ManVik SS : The Veil between Us (Part 3 Updated) - Page 7

Its amazing Meera 👏..the conversation between ManVik was absolutely amazing 👏 😍 👌...waiting for next part ❤

Originally posted by: Shemer

Its amazing Meera 👏..the conversation between ManVik was absolutely amazing 👏 😍 👌...waiting for next part ❤

Thank you so much Shemer!

I'm glad you liked ManVik's conversation.

I'll update the next part soon.

Part 3

Vikrant's eyes refused to leave the discarded belt lying on the floor beside his father's feet. His temple broke out in pain. His chest weighed a ton. Something was gnawing his gut. He couldn’t wrap his head around the things that’s happening around him. His brain was going on an overdrive, trying to make sense of the situation. Trying to retrieve the last night. Every second crawled by in torture. It was almost an hour ago he woke up with a heavy head to the horrifying sight of his life. Mallika was lying next to him on his bed, wrapped in just a bedsheet. And he was shirtless. The bed was a mess of dishevelled bedsheet, misplaced pillows and her clothes and his shirt were strewn all over it.

It was when Mallika woke up seconds later, he got back into his senses and hurriedly put on his shirt. Turned out, he was so drunk last night that he mistook Mallika to be Mannat and crossed the boundaries which were never supposed to be crossed. He tried to reason. Tried to recall the night through the head splitting pain. But nothing yielded. Mallika assured him that he doesn’t have to be guilty as he wasn’t the only one responsible for what happened between them. When she added that she couldn’t stop him last night as she has fallen for him while putting up the act of being his fiancée, all Vikrant could do was to just let in whatever she was telling.

He was too numb to even flinch. She was even ready to sweep whatever that has happened between them under the rug as she was aware of his feelings for Mannat. She said that she didn’t want to come in between them. But just as she stepped out of his bedroom, leaving behind a devastated Vikrant, she bumped into her grandmother Keerat. It didn’t take long for Keerat to put the two and two together. Whatever followed went over Vikrant’s head. With the commotion Keerat created in the break of the dawn, his parents showed up at his doorstep in a matter of minutes. And… all hell broke loose.

There were the hailstorm of accusations, sighs, scoffs, tears, reprimands and everything pricking. When all of that came to a pause, Ronnie stayed back in the bedroom after sending a furious Keerat, embarrassed Mallika and a miserable Neetu. He wasn’t done with his son, yet. While sitting across his father on the bed, Vikrant’s mind was stuck on the words that rolled out of Mallika before they had audience.

“I never wanted to step in between you and Mannat, Vikrant. That’s why I kept all my feelings for you to myself. I know how much you love Mannat. She loves you too. I didn’t want steal that love.”

“You don’t have to marry me Vikrant.”

Something was amiss. And just like that, the snippets of conversation he had with Mannat and Puneet last night at Mezbaani when he was sober rushed back to his mind. One after the other.

“… I’ve promised Malla that I’ll never snatch her love.”

“Malla and I had a talk on the day you were practising the vows. She told me how insecure she felt seeing us together, close.”

“She was crying… Told me that she loves you.”

“She asked me not to steal her fiancé.”

“… but now the drama you two were playing… has become reality for her.”

“For getting you and Malla married, Aishwarya aunty’s condition is to make you the sole owner of the Saluja properties.”

“Aishwarya aunty was practically blackmailing tayi ji.”

Mallika was clearly lying about keeping her feelings for him to herself. She has already opened up to Mannat behind his back and even made Mannat promise not to come in between them. If Aishwarya Raisingh could blackmail his mother, get his father signed on the paper which transfers the whole Saluja properties to him, she could do anything to get Mallika married to him. What if she has turned Mallika a part of the great plan? Could Mallika stoop this low? She did indeed stab him on his back by keeping Mannat away all the while assuring him that Mannat will come around. Vikrant was weighing every possible tangent. He knew it in his heart that he can never stoop so low no matter if he’s in his senses or not.

“For God’s sake Vikrant, look at me!”

Ronnie’s voice reverberated in the room snapping Vikrant out of the trance. Vikrant looked up at his father. The hair on his nape stood up. His father has never raised his voice at him before.

