Not Ok
1716 Words
8:38 - 9:2- am
Ishanvi boarded the first flight for Chandigarh the next morning.
Mrs Oberoi had asked her to pack a day or two's clothing and other essentials, so she had put some clothes and her toiletries in a duffle bag and set out for the airport.
By half past six, the plane touched down in Chandigarh. Deboarding the plane, Ishanvi walked out of the airport holding her duffle bag in one hand while looking for a cab on her cellphone in the other.
Before she could get a cab, she noticed the Royal chauffeur —Shankar— standing right outside the exit gate. Shankar was Neer's personal driver and she had met him on a few occasions when Neer would come to Delhi to meet her.
Shankar too saw Ishanvi at the same time and approached her with a small smile.
"Good morning, ma'am," Shankar greeted her.
"Good morning, Shankar bhaiya," Ishanvi returned the greeting politely. "And how many times do I have to tell you to not call me ma'am?"
"You are going to marry my employer, what else should I call you then?" Shankar bhaiya said with a smile.
"By the way, what are you doing here this early?" Ishanvi queried.
*"He isn't here to pick me up, is he?"* Ishanvi wondered.
"To pick you up! Didn't Neela ma'am inform you that I'll be waiting for you here at the exit gate?"
Ishanvi glanced at her phone and there indeed was a message from Mrs Oberoi that said 'Shankar will be there to pick you up near the exit gate'. The message was sent right before she boarded the plane but Ishanvi hadn't seen it yet.
"Sorry, I didn't see the message," Ishanvi told him sheepishly.
"It's alright. Shall we go now?" Shankar asked, taking her duffle bag from her hands.
Ishanvi nodded her head.
"I could've carried the bag myself, you know. It's not too heavy," Ishanvi said as they walked towards the car.
"I know you could but I'm doing my duty," Shankar said as he unlocked the car door for her.
Despite his protests, Ishanvi refused to sit in the back seat and sat with him in the front, on the passenger seat beside his driving seat.
They made some small talk on their way to the Royal Palace. Ishanvi had always loved his company whenever Neer would come to Delhi to meet her before the engagement.
At this thought, she wondered if Neer knew about her sudden visit to Chandigarh.
*"He probably won't have time for this unnecessary things,"* she scoffed before going back to the conversation with Shankar.
After some thirty minutes, the car finally halted in front of a castle.
Just a glance at that marble magnificence and Ishanvi found herself travelling back to the glorious era of Indian past.
It was a typical architecture found in the Indian subcontinent with huge foil arches, oriel windows, — a stunning display of architectural grandeur of the bygone era.
The Palace looked like it had undergone a makeover in the recent years with its monumental white marble walls accented with sky blue tiles near the boundary
1:57 - 2:20 pm
"We are here," Shankar said and turned to get her bag from the back seat.
At those words, Ishanvi looked out and what met her eyes left her stunned!
While Ishanvi was busy gawking at the marvelous building in front of her, Shankar got down from the car and opened the door for her.
The sound of the door opening brought Ishanvi back to the present from her short journey to the past.
She gave a sheepish smile to Shankar as she climbed down the car.
Before she could ask Shankar about her next move, a servant —clad in a blue cotton saree— appeared right beside Shankar.
She bowed her head to greet Ishanvi. Ishanvi folded her hands in response. Seeing this, the lady flushed red in embarrassment.
"*Maharaja sahib* is waiting for you at the Royal guest house," the lady informed Ishanvi after she welcomed her.
"Royal guest house?" Confusion surfaced on Ishanvi's face.
"Yes, as you aren't married to the *Yuvraj* yet, you can't enter the main Palace. So, you'll have to stay at the Royal guest house and that's where you'll meet everyone," the lady explained.
"Oh," Ishanvi nodded in understanding. "Could you please show me the way?" she asked the lady.
"Of course, ma'am. This way please," the lady smiled before gesturing to Ishanvi to move to the right wing of the palace. She took Ishanvi's bag from Shankar and dismissed him.
On the way, Ishanvi inquired her name and found out that her name was Simmi and she would be her personal handmaid after the marriage. Ishanvi found the idea of having a handmaid absurd but she chose not to comment on it.
Following Simmi's guidance, Ishanvi reached the Royal guest house.
Building description
Ishanvi walked in, followed by Simmi who directed her towards the reception area.
Ishanvi had dressed in blue denim jeans and a white shirt for traveling but now she regretted dressing up so casually to meet her would-be in-laws.
