Anikaa & The Mystery of the Painting

1. Engagement of Prashant & Naina

With a brief knock on the door Naina's mother Malvika entered the suite. "Mumma, how do I look?" asked Naina twirling in delight in front of her mother.

Malvika proudly studied her daughter from head to toe. On the height of five-feet six inches, Naina was wearing custom-made four inches embroidered stilettos which made her look like a ramp model. Her fair complexion was decently accentuated with an even layer of makeup. And, her blonde hair was pulled up in a neat bun giving her angular face a clear orientation.

"Ow yes, you look adorable my darling," said Malvika in motherly tone, mimicking the typical bollywood mother and smudging a spot of kohl on Naina's backhead.

"Oh, come on mumma...please don't embarrass me, you know I....," Naina stopped in the middle as one of her relatives entered uninvited in her suite.

"Malvika....Naina you look beautiful," said Saira embracing them in a bear hug.

"I must say...didn't expected such a grand affair. What an exclusive arrangement you guys have done. Have you decided the date for the marriage yet? Oh...what a pretty set, where did you get that from?" jabbered Malvika's cousin breathlessly.

Malvika answered all her questions patiently, bragging and showing off her expensive saree and jewellery set as Saira was too important to be dismissed. After giving all the relevant information, Malvika adeptly encouraged her cousin out of the room to explore and gossip more.

"Where is Nishant?" asked Malvika, checking herself in the mirror again.

"Bhai...must be in his room. I didn't see him since lunch," answered Naina, who was now getting her hair done by the stylist.

Nishant was Naina's elder brother, engaged to be married to Ria, an investment banker. Unlike Naina, Nishant was calculative, manipulative and a guy who liked to win at any cost. Their father Avinashh, was a renowned diamond merchant and now Nishant was the announced heir of his legacy. Good looks and money from birth granted him opulent lifestyle and egotistical personality.

Malvika, who was now checking herself for twenty-fifth time in the mirror, frowned when the doorbell chimed. She rushed to open the door and Naina's father Avinashh entered.

Breathing heavily, he croaked- "They have arrived."

Avinashh Kapoor was the most- ordinary looking short, stocky man. He was dressed in a simple Sherwani and was sweating profusely. A stranger could never point out that this half-bald man with pudgy fingers ruled South Indian jewellery business.

Malvika's face flushed pale. "Oh no! She's here...ANIKAA is here. I'm still not ready." (You will never be, thought Avinashh). "Where is Nishant? Isn't he supposed to be down representing the bride side? This is the problem; I have to do everything in this house," babbled Malvika and dragged Avinashh out of the room. "Why did you waste so much time- coming to find me here- why didn't you call or you could have just stayed there?" Malvika continued. Avinashh reluctantly listened to his wife's rants, occasionally nodding and smiling to the guests as they passed through the hall.

At the entrance of the lavish porch of Hyatt hotel, two black Mercedes arrived one after the other. The attendants rushed to the cars to open their doors. Ramnik, Prashant's father along with few close relatives of Mehras stepped out from the first car. From the second car, Shireen the matriarch of the family came out along with Prashant. Shireen was mother of Anikaa and Prashant and held 15% ownership in Anikaa's realty empire. Noticing the horde of guests on the entrance, Prashant held Shireen's hands and walked towards the hotel entrance where the bride's relatives were more than eager to see them rather than welcoming them.