the 𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔣𝔢𝔠𝔱 𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍

|| 11 ||

The silence was deafening.

Om's question had managed to leave me to opening and closing my mouth, gaping much like a goldfish.

Mr. Oberoi was the first to recover. He arched an eyebrow, tilting his head at his brother as he asked in a most nonchalant tone, "What are you trying to say, Om?"

Om crossed his arms in front of himself, glancing at me before arching an eyebrow at his brother, matching Mr. Oberoi's stance. "Exactly what you heard, sweet brother of mine."

Mr. Oberoi glanced at me, to which I merely raised and dropped my shoulders. "Who told you?" He asked, simply.

"No one," Gauri piped up. "We found out due to the contract papers." She frowned, "Which I'm still pissed off about Bade Bhaiya. My Di isn't some sort of business deal you get to control."

"It was a mutual decision, Chutki," I walked over to my sister and placed an arm around her. "Mr. Oberoi didn't force it upon me."

Gauri's eyes remained narrowed at her pyaare Bade Bhaiya, nonetheless.

"How do you two know about the contract papers?" Mr. Oberoi asked sharply.

"Mishra might've gotten to them before we did had he not gotten lost navigating Oberoi Mansion and its countless corridors," Om gave his brother a tight lipped smile, as he walked towards the sink and grabbed a mug from the overhead cabinet.

"Why all the pretence?" Gauri frowned, looking from me to Mr. Oberoi. "You guys have some other history—— real history—— we know nothing about?"

Mr. Oberoi glanced at me and raised his palms in a surrendering gesture as if to say, you do the talking.

My eyes narrowed.

He was the one who blackmailed me!

Huffing, I turned to face my sister, and gripped her shoulders tightly, as I smiled. "Mr. Oberoi only wanted to avoid Tia Kapoor from bothering him constantly and pretended that he was dating me."

"It had been an impulsive decision," Mr. Oberoi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "But she ended up telling everyone and with the media present," he looked at his brother with something akin to worry.

"You decided to cover up the fact that the Shivaay Singh Oberoi had lied," Om stated. He be turned to look at me, with his lips pursed as his eyebrows creased in deep thought, "I can't believe you decided to help my brother this easily, Annika."

Because I hadn't, truth be told.

I simply grinned. "Well, I'm quite a generous and kind person." Mr. Oberoi coughed at that, before covering his mouth behind his hand as I shot him a glare. I turned to Om, "I get it's hard to believe that first your brother hid his girlfriend, only to find out the relationship wasn't even real."