“Didn’t I tell you that I’ll support you when you put forth your desire to get married to Mannat in front of the family? If Mannat was being distant and you had no idea what to do… then why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you? When Mallika suggested this fake engagement plan, Vikrant, you should have refused at that very moment. You’re a grown up man yaar. A man can be mad in love. Not stupid. God!” Ronnie huffed.

He stood up from the bed and paced along the length of the bed. Across a few seconds, calming his nerves a bit, Ronnie turned to his son.

“The wedding ceremonies were going on, the whole family, Salujas… Raisinghs were involved, there were guests… in the middle of all these, didn’t you ever feel that you should pull the brake? I asked you… I told you not to hurt Mallika or Mannat. You should have come clean to me at least then. I would have handled everything. Family, guests… everything Vikrant. But now… it’s too late. Now your… your true love for Mannat, your not feeling anything more than friendship for Mallika… don’t matter anymore. You made a mistake. Accept it. Marry her.”

“Dad… I… I don’t… something is not adding up. It doesn’t feel right. You know me. You know me, don’t you? I can never… I can never do something like that to any woman even in my dreams. I don’t…”

“This is not a dream, Vikrant. It’s the reality. The reality is that what shouldn’t have happened have happened. It’s irreversible. You do realise that, don’t you?”

“But dad… I can’t… I can’t accept that I could do something like… If anything of that sort had happened, I would have remembered. At least something. I…”

Ronnie interjected.

“What do you mean? You mean Mallika is lying? After the condition in which you two were found in this room… you’re saying this? I can’t even bring myself to say this. You’ve mistaken her to be Mannat and…”

“No dad. Please. I… Even if… Even if Mannat was with me instead of Mallika, I would have never crossed my line. Yes, I love her. I love Mannat. I was drunk. Not in my senses but… But dad, I do realise the difference between love and lust. I do. I’ve never looked at Mannat or even laid a finger on her with bad intention. And Mallika… I’ve no feelings for her. I never had.”

“Then how do you… What’s all this, huh?” Ronnie indicated towards the dishevelled bed and the discarded belt on the floor. “I never thought that I’ll have to have this conversation with you. Mallika was in this room with you Vikrant. Me, your mom, Keerat ji… all of us have seen the state she was in. Have you got an explanation for that?”

“I don’t know dad. I just know that I can’t do anything of that sort to her. I will never cross the boundaries. I swear. I just can’t accept that I’ve done such a thing. Whatever she told me… they’re not adding up. She has already…”

“Just stop it, Vikrant! Stop it,” Ronnie pushed his glasses back and glared at Vikrant. “First of all, go to Mallika and say sorry. Tell her, whatever that has happened, whatever that was in your heart… you’re ready to leave all those behind and start afresh. That you’ll marry her. Today itself. Just the way both the families have planned how it would be.”

Vikrant rose on his feet and stood in front of his father. His lips parted, an urge coursed through his throat but no words came out of it. Haven’t his father been listening to whatever he has been saying?

“I don’t want a girl’s life be spoiled because of my son. And, it’s Mallika. Her reputation is at stake, Vikrant. Your denial and this… claim of not remembering anything doesn’t matter anymore. What proof do you have that you haven’t done anything wrong?”

It struck Vikrant like an arrow. His system paused for a moment. Proof?

“Don’t you trust me, dad?”

“It’s not about the trust, Vikrant. Do you have any proof to prove your innocence?”

A hollow opened up in the pit of his stomach. He could feel his life-force getting sucked into it in small chunks.

“If you are saying that you haven’t done anything wrong, then doesn’t it also mean that Mallika is lying? Why would any girl trap herself in such a situation in front of her family? We’ve known Mallika since childhood.”

“And me? You have also known me since childhood, haven’t you? Trust me, dad. This isn’t right. I… I’ll have to talk to Mallika.”

He was about to walk past his father but was caught by his arm. Ronnie made his son stand in front of him.

