Marriage By Curse- 8. ENGAGEMENT AND CRUISE PARTY

8. ENGAGEMENT AND CRUISE PARTY

Sanchi, Isha and Pragya had just returned from their engagement shopping. After lots of trials and tons of opinions they had selected their dresses with the help of Jaya, Isha’s Mom, Aarti and Mehek. Pragya’s sister was jealous and hence she sulked in one corner during the whole trip. While the ladies were shopping, the men were busy in making arrangements for the cruise party. They had hired an event manager and were making sure that they personally invite their business partners along with written invitations. The guests amounted to a total of 60 people. By the end of the day, all of them were very tired. The Photoshoot although exciting had used up much of their energy and the shopping had drained even the last ounce left. They all went to sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

The morning saw great amount of hustle-bustle in Pragya’s house. As the ceremony was going to be held in the lawn of Pragya’s bungalow, all the ladies had slept there to ensure their help in the pre-engagement preparations. The three sleeping beauties were woken up before three hours of the ceremony. They all bathed and started to get ready. Pragya had tears in her eyes as she missed her mother who was no more in this world but Jaya and Isha’s Mom pacified and ushered her to get ready. Once the three of them were ready, they sat down and had a look at the news.

THE MYSTERY WOMEN OF THE BUSINESS TRIO REVEALED!

We have received an exclusive album consisting the photos of the women the famous Business Trio is getting engaged to today. We also have the news that a grand cruise party is going to be held to announce their engagement. The K2V Company whose joint owners are Kabir Kapoor, Veer Malhotra and Karan Oberoi has declared an official statement about the engagement of their owners. When asked by one of the reporters in a press conference, the MD of K2V Company said:

“It is my honor to inform all of you that our Company’s founders are indeed going to get engaged today. It is a private affair but a cruise party is going to be held later this day to announce the engagement officially.”

When asked for more details he subtly declined our progresses but we do get to know that the most eligible bachelors of India are now booked. This news would break hearts of many young women but we would surely provide you the details of the three lucky women shortly. To know more stay tuned!

They turned off the TV and sat down in silence. Their plan was working. Now the media would dig up all the information regarding them and then the obvious conclusion of their research would be ‘school sweethearts’. This would cover up the stained image of the men and would also save their time in disclosing their ‘ever so romantic love story’ to the media.

They were called downstairs for the ceremony at 9:45 am. The auspicious time of the engagement ceremony was of 10:00 am sharp. The three besties made their way towards the lawn and every sound was instantly stopped at their arrival. All the heads turned around to have a look at the brides-to-be and hushed whispers of appreciation were heard as they made their way towards the Dias. They had worn lehegas of different colors but together they were just complimenting each other. The grooms-to-be stood on the stage as they stared at their respective brides intensely.

Isha had worn a light green color lehenga and with work on it. She had also paired her outfit with a neck choker necklace and Mangtika. She was looking beautiful. Isha’s parents escorted her till the stage and from there Karan took her hand and helped her to climb the stage.

Pragya was wearing pink colored lehenga with yellow and golden embroidery on the edges. Her outfit was accessorized by heavy earrings and armlets. She had a brassy dupatta to give her outfit a complete look. Pragya was escorted by her father till the stage and from there Veer carried the task of helping Pragya to reach the stage.

Sanchi was wearing a plain white lehenga with heavy golden border and an equally heavy golden colored blouse. She had also worn jewelry that enhanced her dress. Kabir noted that white was Sanchi’s favorite color as all he had seen her wear so far was white. He kept that in mind for the future. He saw Jaya escorting her towards the stage and he held her hand as she climbed the stage. On getting a close look did he notice that her dress was very heavy and to carry such a dress for someone as small as Sanchi, it would be not be easy!

Once all the three couples were settled in their seats, the engagement ceremony was started. The pooja was done and the rings were exchanged between the couples. Everyone was congratulating the newly engaged couples on the stage one by one, each of them giving the blessings of a happy and prosperous future. After all the rituals were over, the couples each took photographs for the wedding album. By the time all this ordeal was over, it was already 1:00 in the afternoon. The six of them changed into comfortable clothes and got in the car together. The drive from Pragya’s house to Juhu was of about six hours. The cruise party would start at 10:00 pm. They had just enough time to reach the cruise and start getting ready especially the ladies.

