Chapter 19
“Why are you two hovering around me? And why aren’t you two with your husbands?” Raashi asked Keya and Sheena suspiciously. They had left their husbands and had been by her side ever since she had entered Sheena’s party.
“Oh! We just want to spend time with you,” Keya stated simply and continued to converse with Sheena.
Raashi had seen the girls whispering in their husbands’ ears before they had drifted towards her.
Beyond a doubt, they were itching to ask questions about Sameer and her.
They had not brought up the topic as yet and she surely wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up.
Not when she was confused as hell. She loved these girls, she really did, but telling them that she had decided to get involved with Sameer and then hearing them debate the pros and cons of what would happen next was not something she wanted right now.
She listened to them quietly as they carried on about.
..she sighed – she had no clue what they were talking about.
She hadn’t been paying any attention to them.
Her eyes strayed to the entrance once again.
Where was he? His last text message to her had been three hours back. Why wasn’t he here yet?
As if on cue, Sameer entered the party. Her heart did a little happy dance when she saw him.
His eyes met hers, he grinned and he started towards her.
A girl in a striking blue jumpsuit stopped him midstride.
Raashi’s smile faded and a worried frown marred her face as she recognized the beautiful girl. Natasha!
“Raashi, you are not paying us any attention,” Keya complained.
Keya noticed Raashi staring at the entrance and turned to see what she was frowning at. “Hmm.”
Raashi reluctantly moved her eyes back to Keya, who raised her eyebrows in a silent question.
And then Sheena asked what Raashi was sure these two had been dying to ask her since the last half an hour.
“Incidentally, not that we want to pry or anything, but how is it working out with Sameer?”
Subtlety was surely not their strongest point.
Since she had already informed them of her new venture with Sameer they were bound to be curious about her and him.
But she hadn’t told them anything about the personal side of her relationship with Sameer and this was what her two best friends were dying to know and it was definitely not something she wished to discuss with them anytime soon.
Not until she herself knew which way her newly budding relationship with him was going.
“It’s been good,” she said, keeping her tone casual, “very good, actually. I’m enjoying myself thoroughly and I am so excited about the restaurant.”
Raashi saw both the girls watching her and then they replied in unison.
“I see,” said Sheena with a puckered brow.
“I see,” Keya said too, but with a smile.
She ignored them and then turned to look at Sameer. He was still chatting with Natasha, smiling at what she was saying and Raashi felt a pinch in the region of her heart.
“So has Sameer been good to you? How’s it going between you two?” Sheena was at her probing best. Raashi sighed, giving in to the inevitable and turned back to her friend who was watching her closely.
“He’s great, Sheena. He’s been a huge support and I like working with him.”
Raashi glanced back at Sameer and saw Natasha touch his arm and a sudden jolt of anger flared through her. Why did that woman have to touch him? Hadn’t he told Raashi that there was nothing going on between them? If so then why hadn’t Natasha got the message?
“And?” Keya asked her, bringing her attention back to them.
“And he’s charming, so much fun to be with and he makes me laugh a lot,” Raashi replied without thinking, her attention still fixed on Sameer and Natasha.
“So, you like him?” Keya asked.
“Yes, I do,” Raashi replied absently.
“What are you going to do about it?” Keya asked her, this time pinching her arm.
Raashi scowled at her.
“What is it Keya?” Raashi snapped.
“Can you stop gawking at my cousin and pay us some attention?” Sheena hissed, glowering at her.
Keya continued, “So, you like him. What’s next?”
“I never said I like him.”
Both of them gave her a dirty look.
“You know what I think?” Keya began, “I think you need to live wildly and see how this thing goes between you and Sameer. He’s already told Kabier that he regrets not taking it forward the first time and I heard that you guys are getting along just great. So go with the flow.”
Sheena shook her head vehemently.
“No, Absolutely not,” Sheena slashed an angry hand in the air. “How can you even suggest such a thing, Keya? You were not there the last time when she broke to pieces after he left her.”
Keya whirled to face Sheena, her hand on her hips, her jaw jutting out in absolute fury. Raashi was quite taken aback to see Keya react like that. Keya was the sweetest and the gentlest person she knew and here she was outraged on her behalf.
Raashi watched Sheena take an angry step towards Keya, ready to wage war with her only because she too cared for Raashi’s wellbeing. God! She loved these girls.
But before she could say anything to ease the situation Keya said, “He made a mistake, Sheena. Are you going to hold it against him forever?”
“Maybe, yes,” Sheena lashed out at Keya. “She needs to think seriously about Rithwik’s offer and marry him and be done with my cousin once and for all.”
“You are mad to even suggest that she marry Rithwik,” Keya retorted.
Before things could worsen between them, Raashi gripped each of their hands. “Stop it, please. I cannot bear to see the two of you fighting because of me.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt again,” Sheena said.
“And I don’t want you to make the worst decision of your life because you were scared. I know you and I know you are afraid to give him a second chance.”
Raashi squeezed both their hands in warning. “Enough, really. I know you two love me and that’s why you are so protective. But, please give me an opportunity to make up my own mind, will you?”
Raashi looked at both of them and waited for them to nod their acceptance. She knew Sheena wanted to say more but her husband called out to her, effectively, halting their heated conversation.
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.