Chapter 1
Alisha
I awaken abruptly, startled by the sounds of my mother’s sobs emanating from the adjoining room. I question if I am still in a dream. Why would Mom be crying? This was supposed to be one of the happiest days for her, as my sister Lisha – my identical twin – was getting married. We both left home at the age of sixteen to attend college, and since then, we’ve been living away from our family. Graduating with gold medals in English literature, we made our parents immensely proud. I secured an internship in our hometown of Mysore, working as an assistant editor at the renowned publishing house, “The Blue Quill Publishers.” On the other hand, Lisha chose to embark on a journey, explore the world, and gain exposure before commencing her novel.
“Alisha, come with me. You can always pursue the internship later. It will be an adventure. The cruise from Lakshadweep is set to explore the entire coast of India. Evana, Ashok, Ram, Diya, Skanda, Monica – they’ll all be a part of it. This is the age to explore and take a break from books,” Lisha urged me to join her on the cruise.
“Lisha, books are not mundane for me; they are my life. Why would I want to spend time globetrotting when books encompass my world? An opportunity to intern at Blue Quill Publishers is rare; they’ve opened their doors to hire someone new after a whole five years, and I’ll never know when such an opportunity will arise again. You go ahead and have fun; I’ll find my enjoyment in my internship,” I persuaded her to embark on the cruise without me.
She shook her head, placed her hands on my shoulders, sighed heavily, and said, “Alright, my dear sister. You have fun at the publishing house too.”
Off she went, only to return a month later with a ring on her finger, announcing her engagement to Adil Suryavamshi, the sole heir of Suryavamshi Industries. Mom and Dad exchanged glances before welcoming her inside.
“So, where is this Adil Suryavamshi now, and how did you meet him?” Dad inquired once she had settled down.
“He went back to his home, of course, to meet his mother Vaidehi Suryavamshi and share the news about his new fiancée, which is me. Oh, Papa, Adil is wonderful. He was on the cruise with us, disguised as a commoner. Until the end of the cruise, nobody knew that he was a billionaire. He acted like an average guy, and we had a few casual encounters, which led to us falling in love with each other. He only revealed his identity as a Suryavamshi heir to me at the end of the trip,” she gushed.
I couldn’t believe it. Lisha seemed to have all the luck in the world. Despite feeling a twinge of jealousy that my sister was getting married, and to a billionaire no less, I put my envy aside. She is my sister, after all, and I was genuinely happy for her.
“Congratulations, Lisha,” I hugged her.
“Thanks, Alisha. See, I told you to come on the cruise with me. We could have had so much fun pranking him. We can still do that since he doesn’t know I have a sister,” she laughed.
“Lisha, don’t be a child,” Mom chided her. “You are getting married to him, for God’s sake. Are you sure you heard him right? Did he really promise to marry you? You are saying he is a Suryavamshi. They are the cream of the crop in this country. I find it hard to believe that his mother would approve of this alliance. We are nowhere near their league. I am feeling queasy just thinking about it.”
“Mother, please don’t do this. Just because we are not on the list of billionaires doesn’t mean that we cannot dream of marrying someone like Adil Suryavamshi. He has fallen in love with me. Besides, what’s wrong if he gets married to me? We have been raised well by you and Papa. Papa had a respectable job as the bank manager and provided us with a good education. And you have raised us well.
If anything, it is Adil who is lucky to be getting married to someone like Lisha,” I intervened, supporting my sister.
I knew that my mother’s fears were valid, but that didn’t mean she had to project her fears and insecurities onto Lisha. Lisha had never been bound by the confines of society, and she was not going to fear them now either. If she wanted to get married to Adil, then she would.
“Yes, Mama. Alisha is right. You will see when you meet them. Adil has promised me that he will be visiting us with his mother tomorrow to ask for my hand in marriage, and then you can see for yourself what a wonderful guy he is. He doesn’t care about status or money. He is genuinely a sweet guy,” Lisha said.
Mother seemed a little calmer after hearing Lisha’s explanations. However, the fact that a billionaire and his mother were going to visit our humble home still caused her a whole lot of anxiety. My mom got busy cleaning and redecorating the house and involved us in it too.
The next day, Adil Suryavamshi arrived at our home with his mother, Vaidehi Suryavamshi. They looked like royalty. Adil was wearing a tan suit with a white shirt and could easily give any movie hero a run for his money. I was most mesmerized by Vaidehi Suryavamshi. She looked like a goddess, her face resplendent and seeming to exude an aura of calm. I was instantly starstruck and couldn’t stop looking at her. They had brought with them silver plates laden with fruits and sweets.
“Vaidehiji, thank you so much for coming to our house and gracing us with your presence. I must admit that I didn’t believe it when my daughter Lisha told me that she had fallen in love with Adil Suryavamshi. I mean, we all know that Adil is way out of Lisha’s league. But to see you here and wholeheartedly accepting this alliance means a lot to us,” my mother unburdened her heart.
“Yes, Vaidehiji, it is unimaginable for someone like us to be getting an alliance from a family like yours,” my dad chimed in.
Adil smiled at my parents and said, “Mummyji and Daddyji, please do not say things like ‘out of your league.’ Your daughter has mesmerized me, and even though my mother had introduced me to hundreds of girls in our circle, they all bored me to death. Your daughter is a breath of fresh air and just what I wanted. She reminded me of my childhood days when I used to enjoy life without a care in the world, and I want that in my life.”
