Before I knew it, I was striding over to the VIP enclosure furiously. I didn’t know what it was I wanted to do. Was I hoping for some aha moment where I’d prove without a doubt that Meher had cheated on me with that man eight years ago? I already knew that, so why the hurry to get to her?
Maybe it was the way she shrank from his touch for a second before she drew herself up and said something. Or maybe it was the way he reacted to whatever she’d said. He clenched his fists at his sides, and the sight of that was enough to have me leaping over the last row of seats in the enclosure and coming to stand next to Meher.
Sanjay looked up in surprise because he clearly wasn’t expecting to see me. I placed my index finger on his chest and pushed hard until he backed away a few steps.
“Keep a respectful distance when you talk to my girl,” I growled, putting my other arm around Meher. I was surprised to find her shaking. What had this louse been saying to her?
“Tell yourgirlto keep a respectful tongue in her head then,” he spat.
“Samrat, why does the trash from Jhala keep blowing into our enclosure?” demanded Shivina, who was standing on Meher’s other side. “Is there a way to get them banned from the club for their behaviour?”
Sanjay immediately backed away, making a peace sign with his fingers, for that was a serious threat indeed.
“Easy, babe. There’s no need to get so serious. And you can’t have me banned from the club. My family has been coming here for years, unlike you.”
“Unlikeyou, asshole, I’ve been coming here since I was a baby. My great-grandfather was one of the founding members of this club. And if I put in a formal complaint about your behaviour, you’ll be banned for life before you can blink,” said Meher.
“My behaviour? That’s a bit rich coming from you, isn’t it?” he sneered.
I’d heard enough. I grabbed Sanjay by his lapels with one hand and pulled him up until his feet dangled in the air.
“I don’t like repeating myself, so listen up, you little bitch. When I say keep a respectful distance from my girl, I mean stay so far away that she can’t see the whites of your eyes or smell the stink of desperation wafting from you for miles. Get it?”
He gulped and nodded once, and I set him down gently and smoothed out his lapels before I gave him a little push towards the door.
“Now, go and enjoy the match before I’m tempted to rearrange your teeth,” I said softly, and he scurried out of the enclosure after one venomous glance at all of us.
As soon as he was out of sight, I turned to Meher and pulled her into my arms. She stiffened in shock for a few seconds before she melted into my embrace.
I told myself I was a fucking moron. Meher could take care of herself. I didn’t need to play her Lord and Savior. But I couldn’t forget how she had been shaking when I got here. I didn’t know why, but she was truly frightened of Sanjay. And I had to, I just had to hold her until she stopped shaking.
I also told myself that this was basic human compassion. I’d hold anyone who was so frightened at the very sight of a man. But I couldn’t deny the fact that there was something very different about holding Meher. It felt like coming home. So I held on against my will, standing like a wall between Meher and the rest of the guests, glaring at anyone who thought they could come in and say hurtful things to her just because of one misstep in the past.
When people started walking into the enclosure, Meher moved away from me hastily and wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers. I pulled out my snowy white handkerchief and handed it to her discreetly.
“I’ll get mascara on it,” she whispered.
“That’s okay. You can keep it,” I whispered back as we took our seats.
“It’s too big for my purse,” she said, holding up a little bun that was pretending to be a purse.
I sighed heavily and reached out to wipe under her eyes before putting the handkerchief back in my pocket. Meher’s lips wobbled slightly, and I frowned at her.
“Do not cry again,” I growled.
“Then stop being nice to me. I’m not used to it,” she said, with a glare.
“I’ve always been nice to you,” I said softly.
Her large caramel brown eyes caught mine and didn’t let go for a few fraught seconds.
“Yes,” she replied just as softly.
Then why wasn’t I good enough for you, I wanted to ask. But before I could speak, she drew back a little.
“Until the day that you suddenly stopped being nice. And cut me out of your life,” she said coldly.
“You need to pick, Meher,” I said sternly. “The scene that just took place…I don’t want to keep reliving the same situation over and over again. You need to pick between me and Sanjay. Now.”
