“I wouldn’t,” Aakash said. “I don’t waste time with threats.”
Tani choked out a laugh. “Stop it both of you. I’m trying to be good.”
“Oh baby.” Kanak kissed the top of her head, almost disappearing into the wild tangle of Tani’s curls. “You are the best. There is no trying involved in that.”
“And theywillsee you for the treasure you are,” Aakash added, though his thoughtful gaze was fixed on Jay’s parents as they ate their dinner, deep in intense conversation with each other.
A loud bang erupted from somewhere in the driveway and Aakash spun on his heel, squinting into the distance to see what was happening. It looked a lot like a Porsche had just driven up. As they watched, a familiar, grumpy figure unfolded himself from the car and stalked over to where Ved was standing. His previously pristine white kurta was looking rather the worse for wear but it had nothing on the annoyed repentance on his face.
“And the prodigal son returns,” Kanak murmured with a smile.
“He wasn’t gone long enough to be prodigal,” Aakash muttered caustically, watching father and son talk to each other. Whatever Kabir had to say lightened the tight lines on Ved’s face and he pulled his son in for a rough hug. Over his father’s shoulder, Kabir’s gaze tracked and found Tani. Her clenched heart slowly unfurled in her chest.
Kanak exhaled. “Now, the family is complete,” she said quietly.
“Complete, yes,” Aakash replied, his voice dark with unspoken thoughts and worries, “but, also completely mad. We’ll have to see what the madness brings.”
“Don’t be a grinch,” Kanak chided. “Everything is calm and happy right now.”
Aakash’s shrewd eyes went from Tani to Kabir, their gazes locked on each other like magnets. “The calm before the storm,” he murmured.
“Tanisha!” Jay walked up to where they stood. He bent at the waist to touch Aakash and Kanak’s feet. Kanak jumped back in her heels, muttering, “A hug is good enough. I’m not the feet touching or to be touched type.”
“Could I steal Tanisha away from you?” Jay asked with a jovial smile.
Aakash raised his brows, looking at Tani’s tense face. “That would be up to her, I think,” he answered.
Tani looked away from Kabir and turned to Jay, beads of sweat lining her forehead at the effort it took to turn away from the man who was looking at her with an unreadable gaze.
“Of course,” she answered with a smile, allowing Jay to take her hand and draw her away from Aakash and Kanak. She could feel Kabir’s gaze boring into her back but she forced herself not to turn, not to seek him out like the lodestone he was in her heart. “What’s up?”
“I missed you,” Jay murmured, looking down at her intently, a strange expression in his eyes.
Tani laughed uneasily. “I’ve been right here.”
“Yes, but,” Jay cupped her face with his palm, “I still feel miles away from you.”
Tani smiled, her hand going to circle his wrist. “Once the ceremonies are over, and we’re married, we have all the time in the world to be together.” Why did that thought make her stomach hollow out?
“Give me something to hold me till then,” Jay murmured, dipping his head to hers.
“Jay!” Tani reared back, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and her hand going to his chest to hold him back. “Our families are watching.”
“Good,” he said, an odd note in his voice, something almost sly slipping through it. “I want them to watch. All of them.”
Before she could process his strange words, his lips were on hers, one hand holding her to him tightly. Tani struggled, turning her face away from his, and shoving him away as gently as she could. Jay, however, held on, like an octopus wrapping his tentacles around her.
“Stop it,” she hissed at him angrily. He glared at her, his face red and shiny with sweat and exertion.
“You’re my wife,” he snapped.
“Not yet,” she snapped back, like a Victorian maiden. Oh God, her entire family was watching this.
But before it could escalate any further, another voice broke in. “Tan Tan,” Vikram said, his voice calmly furious. “Your mom sent me to get you. Something about washing the haldi off or something…”
Jay let go of her and she took a stumbling step back. Vikram’s hand came to rest on her back, supporting her gently and unobtrusively. She spun on her heel, turning towards the house,not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes but, as always, her gaze was captured by his. And this time, his eyes were not unreadable. They boiled over with the furies of hell itself. She wrenched her gaze from his, humiliation burning red crests of colour into her turmeric covered cheeks.
“I walked as fast as I could,” Vikram said conversationally, as they made their way toward the house. “Didn’t want the bridegroom to be impaled on a guitar or something.”
