Chapter 12
“The problem is that security hasn’t been able to identify the thief.
They have gone through several hours of footage back and forth and haven’t been able to find anyone fitting the thief’s description entering the hotel.
The security footage we have of the thief is also not very clear.
It’s mostly a side profile and the police cannot make much of it. ”
Sameer looked around at all the people gathered in his office. Apart from Kabier, Rishi and their grandfather, Sameer had requested his father to be present as well for this meeting.
“Have you considered that it could have been someone who was registered as a guest?” Kabier asked him.
“Yes, that thought did cross my mind. But so far nothing has come up on all our searches. Nevertheless, we will keep looking. We have passed on the information to the chief inspector in charge of the case and he promises to help in any way he can. Although now that the car has been returned safely, without a single scratch, to the owner, this case isn’t a top priority for the police. ”
They discussed the case for several more minutes and then Sameer’s father said, “From my point of view this looks like a one-off incident. But, you need to maintain a high alert in all the hotels and all company premises till we know what exactly is going on.”
“I agree,” said Janak.
Sameer nodded and so did Kabier and Rishi.
After his father and grandfather left, Sameer asked Kabier, “What are you doing tonight? Why don’t you join us for dinner? Rishi and I have made plans for a night out. Let’s make it a boy’s night, what say?”
Kabier shook his head, “Keya wants to stay in and relax. She’s been on the edge a lot. It’s all those baby hormones making her crazy. I just want to be around her at home.”
Kabier had recently apprised them of Keya’s pregnancy and everyone in the family was delighted with the good news. Sameer smiled. It was really happening. One of them was going to be a father soon. He was thrilled for Kabier.
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 obliged her 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.
“Rishi!” Sameer warned.
“What did I say?” Rishi raised his hands at the warning glance from his brother through the rear view mirror.
“Have you made up your mind, Rishi or should I make it for you?” Sameer asked.
“OK! OK! We’re going to Nox-MixGrill,” Rishi said, relaying the address to Sameer.
“Why there?” Sameer asked recognizing it as one of Raashi’s restaurants.
“Yes, why that place?” Natasha piped up as well.
“Because they have great food and live music on Friday nights. It’s excellent.”
“I am not going to some run-of-the-mill, odd and unknown place filled with random people,” Natasha complained.
“It’s not run-of-the-mill and it’s nowhere close to the kind of crowd you’re thinking it has,” Rishi countered back.
“All the same, I am not going there,” Natasha declared rudely.
Rishi exchanged a look for help with Sameer across the rear view mirror.
“OK, let’s do it this way, Natasha. We’ll check out the place Rishi wants to go to. We’ll stick around there for a while and if it’s really not great then you get to choose where we go next.”
“Fine. Whatever,” Natasha made a face before she looked out her window.
As Sameer handed over his car keys to a waiting valet he wondered if Raashi would be here tonight.
After his meeting with her four days back, he had been thinking a lot about her.
But he wasn’t ready to meet her again tonight.
Not when his mind was still in knots regarding her.
He had berated himself enough for wanting to give up his own dream to see hers through.
He had thought long and hard on how to solve the land impasse between them, but had so far found no solution.
He had to reach common ground with her and soon.
In any case, chances were that she might not even be here tonight. It was a Friday night. She may be at any of her other restaurants or out somewhere else.
Rishi walked ahead of them and Natasha laced her hand with Sameer’s as they entered the restaurant.
“Wow,” Rishi exclaimed as soon as he walked into the small foyer that displayed a picture of the band playing. “I didn’t know Rhapsody was playing here. Super luck to be here tonight!”
Sameer and Natasha followed Rishi as he walked on further inside.
Whoa! The place was huge, Sameer thought.
It was constructed in the shape of a semi-circle.
The entrance was at one end which followed onto a straight bar.
The floor curved from the entrance to the end of the bar into a huge arc.
At the front, open center of the arc, a small stage was setup where the band was playing.
People were crowded around the peripheries and near the bar area.
Several tables were set up in small semi-circular alcoves and from where he was standing there was none vacant.
Voicing his thoughts aloud, Natasha spoke to Rishi, “Rishi, there is no table available and I absolutely refuse to stand here waiting.”
“Hang on, I’ll try and get us a table.”
“How, by waving your magic wand?” Natasha asked sarcastically.
“Exactly,” Rishi replied, waving his phone at her. Rishi moved a distance away as he dialed and then spoke into the phone. Sameer knew exactly whom he was talking to.
Friday Night was busiest for Nox-MixGrill. Raashi had signed up with different bands to perform there live each Friday night. What had started because of her passion for music had turned out to be an extremely successful venture.
People came from all over town to Nox-MixGrill on Fridays to enjoy the live band they had playing. And tonight they were featuring the band, Rhapsody. The band members were personal friends of hers. She herself had been a part of the band once.