Artful Deceit & Love

29. The Proposal

Here's another update...

Your votes and comments motivated me to write this chapter sooner than I had thought.

Happy reading!

Mridula's POV

"I am glad that you came along with me, Mridula!" Meera commented as she stepped away after hugging me. It had been almost a month since that incident in Meera's office. And it had been almost a week since Meera and I had arrived in this small yet welcoming village near Jaipur.

Meera's new project was about some development project in this village by a private trust. And this project required Meera to visit this place. Anika and I both wanted to accompany her but Anika's schedule didn't allow her to join us.

This past week has been peaceful. This village is more developed than I had hoped and the people are homely and quite hospitable.

But this was my last day here and I was about to go back to Delhi.

I opened my mouth to tell her that I could stay here with her but she beat me to it. Meera pointed at the taxi driver and said,

"He will take you back to Delhi and then the airport, you have a flight to catch the next morning!"

I glanced once at the driver then back at her. My phone rang inside my bag and I huffed an agitated breath as I took it out. The networks were a little weak here but sometimes it worked fine. Just like this time!

The screen lit up and I was taken aback from the name that flashed on it.

Uday Shekhawat

Why is he calling me now? I haven't even talked about him for the past month and Vaibhav was the happiest about it.

I cut the call and looked away to my friend.

Before I could try to ask her to accompany me on my trip to France. The phone rang again.

"Who is it?" I heard Meera ask. The driver kept my two suitcases inside the car trunk. I don't usually travel with this much luggages. But I might have lied to my mom and told her that I was in France...hence my clothes for about a month's long vacation.

"No one!" I started as I reached for the door handle but turned around to face her. Meera was getting back to her old self. She does feel dejected from time to time but Anika and I help her keep her spirits up. I hugged her briefly and then got in the car.

"Have fun on your vacation, Mridula!" Meera said as I rolled down the window of the taxi. I nodded as I gave her a smile.

The driver got in and started the car. I leaned back against the car seat after I waved goodbye to Meera.

The ring of my phone pestered me again. I groaned in frustration as I read his name again. This man!

In annoyance, I picked up the call.

"What?"

There was a brief silence before I heard him. "If you wouldn't have picked up my call this time, I would have had to come and get you myself, Princess!"

His tone was laced with a little frustration.

"What do you want?" I spoke each word slowly so that he would know that I am not in a mood to joke, especially not with a man I hate!

"I need your help." He replied gravely.

"My help!" Not believing him a bit.

"Yes, I need your legal advice. Can you come to meet me?"