“You stupid fool,” Ved said, “you’ve been ours since the day we met you. Children aren’t only born from blood, Kabir. They’re also born from the heart. And you, have had our heart from the day you stomped into our lives on your grimy, stinky feet.”
A single tear escaped him, trailing down his cheek. Kabir swiped it away before any more escaped.
“I am grateful-“ he began.
“You are loved,” Aayushi corrected. “Loved so deeply, so ferociously, that there is no one, in this world or another, who can separate you from us.”
“Now,” she added, coming to sit next to Kabir and taking his icy hands in hers. “Tell me what this bitch wants.”
“She has a child, a ten year old who is away at a fancy boarding school in Ooty, funded apparently by me. She wants me to take her when she dies.” He met Ved’s stunned gaze. “I have another sister, Dad.”
CHAPTER 24
TANISHA
“Tanisha Bakshi, welcome to your bachelorette!”Rehan crowed, standing in front of his Thar, a pink sash in one hand and a glittering tiara in the other.
She stood on the side of the dark, deserted highway, staring disbelievingly at the sight in front of her. Her siblings and friends lined the side of the road, laughing, chattering, popping bottles of champagne but it wasn’t the motley group that had her gaping. It was the line of bikes, polished and ready, that stood behind them.
Drag racing at midnight…Nobody other than Rehan could have picked that as a theme for a bachelorette.
Tani’s heart lightened as she took in the scene, the chill winter breeze lifting her curls as they lay in a tangled, mess around her shoulders. The heady roar of the superbike’s engine had music singing through her veins.
“Here you go,” Rehan said, approaching with the smug pride of someone who believed he’d planned this moment with military precision. He slipped the sash over her head with a dramaticta-daflourish.
Tani smoothed it down, smiling, until her eyes hit the lettering on the sash. Her smile evaporated.
“Rehan?”
“Yeah?” He was practically vibrating with excitement.
She pointed at the sash. “Why does this sayBribe to Be?”
Rehan froze. “What?”
“Bribe,” she repeated, tapping the word and stressing on the last syllable.
His face crumpled. “No, no, no…what? That’s supposed to say Bride to Be!”
“Well it doesn’t.” She looked down again. “It saysBribe to Be. As in, someone has to be paidto marry me.”
Rehan grabbed the sash, horrified. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”
Tani burst into laughter, loud, unrestrained, tears-streaming-down-her-face laughter.
“Rehan, I love you, but between this and your GPA, I’m concerned for your future children.”
He groaned. “Bloody autocorrect!”
“Clearly a mistake,” she gasped, still laughing. “Next time, ask them to spell-check. Or at least make sure I’m not wearing a sash that suggests Jay is illegally buying me.”
Rehan threw his hands up. “It was supposed to be CUTE!”
“It is,” she said, wiping tears. “Adorable.”
He sulked. “I tried.”
“And I appreciate it,” she said, hugging him with one arm.
