Chapter 5 Blackmail

Murat called Manik to invite him in his marriage. The date was fixed, October twelve. Only a month was left and so many things to do. So, he wanted to invite his best friend to attend his wedding before everything start.

"Hello there."

"Hello there, too. I can't help you with anything, stranger." Manik mocked. They last talked at the airport when both of them were leaving from America.

"Man, you won't believe what is happening in my life. It looks too beautiful to be a nightmare." Murat huffed. He needed to let it out. They always share everything about each other so, he knew that Manik would never judge him.

"Believe me, I know that feeling because mine is indeed a nightmare." Manik remembered Nandini. She was like a little fireball, ready to burn him.

"Anyway, I am getting married on October twelve. You need to come here much earlier to attend my wedding." Manik's eyes widen. "Dude, are you joking? I am getting married too and the date is same too!"

"Do not pull my leg, Manik."

"I am not pulling your leg, I swear. Her name is Nandini Arora."

They were silent for few seconds but later started to laugh. "I can't believe man, first we didn't want to get married but we are doing that eventually."

"And now we are getting married at the same day. This has to be a one hell of a coincidence." excitement was clear in his voice.

"God, it's a lot to take. We, the *ssholes, are finally going to settle down." Murat laughed again.

"Not that I have any choice. This girl looked interesting then the others that's why I agreed." Manik remembered how Nandini's nose flared in anger when she said that she would never marry him.

"Well, my one is a boss lady. She knows what she wants or not. So, it's going to be fun to challenge her every now and then." Murat remembered their phone call where she shouted at him and cut the call. Nobody dare to treat him like that but that woman, she needed to learn a lesson.

"I can't understand, how she would break the marriage as she said that she would never marry me but her family wants her to marry me." Manik said and Murat laughed.

"My one said the same thing. So many similarities actually making me worried. But as you said, the family is eager for the union, I don't think they can actually do anything."

"By the way, what does she do?" Manik asked, wanting to know more about that poor girl.

"She is a doctor, heart specialist. What about yours?"

"She is a fashion designer but currently intern for years."

"So, we can not actually attend each others wedding. Well that's a kill joy." Murat huffed.

"I know. I need to go. Today she is going to visit my mother in our home. The driver must be here with her." Murat said goodbye to Manik but did not say that Hayat was supposed to visit his grandmother as well.

Hayat Aslan's POV

I walked out of the house early in the morning. Nobody would doubt anything until it's too late. Because of my profession, it was not odd for me to leave the house early in the morning. But I had an oversize bag to take that's why I was out that early. My shift would start at 10 and I had plenty of time to kill.

I came to one of my colleague's house. She stayed alone in her two bedroom apartment. I contacted her last night to ask if I could move in here and she gladly made me her housemate. I just bought the necessary things and some clothes with me. It looked like I ran away from my house but the truth was, I no longer wanted to stay in the same house with my brother.

My colleague Selin, had an early morning shift so she left as soon as I reached there. Her apartment was small but it gives out a homey feeling. She managed to decorate it well. I settled inside of my room and decided to get few hours sleep. I couldn't sleep for an entire night.

I couldn't understand why my brother was hell bent on getting me married with that man. I did not buy his closure and moving on story because we had moved on with our life. The closure was that our innocent parents were killed because of someone's greed. There were more into that and my brother refused to talk.

After three hours of sleep, I got ready for the hospital and I had some breakfast in a nearby café. Till late afternoon, I had performed two surgeries back to back. I was too tired to even move but I needed to check on my other patients. I needed a little bit push to start working again and that's when my phone pinged with a message.

My brother, Erhan told me to come home early as I need to meet with Mrs. Azize Yilmaz. That text gave me the push I needed to start working. I was so damn angry. I finished my shift around 7 in the evening and went back to the place, I called my new home. Hazel wasn't there instead I found a note stating that she went out with her friends.

I ordered Pizza for me and went to take a shower. My brother was calling me continuously but I ignored. I was eating my dinner when I heard the bell ringing. I frowned as Hazel had her keys so she wouldn't ring the bell.

'She might have forgot her keys', I said and went to open the door. My eyes widen seeing who was in front of me. Azize Yilmaz was standing there along with her Grandson. I didn't know what else to say so, I just stood there gaping at them.

She smiled looking at my bewildered face. "Are you not going to tell us to come inside, Dear?" I blinked rapidly thinking what to do. Eventually, I told them to come in. I was thinking what to do. I told them to take a seat.

"I don't want to sound rude but what are you both doing here?"

"Your brother said we would meet but you didn't make it. So, I thought I would come to you. Murat brought me here. I didn't know you live alone." She said.

"I don't live alone. My colleague lives with me. And about meeting you, I am sorry but I can not marry your Grandson. I didn't want to bother you when my decision would be the same." She nodded and I threw a glare at her grandson.

