Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 2

As the door opened Avni found herself looking at an elderly lady. Elegant, thin and very beautiful despite her fifty or some years. She had a kind face and a gentle smile.

"Avni," she said guessing who she was just by looking at her.

Avni was a bit surprised. She hadn't met the lady before. She had a gentle voice matching her personality and Avni smiled tentatively.

"Mrs. Dogra," Avni said and folded her hands in respect, "Namaste," she said politely.

"Come in bachche," she said, "Shalini had called me to let me know what time you might be arriving," she said as she walked inside and Avni followed, "leave your luggage the servant will take it to your room," she told her and Avni left her suitcase and airbag on the side of the entrance and followed the woman inside.

If she had thought the house was beautiful from the outside it was hands down gorgeous on the inside with high ceilings lined with wood beams bringing the pattern from the porch inside. The room was rectangular in shape with huge windows overlooking the side lawns. The décor was very traditional with antique bronze sofa sets, walnut colored coffee table and matching side tables. There was a huge painting with Lord Krishna in a sleeping pose. The vases were full of blooming fresh flowers of varied colors. The drapes over the windows had a cream base and intricate designs. Tall lamps graced each table. It was an amazing house. But they didn't stop there. She passed a long lobby lined with a wall full of photo frames and then turned to form an entryway to another room.

Mrs. Dogra took her inside. The room was spacious and one side was lined with hard wood shelves full of books. The room was so different from what she had seen outside. There were comfortable cream colored couches with a modern coffee table and side tables. Even the drapes were deep maroon with gold trimmings. The room also had a huge desk and a leather chair snuck into one corner while another long pool table was placed on the other side. Mrs. Dogra paused and indicated for her to sit on the couch.

"Sit bachche," Mrs. Dogra said, "you should have called once you reached Manali I would have sent the car," she said with a smile.

"It is alright Mrs. Dogra," Avni said, "it would have caused trouble," she said and looked at her hands.

"No trouble," Mrs. Dogra said, "and my name is Nilakshi, call me aunty but Mrs. Dogra is very formal and you are Shalini's daughter don't be so formal yaar, I am not used to it," she said.

Avni was a little taken aback. It seemed Mrs. Dogra...no Nilakshi aunty was pretty informal. She didn't know what to say so she looked away again.

"How was your journey?" Nilakshi asked as a servant entered with a tray in hand. She asked him to keep the tray on the table, "Sukhdev," she said, "Avni's luggage is kept by the door put it in the guest room," she said.

Sukhdev nodded and left.

"It was good aunty," Avni said replying to the question that had been put to her before, "thank you," she said.

"Did you eat something on the way?" Nilakshi asked again.

"Yes, the bus had stopped for breakfast," Avni replied.

"Good," Nilakshi said as she extended the tea cup to her and Avni took it gratefully, "it would be lunch time soon," she said, "you freshen up and we will have lunch together as it is it is going to be just you and me," she said.

"Just us," Avni repeated.

She knew that the Dogra's had three children. She wondered why they were to have lunch together without anybody else joining them on a Saturday afternoon.

"Yes," Nilakshi smiled as she sipped her tea, "Tej my husband is in office, with our own resort here he is mostly working twenty four seven, Uday my son is busy with some tourists he is taking out for bungee jumping today he has his own adventure sports company and Manya my youngest had to go for a movie with her friends that leaves just the two of us," she said and shrugged.

Avni nodded and sipped her tea. Nilakshi had mentioned everyone except one of her children. Maybe he didn't live with them working in another city or something. How did it matter to her anyway? She quickly finished her tea as Nilakshi enquired about Shalini and how she had been doing. Avni answered as best as she could.

Then Nilakshi showed her where her room was and left to go supervise lunch. Avni stared at the room. It was nothing less than the room one would find in a five star resort. There was a huge oval ornate mirror in the center of one wall with intricate design on it. Right below the mirror was a console table with two drawers. On top of the table was a Chinese vase with fresh flower arrangement. The other wall was lined with an antique walnut finish wardrobe. One corner had a huge indoor palm. The bed, Avni couldn't even begin to describe it as she stared at the monstrosity. It was a huge four poster with beautiful white curtains that were tied to each column. The last wall bang opposite to the wardrobe was pure glass that opened on to yet another lawn. The French doors that opened to the lawn had two large full length windows on each side with knobs so one could open them. They were the only things that had grills. There was a small door off the wall that opened into a beautiful bathroom with porcelain marble floor and granite countertops. She wondered if the guest room was this beautiful how would the rest of the rooms be? She took in a deep breath and picked up her suitcase that had already been brought to the room while she had tea.

Opening it she took out a cotton blue kurta with chicken work and a white churidaar with it. She went to the washroom and quickly washed her face then changed. She would put away her clothes after lunch she thought. Then combing her hair she tied it in a ponytail.

She hoped that her life would turn for the better after what she had gone through in the past one and a half year. She hoped she would be able to keep her promise. And sighing she left to find the dining room Nilakshi had told her about.

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