She stood beside him in front of the hotel. The door opened and Salem came out. He was wearing a yellow long sleeves shirt, folded to his elbow, and white trousers. On his legs, were a pair of black sneakers.
His facial expressions changed from anxiety to calmness, when he saw her "Welcome Priyanka."
"Thank you, Salem," She said, shaking his hand. He seemed to be more lively, friendly, and jovial towards her than his brother.
"Let's go inside," Karan pointed to the door. Priyanka walked in front of him. This time, she was comfortable with the dress, she wore. They entered the elevator together.
His hand brushed on her skin as he pressed the button. She felt like her heart melted away.
His skin was cold but smooth. When he realized that they touched, he quickly withdrew his hands and looked away.
She frowned. Why was he acting like a child? Priyanka thought she was childish until she met him.
What he said in the car, still scared her. He was a Playboy with an innocent face. No wonder the girls fall for his tricks easily.
Kamala once told her that such men were dangerous. They had a mask on their face while hiding their identity.
As a girl dating such men, you can never know their true character until they are done with you.
The elevator stopped. Salem was the first to walk out. Karan was waiting for her so she went out as well.
"Is this your home?" Priyanka mocked as they walked down the hallway. He did not respond to her question. But she was sure that he heard her clearly "annoying man."
"I heard that too" he stopped right in front of a door. Salem smiled at them and walked into the room.
Karan waited for him to close the door before he continued "This is not my home. My aunt chose this place for you" His dark gray eyes glimmered as he brought his face closed to her.
He rested his lips closed to her cheeks and whispered "your acting begins now, Priyanka Kapoor. Show me what you got."
For her, it was not the acting that matters. He was so close to her, that she almost died of an attack.
Her heart thumped rapidly with her chest as his voice tickled her ears. He was trying to play games with her. Those devilish tricks did for the girls who fell in love with him.
But she was not going to fall for him. Even though he looked handsome, there was no doubt that he was evil!
"Fine, you don't have to worry" she moved away a bit. "Why don't you open the door? I'm tired of standing here."
"I will" Karan turned the doorknob and they entered the room together.
Priyanka tried to put on a big smile as she saw how happy the women were, to see her. The aged woman whispered to Salem as Karan put a hand on her shoulders.
She took a deep breath before taking another step. This was the first time, a man was being this close to her. But why must it be the devil?
There was a round table with six seats. She was expecting to see a bed or other tables but it was just one. Four seats were already occupied by Salem and the women.
"Is this Priyanka?" The oldest among the women asked. Her hair was tied into a bun. She was putting on a white sari.
"Yes Grandmother," Salem answered. "Can't you see his arms around her?"
The women grinned as they whispered among their selves.
"Namaste" Priyanka greeted with her hands and clapped in front of her. She noticed that her bag was not with her. Where was it?
She wanted to ask when she saw the bag in his hand. 'He was better at acting than treating patients.'
"Welcome dear, Come here," A beautiful woman in her late-thirties said, opening her hands for a hug.
"Go for it," Karan said in a low tone "she is my mom."
Priyanka walked to where she was and hugged. It was a motherly hug that she wish it never ended.
From the woman's voice, she could tell that she was calm in nature.
"This is my grandmother" He pointed to the aged woman and then to the other woman "my aunt, Jigyasa."
"Namaste" Priyanka repeated. She was so nervous that she began to shiver.
They sat down beside each other, which was the best to do. It would be easier to communicate whenever a hard question was thrown at them.
"I heard so much about you" His Grandmother began with a smile "At first, I thought you were not real."
"Really?" She widened her eyes. Priyanka wanted to laugh but it would ruin the whole plan.
She felt bad that they were been deceived by their son.
"Yes dear, when Karan told us he has a girlfriend, we did not believe him."
"We started dating a month ago," Priyanka told them.
"Well that's great," Grandmother Gangaa said. "When are you planning to settle down? I want to see you at our home soon."
She looked at Karan for a while. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He was scared of getting married "We just started, I don't want to rush things but you will hear from us soon."
"That's good because I like you already" Aunt Jigyasa answered.
Behind the women, Salem telling her not to say a word again. The waitress served them food and drinks.
There was silence at the table while they ate. She was grateful that the women did not ask further questions.
After a while, the women began to whisper among their selves again. They were trying to make a decision but it seemed Karan's mother did not agree with it.
Priyanka wondered what it was this time around. They were making her shiver without a cause.
"Priyanka dear…" Grandmother Gangaa called, clearing her throat before continuing "who are your parents? Where do they live?"