Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter
Twenty-Four
“Does this look okay?” Tejas checked himself out in the mirror in Jonah and Aleksy’s room, then tugged his black tie over the collar of his deep violet button-down shirt, the sleeves of which were already rolled up to show off the forearms Naina loved.
Hopefully, she loved more than just his forearms. Well, he’d find out tonight.
Aleksy glanced at Tejas from the queen-size bed where he was scrolling through his phone. “It looks good,” he said.
Jonah walked over to the mirror and adjusted Tejas’s tie. “Got a romantic date planned?”
Tejas faced him with a grin. “It’ll be the most romantic night of my life.
And hers, I’m hoping.” The cruise was on a private yacht, the most extravagant of all their activities during this vacation, but Tejas hoped the five-course dinner, live music, and cool sea breeze would be well worth the investment and not just something to check off the list.
His conversation with his sister had been eye-opening.
When he’d told her that Naina seemingly had no desire to fall in love or be in a relationship anymore, nor did she want to stay in touch with Tejas after Goa, Latika had suggested confessing his feelings to Naina anyway.
Best-case scenario, she’d appreciate the gesture, and it would soften her heart, allowing her to give them a real chance.
Worst-case scenario? Tejas would board his bus back to Mumbai without any regrets, unanswered questions, or doubts.
He had no idea how Naina would react when he told her he loved her. Would she say it back, sealing the start of their real relationship with a kiss before her flight tomorrow morning? Or would she give him the closure he would need to move on from her?
“Have a nice time, man,” Aleksy yelled, still rooted to his bed, when Tejas stepped outside, eager to see what dress Naina had picked out for their final date night.
She’d wanted to go all out with her outfit and makeup, which was why she’d kicked him out of their room so he wouldn’t disturb her while she got dressed.
Hands in his pockets, he went to the lobby and paced back and forth, waiting for the woman he loved.
It was already five minutes past six-thirty, and the cab sent by the cruise organizers was parked outside. Tejas was debating whether to check on Naina in their room when her voice called out to him. “What do you think?”
Tejas spun to face her. Fuck. His breath caught in his throat, his jaw slack.
Naina struck a pose in her silky yellow evening gown that rippled with each movement.
The slit up to her mid-thigh accentuated her toned legs, and when she turned to show off the low-cut back with the sleek zipper that went down to her butt, Tejas had to put a hand to his thumping heart.
“You look beautiful,” he finally got out.
“God, Naina Stark, I’m so—” No, he reminded himself.
Don’t you dare say the L-word yet. “I’m so incredibly attracted to you,” he finished instead.
An unreadable expression crossed Naina’s face, but maybe Tejas had imagined it, because it faded the very next second.
She walked up to him in her four-inch heels, which put her right on par with his six-foot-one frame, and slid her cold hands up and down his forearms. She tilted her head so her lips grazed his right ear.
“Can’t wait for you to take this dress off me later,” she whispered, and damn if Tejas didn’t get goosebumps.
Hand in hand, they left the hostel and clambered into the cab, which would take them straight to the harbor where the private yacht was waiting for them.
After a few minutes of talking about what the yacht might look like and how the food would taste, Naina rested her head on Tejas’s shoulder and made a “hmm” sound.
“What are you thinking?” Tejas asked, glancing down at her.
“This is the first time I’m seeing you in formal attire, and you clean up really well.” She sat up and fixed a crease on his shirt. “I love this color on you. A lot of men wouldn’t experiment with shades like violet or purple.”
Tejas kissed the top of her head, making her squeal. “I wear all kinds of shades to work. Yellow, purple, soft pink, baby blue. I like color in my wardrobe.”
Naina wound her arm around his biceps, her lips parting. “It suits you and your half-dimpled smile.”
As the driver took a sharp right turn, Tejas stuck a hand out to steady himself. “I still can’t believe you noticed the dimple,” he said, chuckling. “I didn’t, until you brought it up.”
She let out a soft, barely audible sigh. “There’s a lot you don’t notice about yourself.”
“Like what?”
Naina hesitated. “You’re a good, kind person with a wonderful heart,” she finally said. “I knew it the moment we met.”
If Tejas wasn’t already in love with Naina, this would have done it.
He pulled her in for a kiss, not caring that they were in a cab in the middle of a traffic jam.
Pressing his forehead to hers, he said with a half laugh, “I thought you might have found me annoying, given how you didn’t smile once. ”
Naina nudged his nose with hers before settling into the crook of his neck again. “I wasn’t annoyed,” she clarified. “I guess I was just nervous at the thought of sharing a room with someone as hot as you.”
He smiled, lifting her face up and cupping it with one hand. “Says the woman who takes my breath away every time I look at her.”
“Oh, hold on.” She pushed away from him and cleared her throat. “Bhaiyya,” she said to the driver, “the traffic seems chaotic today. How far are we?”
“Madam, we’re going to be a few minutes late,” he replied to Naina. “You might want to call the cruise organizers and let them know.”
“Right, thanks,” Naina said, and rummaged in her purse for her phone.
As she made the call, Tejas swallowed, looking toward Naina, but her gaze was outside the window, at the rows and rows of cars and scooters.
Was it a coincidence that she’d changed the topic?
Yes, it had to be. Honestly, she had done him a favor.
A second longer and those three words would have slipped from his mouth.
And he couldn’t do that, not in the midst of a traffic jam with twenty other drivers honking and yelling their frustrations at the red light.
No, he would tell her while they were at sea, marveling at the beauty of the stars and the full moon, as soft romantic music played in the background.
And she would tell him she loved him too.
Because she did. He sensed it, deep in his heart. She couldn’t have shared this time with him, made these unforgettable memories with him, without calling it love, without knowing it was the kind of love worth holding on to, regardless of distance or time. They’d make it work.
