CHAPTER 1: Where it all began
It was an important day…. Not only for the Oberois and Kapoors but also for her…. The wedding of Shivaay Singh Oberoi and Tia Kapoor was the biggest project her company had received…. She could not afford to make mistakes…. The other functions had happened with no errors and she wished that the wedding too should get completed in the same manner…. No mistakes…. She was very particular about her work and expected the same from her employees…. She would not spare any mistake whatever the magnitude of the mistake may be…. This was the reason her employees tried their best to not give her chances to point out mistakes and rarely met her personally…. Everything was thus managed by her assistant…. However this wedding was different and most important…. This wedding could make her company more recognizable…. Only she knew how much she had struggled to get this project…. She had personally taken care of everything and given her best to impress the Oberois and Kapoors…. She managed to get this project because of her creativity, confidence and charming personality…. However she may have been as a boss but as a person she was appreciated by all even her employees…. She was kind, caring and helpful…. No one could object that…. She would always help her employees both in their professional and personnel lives…. “Shubhyog” was not only Gauri’s company but her dream and she had worked hard day and night to make this dream come true….
She was walking through the corridors of the hotel when her eyes fell on the lawn where the workers were working…. They were decorating the lawn for the wedding which was the next day…. But her eyes clearly showed the displeasure she had seeing the decorations…. She walked towards the lawn…. She reached there and saw her assistant and a new employee talking something to one of the worker….
Gauri: What is all this Trisha, I had specifically asked you to put white flowers then why are there so many yellow ones?
The three of them turned to Gauri…. Trisha and the new employee prayed to God that Gauri does not make this their last day of work….
Trisha: Ma’am….
Gauri: No excuses Trisha just get it changed soon. The wedding is tomorrow and we have a lot to complete.
Gauri turned to go…. Trisha and the girl beside her exchanged surprised looks…. Gauri not scolding them nor firing them…. This was not less than a miracle…. They smiled and thanked God…. Gauri turned back and looked at them…. They immediately made their smiles vanish and looked at Gauri….
Gauri: Trisha, you handle the work here and you….
Girl: Soumya….
Gauri: Sorry it just slipped my mind. Soumya, you come with me, we have to see if Tia ma’am’s attire for the wedding is ready. I hope she doesn’t make any last minute changes.
Both Trisha and Soumya nodded…. Gauri walked ahead and Soumya quietly followed her…. They did not talk through their walk…. They reached a room and Gauri knocked the door…. After a wait of five minutes the door opened and Tia welcomed them…. Gauri walked in and Soumya followed….
Tia: Thank God Gauri, you came. I have a major problem and only you can fix it.
Gauri: What has happened ma’am, you tell me, I’ll get it fixed.
Tia picked her wedding attire and showed it to them…. Gauri and Soumya looked at her not understanding what Tia meant…. They then looked at each other and could find the same confusion on each other’s face….
Soumya: Ma’am, we did not understand. What is the problem?
Tia: Oh, I don’t like this colour; it does not suit my skin tone. Get this changed.
Gauri: Ma’am, the wedding is tomorrow, how we will get the entire attire changed at this moment.
Tia: That is not my concern; your work is to make sure everything is done perfectly, so I am sure you will manage this too.
Tia did not wait for any of them to say anything and walked out of the room…. Soumya was quiet not knowing what to say…. Gauri was highly irritated…. She had asked Tia plenty times if she was fine with the wedding attire and Tia had always said that she loved it…. And now when everything was almost done and the wedding was the next day…. Tia suddenly did not like the colour…. Gauri threw the dress on the bed in frustration….
Soumya looked at her; she was not able to understand how to calm down Gauri…. Tia had been a head ache throughout the functions…. Sometimes she did not like the decorations, sometimes the lighting and sometimes the food…. She would make last minute changes…. Throughout all this Gauri had maintained her cool but this…. This was too much to handle….
Soumya: Ma’am, what will we do now?