"Can we go to your room so that we can talk more privately. Murat, you wait here."

I showed her my room and told her that I was getting something for her to drink. I was preparing tea for her and Murat when Murat came to the kitchen.

I couldn't stop myself before asking, "How did you brought her hear? I didn't even tell my brother that I moved out."

"Well, I have my ways. It took less than thirty minutes to know where you were. Perks of being a powerful person." He boosted proudly.

Me, on the other hand rolled my eyes. "A powerful man who could not keep his words."

Before he could say anything, I placed his one in front of him and took her tea inside the room. I didn't think that she would try to convince me.

I sat in front of her while she was sipping her tea. My mind was running towards different direction.

" I know, you probably hate us because of what happened to your parents. But trust me, I didn't knew what he was doing. That accident of your parents brought everything up and I was about to divorce him after 32 years of marriage. He wasn't the same person anymore. But you see, my son took the hit. My husband refused to admit that something was wrong with the cars that caused your parents accident. He didn't know that his son also bought the same car. We lost our only son and his wife shortly after your parents. Though that stopped me from divorcing him because my grandson was sent to us but it didn't change my husband." She sighed and wiped her tears. She saw too much in her long life.

" I taught Murat what was wrong and what was right so that he can never do something like his grandfather. My husband not only broke your family but he also broke mine. I am not doing this to repent for his deeds, no body can do that. I just want to merge two broken families into one. I don't know how much time I have, I just want to see my grandson happy with his family. Please consider this again. This old woman want to die in peace."

I would be honest, I didn't like her in that situation. She looked too tired and fragile. She kinda melted my heart but it didn't change my decision.

Nandini Arora's POV

Mom was too busy to doll me up. I was going to Mehrotra's house for my future mother in law to see me and for me to see what my future holds. I didn't remember the last time I was dolled up like a classy lady. Probably at the last house party of that year when we lost everything.

"Only talk if you are asked something. Do not say anything stupid, Nandini. You need to handle it like a mature person. More importantly, DO NOT TALK BACK." my mom instructing me and it was getting under my skin.

"Why don't you just close my mouth with a packaging tape?" I scowled.

"Trust me, I would have do that if I could."

Their driver came to pick me up and all the way I was praying my mother in law to be a kind woman, totally opposite to his son. But I was no fool, She managed their company before and I had doubt on my expectations.

The car stopped in front of a magnificent house. It's probably their old family house and they just modified it with modern style. A man with big mustache directed towards the sitting area. A maid served me some drink as soon as I took a seat. I was sipping the cold drink and waited for Mrs. Mehrotra.

She came down after I was done with my drink. She was a very stylish woman that only means business. Her stoic face confirmed my suspicion. She was anything but kind.

I stood up and greeted her respectfully. She didn't say anything and continue to inspect me. I really felt her eyes were some microscope. After a few tensed moment she finally opened her mouth.

"You are indeed a treat for the sore eyes. This description matched perfectly let's see if you are submissive as well." She gave me a look that says she was the boss.

She was not as bad as her son, she was the worst. "I heard you are doing some internship for a long time, more than you are supposed to. Well, you need to stop that. I don't want any unsuccessful tag in our family name." She started to walk and I followed her like a puppy.

I scoffed when she said to leave my job. That woman was delusional but I didn't say anything. "You need to learn how to manage this household. I expect only perfection." She was talking like she was hiring a maid. I pinched my palm in order to refrain myself from saying anything.

"I expect you to follow my every command. Good daughter in laws always listen to their mother in laws. This is the garden, we the daughter in laws of Mehrotra family, take of this garden on our own. You better learn about this if you know nothing about it." No offense, the garden looks beautiful but I am not a garden person.

She was talking like some 18th or 19th century woman whose only focus was on her family but she was a modern, independent woman talking like that. Imagine, achieving so many things only to have that mentality.

"Your first priority will be my son. From pulling out his clothes from the wardrobe to removing his shoes when he comes back after a long day." I had to pinch my hand hard for that. I was about to call that hypocrite out.

"You know how to cook, right?" I had to swallow my venomous words before I replied.

"Not everything." I laughed mentally because the only think I could cook was pasta related things.

"You are more of a listener than talker. That's a sure sign of submissive nature." She looked please with that information. It suddenly clicked that she always wanted a submissive daughter in law that she could dominate.

Nayona Mehrotra was disgustingly sick. I couldn't believe my parents sent me to impress her. I was seconds away from cursing the heck out of her. If my mother didn't instruct me beforehand then I would have showed her the mirror.

One thing was clear, I would never marry with all these conditions. I definitely not deserve that stuck up family. Nayona Mehrotra made me more determined to break off whatever arrangements they had. The only question was how?