They had to.
The yacht was docked by the harbor, twinkling with yellow lights and gently rocking against the waves.
The cruise organizer greeted Tejas and Naina politely, then ushered them aboard.
Tejas helped Naina up the ladder, his hand on the small of her back, and she turned to shoot him a tight smile.
When they had boarded, she said, almost tensely, “You know, I didn’t need you to help me. ”
He rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. “Any excuse to touch you, I guess.”
Slowly, Naina beamed at him. “Good answer.”
Chuckling, Tejas followed behind her and the organizer, who led them to the dock where a candlelit table and two chairs were set up. “This is Martin,” the organizer said, introducing them to the server. “He’ll take good care of you. Enjoy your evening.”
Naina sat across from Tejas and put her hands in her lap. “You comfortable?”
“Not quite,” he said, smiling. “Why don’t you sit next to me?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” She smiled back, pulled her chair closer to Tejas’s, and sat down adjacent to him.
Tejas’s heart melted into a puddle as she looked up in awe at the sky lit by the full moon and a handful of stars.
Her yellow dress shimmered in the darkness as though competing with the glowing moon—and it was safe to say the dress was winning.
Tejas reached for her hand, and she interlocked their fingers, shooting sparks down his core.
“I’ll bring out the champagne and the hors d’oeuvres shortly,” Martin said, bowing before he left. In the distance, the haunting melody of violins filled the air. The live band must have started their performance.
“This is gorgeous,” Naina gushed, adjusting the bottom of her dress. “I’m so glad we did this.”
“Me too,” he said as he took in the starry night, the beautiful music, and the most perfect woman sitting beside him. He was the luckiest man in the world.
“Sir, ma’am.” The server brought over a plate of smoked chicken canapés and two glasses of champagne. Tejas and Naina had already preapproved the menu so there wouldn’t be any surprises.
Tejas held up his glass. “To a night we’ll never forget.”
“To a trip we’ll never forget,” Naina corrected him, a twinkle in her eye as they clinked glasses.
Before she could take a sip of the champagne, Tejas leaned forward and kissed her. I love you so much, he wanted to say, but Naina’s stomach grumbled, and he pulled away, deciding it was better to wait until they were through with the meal. “Let’s try these canapés,” he said.
The chicken was so tender it nearly melted in Tejas’s mouth, the smoky flavor and subtle harissa seasoning adding the perfect touch to the one-bite dish. Naina hummed in appreciation. “I could have a hundred of these,” she said, licking her ruby-red lips.
Tejas smirked behind his glass. “We have four more courses to go.”
Naina sipped her drink. “Let’s see if they can top this one.”
The next four courses were just as impressive: dates stuffed with candied walnuts and cream cheese, garden salad with fresh greens and a balsamic dressing, rosemary grilled chicken with rice and mashed potatoes, and cherry amaretto tiramisu to end the meal on a sweet note.
“What’s the verdict?” Tejas asked as he sat back and wiped his mouth with his napkin.
Naina rubbed her belly. “I now have a four-month-old food baby growing inside me. And I love it to death.”
Tejas threw his head back and laughed. “What a coincidence,” he said, putting a hand to his own full stomach, “because I seem to be growing one too.” His phone buzzed—a video from Latika with the message Help she’s not eating .
“Hold on, my sister texted me,” he said, frowning as he hit play.
Naina shuffled closer to watch it with him.
Behind the camera, Latika huffed. “Come on, Astrid, it’s premium tuna!
You loved it yesterday!” Astrid, meanwhile, was making a back-and-forth digging motion with her front left paw beside the wet food bowl: her way of saying, “This is shit.” The camera then switched to Latika’s frowning face. “Bhai, what do I do?” she wailed.
Tejas sighed loudly, then texted back, She’s too spoiled. You can’t give her the same wet food two nights in a row. Try the chicken loaf and send me another video, while Naina giggled beside him.
“You’ve really pampered Astrid,” Naina said. “I didn’t realize cats were so picky with their meals.”
“She knows we love her enough to pander to her every tantrum,” he replied, replaying the video for another glimpse at Astrid.
“Most people think cats don’t show affection, but that’s bullshit.
After her spaying surgery eight months ago, despite being so weak she could barely stand straight, Astrid still tried to follow me around the apartment like she does every day.
God, I love her. She’s the best cat in the world. ”
It was when Naina wiped his cheek that Tejas realized he was crying. “And the luckiest cat,” Naina corrected him. “She got you for a dad, after all.”
Tejas blinked back more tears. “Want to enjoy the sea breeze for a bit?” he asked, standing and offering her his hand. This was the moment, he decided. He would finally tell her he loved her.
She took his hand, and they walked to the railing around the perimeter of the yacht.
The sea was a deep, dark gray, illuminated only by the silver moon; the powerful waves crashed around the hull, as loud as the music that still surrounded them.
Naina rested her palms on the railing, her eyes crinkling with her smile.
“Have you ever seen something this beautiful?” she said.
“I have,” Tejas said breathlessly, taking her in. When Naina turned to him, a question mark on her face, he averted his gaze to the sea and put his hands in his pockets. “Uh, we have some really lovely spots back home. I’d show you pictures, but…”
Naina gulped. “Yeah, you probably shouldn’t do that.” Sighing, she tugged him closer, linking his fingers with hers. “Tejas, you don’t know how thankful I am that I got to finish the list with you.”
Tejas kissed the knuckles of her right hand. “Same here. Naina, I want to tell you something.” He took a deep breath. “Something I’ve been feeling for a while now. Something I think you’re feeling too. Naina, I—”
“Wait.” Naina pulled her hand from his grasp and stepped away. “Stop. Don’t.”
One look at her pale face and trembling lips, and Tejas knew. He just knew.
This was a mistake.