Chapter 13 Vedika
VEDIKA
“I’ve got this handled, sweetheart,” Ashish’s calm voice soothed the last of her nerves.
Vedika relaxed back in her seat, watching Daksh prowl the rocky path that extended into the ocean, taking pictures of…was that a crab he was focused on?
“I spoke with the airline,” Ashish said now. “They said flights should resume by tomorrow. But it’s going to be chaos trying to reschedule everyone who needs to get out of there.”
In that moment, with the sun slowly setting over the horizon, soft music playing and lights winking on in the shacks around her, Vedika found it hard to care. If Banlay was sorted, then maybe she could just relax a bit for once. Go with the flow.
“My mom wanted to know if you’d checked out the pictures she sent you. She said she’d tried calling you but couldn’t get through.”
The flow stuttered, dribbling away until it dried up. Vedika sighed. “I’ll take a look now and reply. Thanks for reminding me.”
She scrolled through her messages before reaching his mother’s contact. Shit. She had forty seven unread messages from her future mother-in-law. She opened them up only for her eyes to be assaulted with a virulently yellow lehenga.
“You’d look like a lemon in that,” Daksh commented from behind her, making her jump. Where the hell had he come from? Wasn’t he off with the crabs or something?
She scowled up at him. “Are you reading my messages?”
He ignored her, leaning in closer and using one long finger to swipe to the next image. On her screen. A lime green kurta with silver embellishments sprang into view. They both groaned, the sound echoing in the little space between them.
“Are you really letting my mom pick out your clothes for you? Did she get you this hideous dress?”
Vedika’s startled gaze dropped to the comfortable dress she was wearing, one of her favourites.
“What’s wrong with my dress?” she asked, outraged.
Daksh swiped busily at her phone as he answered. “You look like you’re ready to run the sack race at school.”
“It’s comfortable,” she snapped, pulling her phone out of his reach. Her cheeks turning bright red again. Rude, insufferable boor.
“What do you know about style anyway?” she muttered, as he tapped through to a red and green ghaghra that made her wince. It was bright enough to be seen from the moon.
“What is this for anyway?” he asked, amused, clearly not bothered by her insult. “The wedding? I thought you bridezillas had your outfits planned out a year in advance.”
Before Vedika could reply, his phone pinged and he pulled it out, glancing down. It was from his mother. She watched as he tapped it open and a brown and gold sherwani came into view. The horror on his face had laughter bubbling up inside her. Karma was sweet.
“Well, fuck me,” Daksh muttered, glaring at his screen.
“No, thank you,” Vedika muttered back. “I’m not into micropenises.”
“Now, that,” Daksh said, shooting her an amused glance, “was just mean. Where’s the shy, submissive, Thakkar princess I heard so much about?”
“She’s on holiday,” she retorted, swiping through another horrific outfit.
“Yeah?” Daksh leaned forward, that glint in his eyes again as he snatched her phone out of her hand and swiped to another ghastly outfit. “Then go ahead, Holiday Mouse. Tell your mother in law that you don’t like her choices.”
“I can’t do that.” Vedika recoiled. “I’ll hurt her feelings.”
He shrugged, tossing her phone back to her. It hit her in the chest and landed in her lap. “Then be prepared to look like a lava lamp at your wedding.”
“What do you care how I look at the wedding? Don’t you have dessert to order?” Her phone rang again. A video call from Ashish. She swiped at it irritably though it did have the massive advantage of getting the glow in the dark outfits off her phone.
“Hey sweetheart. I just-“
“Do you like my dress?” she interrupted, holding the phone up to show him a better angle.
Ashish looked momentarily confused, given she’d never asked him that question before, but he rallied. “It’s lovely. You look beautiful, as always.”
A loud snort from the other side of the table had her gripping her phone tighter and giving Ashish a bigger smile. “I miss you,” she said as loudly as possible.
Now, Ashish looked positively dumbfounded. And apparently speechless, because he didn’t reply.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daksh flop down on a lounger, tip his sunglasses forward and stretch out, looking like the cover model for a travel magazine. Her stomach twisted. That damn prawn…She knew she shouldn’t have eaten it.
“So, Vedu,” Ashish said, uncomfortably clearing his voice. “About Banlay, my friend Abhiram says that the NDA that your team sent over has some language he isn’t comfortable with. His legal team is going to vet it.”
A chill slid through her at the words. “It’s the exact same document he signed earlier, Ash.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said but-“
“That’s not what I said. It is what it is.”
Ashish sighed. “Look I only know what both of you are telling me. Anyway, if it is the same, it shouldn’t be an issue. His legal team will vet it, he’ll sign it, and you guys will be back on track. Okay?”
Someone called out to him and he glanced over his shoulder nodding. “I have to get back to work. I’ll see you when you get back, alright?”
Vedika nodded, anxiety making her chew on her lip.
He hesitated, his hand going to tug and loosen his tie. His voice when he spoke was a little strangled too. “And, umm, Vedu, I miss you too.”
Her gaze flickered to where Daksh seemed to be sleeping and then back to the screen. “Yeah,” she smiled tightly. “Same here.”