“That was fucking brilliant, man!” Vik hugged him, not caring about the sweat dripping off Kabir.
“Thanks.” Kabir grinned, his blood still pumping from the last set. “We’re nowhere close to done. The next time we should get the whole family here.”
He saw a shadow cross Tani’s eyes but before he could ask about it, David called out to him. It was time for them to go back on.
“Catch you guys when this is done,” he said, jogging out onto the stage with his bandmates. He caught one last glimpse of them before some of the light technicians swept on to the stage to tinker with something. And then they were performing again.
He was halfway through his next song when he glanced over. She wasn’t where she’d been all night but Vik stood there, waving to him and he relaxed. Shoving everything else from his mind, he concentrated on the one thing that came naturally to him. Music.
The next set was even better than the last one with the audience singing themselves hoarse along with him. The mood was electric and Kabir could almost taste the magic in the air. Tonight was the night dreams came true.
When they finally wrapped up, he glanced over instinctively to where she stood. A jolt of surprise ran through him at the sight of his parents standing in that spot instead. Ignoring the shouts for an encore, he ran off the stage heading straight for them.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, his gaze roving over their tense faces. Vikram stood a little distance away, clearly giving them space to talk.
“Of course,” Ved said. “We just wanted to see you and to talk.”
“Let’s go,” he told them, realising the security was getting restless with them lingering in the open space. “We can talk in the dressing room.”
He took a step forward and then stopped. “Where’s Tani?”
“She left,” Vik said, his voice carefully level. “She said she’ll give you a call later tonight.”
Left? His step hitched at the word but he brushed the unease aside. She was probably tired after all the drama of the day. He’d call her as soon as he got to the dressing room. They started walking, the guards clearing a path for them where necessary.
“You were brilliant out there, Kabir,” Aayushi said, her voice warm with pride and joy.
“Thanks,” he grinned, though a strange disquiet swam through him. Something wasn’t right but he wasn’t going to bring it up now, in front of everyone. There was a time and place for everything.
The minute they reached the dressing room though, he asked his staff to stay outside, shut the door on them and turned to face his family.
“Alright,” he said quietly. “Hit me with it. What’s going on?”
“Tani left,” Ved said.
A quiet buzz started beneath his skin, a hum that warned of something more, something dangerous, something destructive.
“Left to where?” he asked, though a part of him already knew the answer.
“New York,” Ved replied quietly. “She’s catching the flight out tonight. She’d booked her tickets earlier today.”
The whole day…she’d planned to leave and she’d kept that from him. The whole fucking day. Okay, he thought, his hands going to scrub his damp, sweaty face. That wasn’t too bad. New York was home, his home too, and he was heading there in a few days.
“Okay,” he said out loud now. “Okay.”
“You guys both need a little time to think things through,” Aayushi said gently. “It’s been a pretty intense time.”
Intense…yeah, that was one word for it. His heart tightened at the thought of Tani getting on a plane and flying halfway across the world from where he was. Fuck, this hurt.
“I’m going,” he said, the words spewing out of him automatically. “I’ll catch the same flight.”
“Kabir,” Aayushi sighed.
“She didn’t say goodbye.” Bewilderment flooded him. “I don’t get it. I thought we were sorting things out. I thought…” His mind fractured, unable to make sense of everything streaming through it. “I need to talk to her.”
A knock sounded on the door and Varsha stuck her head in, her face unexpectedly solemn after such a successful performance.
“Good,” he told her. “I’m glad you’re here. I need you to get me on the next available flight to New York. Preferably the one that leaves tonight.”
