Leave it to destiny

Chapter seventeen./

The night before the wedding.......
"Ahhh....muffff..." Maira turned to look at the balcony of her room. A pair of hands were holding on to the railing. Thief!! She opened her mouth to let out a scream.
"Shhhh..h.h.h it's me." Abhimanyu's head was now lolling above the railing. A stupid grin on his dear face.
"What are you doing here?" She held on to him as he swung his legs over the railing, and fell in a heap on to the floor of the balcony.
"Just needed to see you!!" He pulled her down into his arms and hugged her tightly. Breathing in her fresh fragrance. He loved the smell of her. It calmed him as much as it excited him.
"What happened?" She held his face in the cup of her palms as she drew her face nearer to his. Her thumb rubbing against his lips.
"The wedding preparations, they were getting to me. I..I just couldn't stand watching them anymore." She pressed her lips to his kissing him softly.
"Keep that on and we will..." his smirk was enough to make her blush as she sat down next to him, cuddling into his arms.
"Abhi don't worry. Everything's going to be alright."
"I wish I had your confidence. Prakash hasn't arrived yet, and we have no proof against Kamini's pregnancy yet."
"When you say it like that, it does sound bad."
"Hmmnn..I really need to hold you." They sat there on the balcony floor holding on to each.
"If things don't go as planned.."
"They will!!" she interrupted him.. "They will, just be confident that come what may, we will be sitting for the pheras together." She refused to let any doubt creep in.
"Kamal Pratap's men are following me. They have been keeping a close eye on me. I might not be able to do anything once I leave here. He is a mean bastard. Huh!! Funny but I knew that when I went into the deal with him, I knew he will always think of himself before others, and it didn't bother me then. He was only interested in the profit the business deal that we had planned would get him, but then so was I. You know when I say that I don't like the sound of me, the man I use to be, either. And come to think of it, I used Kamini too, she was a means to an end....Maira?
"Hmmmnn."
"Thank you!"
"She looked at him. "What for?"
"For coming..no..bombarding into my life. Ufff." He mockingly held her for a few moments before it left his eyes. "No seriously. Thank you. For coming into my life. I dread to think what I would have made of it on my own. I should have never agreed to marrying Kamini. I knew how she is, self-centred and selfish but I wanted...but then I was like that too.."
"Don't!! Darling. Don't blame yourself. There was nothing holding you both together."
"That is true..I wanted this match because I wanted the business deal and all Kamini wanted was the name attached to the marriage. I doubts she even knows my likes or dislikes."
"I think Kamini is truly her father's daughter."
"I could even now easily break off the engagement, but Baba is not agreeing. All he is seeing is the business deal. I don't know how to handle him. We've barely spoken two words this past month."
"Don't worry all will be alright. I am sure he will come around."
"Not sure about that, but at least the rest of the family is with us."
"DaduSa!" She lifted her eyebrows,a wide grin on her race.
"Yes!! DaduSa! I know he will take our side. He loves you as much as he does me."
She gently smiled as she looked up at him, loving the feel of being in his arms. She rose a little on her knees, as she kissed him softly on his lips.
"I love you Abhi!" She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him towards her eager lips.

It was a cold winter evening, the air decidedly chilly but the brightness of the Patwa mansion rivalled the gloominess of the dark winter. Bright lights all around, strings of marigold, jasmine. Bunches of gladiola, roses and rajnigandha bounded everywhere. A sweet floral smell prevailed all around. It was indeed a beautifully breathtaking sight. People richly dressed entered and sat all around the garden till by early evening it was fully packed. A group of musicians were enthusiastically playing popular musical numbers.
KamalPratap looked around with gaiety, a smug smile of his round face. Finally! Finally! The moment had arrived. All that he had dreamed of would now come to be. He had wanted this alliance, desperately and he wanted it on his terms. He could have joined hands with Thakur Shyam Singh in a business deal, but he had wanted to consolidate his business. Have someone who would be tied to them to the family. He had know the moment he met Abhimanyu that this boy would go places. He had that drive in him. He had made enough money nefariously but now he wanted to go legit. And for that he needed a well known name with an upstanding reputation. In Abhimanyu he had found it all. If something were to happen to him Maya Pradeep and Kamini would finish off his business and wealth in no time at all. But with this marriage with Abhimanyu at the helm of his business, everything will be secure.
He had known that Abhimanyu would not give in easily and he had been keeping a close eye on him these last few days. Let him have that chick, hell! He could have any woman he wanted as long as he married kamini. Not that, that girl would be free.he.he.he..he had taken care of that. That Rana UdayBhaan had been so damn, easy to manipulate. All he had done was inform him of the impending marriage of Abhimanyu and Kamini. He had offered enough money that the buffoon had been salivating before he could even complete the offer. Yes! That girl will be taken care of.....But he couldn't push away the nerve ticking at his throat. Sure sign something was going awry.
He looked up towards the gate. His loyal henchman was standing there. When he looked at him, he nodded and raised his thumb, signaling that all was alright. He let out a sigh of relief. He had all his men guarding the gates. He wasn't going to let anything go wrong. This was his only chance.....
Thank God! Abhimanyu and his father were so righteous, if they hadn't tried to come clean that day....he wouldn't have had a warning that Abhimanyu wasn't keen on the wedding. He had almost had a heart attack when the young man had refused the marriage with Kamini, but then the masterstroke played by Kamini had kept the ball in their court. Maybe Kamini wasn't as bad a case as he had taken her to be. Yes! Maybe she was more like him than his only son and heir. He turned to look at the gate. The sound of the music band was getting louder. Well! The baraat was almost at the gate, maybe he should make a move towards it.
"Pradeep! The baraat, it has come. Hurry we need to be there to receive the baraat."