Tranquil & Tempest

chapter 3

A black Porsche Cayenne entered through the massive gate and entered into the stone-paved compound of the farmhouse. It was located in a remote village. There were already few more SUVs parked in front of the stunning bungalow.

The lawn was lush green and warm lights brightened the whole mansion. The whole villa was decorated with strip lights as if the marriage was happening here. A wily smile twinkled between Vidyut's lips as he opened the door of his vehicle and looked at the decorated villa.

Palm trees stood like guards on both sides of the stone-paved walkway towards the main door. He stood for a moment to admire the beauty of the whole area. Behind the palm trees, the green grass covered the whole ground. There was a fountain in the shape of a fish. A girl was standing on the lips of the fish. She was holding a torch-like object from where water sprinkled over the girl and the fish.

A beautiful garden was set up on one side. Vidyut always loved the small garden. He used to spend hours admiring the aroma of the vibrant flowers.

Jisson walked towards him. Vidyut was standing midway to the mansion and watching the blue and purple lights at the fountain. The water sprinkled from the fountain reflected the colors giving it a stunning appearance.

"Are you going to spend all light watching the lady instead of joining your friends and celebrate the great day?" Jisson teased his friend.

"I never get bored of watching her." Vidyut smiled back. "I wish to buy this farmhouse along with her."

"Sorry, my friend. Neither my farmhouse nor the beautiful lady is for sale. You can admire her as much as you want but never think of owning her." Jisson said in a serious tone.

"I know, I know how much you are addicted to this place. I was just joking." Vidyut tried to ease the tension between them.

"You have another beautiful lady with you to admire and love for the rest of your life. By the way how good is she?" Jisson asked with a wicked smile.

"She is a virgin," Vidyut replied uninterestingly.

"You are a lucky man." Jisson sounded jealous. He was married last year. He admitted to his friends that she wasn't a virgin. Vidyut didn't need him to say that. He had a secret affair with Lina, Jisson's wife, even before her marriage. Jisson had some doubts that Lina is still meeting Vidyut and their relationship is still on and off. He was waiting for an opportunity to find their secret meeting place.

"Hmm." Vidyut cooed with no interest for his comment.

Jisson Sharma is a top exporter of antique items and precious jewels. He also exports illegal materials and exotic creatures. He also imports gold from South Africa and sells it to the top gold merchants in the country. He has a 15% stake in one of India's top private banks which has more than thirty branches all over the country. He also has stakes in two topmost construction companies, one primarily in Mumbai and the other in South India. Behind the farmhouse, there are acres of land which Jisson owned by either threatening the old inhabitants or forcefully removing them from their land. Even the farmhouse was bought at a cheap rate from the previous owner by threatening to exterminate his whole family.

The two-story building was a treat to the eyes. It was renovated into contemporary style by the top designer in Mumbai. It looked luscious from the outside and luxurious from the inside.

"Who all have arrived?" Vidyut asked in a cold voice.

Jisson understood the aloof in his voice. He knew he didn't want to marry Zyra. Vidyut wasn't mentally ready for marriage and was also against the concept of arranged marriage. But he had no choice but to bend to his parent's will. "The whole team is here. They are waiting for you to start the celebrations."

"Am I too late?" Vidyut didn't even look at Jisson. He was looking at the fancy lights on the porch.

"Well yes, a little bit. But that's obvious, you had something to explore." Jisson was in some mood.

Vidyut ignored the comment and climbed the steps briskly to the porch. Jisson tried to keep pace with him.

Vidyut walked in through the open door into a luxurious hall room. The walls were painted sky blue. There was a huge painting of a white horse running through a stream on the opposite wall of the door. In front of the painting, a 3+1+1 cream and brown sofa set was well arranged around a red velvet square carpet. The vibrant colors added elegance to the living room under the bright cool light. The living space was three steps lower compared to the rest of the area of the living room. To the left of the living space, there was an open space where another 3+1+1 beige and navy blue sofa set was arranged adjacent to the front door. To the opposite of the sofa set, a 50-inch QLED (Quantum dot Light Emitting Diode) TV was affixed to the wall. (The Q in QLED stands for quantum dot. These minuscule dots form a layer in front of the backlight and create the colors you see on screen. Most TVs are LCD and use liquid crystals (the LC in LCD). Quantum dots take the place of these crystals.)

At the far end of the public room, a bar counter has been set. Above the bar counter, on the ceiling, red, blue, and purple lights flickered giving the area an effervescent ambiance. Some soft music was playing in the background adding to the vivacious vibe. The party mood was on.

Vidyut saw his friends at the bar counter. Yashwin, Nimeen, and Minuel sat in front of the counter with their glasses full of liquor.

Yashwin was the first to see Vidyut. He jumped from his seat. He yelled loudly. “Hey guys, look who is here. The man of this very night, the dashing groom has arrived to light up the night with his almighty presence.”

“That’s too much of an intro, Yash.” Vidyut beamed at him.

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