Isha and Pragya were fast asleep during the travel but Sanchi could not sleep as she was having her abdominal cramps due to her monthly flows. She tried sleeping but it was in vain as the more she kept fidgeting, the more pain intensified. She resided on one comfortable place and sighed as she threw her head back in exasperation. The ladies were all seated at the last seat of the seven seater Audi while the men were in the middle seats where they were looking over the confirmations of the guests and also they were discussing some business matters. The car halted near the beach at 7:30 as they were stuck up in traffic somewhere. A small boat was waiting for them at the sea shore. They all got on the boat and the boat sped past the waters. Soon a large ship could be seen and all the three ladies gawked at it. The boat was magnificent and with all the evening lights, it just looked like a lone star on the vast dark night sky.

Kabir was seated next to Sanchi. She had forgotten her pain for sometime as a thought crossed her mind. She turned towards Kabir and whispered in his ear.

S: Is this cruise yours?

K: No we have rented it for today as there were more people but we do own a yacht which has the capacity to carry a maximum of 20 people.

Sanchi’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shape as they neared the cruise. The boat stopped very much close to the cruise. A ladder was lowered from the cruise which was similar to a small staircase. Kabir went out first and helped Sanchi climb out of the boat. Veer and Karan also did the same. Their small bags were already delivered to the cruise earlier. After reaching the main deck of the ship, the ladies were greeted with a cheerful voice.

V: Hello Ladies.

The voice was very girly but also manly at the same time. They turned around to find a man standing there with a white shirt, pink pants and pink jacket. His hairs were blonde and he wore pink girly goggles. He made an attempt to go near the men but one glare from them fixed him in his place.

V: Ladies, this is Marc. He will be your designer for today’s party.

M: Oh common Ladies, let’s leave these boring men here and get some hot dresses.

He said as he linked his arms with Isha and Pragya. Sanchi was standing besides Pragya so she linked arms with her. They took a leave, leaving behind their melodious sounds of laughter.

Sanchi’s mouth dropped when she saw the large hall where they were going to get ready. Dresses of almost each and every possible gown designs were present there. They were first told to select the color of the gown. Sanchi selected Red as she had not seen herself in it since a long time; Pragya chose Olive Green which was unique and Isha chose peach color as it was her favorite. They tried different gowns but found some to be revealing and some to be too much for the occasion. After a good time of one and a half hours, the dresses were finalized. Soon their makeup started. Since they were natural beauties, there was not much to do so the stylist utilized the time to braid their hairs. Each one of them had their hairs up in a bun with different designs. Once their makeup and hair and the nails were done, the assistant designers helped them to put their dresses on. It was 10:00 pm by the time the ladies were ready. They were sitting in the hall after hugging a sweet goodbye to Marc and they were waiting for their fiancées to come get them.

Sanchi’s Dress:

Isha’s Dress:

Pragya’s Dress:

While they were sitting, Sanchi shifted slightly and winced at the sudden cramp in her abdominal. She rubbed her stomach as the pain subsided slowly. Isha and Pragya eyed her suspiciously.

I: What happened Sanchi?

P: Are you not well?

S: It’s nothing, I just have my first day today and all this is very tiring.

She smiled to assure her best friends who were still eyeing her with concern. Suddenly the door of the hall whipped open and in came three suit clad handsome men.

Kabir saw that his fiancé had a red gown on which he was surprised with. He was expecting to see her in white but red was also suiting her well. He went near her and saw that she was wearing high heels as she reached his neck. He stretched his hand out for her and she looped her hand into his lightly. They started to move out of the hall towards the lift that would lead them to grand staircase from where they were to make an entry to the party hall. Kabir felt Sanchi’s hand shaking a bit and he noticed as she made an attempt to hide her nerves. He held her hand lightly and whispered to her.

K: Nervous?

Sanchi took a deep breath and nodded briefly. He chuckled and whispered to her again.

K: You will be fine. Just stay by my side.

Sanchi was dumb folded as she had heard him chuckle for the very first time. Though it was short lived for a few seconds, it was an amazing melody to the ears. She wondered what his laugh would be like if his chuckle was so infatuating. She smiled as he led her to the top of the staircase and all the lights went out. She could hear the chaos of the party subdue as she heard someone on the mike.

H: So Ladies and Gentlemen please put your hands together for the future Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor, Oberoi and Malhotra.

The host of the party announced in the mike which was followed by the spotlight that fell directly on them and also the loud round of applause from the audience. Kabir and Sanchi descended the stairs followed by Karan and Isha and Pragya and Veer. Once the three couples were on the floor of the hall, the normal lights were turned on and Sanchi got a nice view of some sixty people staring at her intently. She put on a brave façade and smiled at them. Everyone of the crowd reciprocated her gesture and she felt Kabir’s arm on her waist. He held the mike with the other hand.

