C9 9

Shravan woke up to find the girl all over him.

Her legs were thrown over his, and her hands were around his neck, with her head in the crook of his shoulder.

Her hair was spread all over her face, some spilling over his chest.

God!! What torture to wake up with.

He pulled out from her hold, not so gently, but her highness didn't wake up. She simply cuddled into the pillow instead of him and continued sleeping.

There was drool near her mouth, and she looked utterly adorable like a baby.

Adorable?

Have you gone crazy early in the morning, Shravan?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked into the en suite to get ready for the day.

Even after he got ready for the office, Drishti was still asleep.

He thought of leaving a note for her but then decided against it.

Why make new habits?

Drishti woke up to the continuous vibration of her phone.

Last night, her phone had been battery dead, and she had plugged it in near the bedside table.

Does the phone get switched on on its own once charged?

She had no idea.

She never lets her phone die.

Her phone happens to be her life. She simply can't live without checking her phone every fifteen minutes.

Well!! She couldn't until yesterday!! Yesterday was a unique day. It seems she did actually survive with a battery-dead phone.

She picked up the phone still sleepily.

"Where the hell are you? Are you alright? Did you reach Bangalore? Did the guy kidnap you somewhere? Oh God!! Are you alive, D?" Siddu asked in a breath, and Drishti rolled her eyes.

"No!! I'm dead. You are talking to my ghost now," Drishti said.

"Tell me where you are for heaven's sake. Your phone was switched off, D!! Switched off!! It never happened before. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I'm fine, Siddhu. My phone got battery dead, and I was too tired last night to wait for it to get charged. I just woke up. And I'm in Bangalore now, in my Mr.'s house. I will meet you in the mall in an hour," Drishti said and hung up.

She got up and searched around the apartment, and there was no one except her.

Did he leave without telling her?

What an arrogant prick!!

Didn't even have the courtesy to leave a simple note.

She took a quick shower and changed into the dress she had worn yesterday and walked into the kitchen.

She checked the fridge and found some food frozen in the freezer.

She is not a fan of frozen food, but when the other option happens to be cooking, frozen food seems like heaven.

She was in the process of reheating something she found in the freezer when the service entrance opened, and an older woman came in with a basket of fresh clothes in her hands.

They both froze and stared at each other for a second before a wide smile spread across the older woman's face.

"You are Drishti?"

"How do you know?" Drishti asked in confusion.

"My husband told me. You met him yesterday."

"You are Rajesh kaka's wife?" Drishti asked as she remembered Shravan mentioning Rajesh's wife dropping in to clean and cook.

"Yes. My name is Sharadha. I have been waiting to see you since he mentioned you yesterday. You are very pretty," Sharadha said.

"Thank you, aunty. I was just going to have some food. Have you had your breakfast?" Drishti asked.

"Yes, beta. You don't have to eat the frozen food. I can fix something for you real quick."

"Oh, it's okay, aunty. I'm very hungry, and I won't be able to wait any longer," Drishti said and finished her food soon.

"Aunty, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back before nightfall," Drishti said and took her mobile and walked out.

Once she walked out, she realized she didn't have any money with her. Not even her credit cards.

Then she realized she could book a cab and Google Pay the money.

She sent a silent thanks to Sundar Pichai for introducing the wonderful app.

Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google, right? Is he the one who created the app?

If not, she must have sent the thanks to the wrong person.

Why fear when Google is here!

She opened her browser and Googled to know who created Google Pay.

Haa!!! It's not Sundar Pichai.

It's Sujith Narayanan and Sumit Gwalani.

So that's to them.

Anyways, got distracted from the purpose.

She booked a cab and got into it as soon as it came.

"UB City Mall, Anna," Drishti told the cabbie and started checking her WhatsApp and Instagram.

It feels like ages since she checked her phone.

Soon she reached the mall and saw Siddhu standing right at the entrance door, waiting for her.

"Heyy darpok," Drishti greeted as soon as she reached him, and he was gaping at her.

"What?"

"You are wearing a salwar kameez?? Really?? What has this world come to that Drishti Singhania is wearing a salwar kameez?" he asked.

"Don't exaggerate. I didn't have anything else to change into. This was what Anuradha aunty gave me," Drishti shrugged.

She never wears salwar kameez because the one time she wore it, twinning with her mother, a couple of people asked whether they were sisters. Admittedly, her mother is very beautiful and young too.

Not that she's jealous.

Okay!! Maybe a little. A teeny weeny jelly belly.

"Who's Anuradha aunty?" Siddhu asked as they walked into the food court.

"My mother-in-law," Drishti said with a wink.

"Can't believe you are married. I mean, who would have thought!! What's his name?"

"We are not discussing my marriage, and you are going to keep it a secret."

"Why? You are not going to tell anyone?"

"No one except Arjun uncle," Drishti said.

"The lawyer who handles Singhania estates?"

"Yes. Now that I'm married, I can access my trust fund. So I have to tell Arjun Uncle."

"Arjun uncle's brother is your father's friend. I hope you remember."

"I know. But Arjun Hooda is an advocate of high credibility. He wouldn't do anything that jeopardizes client confidentiality."

"How can telling your father breach client confidentiality?" Siddu asked, confused.

"Paa doesn't have any hold over Singhania properties."

"Why do you even need the money? If you ask your Paa, he would happily transfer his entire property to you."

"I know. And I don't need money, actually. It's just that who wouldn't want to have a fortune in their name. I can go shopping whenever I want."

"That you can do even without your trust fund."

"I know, yaar. It's actually nothing. My parents wanted me to have it. And I should have it," Drishti said with a shrug.

"I didn't understand anything."

Drishti took a deep breath.

"I don't think Paa has really forgiven Mom. And I can understand it too. So deep down, I have a feeling that Paa would want me to renounce my trust fund."

"Your Paa loves you, D."

"He does. He loves me and Damini more than himself. But he loves Maa above everything."

"Are you jealous that your Paa loves Maa more than you?" Siddu teased.

"Of course not. My Maa deserves to be loved like that. However much we love her, it wouldn't be enough to make up for everything that she went through. And Mom was responsible for that. I don't think Paa would get over it ever."

"You are just imagining things, D. Your Paa would never ask you for that."

"If he ever did, I wouldn't be able to say no. And to think from Paa's perspective, he is right. It took me years to come to terms with what Mom did. A part of me hasn't forgiven her yet for that. But another part of me still loves them. You don't understand how helpless I feel sometimes, Siddu. Sometimes I feel I'm not being loyal to Paa and Maa. Sometimes I feel I'm not doing justice to Mom. It's so complicated," Drishti said, huffing.

"And to make your life more complicated, you have gone ahead and married a stranger whose name, for some reason, you refuse to divulge."

"Oh, please! Don't remind me," Drishti said, not wanting to talk about her arrogant husband.