Married in Vengeance (Dynasty Rebels #4)

Chapter 6

Six

AADHYA

Aadhya adjusted the folds of her ghaghra, her dupatta slipping off one shoulder as she did so. Grabbing it, she pulled it back up so she could drape it properly again.

“Here, let me do it.” Priyanka put the heavily loaded silver plate she was arranging to one side and stepped up. “You want it over one shoulder?”

“And tucked in at the waist on the other side please.” Aadhya fidgeted slightly as Priyanka followed her instructions. Her thaali slipped out of her choli as she moved, snagging on the zardozi work on it.

Aadhya’s cold fingers closed around the tiny gold pendant, the symbol of her married status. She was married. To Ram Gadde. Except the man who sat beside her in the mandap, the one who’d tied this thaali around her neck…he was the man she’d wanted to marry and yet, he wasn’t.

“Are you okay?” Priyanka asked around the safety pin clenched between her teeth.

“Yes.” Aadhya forced a smile, smoothing the front of her dupatta as Priyanka wrestled the back of the heavy material in place. “Of course, I am.”

“He’s a good man.” Priyanka wrapped her arms around Aadhya’s waist and squeezed. “I’m happy for both of you.”

He was a good man, Aadhya thought. He was. And she was happy to be married to him.

Why did it feel like she was reminding herself of what were facts she could have sworn to a day before?

“Vadina,” she said now to her sister-in-law. “The bag I packed for the hotel stay is on that table. Please tell the staff not to forget to put it in the car.”

“Of course,” Priyanka said. “All your other luggage has already been sent to Gadde Mansion. It will be waiting for you when Ram and you get back from the hotel tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” She turned, impulsively, pulling Priyanka into a hug. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Sweetie, you’re in the same city and a ten-minute drive away.” Priyanka held on and rocked Aadhya in a gentle motion. “I’m going nowhere and neither are you.”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to my family,” Aadhya told her, pulling out of her embrace, damp eyed.

“No, no, no. There will be no crying,” Priyanka said firmly. “I can’t do all this makeup magic again and the girls from the salon have already left.”

Aadhya laughed, patting her fingers under her eyes and fanning herself in a vain bid to keep the tears from spilling over.

“Let’s go, Mrs. Aadhya Gadde,” Priyanka said now. “We don’t want to piss of the combined might of the families by being late to your wedding reception.”

“The bag-“

“I’ll get the bag.” Priyanka picked up the hotel bag and slung it over one shoulder.

“Your saree will get crumpled. Let’s call for someone.”

Priyanka made a pfft sound. “Doesn’t matter. No one is going to be looking at me when I’m standing next to the beautiful bride.”

“Aarush Anna wouldn’t look anywhere else.” Aadhya smiled slyly as Priyanka’s cheeks turned rosy.

“But he also wouldn’t care if my saree was crumpled,” Priyanka countered.

“Not unless he’d crumpled it himself.” Aadhya picked up her ghaghra’s heavy skirts to navigate the staircase leading them to the hall more carefully.

“Aadhya!”

Aadhya laughed at Priyanka’s scandalised shriek.

“At least keep your voice down. Your parents might hear you.” Priyanka looked around furtively. “They’re just starting to tolerate me and we don’t want to go down the family drama road again.”

“Give them a little time. They will love you,” Aadhya declared confidently, as she stepped out on to the ground floor. “Anna will tolerate nothing less. And also, they know they could never do better than you.”

“Neither can the Gaddes do better than you,” Priyanka replied handing the overnight bag over to a helper who hurried over. “Put it in the car,” she told him before turning back to Aadhya. “The Gaddes are the luckiest family in the city because they have the opportunity to love and be loved by you in this lifetime.”

“And Ram,” Aarush appeared from God knows where and draped his arms around both of them, pulling them into a weird three-way hug. “Has the privilege of being annoyed by you in this lifetime and the seven ones to follow as well.”

Aadhya dug her elbow into his side, pinching him in mock outrage. Aarush pinched her back.

“Enough children,” Priyanka said laughing. “Let’s go. Athama and Mamagaru have already left for the venue and we can’t be late.”

“She’s shooting for the daughter-in-law of the year award,” Aarush said in an exaggerated whisper.