KK: Thank you everyone for coming to the party.

KO: We now start the celebrations of our engagement party.

VM: Please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the party.

Veer handed the mike back to the host and the couples began to mingle with the guests separately. Kabir and Sanchi went to his partners who were approximately 15 of the total guests. She met with Mr. Lee and his wife. They were a beautiful couple in their early thirties. She instantly connected with Mrs. Lee and spent most of her time with Mrs. Lee whenever Kabir was away for some men talks.

Sanchi encountered some people giving her lustful gazes but one glare from Kabir would fix it. She also noticed that many women tried to come close to Kabir but he ignored their advances and stopped them if they crossed a certain line. She earned many death glares. She now understood the meaning of what Kabir had told her on their dinner. She could see through the facades of many people but some were so subtle that she mistook them for being good people that was until she saw Kabir’s reaction towards them. He had some warmth when he was talking to his genuine partners and he was as hard as a stone when he was dealing with those hypocrite people. Sanchi was amazed at his recognition about people’s true nature and she was also glad that he did not use his business tone on her. She just could not take it. She also reminded herself to be on the good side of him because god knows what may happen if she ever saw his bad side!

Kabir was also impressed with how Sanchi had handled the situation. She did not speak too much nor too less, only the correct amount that was required. He did not know how, but she sensed the correct person in front of whom she kept her mouth shut. He also saw that she was holding the wine glass correctly but she did not take a sip of it. Whenever somebody would ask, she would excuse herself out by saying that she had just refilled it. He held her near his side for most of the times but for some reason he had to leave her alone. While discussion was taking place about something, Kabir seeked a glance from the corner of his eyes to see Sanchi having a conversation with Mrs. Lee and they laughed softly at something. He was relieved as she had found a good company to hang out with.

After meeting his partners, Kabir introduced Sanchi to those partners who were mutual to the Business Trio. They were conversing when Isha, Karan, Pragya and Veer joined them. Everyone was busy mingling with each other and Mr. Randhawa, one of the mutual partners of the Business Trio, took the mike to make an announcement.

R: Ladies and Gentlemen, May I have your attention please. I now request Veer, Karan and Kabir to come on the stage and have a romantic dance with their beautiful fiancées. Everyone give them a big round of applause.

The audience cheered as the three couples made their way to the middle of the hall which was a bit raised in the form of a Dias. The three of them started dancing as a slow romantic music was played. Sanchi and Kabir got in the dancing stance and swayed slightly as the music started. Sanchi’s legs were in pain as she was not used to standing with high heels for this long. Her stomach was also paining and her body was begging her for rest. She looked up at Kabir tiredly and as if on cue, Kabir whispered in her ears.

K: The party is going to be over after this dance. It is already 4:00 am.

Sanchi smiled and nodded when she was suddenly hit by a strong cramp. Her hold on Kabir tightened as she leaned onto his chest which was the nearest available support. He thought that Sanchi was just acting to be close so he also placed both of his hands on her waist as she had her arms on his shoulders. The last of the music vanished in thin air as the danced stopped and so did the party. Every guest was personally whished a very goodnight and they were escorted by the crew of the cruise to their own rooms. The Business Trio had their rooms on the top most floor where some other important international delegates were also living. Kabir led Sanchi to their room where their bags were already kept. Sanchi went inside the washroom to change and wash her makeup. She removed the jewelry then proceeded to remove the dark red lipstick which suited her dress. She then released her hairs from the bun and washed herself clean. She removed her dress and hung it neatly on the nearby small wardrobe. She put on her pajama pants and a tank top.

Just as she was about to go to the door, blackness hit her and she fainted on the floor of the washroom.

Kabir had just returned from briefing the event management team about tomorrow’s schedule. He reached his room to see it brightly lit up. He was expecting Sanchi to be fast asleep by the time he would be back and thus he could avoid her but alas it was not his day today. She was looking so stunning in the red dress and the red lipstick was just enticing him. Only god knows how Kabir had controlled himself from kissing her lipstick off. He searched for any signs of her in the room but she was nowhere to be found. He went to the washroom door and tried to open it but it was locked. He knocked for a few times but she did not answer from inside. Anxious, he opened the door with the help of the master key provided to him by the cruise manager earlier this day. There he found Sanchi lying on the floor in her pajamas and all the accessories from the sink counter top were on the floor. He quickly carried Sanchi onto the bed and called Isha and Pragya to immediately come to his room. There was knock on his door after few seconds. Isha and Pragya rushed inside and went near Sanchi.

