EPISODE 13(PART B) THE PLAN(PART B)

As Gold was heading to the bathroom to change before sleeping, she hesitated. Tunde was still in the room, and the bathroom had a transparent door, leaving her unsure of what to do.

Tunde noticed her discomfort and, pretending to be on a phone call, left the room.

Relieved, Gold quickly locked the door from inside and began changing.

Tunde’s thoughtful gesture brought a smile to Gold’s face—he had started understanding her unspoken words.

After freshening up, Gold sent Tunde a message.

Tunde was walking on the terrace, saw her text and came back downstairs after a while. He picked up his laptop and started working, while Gold sat on the other corner of the bed with a book. For a long time, silence filled the room until Gold could no longer hold herself back.

She called out to Tunde, “Umm… if you don’t mind, can I ask you something?”

Tunde glanced at her briefly before returning his focus to the laptop. “Hmm… go ahead.”

“When did you fall in love with Amara?”

Tunde was startled.

Gold had never mentioned Amara before, and hearing her bring it up out of nowhere felt strange.

Tunde: “Why do you want to know?”

Gold: “I was just curious. You never talk about Amara… You can tell me. After all, we don’t share a typical husband-wife relationship, but we could be friends, right?”

Tunde looked at her intently after hearing her words. “Do you know where she is?”

Gold: “Amara is my sister, but we were never close, so I don’t know where she is. I came back home from my hostel just two days before your wedding.”

Tunde remained silent for a moment before asking, “You and Amara were in the same college, right? Then why did you live in the hostel? As far as I know, Amara used to commute from home.”

Gold: “Well… after Mom and Dad passed away, I just preferred living alone. That’s all.”

After a brief pause, Tunde asked another question, “Do you know Nikhil George?”

“Yes… Amara’s boyfriend.” Gold suddenly stopped and looked at Tunde. “How do you know him? Did Amara tell you everything?”

Tunde: “Hmm… she told me when our marriage was arranged. She said they had broken up some time ago, and she had moved on and was ready for this marriage.”

“But they were together for three years, and just a month before the wedding…” Gold trailed off, lost in thought.

“Why did you stop? A month before what?” Tunde asked.

“Look, I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but until a month before your wedding, I saw Amara hanging out with Nikhil. We were all shocked when we found out she was marrying someone else. After that, I don’t know anything. Amara had her own group, and we didn’t talk much.”

Tunde didn’t respond to Gold’s words. Instead, he told her to go to sleep and walked out onto the balcony. He was deeply troubled. He had trusted Amara completely, and now he didn’t know whether to believe Gold or not.

Lost in these thoughts, he began reminiscing about the past, the day he met Amara for the first time.

Flashback

For the first time, Tunde was visiting Amara’s house with his family.

Tunde had no interest in marriage, but he always gave in to his family’s wishes. Today, he was meeting Amara because of their insistence.

At Amara’s house, the Adeyemi family was given a warm welcome. Everyone engaged in conversations, and then Amara entered the room carrying refreshments. She sat among them, and Tunde saw her for the first time. She was stunningly beautiful, and the flowing beautiful gown she wore made her look even more graceful.

After a while, at everyone’s insistence, Amara took Tunde on a tour of the house.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tunde broke the silence.

“Nice to meet you too,” Amara replied, shyly.

Tunde: “So… you’re not being forced into this marriage, right? If you are, you can tell me, and I’ll decline on my end.”

Amara laughed at his words and said, “Why are you asking this? Do you not want to get married?”

Tunde: “No, it’s not that. I just don’t want you to make any decisions under pressure because this concerns both our lives.”

Amara: “I like your attitude. And no, I’m not being pressured. If I like you, only then will my dad proceed with the wedding talks.”

Tunde: “Oh… that’s good to hear.”

“So, do you like this proposal?” Tunde asked hesitantly.

Amara smiled slightly. “I’d like to share some things about myself before I answer. Our decisions will affect our families’ happiness, so it’s important for you to know everything about me.”

What could Amara have wanted to reveal to Tunde during their very first meeting? Perhaps something about Nikhil?

To be continued in the next chapter…