Gauri: I don’t know, I just want to end this. This Tia, what does she think of herself, suggesting these last minute changes…? I just wish that she never gets married and that this wedding gets cancelled…. God knows what that Shivaay Singh Oberoi saw in her that he is getting married to her….
Gauri however controlled her irritation and looked at Soumya….
Soumya: Ma’am, should I call the designer or will we talk to Tia ma’am?
Gauri: There is no use talking to her, she will not change her decision. You go and call the designer and ask her to get all the latest designs, we have very less time, so ask her to come as soon as possible.
Soumya nodded and Gauri walked out of the room…. Soumya did what Gauri had asked her to do and asked the designer to come to the hotel…. Even Soumya was irritated by Tia’s unpredictable behavior…. First she would like something and then next moment she would reject the same thing…. But no one could oppose her after all she was Shivaay Singh Oberoi’s would be wife and everyone was well aware of his anger if someone said anything against his family…. Soumya brushing away her thoughts walked out of the place…. She had a lot of work to do and she could not afford to give Gauri any other chance to get angry….
Soumya reached the lawn where Trisha was working…. Trisha asked her what has happened because she had seen how Gauri angrily walked away…. Soumya explained her everything….
Trisha: Oh God this Tia is too much yaar…. Gauri ma’am is working so hard to make this the best wedding…. And Tia is doing everything possible to ruin it….
Soumya: Exactly yaar, I hope nothing more happens…. If the wedding did not happen properly Gauri ma’am will definitely not spare any of us….
Both the girls prayed that everything happens smoothly and that no one does any mistake that will enrage Gauri more…. They also prayed that their jobs stay secured…. The girls then got busy with their works and took personal care that nothing goes wrong….
The works for the wedding were going on according to the plan now…. Finally after deciding for three hours Tia had chosen her ideal wedding attire and gave it for alterations according to her body…. Gauri gave out a sigh of relief…. Now everyone was busy with their works….
*****
Tia was walking to her room…. She had to get herself ready for the family dinner…. The entire Oberoi family would be waiting for her…. She had to make herself look the best…. She had done so much hard work to become the Oberoi bride…. Making her way to the family and then becoming a part of their family was not an easy task…. Even though she was Shivaay’s childhood friend, the fact did not help her in winning Shivaay…. She or for the fact both the families knew that Shivaay had no interest in this marriage…. He was doing it only for his family’s reputation and also because his mother had blackmailed him emotionally…. Shivaay was not one of those who could be driven away by emotions but when it came to his family, he could never disagree…. Tia and her mom had taken advantage of this love and made Tia’s way into the Oberoi family…. Oberois had everything a girl could ask for…. And marrying the eldest grandson and the heir of the family had its own set of privileges…. Tia could not afford to lose any of this…. Tomorrow she would become Mrs. Shivaay Singh Oberoi and then would rule the Oberoi Empire…. She smiled at her fate that she had got all this….
She walked into her room…. Took out her dress for the dinner…. She then went in to take a quick shower…. She came out and changed into the elegant royal blue gown…. Took her favorite pair of diamond earrings and adorned a beautiful diamond necklace around her neck…. She did some make up and looked at the mirror to check her for one last time before leaving…. Her hair tied in a beautiful bun with few curls left…. The expensive watch her sister had gifted her on her left wrist…. She was ready looking like the perfect to be bride ready to meet her in-laws….
“You look pretty darling”
The voice sent shivers through her entire body…. She had recognized the voice and sweat beads formed on her forehead…. She slowly turned around and looked at the person…. She did not get any chance to do anything…. The knife was already in her body and blood was oozing out…. The killer twisted the knife and she felt immense pain…. Tears flowed from her eyes…. She wanted to shout but her voice betrayed her…. She could feel the blood stream flowing out of her body onto her gown…. She touched her gown and her hand had her blood…. She looked at the person in front of her…. The person was smiling…. The person took out the knife and she fell down on the floor…. She could see the person smirking as she closed her eyes forever….
*****
AUTHOR’S NOTE: So here is the first chapter. The journey begins today, and I’ll try my best to make it a journey worth following. Please do read and share your views and opinions.