K: What happened to her?

Isha and Pragya kept quiet and looked at each other as though trying to contemplate something. Kabir became impatient and asked in a stern voice.

K: Tell me this instant or else I will reverse the course of the boat and take her to the hospital.

I: No there is no need of that. Sanchi is fine. She just needs rest. That’s it.

Isha tried to cover up but her body language was the one indicating Kabir that she was hiding something.

K: I am asking for the last time. What happened to her?

He asked emphasizing each and every word of his question. Isha averted her gaze and Pragya answered in a low voice as she scratched the back of her neck.

P: She was …. Pmsing since the morning and with all this exertion, she just felt weak and fainted. It’s nothing much. She will be fine when she wakes up.

Kabir nodded as he realized that her behavior was different since the engagement ceremony but he just took it to be nervousness.

K: Does this happen all the time? I mean every month?

I: No. When she is under much stress or when she is physically exaggerated.

K: Ok. Thank you. You may go and rest. I will be here when she wakes up.

Isha and Pragya nodded and went away. Kabir closed the door behind them and covered Sanchi with the quilt. She immediately curled up in ball and continued sleeping. Kabir took his laptop and sat beside her on the bed. He ordered some fruits from the kitchen below so that Sanchi could eat after she had woken up. He took a look at the watch. It was 5:00 in the morning. He still had some work to do so he continued his work and in between kept watching Sanchi. She changed her positions but each time she curled into a ball with the quilt covering her fully. He concluded that quilt was necessary for her to sleep and it was her habit to sleep in a fetal position.

She stirred once again but this time she slowly opened her eyes and looked around until she found Kabir typing away on the laptop with great speed. She stared at him for a few seconds and then looked at his watch that beeped indicating that it was 6:00 in the morning. It was her usual time to get as she loved watching the sunrise. She got up while yawning which caught Kabir’s attention. He stopped his work and stared at her intently.

S: You are not sleepy?

She asked in a sleepy voice. He raised his eyebrows and then nodded a yes.

S: Then why aren’t you sleeping?

K: How are you feeling?

Sanchi was confused but then she remembered that she had fainted in the washroom before. She turned to look at him.

S: I am fine. It was just

Before she could continue, Kabir cut her.

K: I know. Isha and Pragya told me. Here have some fruits you will feel good.

S: No I am fine.

She got out of the bed despite of her brain scolding her to get inside. She wrapped her shawl around her body as it would be cold now on the deck. Kabir who was watching her furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

K: Where are you going?

S: On the deck.

K: Why?

S: To watch the sunrise. I just love it.

K: Wait. I am coming.

S: No. You require sleep. I will be fine.

K: I was not asking Sanchi.

She sighed in surrender as he reached out to put his jacket on. He was wearing trek pants with a simple t-shirt. They got out of the room and went near the deck. Their path was illuminated by the light of dawn that slipped through the mirror windows. A cold gust of wind hit them as they opened the door of the hallway to get on the deck. Sanchi pulled the shawl closer to her body as she stepped near the railing. Kabir was beside her and they stood comfortably in the silence and saw the Sun rise over the horizon of endless waters.

Kabir turned to have a look at Sanchi. He saw her smiling while she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her face shined from the young sunrays falling on her and she looked very much attractive. He just could not stop now. He leaned down and whispered huskily near her ear.

K: Sanchi, I want to kiss you.

Sanchi turned around with a start and stared at him with wide eyes. She saw that he started leaning his head near to her and she found herself doing the same. She wished to kiss him. She wanted to experience how it would feel to kiss her crush. Slowly their lips met and Kabir started to kiss her tenderly. He held her closer by her waist and she put her hands on his shoulders. Warmth instantly engulfed her as she did not find the need of shawl any more. He tasted of mint. He did kiss her but he did not deepen the kiss. He could not control himself if he would have kissed her passionately so he resorted to a small tender kiss. She tasted like sweet roses and he would definitely love to taste them again was his thought before he broke the kiss and saw her. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her. She was breathing heavily not due to the kiss but due to the pleasurable ache she felt in her lower abdomen. This close to him, she could see specks of green in his black eyes. His eyes were just wonderful and she wished to stare more but he broke the contact and stirred their way back into their room. Her body groaned at the loss of his warmth but Sanchi was happy. She had finally kissed her crush and it was a great experience. They silently settled down on the bed and went into deep slumber each relishing the feel of the other on their lips.

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Hello everyone,

I won’t be posting soon so this is for you all.

Thank you so much for reading and please do feel free to suggest me.