CHAPTER 1 Kavita #2
The park is a bit rundown after years of poor maintenance, and it gets a little noisy in the evenings when children play on the swings or in the sandbox. But mostly, it’s a peaceful location. I love that my boutique is nestled in this beautiful neighborhood.
I feel lucky to have found this building to rent.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” Khushi agrees as a light breeze floats in through the tall windows and catches her dress, bringing a smile to her face. “I can’t believe our favorite playground is right outside your window now. It brings back so many memories!”
We sit on the couch, sipping on our teas and enjoying the view, while Khushi reveals that she’s looking for a job now that she’s back.
“What about your previous job?” I ask.
Khushi bats her eyelids, colored with a deep, blue glitter kohl. “I don’t want to be a personal assistant anymore. I want to do something exciting. Something of my own. Like you guys.”
I know what she means. Kiara runs her own wedding planning company with her husband and photographer, Arjun. And I’ve got my boutique. It took us long to find and start something of our own and that we love, but we’re finally where we want to be.
“I hope you find something you love,” I say.
Khushi nods. “I hope so, too.”
As we sip on tea, the familiar aroma of chai takes us back to those carefree childhood afternoons.
We trade news, catching up on everything that has happened since Khushi left.
We talk about my business picking up since I moved in here and how much I love living right above work.
“It was actually a stroke of luck getting kicked out of the previous place,” I tell them.
“I wouldn’t have found this one if I hadn’t. ”
Kiara talks about how happy she is that she and Arjun are working together, and then she turns to me. “Which reminds me, Neel’s sister Elena is getting married. She’s coming to meet you for her wedding dress. Do you remember Neel?”
Suddenly, my cheeks burn. It’s been three months since I saw Neel, and I remember those deep hazel eyes piercing into mine, like it was yesterday.
“Neel?” Khushi says, ears perking up. “Who’s that?”
“Arjun’s friend,” Kiara says.
“Yeah, Neel and I met at Kiara’s wedding,” I shrug nonchalantly.
“That doesn’t explain why you’re blushing,” she observes with a keen eye. “Looks like there’s something you’re not telling us.”
How is she so perceptive?
“Other than the fact that I’d have drowned if not for Neel rescuing me, nothing.”
Khushi leans in. “That’s not nothing!”
I shrug. “Guys, I didn’t want to worry Kiara on my account, but I went for a swim and…” I tell them everything that happened, ending with, “And the three of us haven’t met since the wedding, so I’m sorry for not bringing it up until now.”
Kiara’s eyes widen. “Kavita! I can’t believe you never told me.” She pauses, then adds with a mix of concern and curiosity, “So what happened after that?”
“Neel took me back to my room. Maybe he didn’t want to make it seem bigger than it was. Maybe he thought there was nothing further to it.” Both of them stare at me, waiting for me to go on. “Guys, that’s it! Nothing happened. I haven’t seen him since, and that’s all there is to it.”
Yet, I haven’t stopped thinking about Neel since that night on the beach. I don’t think I’ve thought about any man as much. Which is so strange.
Khushi lets out a sigh. “How romantic!”
“How not so romantic!” I laugh. “When you throw up a gallon of sea water in front of a man who didn’t even want to talk to you at the wedding.”
“Neel appears a little stand-offish, but he’s not really that way,” Kiara says, smiling. “Arjun’s known him a long time, and he says Neel’s divorce was unfortunate, but he’s a really thoughtful and caring friend.”
“To think that he jumped in to rescue you without a second thought,” Khushi adds with a glint in her eye.
I haven’t dwelled on the scary part of that night, when anything might have happened to me if it were not for Neel.
Instead, I’ve replayed the good parts—how Neel made it seem like nothing when he pulled me out of the water, hoisting me over his shoulders, the worried look he gave me after I threw up, the way he held me afterward.
Every time I think of those moments, my heart rate still rises. Like now.
“Don’t you wonder what it’s going to feel like when you see him again?” Khushi bubbles with laughter.
Although I’m thrilled to create a wedding dress for his sister, I’m not sure how I feel about meeting Neel again. Will I be meeting the bride’s brother in the course of designing her wedding dress, anyway?
“I don’t know that I’ll meet him. It’s wonderful to hear that his sister is getting married, though,” I say, dodging Khushi’s question, my voice coming out shriller than normal.
I thought I’d gotten over the way I felt that night. The deep, husky baritone of Neel’s voice, the way he looked at me as he held me in his arms... A tingly feeling runs down my spine at the memory. I shake my head, trying to dispel the scene replaying in my mind.
Khushi’s keen eyes catch my distraction. “You’re thinking about him right now, aren’t you?”
I open my mouth to deny it, but the knowing smiles on both my friends’ faces stop me. Who am I kidding? Three months later, I’m still not over that night on the beach.
As I sip my cooling tea, I wonder: what will happen when I see Neel again? Because now, it feels less like an “if” and more like a “when.” And despite my attempts to deny it, I can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement at the prospect.