Mary and Priya immediately separated when they heard the call.
“Where are you, Priya? I’m still waiting for your tea. Are you making tea or sleeping in the kitchen?” Priyank called from the living hall, growing impatient after waiting for more than ten minutes.
“Priya, don’t think about us. It’s time to be a little selfish. Just escape. Whatever happens, I will face it,” Mary reassured her. “Now let’s go outside, or else he’s going to come here.”
Priya nodded, still unsure about the situation, because she clearly didn’t want anyone to face anything because of her.
She poured the tea for Priyank and came out from the kitchen with Mary.
Priya served the tea in front of Priyank and sat opposite him on the couch, with Mary beside her.
“You took such a long time. I thought you were not making tea; you were creating it,” Priyank rolled his eyes as he took the cup in his hands.
Though he didn’t even drink tea, he wanted to taste it because it was made by Priya’s hands.
He looked at Priya, whose eyes were slightly red. He tightened his hold on the cup, sensing that she had been crying.
‘What did she cry for?’ he asked himself.
‘Maybe because she met her so-called Mother Mary after a long time,’ his conscience stated.
‘It’s not even that long,’ Priyank mentally remarked.
‘For you, it’s not, but you can’t speak about her, right?’
Priyank pushed aside all the thoughts and took a sip of tea. It was sweet, but tasty. He definitely liked it, perhaps because it was made by Priya. He wouldn’t mind having it in the future if she was the one who made it for him.
As Priyank savoured the tea, he couldn’t help but notice Priya’s unease. Her red eyes and nervous demeanour didn’t escape his notice, stirring a mix of curiosity and suspicion within him.
“Is everything okay, Angel?” he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.
Priya’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of how to respond. She forced a smile, hoping to hide her inner turmoil. “Yes, everything’s fine, Priyank.”
Mary glanced at Priya, concern etched on her face too. “Are you feeling unwell, Priya?”
Priya shook her head, avoiding Mary’s gaze. “No, Mother, I’m okay. Just a little tired, that’s all.”
Priyank studied Priya for a moment longer before shrugging it off. “Well, you need to take care of yourself, Priya. I don’t want my future wife to fall sick.”
Priya’s stomach churning at the mention of their marriage.
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Priyank said, setting down his cup, “we’re here to invite you. Tomorrow is our wedding, and you and the kids are invited to the afterparty in the evening.”
Mary tried not to react strangely, to indicate that Priya had already informed her. “Why so soon?” she questioned. Of course, she had known from the start that he wanted to marry Priya, as he had made the offer and even mentioned it before.
But this was much sooner than expected. Mary had hoped he would first try to build a better relationship with Priya. Instead, he seemed intent on forcing her into his feelings.
That’s why she had encouraged Priya to run, even though she was scared. She was determined to pretend she knew nothing.
He wasn’t foolish, so she was certain she’d come under his radar once Priya escaped. But she was more concerned about where Priya would go. Priya knew nothing about any other place. Mary had encouraged her to consider her options, but things would only get more complicated.
Mary kept her composure, hiding her inner thoughts.
Priyank noticed Mary’s reaction but didn’t press further. Instead, he shrugged casually. “Well, why wait when you know what you want, right?”
Mary glanced at Priya, her heart aching for her daughter.
“But now that Priya is with you, why are you pushing the wedding so much? You can wait until she completes her studies,” Mary tried to push her luck, hoping he might have some sense and agree. Then Priya wouldn’t have to escape, and things might turn out better, although she highly doubted it.
“You want to question me? I don’t think you have any right,” Priyank sarcastically said, feeling angry at Mary’s words.
He was only here for the invitation because of his Angel, otherwise he wouldn’t even be coming here. It had taken him so much to make Priya scared of him, so she wouldn’t think about anything and agree to the marriage. But here was this old lady again, putting thoughts in Priya’s head, which he hated too much.
“I didn’t mean it that way, of course I have no right. But it’s my daughter we’re talking about,” Mary kept her tone in check, not wanting to agitate him.
Even though she was filled with hate and anger towards him, she still remembered how he didn’t like anyone talking loudly to him.
Mary held her ground, despite the rising tension in the room.
Priyank’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. “Your daughter is with me now. What happens in our lives is none of your concern.”
Mary took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “But Priya is my daughter, and I care about her well-being. I just want what’s best for her.”
Priyank scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “And you think you know what’s best for her? You’ve already failed once by letting her go.”
Mary felt a surge of anger, but she kept her voice steady. “I know I made mistakes, and I’m not saying I oppose your marriage with her.”
Mary bit her tongue, knowing she was lying because she definitely wanted to oppose this marriage, but she couldn’t.
Priyank’s jaw clenched, his patience wearing thin.
He didn’t want to hurt anyone here because he promised Priya, but this old lady was making it hard for him to keep his promise. He did care about his words, but not more than his anger. If it burst out, he didn’t know what he would do, and he wouldn’t even think twice about it.
“I want to marry him too,” Priya lied through her teeth, seeing the situation spiralling out of control. She could sense Priyank’s anger, and she didn’t want anyone to get hurt here.
She wanted to cool things down no matter what.