the 𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔣𝔢𝔠𝔱 𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍

|| 06 ||

I walked inside the foyer of the mansion, watching as the designers rushed back and forth, hurrying to get rid of the fabrics from the most recently dressed up mannequins.

They all threw hasty smiles my way before dashing off. Ananya came up to me and hugged me tightly. "Congratulations!" Squealing as she leaned back, she nearly jumped excitedly.

"Congratulations?" I asked, puzzled. "For what?" My smile was quizzical and hesitant.

"Arre, no need to hide it from us anymore," Ananya rolled her eyes as she looped an arm around mine. "We saw it on tv."

I halted—— my eyes widening—— before staring at her, open-mouthed, "You don't mean."

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating Shivaay Singh Oberoi?" She squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together.

I gave her a pursed lipped smile. "Yes, well," I cleared my throat. "It slipped my mind."

Wagging her eyebrows, Ananya dragged me towards the rooms on the second floor which swung open to greet me with a the sight of a few familiar faces: Sonakshi Chabra, Kaira Sighania and Geet Kabeer.

"Any updates?" Dumping my handbag onto the floor, I walked up to the desk, taking my seat and indicating that they should too.

"SFH is planning on networking at the Oberois' New Year's Ball," Sonakshi raised an eyebrow pointedly in my direction.

I nodded, making a mental note to ask Mr. Oberoi about it, without sounding too desperate or imposing.

Tugging my ponytail, I turned to Kaira, "Have the shipments arrived yet?"

"The fabrics have been cross checked twice and the sequins and stones have been selected as well. We're merely waiting for the designs," she smiled at me.

Humming, I extended my hand, prompting Ananya to hurriedly pass me the file on the divan at the back of the room. With her help, I'd had the designs pinned up on the board in no time.

Using a metallic ruler, I pointed at the designs, "I do not want use of lace or velvet for anything that will touch the skin. We do not want irritation." They all nodded. "Try to keep the glitter to a minimum—— we want sophistication." I turned to Kaira, "Can you handle the dress designing process?" She stood up with a diligent nod and left the room along with two other staff members wheeling out the board after her.

"Have you heard back from the chemical factory?" I sighed, looking at Sonakshi. Rubbing my forehead frustratedly, I twirled the paperweight on my desk. "And the licensing permit?" Sonakshi bit her lower lip, hesitating to reply—— something which made anxiety crawl up my spine. "Spit it out," I frowned.

"The permit was accepted but the chemical company would rather not provide the chemicals necessary for large scale productions of perfumes," Sonakshi smiled apologetically.