Chapter 33
VEDIKA
She stared up at him, eyes wide, pulse hammering in her throat. “Daksh,” she breathed.
He dipped his head, his lips coming within an inch of hers when the door to the living room banged open.
“We’re here,” Vikram announced, marching into the large hall. She jumped, trying to back away from Daksh but the arm he had around her waist tightened. He smiled, a crooked, lopsided grin, before, deliberately, slowly, releasing her and taking a step back.
“You don’t dim your light for anyone,” he murmured, before turning away from her.
She blinked at his back as her brother and cousins streamed into the room, a raucous, boisterous bunch.
Kimi winked at her even as she ogled Daksh’s butt as he turned to talk to Kabir, Advik and Vikram.
A second later, Rehaan burst into the room like a tornado, Tani following him, rolling her eyes.
Kabir reached over to draw her into a hug and she kissed his cheek gently in response.
Vedika grinned as Rehaan pulled a startled Daksh into a bro hug, introducing himself by shouting something directly into his ear.
The parents followed shortly after, smiling and introducing themselves to Daksh. Her father was the only one who glowered and gave him a curt nod before stalking over to the bar. Vedika rolled her eyes in Aakash’s direction and he turned his back on her in response.
“Sweet Lord, your mother wasn’t kidding,” Aayushi Bua came to stand beside her. “That man’s looks are unreal.”
Vedika rolled her eyes but she was smiling.
“You have my consent, Vedika. For anything and everything you’d like to do with me, to me, for me…Name it and it’s yours.”
His words whispered through her veins, a drug that swam in her blood, a high she’d never felt before. He glanced over Rehaan’s shoulder, his gaze meeting hers, all the intensity and frustration from their aborted kiss roiling in them.
“Oh my Lord!” Aayushi fanned herself as Kanak, Maya, and Shikha came over.
“I know, right,” Shikha said in a hushed voice. “I don’t think even Karam managed that level of brooding drama.”
“Bite your tongue, woman.” Karam slung his arm over Shikha’s shoulders, kissing the top of her head. “I am the OG.”
“The OG what?” Maya asked.
“OG fuckboy,” Kanak said helpfully.
“Is that what’s riding Aakash’s arse?” Karam asked, poking Kanak in her side and making her yelp. “That the boy reminds him of me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Kanak snorted. “You are a pale, washed out version of him.”
Affronted, Karam opened his mouth to deliver what was sure to be a blistering insult when Vedika said quietly, “I think Pa hates the fact that he’s Ashish’s brother.”
For a moment, the parentals said nothing and then Maya said gently, “And you Vedu? How do you feel about that?”
She shrugged. “To me, he’s Daksh. The rest doesn’t matter.”
“But it does,” Aayushi murmured. “Get involved with a guy, his family comes along for free.”
“See babe,” Karam said. “You got the best deal. No family to deal with.”
“I did get the best deal,” Shikha replied, kissing him and making the kids pretend to gag. “And you’re far from washed out. You are still a technicolour ass.”
“And I got Aakash when I got married,” Ved said gloomily, coming up behind them and dodging the elbow Aayushi dug into his ribs, laughing.
Vedika smiled but broke away from the group to where her father stood with his best friend, Yash Chachu.
“Hey sweetheart,” Yash’s concerned eyes roved over her face. “Doing okay?”
“I’m good,” she smiled reassuringly, leaning into his hug. “Could I speak to Pa for a minute?”
“Of course.” Yash’s astute gaze went from the father’s tight expression to the daughter’s worried one. “Play nice, both of you,” he warned before walking away.
“Pa,” Vedika hesitated, trying to find the right words.
Aakash’s expression gentled. “I know you’re going through a hard time.
But sweetheart, rebounding like this and from one brother to another, it’s a recipe for disaster.
This guy, any of the Mathurs, they’re not the right ones for you.
He isn’t the right one for you. And believe me,” he said derisively, “I get the appeal of this one. The other one didn’t even have that,” he waved a disparaging hand in Daksh’s direction, “to his credit. But honestly, Vedu, you’re too smart to fall for a pretty face. ”
“Didn’t you once believe Ma was the wrong person for you?” Vedika asked, her anger coiling around her words like a serpent.
Aakash stilled, his face going blank. She’d hurt him with her words.
She could see that and a small part of her quailed at the thought of standing up to her father.
But she needed to do this. She needed to claim herself again.
She didn’t need ‘Not Vedika’ to be brave.
She just needed to be herself. Chaos in a tightly wrapped package.
Don’t dim your light for anyone.
His voice in her head, the drug in her veins, surged, bringing with it a heady rush of courage.
“Even if this is a mistake, if he is a mistake, I should be allowed to make my own mistakes. Shouldn’t I, Pa? Like you did? Or are the rules different for me and for you?”
Aakash’s gaze shuttered as he looked at her and she knew, even before he spoke, she knew she’d gone too far. “I believe you just finished making one disastrous mistake,” he said coolly. “Wrecking a multi crore deal, almost marrying a lying asshole…Are you trying to score a hatrick now?”
“Thanks Pa,” she said shakily. “Nice to know you have so much confidence in me.”