Sorry if there are any errors, wrote this one in a hurry, and now I head off to bed. I know the story's taking forever to get to the "suhaag raat", but bear with me. Will respond to comments tomorrow morning! Just wanted to post a part before I slept tonight. Enjoy!
Chapter 3 (I)
Later that day, Prachi sat in the conference room with her best friend and lawyer, Neev Shergill. Neev and Prachi had known each other all their lives, and most had thought that the two would eventually end up marrying. Prachi, too, had thought that her platonic relationship would amount to a romantic one. Life had other plans for her, however.
She'd been confided in by both Neev and Ayesha that they secretly was in love with each other. This had come as a surprise to Prachi because all Neev and Ayesha ever did was bicker. she supposed the term 'opposites attract' held true here: the two were different as chalk and cheese. Neev was a very laid back, fun loving guy, while Ayesha was a lot more uptight, and serious.
They sat there twiddling their thumbs, waiting for Milind to arrive with his lawyer. The usually talkative Neev was oddly quiet today. The news of his best friend entering into a contract marriage, that too with a crazed, ambitious man like Milind Mishra had more than left him unsettled. Prachi seemed determined however, almost to the point of obstinacy. Perhaps he could change Milind's mind.
As the doors to the conference room swung open, Prachi and Neev were both surprised to find Milind standing in the doorway with a rather angry looking Ayesha. Prachi gulped. She'd forgotten that her sister was Milind's lawyer.
She felt herself shrinking lower into her chair. Neev, sensing her discomfort, tried to distract Ayesha. "Wow Ayesha, did the sun rise out of the west today?"
"What?" Ayesha asked, thoroughly confused, yet irritated.
"You're actually looking presentable today. Kya bath hain?" Neev chuckled.
If looks could kill, Neev Shergill would be a dead man right now.
Milind, though watching the scene before him, was in a world of his own. Prachi wasn't wearing her usual shapeless, colorless business suit today. She'd worn a casual green salwar suit, her jet black mop of hair flowing freely past her shoulders. Milind was only human, and a man at that, and as a man, he too appreciated beauty when he saw it. And Prachi Shah was nothing if not beautiful. Milind was perturbed to say the least.
Ayesha turned to Prachi and was about to give her little sister the tongue lashing of a lifetime when she stopped herself, seeing Prachi's obvious apprehension. Forcing herself to calm down, she only spoke when her initial anger subsided.
"Prachi tum ye kya kar rahi ho? I understand how important dad's company is to you, but is it worth gambling your life with?"
Prachi bit her lip. She was still hazy about the details, but she knew this had to be done.
For once, Neev was in agreement with Ayesha. Prachi and Milind had no idea what they were about to do. Business was business, and marriage was marriage, and Prachi would soon find out that weighing them on the same scale would be the biggest mistake of her life.
Milind and Prachi were determined, however, and three excruciatingly long hours later, a formal contract was drawn. It was decided that Shah Hotels will be formally renamed to "Shah-Mishra Hotels", that they Milind would assume the position of CEO in the company, and Prachi would head the HR. There was no pre-nup, as there would be no divorce. This was indeed a contract for life.
Ayesha walked out of the conference room without a word to Prachi, and Neev left to attend to other business.
Prachi and Milind walked silently on opposite sides of the hallway. They were now bound to each other for life, by contract. An unsettling dread spread through Prachi's heart. Tonight Milind and his family would come to her house and ask her family for her hand in marriage. Prachi felt like invisible walls were closing in on her, and she had no way out.
Milind, on the other hand, felt relieved. Not that he wasn't anxious about the sudden turn his life was taking, but he was happy that his goals as a businessman were taking shape. He could finally see the faint light at the end of the tunnel. He only hoped that it wasn't that of an oncoming train.
CID
Bigg Boss 19
