Rishi spoke up, “Looks like it’s going to be you and me tonight, brother.” He pointed at Kabier. “This guy has been bailing out on us ever since he fell in love. And now he is behaving like a total and complete social recluse.”
Kabier laughed. “Oh, come on! You guys can come over and join Keya and me for dinner instead. You know you’re always welcome.”
“Uh, spending Friday night with an emotionally high pregnant woman and you staring at her in love and adoration?” Rishi sounded, appalled. He shook his head. “No way! That is not my idea of fun. Sameer and I are going out tonight and you can stay home and miss out on all the fun!”
???
“I thought it was just you and me for dinner,” Rishi complained to his elder brother, later in the evening.
“Well, that was the original plan, but I haven’t met Natasha this whole week and she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I invited her to join us,” Sameer slowed the car at the traffic light.
When he saw Rishi’s grim face, he said, “Cheer up! We’ll still have fun. Anyway, I am sure you’ll hook up with some girl at whichever night club we’re going to, so what is the problem?”
“A guy wants to spend time with his brother and this is what he gets. I should have taken up Kabier’s offer instead,” Rishi said sarcastically.
“Rishi, come on! Please understand,” Sameer requested.
“Why Natasha? Why her? I was so glad you were over her back then. Now you’re with her again and this time maybe for good. Sheesh!” Rishi commented. “I don’t like this at all.”
“Look, I know what you feel about her. I am not asking you to like her.” When Rishi rolled his eyes. Sameer said, “However, I do expect you to be civil to her.”
“Don’t go all big brother on me,” Rishi complained as Sameer double parked in front of Natasha’s house and sounded the horn.
Natasha shut the door of her home behind her and walked towards them dressed in a white, short, sleeveless dress and high stilettos. Rishi grinned mischievously as an idea formed in his head.
“By the way, Sameer, since you ruined my evening, you owe it to me to decide where to go tonight.”
“Alright, Rishi, have it your way.”
Nodding at him, Sameer got out of the car to greet Natasha.
“Hey, you!” Natasha said, raising her lips to Sameer’s mouth.
Okay, she wanted to take things to the next level! Ever since getting back with her, they hadn’t gotten past the occasional kiss on the cheeks. But now seeing her obviously waiting, he obligedher with a quick peck on the lips. Unsurprisingly, the kiss did not make him feel a thing.
Shaking away that thought, he turned sideways when Rishi came and stood beside him.
“Hi, Natasha!” Rishi greeted her.
“Oh! Sameer, I didn’t know Rishi was joining us tonight,” Natasha commented, air kissing Rishi.
“Actually, Rishi and I were to...” Sameer started to say but Natasha interrupted him.
“No problem, it’s really quite sweet of you to invite Rishi along. I’m looking forward to catching up with him. Though I am sure his date will not give us enough time for that.”
A sour expression crossed Rishi’s face before all of them sat inside the car.
As they fastened their seat belts, Rishi said from behind, “As a matter of fact, it’s just the three of us. Unfortunately, I don’t have a date tonight.”
Natasha turned to her side to look at Rishi. “Unfortunate indeed!”
Oh God! Rishi prayed for enough patience to get through the evening. He had never liked Natasha. She was a ‘social digger’, if ever there was such a word. She only socialized with people who could better her image, or those that could be of any use to her. Somehow, Sameer had been ignorant of this fact about her all those years back and he seemed equally unaware now too. Rishi himself had never gotten along with her. If Sameer actually married her then God help them all,
“Ok, then, Rishi, have you decided where we’re going tonight?” Sameer asked his brother, eyeing him through the rear view mirror.
“Sameer, why does Rishi get to decide where we’re going?” Natasha pouted, holding Sameer’s arm.
“Because, contrary to what you think, Sameer changed our original dinner plan to include you, so now I get to decide the plan for the evening,” Rishi said sweetly from behind.