“Of course, you’ll talk to her. But you’ll tell her what I ask you to. Do you still think that there’s any chance left for Mannat in your life? Do you think so, Vikrant? There was. But not anymore. I… with my all heart wanted Mannat as your wife. I’ve seen the care and love you two have for each other. How do you think Mannat will react when she gets to know about this? Do you think she’ll accept your love? No woman would tolerate infidelity in love, Vikrant. Even if it’s by mistake, you’d committed it.”

“Dad… I didn’t cheat on her. I didn’t. I know I didn’t. Something… someone… inside me is telling me that whatever happening is not right. That I’m being pushed into this mess. It’s not fair. If I told Mallika whatever you asked me to, then it’ll be like admitting the mistake that I haven’t even done.”

“What are you saying, Vikrant? Are you even listening to what you’re saying? Gagan and Aishwarya are not at home. When they get to know that you don’t want to marry Mallika as you’re in love with Mannat… and… these wedding ceremonies were just a sham…how do you think they would react? And this thing that happened between you and Mallika… How would they react?”

“I’ll talk to everyone. Something’s amiss. I can’t accept it.”

“Your merely saying won’t make any difference, Vikrant. It’s not enough. You were drunk. After everything that has happened, how would they trust anything you say?”

Vikrant took a step back and looked straight at his father.

“I know within myself that I haven’t crossed my line,” his voice held the calmness of the deep sea. “And… I don’t have any proof to prove my innocence. I don’t want to hear from anyone else. You tell me. Do you trust me, dad?”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Gagan clutched hard on the glass of whiskey as the war between mind and body surged up. The fruity notes of pear and citrus unfurled into his nose. He pushed the glass of whiskey against his lower lip, contemplating at the verge of the abyss. His life has been a subplot of someone’s master plan. The burn on his chest and the muscles cramps on his back prompted him to take the swing. His mind schooled him that only the alcohol can lessen the blow his heart has taken. But his heart refused to cave in. No, he can’t spiral back to that path. He can’t let himself drown in that ocean of oblivion. He needs to be sober more than ever.

With the last streak of strength left in his heart, Gagan dropped the glass of whiskey onto the floor. The glass kissed the floor with a cling and with that the reality hit him hard. He walked to the bed, sat down and took the papers placed on it. His gut wrenched. Mannat kept her word. As per their plan they tricked Aishwarya Raisingh into signing the papers. Now the fifty percentage share of Mezbaani belongs to him. Shruti Khanna’s liver transplant surgery has been successful. But, not a single part of his being could rejoice at the win. His imperfect yet soulful world crashed down hours back. The revelation that Aishwarya Raisingh is just an illusion that concealed the evil Sonia Khanna hit him hard on the gut.

His marital life is a failure. He has made peace with that fact more than a decade ago. He has been tolerating his wife all these years and he knew that it’s the same from her end as well. There were times when he cursed God for the indifferences and lack of trust his family has strewn on his way. It hurt. Even in business, he trusted the wrong person and it cost him his identity. But with time, he has learnt to live with it. Alcohol gave him solace. Drowned his pain. But still, in the lone corner of his heart there was the Gagan Raisingh who has fallen in love with Aishwarya, fathered a beautiful baby girl and reigned over the Raisingh Group of Companies. He used to be the luckiest man. He cherished those years of love, however short it had been.

But now, he’s left with nothing. The memories he cherished were all a farce. His wife has never loved him. It was not the ecstasy of the business and power that pulled her away from him. She was never with him to be pulled away in the first place. He was just a ladder for her to reach the zenith of Raisinghs. He knew that she can be ruthless but never to the extent to leave a new born at the seashore to die. Her own blood. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that the root of Aishwarya’s hatred for Mannat will be such a canon event. As if on cue, he hurriedly pulled out his mobile phone and dialled for Mannat. The call went unanswered.

Gagan hastily wiped the drops of affliction that rolled down his cheeks. He tried again but yielded nothing. It was not just his world that crashed down at the revelation that Sonia Khanna is none other than Aishwarya Raisingh. He knew that. He had seen how Mannat broke down, gathered herself together and stood up against fate. Against her birth mother to save her foster mother. Truth to be told, Mannat was all that Gagan ever wished to be. If he had been a victim of Aishwarya Raisingh, Mannat chose not to be the victim of neither Aishwarya Raisingh nor Sonia Khanna. She’s a fighter. But a few hours back, he had seen the cracks in her armour. That was why a sudden inexplicable urge to guard her against all the evil in the world sprouted in him.

