Padmanabh massaged his forehead as he waited outside his grandfather's study. He is waiting for his grandfather to finish meeting with his board members. He loosened the tie around his neck and looked at the painting before him.
Numerous renovations have occurred outside the palace. The paint on the walls is beginning to fade, and he is uncertain whether they will also work on the paintings. The murals are being restored, but the seasonal doors that were once open to tourists are now closed because visitors have been damaging the paint and behaving inappropriately with the doors.
While he waited in the drawing room, the nearby guard brought him tea. He stood up and paced around, admiring the oldest paintings. Vividly, he recalled entering this room as a teenager alongside his father. In this very office, his grandfather taught him lessons and where he frequently spun the most elaborate lies.
The door opened, and Mr Kamatâ Who had been Bhawani Singh's assistant for fifty years, stepped out. Padmanabh gave a respectable nod. "Kamma Gani, Kamat Dada. How are you?" Kamat smiled and stepped forward to hug Padmanabh. "I'm good. . . I'm good. . . How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. Is marriage life keeping you on your toes around your wife?" Kamat joked, patting Padmanabh's back. Padmanabh chuckled and shook his head. "Just busy with work, dada."
Kamat snorted and brushed off the invisible dust on Padmanabh's shoulder. "You should take it slow and concentrate on present moments. This phase in marriage will not come again, and you two will not have the same energy later."
Padmanabh gave an awkward smile while Kamat went on about how he needed to spend the honeymoon phase with his wife, not in the office. "Ohâ Where is my mind! Your dadaji is wating for you. Heads up, he is slightly cranky about the meeting that went on from the morning. If it's about the business, I will ask you to discuss it later. He is not in a good mood, and your dadima is also here."
Padmanabh sighed and knew his dadima was going to hell. His grandfather understood if things didn't go as he planned. Kamat patted once more before allowing Padmanabh to enter the office. Kamat left to give the trio privacy. Falguni Singh turned around and found Padmanabh. "Pacho. . . What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Bhawani Singh frowned his brows when he saw a tense Padmanabh.
*
Bhawani Singh shook his head. "I don't know if it is going to work out. Vrishaliâ Vrishali seems happy being here with her family. Give her some time to adjust and stop making assumptions on your own."Â Falguni Singh placed her hand on Bhawani Singh's, stopping him from saying something that might hurt Padmanabh.
Padmanabh nodded. It might look like she's getting used to the new surroundings, but underneath, she's feeling a bit sad, and it's tough for me to see her unhappy. Although she enjoys spending time with her cousins, this isn't quite what she had envisioned. We have a nice age gap; I've had the chance to experience what I wanted to during my prime years. I had dreams of attending my dream college, and I fulfilled that aspiration. I enjoyed living there, but when it was time to leave, I returned alone, reflecting on my journey."
"All I'm saying is that Vrishali has the right to live up to her dreams. I do not want my wife to adjust according to this marriage. She is an individual, and I'm an understanding individual. I don't want her to be here and regret giving up on her dreams." Falguni and Bhawani Singh share a look. Padmanabh controlled himself from tapping his fingers against his thigh.
"Pacho, we know you are looking out for Vrishali. You have taken good care of her, but have you realised that if Vrishali returns to New York, she might not be able to return to India for another three years."
"Yes, I'm willing to send her to New York and I have thought about the long term. Iâ I do not have any problem or discomfort with it. I'm worried about her. I hope you two understand where I'm coming from." Padmanabh breathed out, meeting his grandfather's eyes. "It's a bit tough, but I believe that Vrishali is going to return, or whatever decision she is going to take, I'm going to be happy with that."
"Have you discussed this with Vrishali? As her husband, you can only support her decision. You have no right to make decisions for her," Bhawani Singh said. "I'm going to discuss this with Vrishali. I know where I'm standing and won't make decisions for her."
Bhawani Singh grunted in agreement. "It's in between you two, wife and husband. We are outsiders in your marriage and will not be in the middle of any of the matters." Falguni smiled. "I agree with Bhawani. . . We will not be involved, and I'm happy to hear your thoughts. I hope Vrishali is going to be happy with the decision."
Diya Kumari moved away from the door as she heard what she had to hear. She had been unsure about it before, having overheard Padmanabh speak with Vijay. She wanted to make sure what she had heard was the truth, so she walked away with a smile.
*
Vrishali played on her phone as she waited for Padmanabh. He mentioned that his grandparents had invited them for breakfast. She was free for the day as she had submitted all her assignments and was preparing to take her exams next month. She was dressed in a cotton T-shirt and jeans. Another ten minutes passed, and Padmanabh stepped into the living room.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realise the alarm was ringing." Vrishali took her chance to check on Padmanabh. He brushed his wet hair away from his face, his gaze fixed on his phone. "We should get going. We would be late." Vrishali got off the sofa and followed him out.
Once they were inside the car, Vrishali opened his mouth. "So, what's the occasion?" Padmanabh glanced back at the road. He gulped down the lump. He had planned to take her for lunch and discuss the plan, but his grandmother had called in the morning, asking them to join him for breakfast.