“Well, that’s fruitless.” Aadhya adjusted her uncomfortable dupatta again. “None of us are winning that. Veda has it locked down.”

Priyanka laughed at the reference to her brother Agastya’s wife. “That she does,” she agreed ruefully.

They stepped out of the house, the balmy night air making Aadhya already feel sweaty and sticky. “We shouldn’t have picked outdoor events,” she grumbled, as she slid into the blissfully cool air-conditioned confines of her brother’s Mercedes.

“We couldn’t find any halls large enough to fit the crowd invited.” The helper ran up with Aadhya’s overnight bag and Aarush opened the trunk for them to slide it in. A few minutes later, they were on their way.

“Why aren’t we using a driver tonight?” Priyanka asked, from where she rode shotgun. Aadhya rested her head against the window and looked out, enjoying the quiet and solitude of the backseat. Once they reached the venue, it was going to be madness.

“I wanted to drive. Why?” Aarush flipped his indicator on and switched lanes.

“I’d have preferred not to spend an hour in this car with you cursing at other drivers.”

Aarush arched an eyebrow at her. “Think you can do better, my love? I’m happy to pull over and let you take the wheel.”

“I think a driver would have been the perfect solution.”

Aadhya tuned out their good-natured bickering, her mind on the evening ahead. It was going to be long and exhausting but she had something to look forward to. At the end of this wedding mania, her marriage began.

Ram and she were booked into the honeymoon suite of a luxury hotel for tonight. A shiver ran down her spine. It wasn’t the first time they’d be alone in a hotel room. Their clandestine affair had been passionate, torrid and frantic. Completely out of control.

But this was their first time as husband and wife. A delicious tinge of anticipation slid through her. She knew every inch of Ram’s body but she was looking forward to owning it all tonight.

But first, she told herself, even as desire swam in her veins. First, they needed to talk. They’d get to the hotel room and before their always explosive need for each other took over, she was going to call him on his strange behaviour. He better have a good explanation for it. Aadhya didn’t appreciate the unnecessary anxiety he was subjecting her to.

Their interminable ride through Hyderabad traffic and then on to the Outer Ring Road finally ended as they reached the venue, another one of her father’s properties.

Aadhya allowed Aarush to help her out of the car, standing in one place to settle her outfit before stepping forward. They had barely taken a step forward before another car pulled up behind them, a trail of innovas flanking it.

Ram got out of it, Agastya, Harsh and Virat following. Agastya’s security immediately spread out around them on all sides.

“It’s a good thing you left your guard at home,” Aadhya joked to Priyanka, eyeing the wall of muscle around them.

“I didn’t,” Priyanka sighed. “He’s following us in another car.”

The guys stepped forward to greet them, everyone hugging everyone until it was a mad melee. Only Ram stayed back, standing a few feet apart, his eyes on Aadhya. Watching her.

She smiled at him. He didn’t smile back.

Something shriveled inside her, her earlier fears rearing their head.

“Ram!” Aarush called out. “Which car are you taking to the hotel? I’ll have Aadhya’s overnight bag transferred to it.”

A beat of silence followed the question, Ram’s mouth flattening as he looked away from Aadhya.

“You can have it sent to Gadde Mansion.”

“It’s the stuff she needs for tonight. At the hotel.” Priyanka interjected. “Her regular luggage has already been sent to your house.”

“We’re not going to the hotel. I cancelled the reservation that was made.”

Aarush stilled, his brow furrowing. “Why?”

Ram shrugged, his gaze cutting back to Aadhya, some indecipherable message flashing in those dark brown eyes of his. “Didn’t see the need for it,” he said curtly. “I need to find my family. I’ll see you all inside.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving the rest of them to stand around in confused silence. All except Aadhya who was drowning in the humiliation of the moment.

Didn’t see the need for it.

Embarrassed colour flooded her cheeks as the others tried not to look directly at her.

“Shall we go in?” Agastya asked politely.

She nodded and everyone started walking. Priyanka and Aarush flanked her.

“Did you guys have a fight?” Priyanka asked softly, her words for Aadhya’s ears only.

“No.”

“Then why?” Bewildered, Priyanka met Aarush’s eyes over Aadhya’s head.

“I don’t know.” Aadhya’s lips flattened into a grim line. “But I’m sure as hell going to find out.”