But Mannat surprised him. Rather than holding onto the broken pieces of her being, she was consoling him. She was worried of his safety. She was hurt, trembling, worried for her foster mother in the operation theatre but at the same time, she was there by his side. It was half-heartedly he left Mannat alone in the hospital. She didn’t want him to be there at the hospital when Aishwarya gains consciousness and he had to comply. He knew that Aishwarya will find her way back to the Saluja Mansion anytime anyhow. She won’t miss the wedding of their daughter. Tossing the mobile phone on the bed, Gagan leaned forward and held his head in his palms.

In the game of power and money, Aishwarya didn’t even leave their daughter Mallika. Gagan was not blind to how Aishwarya was rubbing off on their daughter. He couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t do anything even when Aishwarya very tactically and gradually distanced Mallika away from him. He was aware that Aishwarya’s eye has always been on the Saluja properties. And hence on Vikrant. It has been clear as crystal for him that Vikrant and Mannat has feelings for each other. And also that Mannat is too caught up in the race to bring Aishwarya to justice that she’s not in a state of mind to act on her feelings. He was perplexed when Vikrant proposed Mallika.

Gagan knew it from the very start that something is wrong at the both ends. He has been keeping mum as he knew that Vikrant won’t sit through the wedding no matter what. Mallika won’t even breathe without the approval of Aishwarya. If he wanted his daughter free from the claws of Aishwarya, he realised that he has to let Mallika fly for a while. Even if the stakes are high, he’ll be there to pick her up and lead her to the right path. Since he was back from the hospital, strange clouds of silence have been lurking over the Saluja Mansion. There were no guests even at this hour. The workers were only half way through the decoration works. He knew that something big is up. With the new information at hand, he realised that there’s no point in staying under the shell any longer.

At that moment, Gagan knew exactly what he has to do when Aishwarya returns from the hospital with another set of lies. It’s his chance to get back everything that was once snatched away from him. And this time, he won’t crack. Straightening himself, he turned to his side, picked up the phone and once again tried her number. It has been more than a couple of hours after the surgery. Mannat should be answering the call. Gagan waited until the caller tone went silent. An unsettling feeling perched on his chest.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Vikrant leaned back on the cushioned chair placed alongside hall. The last minute preparations were going on in the grand hall of Saluja Mansion. The mandap was set, the pandit was sitting beside the mandap rummaging through his bag, the Salujas and Raisinghs were all decked up in rose gold and pink attire, the bride was getting ready upstairs and there were constant exchanges between the elders as to how to coordinate the ceremony. Anisha was on her toes here and there; once with the platter of flowers and then with the platter of garlands. Owing to the urgency and the gravity of the circumstances, there were no guests. Vikrant has turned poker face to the occasional glances of his parents from the other end of the hall.

He was all dressed in a rose gold sherwani. It has been almost half an hour that he was made sat down on the chair a little away from the crowd around the mandap. His parents have come down to emotional blackmail to make him act as per their rulebook. And it’s been a while he has stopped explaining his state of mind and innocence to them. He realised that there was no point in that. He has been trapped badly. And his words are doing nothing but flaring up his father’s anger and making his mother tear up and curse Mannat more. He has had enough of everything. There was this resolve in his mind and he was keeping up that. As Vikrant watched on every movement in the hall, he spotted Puneet excusing himself from the small herd of Saluja-Raisingh men and walking towards him.

“We’ve got crazy set of parents,” Puneet pulled a chair and settled down next to Vikrant. “I’ve been trying to have a word with you since morning. Mom wasn’t letting me anywhere near you and on the other hand taya ji and tayi ji sent me away every time with something or the other. On top of it, you were answering neither to my texts or calls,” he huffed and continued. “Mom heard you guys in the morning. You’re not taking Malla’s so called one night stand seriously, are you?” he quoted the one night stand in the air. “Obviously she’s putting up an act.”