"No occasion. Dadima wants to see us and asks us to join you for breakfast." Vrishali nods and looks out of the window. It had been a few days since they had spent time with the family at the city palace. Vrishali had noticed that Padmanabh rarely spends his time at the city palace.
*
Padmanabh pulled the chair out for Vrishali. They apologised for being late and joined the table. Vrishali's gaze met Diya Kumari's, who was smirking for some unknown reason. Vrishali brushed off the negative vibes she was getting. They exchanged greetings, the food was served, and they started eating.
Padmanabh glanced at Vrishali's plate, continued talking with his father, and added the baked beans to her plate. Vrishali frowned but didn't complain like she would if they were in their home. She could feel Diya Kumari's gaze on her a couple of times. She spoke with Falguni Singh and tried to concentrate.
Once the breakfast was done, they moved to the family room. Vrishali is sitting beside Falguni Singh, talking about her projects. Vrishali excused herself to use the restroom. Her gaze went to Padmanabh, who was conversing seriously with his grandfather.
Vrishali stood before the vanity mirror, staring at the reflection and not understanding the feeling of dread. She was standing there for the past five minutes. Diya Kumari and Narendra Kumar had excused themselves. Vrishali stepped out of the washroom and started walking towards the family room when she halted.
She heard her father-in-law mutter something, but it was too low to hear. "I'm telling you the truth: Padmanabh is sending Vrishali back to New York! I heard it with my ears!" A cold shiver ran through her body when Vrishali heard Diya Kumari's voice.
"What are you talking about? Keep your voice low and stop this nonsense." Narendra hissed. Diya Kumari let out a laugh. "I'm not speaking nonsense. I ran into Padmanabh to speak with your parents. He told them it would be good to send her back as they didn't feel the connection. He is unhappy with their bond. Do you know that they have slept in different rooms all these months? They are not trying, and our son is unhappy with this marriage!"
Vrishali held on to the wall, stepped away, and tried to blink the tears from her eyes. "What are you talking? They live together, and theyâ"
"Oh shut up, it doesn't mean anything. They live in the same house, not in the same room! I knew what was happening in the house, and our maid mentioned that they didn't even have meals together. Padmanabh comes home late, and she doesn't even have time to wait for him."
"If he is coming late, why do you blame Vrishali for not waiting? She has classes in the morning. How could you say that? Andâ Stop spying on them. Padmanabh won't let it slide if he learns that you have the maid tell everything to you."
"Keep your voice down," Diya Kumari snorted. "I won't believe you, and I know my son. He is not going to do that. He adores her, and IÂ Just keep your mouth shut." Vrishali rushed back to the restroom. She closed the door and stood before the vanity mirror. Her heart is beating against her ribcage.
'Is he really going to send me back to New York?'
'He doesn't feel any connection with her?'
'What about the dinners and cooking together? Isn't it a bond?'
Vrishali shakes her head, turns on the tap and throws the cold water on her face. "This isn't real. Whatever it is, I shouldn't be trusting Diya Kumari's words. She never likes me, and she can always lie about things. Let's not conclude hearing Padmanabh." Vrishali gave herself a pep talk.
*
Padmanabh's gaze went to Vrishali, who walked into the room. There was an ominous feeling, and he tried hard to shrug it off, but he couldn't. Vrishali took her seat and tried hard to concentrate on what they were saying. It was hard.
"So, Padmanabh, when is Vrishali leaving for New York?" Diya Kumari asked. Everyone in the room froze; Padmanabh's gaze met Vrishali's. Padmanabh's brows frowned, and the dread started setting in. He didn't want Vrishali to know about it this way.
"What are you talking about, Ma?" Diya Kumari raised her brow at him. "Am I wrong, sasuma? Wasn't Vrishali supposed to leave for New York? Please correct me if I'm wrong." Falguni Singh stayed silent,t and Narendra looked at everyone. "What is happening here? Why didn't anyone inform me that my daughter-in-law is leaving?"
Padmanabh massaged his forehead. Vrishali kept her gaze on the cookie basket. Her heart beats faster than ever, and she has no idea what's happening. "IâI."
"Padmanabh and Vrishali are leaving now. They have plans, so we better not disturb them," Bhawani Singh said. "Leave with your wife." Padmanabh took it as a sign and stood up, Vrishali following.
*
Vrishali blankly stared at Padmanabh while he nervously drank his mint tea. They were at an empty coffee house. "Iâ I was going to talk about it with you. I was supposed to have this discussion with you."
Vrishali barely nodded and allowed him to continue. Padmanabh scratched his forehead. "I know this came out as a surprise and shock. I was going to ask if you want to return to New York. You can return and follow your dreams."
"You do not have to explain yourself." Vrishali's sentence took aback Padmanabh. "I will go to New York." Padmanabh was utterly stunned, his eyes locked onto hers in a profound silence. She felt an overwhelming urge to ask more questions, yet an invisible barrier prevented her from doing so. The intensity of their gaze seemed to thicken the air between them, creating a palpable tension that enveloped the moment. Finally, unable to withstand the intensity, Vrishali broke their connection and glanced away, her thoughts swirling in the aftermath of that charged encounter.