Tani managed a strangled sound, caught somewhere between laughter and tears.
“It’s okay Tan,” Vikram murmured, as they reached the house and stepped into the foyer.
“Is it?” she asked, rage taking the place of the humiliation that had surged through her. “How is it okay?” She came to a stop and whirled around, facing Vikram.
His calm gaze scanned her face. “It’s not,” he said simply. “Not if it affects you like this. But the real question is what are you going to do about it?”
Her chest heaved with suppressed emotion as she stared at Vikram. She saw the same fury in his eyes as she felt burning in her heart.
“Want me to go back and punch him?” he offered.
“I have a better idea,” Rehan said, appearing out of nowhere like he always did. “Let’s tase his arse.”
Vikram and Tani stared at him. “Tase?” they both demanded at the same time.
“Rehan Bakshi.” Tani advanced on her brother. “Where the hell did you get a taser from?”
Rehan backed up, his hands up in the air in a gesture of surrender. “Calm down,” he said with a placating smile. “It’s not a very powerful one.”
“Rehaaan!” Tani shrieked.
“Okay, okay,” Rehan muttered hastily. “No tasing. I guess, no pepper spray either?”
Tani stared at him wordlessly for a moment and then she said, “I’m telling Dad.” She turned to march out of the house.
“No!” Rehan jumped in front of her, barring her path to the front door. “We won’t do anything to your fellow. But, you have to do something for me in return.”
“In your fucking dreams,” Tani muttered. “I don’t know what you’re up to but-“
“A night of fun, Tani,” Rehan cut her off. “Just us, the OG gang. Well, everyone but Kabir. I already asked him and he said no.”
Tani shook her head, sighing. “Reh, I’m exhausted. I just want to get some sleep and forget about everything for a bit.”
“No sleep,” he said. “But I promise you’ll forget about everything for one night. Come on, Tan Tan, one night. Before you get married and be all boring and mature. One night with the gang. Let’s make it ours.”
She looked over at Vikram who shrugged and smiled. “Why not?” he said. “A last night with us before you become Tanisha Malhotra.”
Her stomach revolted at the idea of that surname, but she nodded. Rehan let out a loud, victory cry that had her shaking her head wryly. At least she knew Kabir wouldn’t be there, so it was one less stress to deal with. Maybe a night out with her friends and family was exactly what she needed.
“This is going to be brilliant!” Rehan crowed. “I have everything planned out!”
Oh no! Tanisha’s heart sank at his words. “What do you have planned out?” she asked cautiously.
Rehan winked. “Wait and watch. It’s going to be the night of your life, of all of our lives.”
Oh bloody hell!
CHAPTER 23
KABIR
The studyin Il Cuore he was hiding out in was shadowed, pale yellow lamplight filtering in through the doorway to where he sat. He leaned his head back on his chair, shutting his eyes, exhaustion flooding him. Memories imprinted on the back of his eyelids, his aunt’s yellowed, victorious smile, his bandmates frustrated expressions when he left the studio today, his father’s disappointed face from earlier that evening, and overlaying all that, Jay’s kiss with Tani.
His blood simmered, an impotent rage flooding him as he ground his teeth and forced control. In his head, he knew that Jay and Tani were intimate, they were getting married for God’s sake! But when that asshole had laid his lips on hers, it had taken everything in Kabir not to walk over and rip his head off.
“Kabir?”
His eyes shot open at the sound of his mother’s voice. “Hey,” he said, his voice rusty from disuse. “Sorry.” He sat up and rubbed his eyes as Aayushi came into the room and took the chair opposite him. “I was just…”