“How do you know that she’s putting up an act?”

Vikrant’s face softened as he turned to his left and looked at Puneet.

“I don’t call you lattoo just like that, alright? I very well know that every cell of yours is sealed with Mannat. It’s true that your brain is a little slow at times. But I’m telling you, I’ve never come across a gentleman like you before.”

Puneet let the words float around them for a few seconds. Soon, the softness in his voice wore the hat of sarcasm.

“Mostly importantly, if your hormones were on this overdrive, Mannat would have been here as your wife and I would have been to-be chachu right now. I’m certain of that. You were… what do they say... right bewitched by Mannat. Actually you’re bewitched.”

The corners of Vikrant’s lips curved up for a brief moment as he shifted his gaze to the floor. And slowly the smile wilted. It didn’t go unnoticed by Puneet. He cleared his throat gaining back Vikrant’s attention.

“Last night I was waiting for you. But mom got me into some family crisis for some time. I guess that’s when Malla sneaked in with you. I even knocked on your door twice but it was locked from the inside. I thought you need some time alone after the talk with Mannat,” he stressed on the word ‘talk’. “I knew it. After the so called engagement plan, Mannat won’t let you off the hook that easily. She’s absolutely right in her place by the way. And you got yourself drunk for that? When was the last time your body even sniffed alcohol, Vikrant? It’s said true. People in love lose their brain. She showed you the mirror, didn’t she?”

Vikrant nodded meekly. Puneet was right. Mannat showed him the mirror and he couldn’t handle it. She has literally lived through it, without even an accusing look or a hiss. And he had to empty an entire bottle of red wine to cope with the pain.

“What did you expect? Now what? Why are you just sitting here zipped up? Don’t you want to do something to escape from this wedding? Or are you expecting Mannat to jump in at the last moment and save you?”

Puneet kept a straight face. The whole Saluja and Raisingh clan are elbowing Vikrant to the bear trap and he is sitting there watching the wedding preparations. Puneet was actually perplexed at Vikrant’s demeanour.

“No. She has already suffered a lot because of me. I don’t want her to suffer anymore. It’s my turn to stand up for us. For me.”

“Are you planning to run away or something?” Puneet’s eyebrows arched up. “If so, give me a heads-up. I don’t wish to be the substitute groom. The elder Salujas are capable of that. Can’t trust them on that matter.”

“Don’t worry on that,” a faint smile grazed on his face seeing the way Puneet rolled his eyes. “Mallika has been yearning to dress up as the bride. Let her come down to the mandap all decked up.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

Puneet realised it at that moment. His calm and composed cousin Vikrant is up to something. Even before Puneet could give wind to that thought, Vikrant pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket, did some quick ministrations on the screen and held it towards Puneet. Across a few seconds, Puneet was gaping at the video playing on the phone screen.

“What the…”

Gulping down the tail of the curse, Puneet looked up at Vikrant flabbergasted.

“I was very stressed of that blackout on the cocktail party night,” Vikrant started. “I couldn’t shrug it away. Everyone was saying that I was neither in my bedroom nor in my study room that night. But when I woke up the next morning I was on my bed, in my bedroom. I didn’t want to be clueless if at all I had a blackout again. So I installed CCTV cameras in the bedroom and the study room that day itself. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Even though Vikrant was acting all nonchalant about the void in the memory, he was very affected. He couldn’t share his dilemma with anyone. He needed answers as to why and how his head was being heavy at times. On most days, there’s this black window between his memory of working in the study room at night and waking up on the bed the next morning. It was when the thought of getting to the end of it occupied him, the idea of CCTV cameras crossed his mind. He didn’t tell anyone. He didn’t want any eyebrows raised at him.

Hours back when his parents and Mallika’s grandmother were grilling him, the thought of the CCTV cameras didn’t cross his mind. It was after his father left giving him the ultimatum, it dawned on him. And the footage of the previous night opened his eyes in the truest sense. He had been counting on the wrong person.

