Chapter 114: chapter 114

SRUTHI“Where were you last night?” I ask Nisha as she joins me and Gabe in the refreshment area. The room is mostly empty except for a few men and an elderly couple. The jewellery exhibition is insane. Women of all ages are going crazy over the designs, and the men accompanying them look kind of irritated by the vast array of jewels. I’ve seen more than one man glance tiredly at his partner when she squeals, awws, or oohs over a piece of jewelry.The best part is watching Madhav handle the people. He’s a natural when it comes to dealing with customers. He charms everyone and puts them at ease effortlessly.Nisha lets out a big, tired sigh, and I know what her answer will be before she even speaks.“Blame your brother for it,” Nisha replies, gently rubbing her eyes so as not to ruin her makeup. She’s wearing a violet-colored velvet evening gown and “What does her brother have to do with you not showing up?” Gabe asks, curious.“He assigned me last-minute work and made sure I couldn’t go anywhere for the next three days.”“Then, how are you here?”“Did you sneak in?” I ask, amused. Strangely enough, my otherwise sweet brother is always cold and hard on Nisha.Nisha shakes her head. “Nah! I indirectly threatened your brother, and he extended the deadline for my work. So, here I am.”“Anyway, what are you still doing in the capital? I thought you’d already be on a world tour or something,” Nisha asks, looking at Gabe.“I still have some work to finish that I started once I got to the capital. It’ll be over soon, and I’ll be on the move again,” Gabe says with a shrug.“So, what’s this I hear about the romance of the century between you and Madhav?” Nisha asks, raising an eyebrow at me.I feel my skin warm under her teasing gaze.“I finally decided to follow my heart, like you advised me,” I say, giving her a grin. “It turns out he was genuinely in love with me for some years.”“Wow,” Gabe says, looking awed. I still haven’t told her about what happened between me and Madhav. She’s been busy with hospital work for the past month, and I didn’t want to bother her with my silly worries. “So, all this time, he was pining for you while you were… hating him.”I wince. “Hate is a strong word. Maybe… dislike.”“Oh my,” Gabe gushes. “Look at you, blushing like a teenage girl at the mention of Madhav’s name.”That only makes me blush more. A silent beat passes before Nisha says, “I’m going to order something to eat. Anyone want anything?”“I’d like a grape juice,” I answer.“A chili sandwich will be enough for me,” says Gabe.“I’ll order it,” says Nisha, heading to the counter.“You look happy nowadays,” Gabe observes with a faraway look.“Is that a bad thing?”She shakes her head with a smile. “No, it’s not. I’m glad you’re hap—Oh!” Gabe’s eyes dart somewhere behind me, and her voice lowers to a whisper. “Don’t turn too quickly, but I think there’s someone standing behind the pillar, watching you.”My heart races, and all my instincts urge me to stay alert. I slowly and casually glance over my shoulder. There’s a pillar, and I see someone standing there. He’s taller and bulkier than any man I’ve seen.Madhav’s warning echoes in my mind: Vishnu is not the main culprit. His ally is still out there, waiting for me. Is that him? I should call Madhav and alert him. The man’s eyes meet mine suddenly, and I feel a chill down my spine before I turn my head back around.“Do you know him?” Gabe asks.“Uh, no,” I reply, my mind racing. I have a bad feeling. I need to tell Madhav before something goes wrong. I pick up my phone to call him just as I see Nisha waving at us to help her bring our orders to the table.“Gabe, can you help her? I need to make a quick call to Madhav,” I say, pointing to my phone. Gabe gives me a knowing look, but I’m not even in the mood to blush. I quickly dial Madhav’s number as Gabe heads to the counter.Madhav, bless him, picks up on the third ring. “Hey, sweetie, missing me already?”I try to keep my voice calm, but it comes out desperate. “Madhav, ther—”“Tell me where you are,” Madhav deadpans. Despite the seriousness, I can’t help admiring the fact that my husband knows what I’m feeling just by hearing my voice.“In the refreshment area with Nisha and Gabe.”“Stay right there. I’ll be there in a minute.”Just as I hang up, Nisha returns with two glasses of juice, one purple and the other a pale yellowish color.“Why do you look like a ghost?” Nisha asks, studying my face.“Ah! It’s nothing,” I say, trying to keep my expression neutral and not show any panic.Gabe joins us with two plates. One is having a sandwich and the other a cutlet. Nisha pushes the grape juice toward me. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else to eat?” Nisha asks, eyeing my juice.“Yes, I’m fine with the juice,” I answer, holding the glass. I stir it with the straw but don’t have the appetite to drink. I’m too nervous and tense to eat or drink right now. I glance back at the pillar, and the man is gone.I don’t know whether to feel relieved or afraid. He looked suspicious as hell, and I shouldn’t make assumptions without knowing more, but my gut keeps telling me something is wrong. I have a bad feeling, just like I did before Vishnu’s attack.I’m about to sip the juice when Gabe spits the sandwich bite she took on her plate. She sticks her tongue out and fans it. Her eyes are teary, and she looks furious.  “Damn it. They have no idea how to make this. They made my sandwich way too spicy. I’m going for a refund.”She gulps down the glass of water on the table, but it’s not enough. I offer her my drink.“Aaah,” she waves her hand before her tongue. “Here, drink this,” I say, pushing my glass toward her.“Holy hell,” Nisha murmurs distract by someone on the entrance of the refreshment area.Her face looks strange and she is totally oblivious to what is happening at our table. I look at the entrance to see who has her full attention and sigh in relief.Madhav and Vikram are the ones she is watching. It is obvious why she is suddenly distracted. I wave at Madhav, and his tense face relaxes when he sees me. My brother nods at me and starts scanning the room, looking for anything suspicious as Madhav approaches us. Nisha’s eyes are glued to Vikram, her expression fearful.But then—everything happens at once.“Sruthi,” Gabe calls me in a strange voice before she freezes. Her body goes rigid, her eyes wide and unfocused. To my horror, she starts convulsing, foam spilling from the corners of her mouth. The glass slips from her hand and shatters on the floor, dark purple juice splattering across the tiles.Nisha lets out a shriek, her voice sharp and panicked. My own breath catches as I stare at Gabe’s limp form, the straw still clutched in her hand, the grape juice pooling around the broken glass.There was poison in the grape juice, and it was meant for me.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