“Mamu.” Kabir took a deep breath and stopped walking, forcing Yash to stop as well. “Do you like Jay?”
Yash took his time thinking that one over. “I barely know Jay to have an informed opinion. But in my brief interactions, he seems polite, articulate, and completely smitten with Tani.” And he added dryly, “There is the very important fact that he is Tani’s choice.”
Tani’s choice. The words tasted like poison on his tongue. This time when Yash started walking, Kabir followed, swallowing the thoughts that festered inside him and clamoured to get out.
“The real question though, Kabir,” Yash mused, as the farmhouse loomed over them, drawing closer. “Is do you like Jay?”
Kabir glanced at his uncle, who was watching him closely. “The truth?” he asked.
“Always,” Yash replied.
“I can’t stand that small dick fucker.”
Yash’s lips twitched. “You have proof of this? The size thing? Should I even ask how you know?”
Kabir rolled his eyes at him, fighting his own grin.
“Well,” Yash said prosaically, pushing the front door open and leading the way into the farmhouse. “You know what they say…it’s not how big it is but how you use it that matters.”
Kabir choked. “That dickhead,” he began but didn’t get much further before a hand smacked him on the back of his head.
“MA!” he complained, rubbing his head. Damn, his mother had a ferocious backhand, probably something she learned in criminal court given she was one of the biggest names in criminal defense attorneys in the country.
“Language!” she snapped back, glaring at him. Then she peered around him and into the crowded dining hall, her eyes bright with interest, and asked, “And who is the dickhead?”
“A small dick dickhead fucker, apparently,” Yash murmured to her, gesturing discreetly towards where Jay and Tani sat, their heads together as they spoke quietly.
“Ahh.” Aayushi looked at Kabir and then back at Tani and Jay. “How small is it?”
“MAAAA!” Kabir groaned. “I’m not having this conversation with you!” He stormed off from there, bypassing the ravenous hordes falling on the breakfast spread out for them.
“You started it,” Aayushi called out, laughter in her voice.
Kabir shook his head and kept going, his glance catching on Tani. She was watching him but the minute their gazes collided,she looked away from him, refocusing on Jay and smiling prettily at him.
And the vortex opened up and swallowed him whole.
CHAPTER 10
TANISHA
The day slippedby with a barbecue by the pool, everyone mingling and getting to know each other better. Everyone that is other than the black cloud who sat on a lounger at the far end of the pool and glowered at everyone.
Determined to ignore Kabir and his bad mood, Tani worked the mad, tangled mess of her family, taking Jay with her, introducing him to everyone and making sure they got time to get to know him. Jay, when his parents weren’t around, was lovely and he had everyone charmed before the light started fading from the sky and dusk enveloped them. Everyone except her father who kept glowering at Jay like Jay’s very existence offended him.
The evening round of chai and pakodas was done when a car turned in at the end of the avenue. Tani smiled as she caught sight of the familiar vehicle.
“Vedu,” she squealed, the minute Vedika Thakkar stopped the car and got out. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
At barely five feet and an inch, Vedika made Tani look tall. Her huge glasses dominated her pale, anxious face as she took inthe large crowd around the pool. Growing up in the boisterous madness that was their combined families, Vedika had spent her years managing their noise with her own silence.
Now, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Tani in a tight hug.
“Studying all done?” Tani asked, peering down at Vedika who looked even more stressed than normal.
“Y-y-yes, Tani, I-“
Before she could say anymore, Jay joined them, smiling down at Vedika who stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car.