“Why were you tolerating the emotional blackmail of taya ji and tayi ji if you had this evidence with you?” Puneet wanted to knock on his cousin’s head. “Show this to them. You’ve got the proof man. Prove your innocence.”

“That’s the problem, Puneet,” his voice soaked in disappointment. “That’s the problem. I’ve got the proof. My words had no value before my parents without the proof. They couldn’t read the truth in my eyes. Dad told me that just my words are not enough. He wanted the proof. He didn’t trust me. My parents didn’t trust me. Just like how I didn’t trust Mannat. I too wanted proof that day, didn’t I? I hurt her a lot. A lot. She put forth such a big allegation that day in front of everyone because she trusted me. Now that I’m on her shoes, I could imagine what she had been through. She was alone, standing up for me. She counted on me. And I broke her trust. I broke her. By blatantly demanding for the proof and asking her to say sorry to mom, I insulted her… insulted everything that existed between us.”

Vikrant bowed his head down as the weight of guilt hurt his neck.

“Does that mean… Do you believe that tayi ji was drugging you?”

Puneet carefully crafted the question. Vikrant straightened himself on the chair and turned to Puneet.

“I have to keep my emotions aside to think straight, Puneet. Deep down I always knew that Mannat won’t lie but my fear of having to see mom at fault overpowered my mind. I guess I was kind of blocking everything to run away from that. But now, things have gone worse. If mom is guilty, she has to answer my questions. She will have to clarify herself for all those instances when she has accused Mannat of one thing or the other.”

“And what after that? Have you thought anything regarding Mannat?”

“She’s on her way to Delhi, with Shruti aunty,” Vikrant fidgeted with his fingers. “Her liver transplant surgery has been successful. I found out through Sammy that she’s stable now so they’ve got an early discharge. Mannat… She has left Mumbai… Mezbaani. I got her resignation mail a couple of hours back.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Puneet was perplexed. “Are you letting her go just like that? You’ve got this nuclear weapon with you. Just blast it on the drama queen. Ideally… shouldn’t you be chasing Mannat right now?”

“Trust me, Puneet. I never want to stay away from her. But this dynamics in our family, the hatred mom has for her… I don’t want to drag her into this again. She deserves better. Mannat was right. The problem between us… it’s me. My staggering trust. This Vikrant Saluja in front of you right now is not worthy of her. He never was. I was so obsessed with my idea of love; my love for her. I didn’t even realise how much I was hurting her. How stupid I was! But now I got rid of that pink tinted glass. I’ve faith in my love. I’ll make myself worthy of her love. Worthy of her trust. Then I’ll find her. Ask forgiveness. I don’t want to add to her burden, Puneet. She needs space... and time. She’s going through a lot right now.”

Puneet nodded along and suddenly it struck him.

“Wait a second,” Puneet squinted. “Mannat’s mom wasn’t getting any donor, right? How come the donor showed up out of the blue and now Mannat is off to Delhi with her mom? How come everything fell into place just like that? The timing is impeccable. Don’t you think?”

“There…,” Vikrant pointed towards the couch next to the mandap where the ladies of the house were sitting. “Have a look at Aishwarya aunty. What do you see?”

Puneet half-heartedly glanced at Aishwarya Raisingh and turned back to him.

“Calm before the storm?”

Vikrant bit back the smile.

“Does she seem like someone who donated a part of her liver just hours back? Some pretty tough DNA!”

“Come again?”

“She’s the one.”

“THE Aishwarya Raisingh is Mannat Khanna’s mom’s liver donor? How in the world? She doesn’t even give a free nod to anyone!” Puneet’s voice rose in surprise and Vikrant had to hold his arm to silence him.

“Aishwarya Raisingh is Shruti Khanna’s liver donor in the hospital records. I saw the CCTV footage at the hospital. Mannat and Aishwarya aunty were having not so pleasant conversation in one of the footage. Sammy emailed me both the hospital records and the footage. Mannat has been looking for her birth mom all these while so that Shruti aunty could get the liver donor. She was facing Aishwarya aunty and god knows what else… all alone. And what was I doing? I was making it harder for her with my stupid plan!”

