eat or was she able to rest. And all these thoughts were so crazy that I couldn’t stop myself from actually sneaking into the room which she and Jaya had occupied last night. I obviously have the master key of every room, so I used it to enter and check on Jhanvi. She was sleeping next to Jaya on the same bed, but her quilt had fallen behind and she was shivering. I didn’t wait for another second to grab a thick comforter from the closet and then covered her properly, hoping that would help. And it did. Her shivering stopped, but I knew this change in her bodily reactions would wake her up and I didn’t want her to be scared of finding me in that room at that late hour. So, before she could wake up, I had left the room.

In the morning, asking the maid to pass Jhanvi the stuff I bought for her, I left for this important meeting I have today with Mehta, which I couldn’t skip despite knowing my presence with Jhanvi was more important than me earning billions here. Aman stayed there and kept an eye on the ladies so that he can pass me every information about what was happening back there. I also have this secret camera installed in the living room of my mansion whose feed I can watch on my phone anytime. That’s why when Aman messaged me Jhanvi was leaving, I quickly turned the live feed on and saw the current situation back home.

Jhanvi seemed better than last night and since I knew she would not stop herself from meeting the other Raichands, I asked Aman to let her go. So now she is riding back to Raichand Mansion and I believe she doesn’t know how I am going to turn it in my favor. Again!!

CHAPTER 14

Jhanvi

My steps falter as I get down from the cab at Raichand Mansion. I have spent so much time at this place which was going to be my home had I married Mohit, but not everything works the way we want. Jaya presses my arm.

“Let’s get inside.”

The maids cleaning the mansion smile at me and though I smile back at them, I know I won’t be getting the same warm treatment from Mohit and Daadi. They hate me for what happened. They think I chose Aarav over them and they don’t believe why I had to do so. As we enter the mansion, the first person I see is Daadi in the living room. She is having her late morning tea as she is used to. The moment she sees me, I find her eyes softening just like every other time, but soon the memories of last night take over and she gets up from her seat.

“Why are you here?”

I leave Jaya’s hand and stride to Daadi.

“You have to listen to my side, Daadi. If you don’t, who will?”

“Aarav will,” she mocks. “You married him. Now he is your family, isn’t he?”

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