Vaidehi Suryavamshi joined in, saying, “It is true. My friends, sisters, and I put in all the effort we could to introduce him to all the girls in our circles, but none of them held Adil’s interest. Finally, I gave up. Adil had made up his mind to go to Europe to expand our business, and I was sure he was going to find me a foreign bride. Luckily, he decided to take a vacation before heading to Europe, and to our good luck, found himself a bride. I could not have been happier. When I spoke to Lisha on the phone, I knew that he had made the right choice. I am doubly surprised to see that you have another daughter. I wish I had another son so that I could get both my sons married to your daughters.”
I blushed at her suggestion. I was glad that everything was going so well, and my parents’ fears were appeased.
“As for the wedding, our purohit has mentioned that we have the most auspicious date the day after tomorrow. So, if you do not have any problem with your daughter getting married to my son, then can we have the wedding on the day after tomorrow?” she asked.
My parents were flabbergasted. They looked at each other, worry evident on their faces.
“But... But... the day after tomorrow is too early. How are we going to manage everything by then?” my dad’s words faltered.
“Don’t worry, Daddyji. My people will handle everything. We will finalize the venue and shopping today. You can also invite people whom you want to attend the wedding. We will finish the wedding and then head back to our place in Kashmir along with my wife,” Adil mentioned as if he were planning a lunch date.
“Sounds perfect,” Lisha clapped her hands as she looked at Adil, almost jumping with joy.
I could understand her excitement, but there was a nagging feeling in my stomach as to why there was such a hurry. She hardly knew him, and rushing into the wedding so soon seemed like a red flag. I wanted to warn Lisha, but I knew that it would only be construed as me being jealous, rather than her understanding my true intentions.
“I have the perfect venue for us to get married. Have you seen our backyard? It is spacious and has a lovely garden. We have a pergola under which the rituals can be completed. What would be more wonderful than getting married in my father’s house?” Lisha suggested.
I immediately felt a flash of anger course through my body. That was my dream; I had always dreamt of getting married in the lovely garden that my father and I had tended to. Lisha had never even bothered to water a single plant in the garden, while I had spent many days lovingly watering and tending to the plants. The pergola was under a Gulmohar tree that was planted on the grave of my great-grandfather. I had spent many summer afternoons under the pergola, either crying over a broken crush or happily reading my favourite book. These were where I had made my childhood memories. Now Lisha wanted to make it her own.
“Sounds great, Lisha. Let us have a look and finalize the venue then,” Adil stood up to join Lisha.
I had no choice but to grit my teeth and let it go. Those two days passed in a whirlwind, and I hardly had a chance to see Lisha or Adil. Their planners seemed to handle everything seamlessly, leaving my parents and me with minimal worries. We dedicated our energies to inviting the people near and dear to us. Adil spared no expense and had the finest dresses delivered right to our home, complete with spare outfits. He even arranged for jewelers to visit our home, purchasing jewelry worth one crore for Lisha alone. Despite our attempts at modesty in selecting jewelry, Adil insisted on the best pieces for my parents and me.
The wedding preparations were in full swing. The decorators transformed our backyard garden into a fairy-tale setting, with flowers and twinkling lights adorning every corner. The pergola under the Gulmohar tree was draped in sheer fabric and adorned with fragrant blooms, creating a magical atmosphere.
The catering team arrived with a mouthwatering array of dishes, ensuring that no guest would leave hungry. Adil’s generosity knew no bounds, and he left no stone unturned to make sure the wedding was a grand affair.
As the day of the wedding approached, our home buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Friends and family gathered from near and far, and the air was filled with laughter and joy. It was shaping up to be an unforgettable event, and despite my initial reservations, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the love and attention Adil was showering upon our family.
So when I heard my mother’s sobs on the morning of the wedding, I was taken aback. I knocked on the door, but there was no response. I entered inside only to see my father sitting on the bed with a letter in his hand and his eyes tearing up too. I instantly knew that something was wrong. “What happened, Mama?” I asked her, to which she just pointed at the letter in my father’s hand. I took the letter from his hand and read:
“Dear Mom and Dad,
I am so sorry to be doing this to you, but I can’t go through with this wedding. There are some things that I learned about Adil which have spooked me for good. I don’t know how to face you all after the terrible circumstances I have put you in. Please forgive me. I am leaving tonight with Charles, my childhood boyfriend. He still loves me and has always loved me; I guess I left the diamond in my hand and went around the world looking for better ones. But I have now come to realize that Charles is the one I want to get married to. We will probably be already married by the time you read this letter. I apologize for all the trouble. I will write to you soon. Take care of yourselves and Alisha.
Always Yours,
Lisha”
The world seemed to spin as I read those words. The wedding preparations, the excitement, and all the dreams we had built had come crashing down with a single letter. My heart ached for my parents, who had invested so much hope and love into this wedding. I felt a mixture of anger, sadness, and confusion, wondering what had led Lisha to make such a drastic decision on the day of her wedding.
It couldn’t be solely attributed to Charles. She had seemed incredibly certain about her decision to marry Adil, and, knowing Lisha, she relished being the center of attention. So, why would she change her mind at the last minute and abandon someone like Adil, a billionaire who could turn all her dreams into reality, to marry a commoner like Charles?