“Don’t tell me Aishwarya aunty is …”

“She is Mannat’s birth mom. Aishwarya aunty became the donor because she was related to Shruti Khanna by blood. A close relative. It’s obvious in the hospital records. All that hatred towards Mannat makes sense now. You remember that time I flew to Ambala with Mannat? We went to the school there where Sonia Khanna used to go. Aishwarya aunty tricked us by forging the school records. Made it look like Sunita ji is Sonia Khanna. I did a little digging today. Got my hands on the records from there which proves that Aishwarya Raisingh used to be Sonia Khanna.”

Puneet took a moment to let all that sink in. He knew that Aishwarya Raisingh disliked Mannat Khanna. Even he had been a part of her viscous plan in harming Mannat. At that moment, sitting next to Vikrant, Puneet thanked god for freeing him from her clutches before she sacrifices him in one of her plans. After whatever he heard from Vikrant, Puneet realised that Sunita’s accident needs to be investigated too. He underlined that Aishwarya Raisingh is a criminal.

“Why are you sitting here in this sherwani then?”

“Everyone wants to see Vikrant Saluja getting married today. I’m going to give them all a better entertainment than that. Just let the bride come downstairs. You’ll see.”

“I underestimated your brain cells, Vikrant,” the worry lines on his forehead disappeared in the blink of an eye and the dimples oh his cheeks turned deep. “It seems they’re on overdrive to compensate the last few weeks of hibernation. Better late than never.”

“Do you still have those papers with you?”

“What do you think? The stress lines on tayi ji’s forehead are not solely because of your so called one night stand.”

Puneet chuckled as he showed Vikrant a glimpse of the neatly folded property papers tucked in the inner coat of his layered sherwani. Vikrant raised his eyebrows at Puneet.

“Mr Vikrant Saluja sir ji, this is the safest place for the papers in the Saluja Mansion right now. I hope you do realise that everyone here is a detective.”

“Of course!”

With a deep breath, Vikrant nodded at Puneet. Tilting his head to the other side, he skimmed through the great walls, the flowy curtains, the grand chandelier, the mandap, the decorations and the Salujas and the Raisinghs in the hall... Home. His home, the Saluja Mansion has started making him uneasy. Since morning, he has been witnessing new shades of the people he has known all his life. He wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready for any of that. He’s at a crossroads. Whatever he does will be life defining for him. He has resolved to keep his insecurities, inhibitions, fears and everything hampering aside and face the storm. Just like Mannat faced hers.

He had immense pride whenever Mannat addressed him as her Babaji Da Banda. Her Saviour. She didn’t resort to his help while fighting the biggest battle of her life. She was her own Babaji Da Banda; the knight in the shining armour. Now it’s his turn to be his own Babaji Da Banda. And he intends to do it fiercely no matter what. He knew that the truths he’ll encounter will be sharp, maybe disheartening. But he was up for all that’s going to come on his way. The only thing he hated the most was backstabbing. There are no amends for that in his rulebook. Mallika will realise whom she has dared to mess with.

Just as Vikrant recalled, he noticed his father waving at him; asking him to come over. Getting up from the chair, he straightened his sherwani and adjusted the stole on his shoulder. It was time. Mallika was standing at the landing of the staircase all decked up donning a veil, alongside Anisha. Putting on the cape of the ringmaster, Vikrant paid a quick glance at Puneet and then trained his gaze on the bride descending the stairs.

“Perfect. Let’s clear up all the confusion once and for all.”

~ to be continued...

Hey lovely people,

The part 3 of The Veil between Us is up.

Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys are still interested in the story.

Originally posted by: MeeraWrites

Hey lovely people,

The part 3 of The Veil between Us is up.

Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys are still interested in the story.

This is amazing

Saluja brothers teaming up to expose Malla??

Jaldi se likho next part 🙏

Wwo wow! i can vividly imagine these scenes....i feel happy just reading them

Originally posted by: MeeraWrites

Hey lovely people,

The part 3 of The Veil between Us is up.

Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys are still interested in the story.

Thank goodness someone wrote Vikrant as having 2 grey cells between his clogged ears!

Waiting for Nallika to be exposed!!!