Sheena walked away with a last angry glare at Keya who blew her a sweet kiss in return. Sheena narrowed her eyes but Raashi could see her lips curve.
Raashi turned back to look at Sameer who was still busy talking to Natasha. He was dressed in all black today. Black jacket and trousers and a black collared shirt opened at the neck. He looked fabulous and it annoyed her seeing him with that woman. And then Sameer took Natasha’s hands in his. Now she was plain furious.
“He is very good looking, isn’t he?” Keya noted from beside her. “I know you still have feelings for him, Raashi. I can see the way you look at him. You haven’t stopped looking at him since he came. And it is obvious, seeing him with Natasha is bothering you.”
Raashi couldn’t think of a reply. Her anger was reaching boiling point now. She almost walked up to interrupt Sameer and Natasha, but Rithwik called out to her. He reached them and greeted Keya first.
“Hi Raashi,” he said. “Can we talk, please?”
She hesitated for a moment but Sameer was still chatting with Natasha, so she left Keya chatting with another guest and followed Rithwik as he led her to a corner, a little away from the party.
20
Sameer entered the party and began walking towards Raashi with a huge smile on his face. She pulled him like gravity. His eyes had zeroed in on her as soon as he had entered. She was wearing a red, sleeveless flowing gown, her hair hanging loose and her lips painted in a nude color. She looked stunning and he couldn’t wait to be with her. His smile froze as Natasha stepped in front of him blocking his path.
“That look on your face says that you didn’t expect me to be here,” Natasha said cheerfully.
“Sorry! Guilty as charged,” he replied in the same vein.
“I had hoped that because Sheena invited me here, it meant that you wanted me to be here.”
Sameer watched her brush a strand of her hair away from her face. She was beautiful in a Goddess sort of way. Everything about her was right, the right clothes, the right accessories and the right make-up and hair-do. She was too perfect, but she most definitely did not make his heart flutter.
“You are welcome here, you know that. But...”
Before Sameer could finish Natasha cut in, “But you didn’t ask her to invite me.”
Sameer remained silent. He didn’t know what to tell her. He let out an exasperated sigh. First, that conversation with her father and now this. He didn’t want to have a confrontation with her. Nevertheless, he decided to hear her out. He had to end this here and now.
“The last time in the car, I had hoped that it was just a fight. I thought you didn’t mean it when you said it was over between us. I left you alone thinking you needed time to cool off. I received Sheena’s invite a couple of days back and I thought that you must have asked her to invite me.”
“Natasha...”
She touched his arm to stop what he was saying.
“Sameer, you actually never gave us a chance this time. I know I can be demanding at times; but you never cared about all that before. You’ve changed now, Sameer. I’ve seen you get annoyed with me, more than once. And that’s not all. There was no physical intimacy between us. Every time we were out together, I hoped you would take it further but you never did. I always returned feeling like there was something wrong with me. I tried to get close to you, several times, but you never took the hint,” she said.
A sad expression crossed her face and Sameer took both her hands in his.
“Natasha, you are lovely and you don’t have to try hard to get me or anyone else. You will find the right guy one day. But that guy isn’t me.”
When she shook her head, he squeezed her hands tighter and asked, “Look into your heart. The last few weeks that we haven’t met, did your life come to a standstill? Did you feel like a part of you was missing?”
Her eyes widened and she swallowed. When a few moments had passed and she still hadn’t replied, he nudged her gently. “Hey, you’re not allowed so much time to answer.”
She gave him a warm smile and he realized he had succeeded in making her see sense.
“You and I were a mistake, Natasha, we were never meant to be together. If we were, then we would never have broken up the first time. I was merely a good bet for marriage.”
“Very well! I get your point. You’re right, you were a safe bet for me. I understand what you’re trying to say,” Natasha pouted. “One day, Mr. Sehgal, you may just regret letting go of me and then I may not want you back!”
Sameer beamed at her, glad that he had been able to clear it all with her without hurting her.
Natasha squeezed his hands. “You’re a great guy and I hope we can still be friends, in spite of this.”
“Always,” Sameer said, releasing her hands. He looked at Raashi and found her talking to Keya.
Natasha turned to see who had snagged his attention.
