Veer rises from his chair and comes to stand beside me. He leans in, just enough for me to hear. “Maybe we Rathores don’t know the rituals, but be sure, we do know how to give a shock.”
I turn and glare at him, and a look of mock innocence spreads across his face.
“I mean… surprise, Bhabhi. Meet Esha Khanna, your darling husband’s girlfriend.”
Girlfriend?
Damn… why am I suddenly feeling jealous? And why the hell does it bother me that he has a girlfriend? He probably has a trail of them, so why do I feel this burning sensation in my chest?
No, it’s not jealousy. It’s just that I can’t bear the thought of letting anyone insult me like this.
Dev’s father clears his throat. “Hello, Esha beta.”
“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Dev,” she replies sweetly, sliding gracefully into the chair that Veer just vacated.
Dev leans back in his chair. “Hi, Esha.”
Her smile sharpens. “What is this, Dev? I didn’t know you wanted to get married! I never rejected you. So why would you marry someone like her? I mean, seriously…her?”
Before Dev can reply, I slide into the chair next to him and lock eyes with her. “Maybe there’s nothing about you appealing enough for Dev to see you as more than a fling. Clearly, he found me better suited. Smarter, prettier, more worth his time. That’s why I am here next to him, and you’re over there, sulking like a spoiled toddler who just realised the candy she’s been dreaming of isn’t hers.”
Dev chokes on the water he was drinking, while Esha’s eyes flash with fury, her nostrils flaring as she clenches her jaw like a firecracker ready to explode.
Veer slides into the chair next to her. “Calm down, Esha. Bhabhi likes to crack jokes. Don’t take them so seriously.”
She ignores me and glances instead at Dev’s father. “Uncle, if you don’t mind… can I stay here for a few days? My flat is under renovation.”
Dev’s dad nods without hesitation. “Of course, beta, stay as long as you need. Veer, take care of it.”
Just then, his phone rings.
“I need to take this call. And bring my usual breakfast,” he tells the staff, then rises and walks away.
Esha looks at Dev. “Dev, I was thinking… I’ll take the room—”
“Next to the storeroom,” I interject, giving her my best smile. “I mean, the guestroom next to the storeroom is perfect for you.”
Dev glances between us with amusement as he rises to his feet. “Why don’t you two carry on with your little catfight? I need to head to the office.”
“Me too, bro,” Veer adds, and they both leave together.
“Well, whenever I stay here, I stay in Dev’s room, not the guestroom,” Esha says once we’re alone.
“But now things have changed. He’s married, and that room… he’ll share it with his wife, not his mistress.”
“You bitch! How dare you?” she snaps, her eyes blazing.
“I am a bitch to people who ask for it… and an expert at showing them their place.” I shrug lightly. “I’ll have the staff get the guestroom ready for you.” Pushing to my feet, I smooth my clothes. “I’d love to sit and spell things out for you, Esha, but I have somewhere important to be. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I turn and head to my room, grab my bag, and book a cab. Stepping out of the house, I sit in the cab. On the way to the office, I clasp my hands together and silently pray, my heart hammering in my chest so hard it feels like it might crack.
Please let me get a chance to talk to Samarth. Please. Please help me clear my misunderstandings with him.
The moment I reach the office, I head straight to Samarth’s cabin. Without knocking, I step inside and find him staring blankly at his laptop. The instant he senses me, he looks up and stands abruptly.
“Meera,” he breathes, moving towards me but stopping a foot away, his hands twitching as if fighting the urge to pullme into his arms, yet terrified of crossing a line that now exists between us. “Please… tell me I didn’t lose you.”
“No, Samarth, you haven’t,” I whisper, shaking my head quickly. “Please don’t say that.”