8:38 - 9:2- am
Ishanvi boarded the first flight for Chandigarh the next morning.
Mrs Oberoi had asked her to pack a day or two's clothing and other essentials, so she had put some clothes and her toiletries in a duffle bag and set out for the airport.
By half past six, the plane touched down in Chandigarh. Deboarding the plane, Ishanvi walked out of the airport holding her duffle bag in one hand while looking for a cab on her cellphone in the other.
Before she could get a cab, she noticed the Royal chauffeur —Shankar— standing right outside the exit gate. Shankar was Neer's personal driver and she had met him on a few occasions when Neer would come to Delhi to meet her.
Shankar too saw Ishanvi at the same time and approached her with a small smile.
"Good morning, ma'am," Shankar greeted her.
"Good morning, Shankar bhaiya," Ishanvi returned the greeting politely. "And how many times do I have to tell you to not call me ma'am?"
"You are going to marry my employer, what else should I call you then?" Shankar bhaiya said with a smile.
"By the way, what are you doing here this early?" Ishanvi queried.
*"He isn't here to pick me up, is he?"* Ishanvi wondered.
"To pick you up! Didn't Neela ma'am inform you that I'll be waiting for you here at the exit gate?"
Ishanvi glanced at her phone and there indeed was a message from Mrs Oberoi that said 'Shankar will be there to pick you up near the exit gate'. The message was sent right before she boarded the plane but Ishanvi hadn't seen it yet.
"Sorry, I didn't see the message," Ishanvi told him sheepishly.
"It's alright. Shall we go now?" Shankar asked, taking her duffle bag from her hands.
Ishanvi nodded her head.
"I could've carried the bag myself, you know. It's not too heavy," Ishanvi said as they walked towards the car.
"I know you could but I'm doing my duty," Shankar said as he unlocked the car door for her.
Despite his protests, Ishanvi refused to sit in the back seat and sat with him in the front, on the passenger seat beside his driving seat.
They made some small talk on their way to the Royal Palace. Ishanvi had always loved his company whenever Neer would come to Delhi to meet her before the engagement.
At this thought, she wondered if Neer knew about her sudden visit to Chandigarh.
*"He probably won't have time for this unnecessary things,"* she scoffed before going back to the conversation with Shankar.
After some thirty minutes, the car finally halted in front of a castle.
Just a glance at that marble magnificence and Ishanvi found herself travelling back to the glorious era of Indian past.
It was a typical architecture found in the Indian subcontinent with huge foil arches, oriel windows, — a stunning display of architectural grandeur of the bygone era.
The Palace looked like it had undergone a makeover in the recent years with its monumental white marble walls accented with sky blue tiles near the boundary
1:57 - 2:20 pm
"We are here," Shankar said and turned to get her bag from the back seat.
At those words, Ishanvi looked out and what met her eyes left her stunned!
While Ishanvi was busy gawking at the marvelous building in front of her, Shankar got down from the car and opened the door for her.
The sound of the door opening brought Ishanvi back to the present from her short journey to the past.
She gave a sheepish smile to Shankar as she climbed down the car.
Before she could ask Shankar about her next move, a servant —clad in a blue cotton saree— appeared right beside Shankar.
She bowed her head to greet Ishanvi. Ishanvi folded her hands in response. Seeing this, the lady flushed red in embarrassment.
"*Maharaja sahib* is waiting for you at the Royal guest house," the lady informed Ishanvi after she welcomed her.
"Royal guest house?" Confusion surfaced on Ishanvi's face.
"Yes, as you aren't married to the *Yuvraj* yet, you can't enter the main Palace. So, you'll have to stay at the Royal guest house and that's where you'll meet everyone," the lady explained.
"Oh," Ishanvi nodded in understanding. "Could you please show me the way?" she asked the lady.
"Of course, ma'am. This way please," the lady smiled before gesturing to Ishanvi to move to the right wing of the palace. She took Ishanvi's bag from Shankar and dismissed him.
On the way, Ishanvi inquired her name and found out that her name was Simmi and she would be her personal handmaid after the marriage. Ishanvi found the idea of having a handmaid absurd but she chose not to comment on it.
Following Simmi's guidance, Ishanvi reached the Royal guest house.
Building description
Ishanvi walked in, followed by Simmi who directed her towards the reception area.
Ishanvi had dressed in blue denim jeans and a white shirt for traveling but now she regretted dressing up so casually to meet her would-be in-laws.
- Writer
