His reply pleased Rhea because she smiled at Kabier and leaned up and kissed his cheek. “In that case, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” she told him softly.
She then turned to look at Rishi and Sameer and gave them an icy stare.
Rishi’s face contorted with rage. Sameer was well aware that Rishi was at the end of his tether with Rhea. He had tried his best to talk to her but she refused to open up. Almost all their conversations these days ended in shouting matches. Sameer was also quite frustrated with her behavior. But now his brother and sister glared at each other and any moment they’d start a war in the middle of the party.
Before he could step in and stop the storm that was waiting to erupt, his father approached them.
Jai Sehgal playfully patted Rhea on the head and put his arm around her. “Rhea, I need to ask you a favor?”
Rhea faced their father and smiled. “Anything, Dad.”
His dad squeezed her shoulder. “There’s something I need you to do.” And then he whispered something to her that none of them could hear.
Rhea stared at her dad for a second. “You’re too cute, Dad.”
As soon as she left, Jai Sehgal turned to the three of them.
“Hmm, now that she’s gone let me give you all a piece of advice. Going after her day in and day out is not going to get her to tell you anything. Give her a break. You need to stop pushing her. Rishi, especially you.” He waited till they all nodded and continued, “I know you’re worried about her. So am I. She will come around in her own time. She’s home and she’s safe and that’s what is important.”
His father turned and Sameer too watched Rhea reach their mother and pass his message to her. His mom looked around the room to find her husband. As soon as their eyes met, she smiled and walked towards him. His father returned her smile and sauntered towards his wife to meet her midway.
His parents reached each other. His father said something that caused his mother to blush and shake her head. They circledeach other slowly before his mother once again shook her head and returned to her friends.
It was always like that with his parents. They were each other’s yin and yang. His father was tall with salt and pepper hair with a silent and broodingly intense personality, while his mother was petite, vibrant and loud. Her regular visits to the salon ensured that she didn’t have a single grey hair on her head. They fit together perfectly.
It’s not like they were always happy. God No! Their dynamically opposite personalities caused them to fight and argue often. And at those times Sameer had seen the both of them miserable without the other. But they made up quickly and he mostly remembered them as being immensely happy together. They all had grown up seeing their example of love. No wonder sub-consciously they all sought that. Even Sheena and Kabier. Their own father had passed away very young but Sameer’s parents had always been an essential part of their lives. That was also one reason why all of them were so close and so attached to each other.
If his grandfather was the thread that wove them all together then his parents were the glue that bound them all.
Both Sheena and Kabier had learnt from his parent’s example to crave that kind of abiding love and luckily they had found it.
At one time he thought he had found that kind of love with Natasha but he had been bitterly disappointed. After that he hadn’t wanted to try again.
A hand touched his shoulder. Sameer swivelled and came face to face with Natasha.
“Hey,” she said. “Sorry, I am late.”
Sameer had forgotten he had invited her to attend the birthday party. He had asked her to be here before his grandfather arrived. But as usual Natasha did things in her ownway. This was not new to him though. He sighed and moved forward to greet her.
“Hi, Natasha,” Sameer said.
Natasha gave him a hug and kissed his cheek before she said hello to Kabier and Rishi.
“Come on,” he told her. “Let’s go wish grandfather. Excuse us, guys,”
Natasha held his arm as he steered her to where his grandfather stood with the three girls surrounding him. His grandfather still had his arm around Raashi and Sameer understood exactly when Raashi realized he was coming towards her and tried to escape. Sameer’s lips curved into a smile as his grandfather said something to her and didn’t let her leave his side.
A stab of envy pierced Raashi’s heart as she watched Sameer approach her group with Natasha on his arm. Dressed in designer jeans and a dark Henley t-shirt, he looked great as usual. Beside him, Natasha looked fabulous in a short silver dress. Natasha tugged Sameer’s arm and he leaned down as she whispered something in his ear. Raashi couldn’t help but stare at them. They did look fabulous together.
She had spotted him as soon as she had entered the house. His heated gaze had locked with her hers and a devilish smile had curved his lips before his eyes had leisurely coasted up and down her body, appraising every inch of her, making her toes curl. Annoyed with him and with her own reaction to him, Raashi had waited for his eyes to return to hers, before she had dismissed him coldly, deliberately turning away from him. She had managed to ignore him so far, but now here he was walking towards them, his eyes on her again, watching her every move.
She shifted and tried to move away from Janak again. She didn’t want to meet Sameer. She didn’t want to talk to him.
But Janak held her shoulder.
“Don’t go, Raashi. Stay here with me, okay?” he requested.
Wordlessly, she nodded and waited as Sameer approached them with Natasha on his arm.
