Gavin caught Neel’s eye and gave a casual wave.
‘You can’t be serious. He owns this place too?’ Natara said,staring.
‘And he’s single. Very single,’ Anni chimed in.
‘Ignore her,’ Shona cut in. ‘She’s always trying to set people up. Just ignore her.’
Natara leaned back in the booth. ‘He’s not my type anyway.’
‘So what’s your type, then?’ Kaavi asked.
Neel groaned. ‘I really don’t want to hear about my sister’s type.’
‘Hey. If I have to hear about your love life, you’re going to hear about mine too,’ Natara shot back.
Neel turned away.
‘Anyway, my type? My type doesn’t live in reality. My type’s fictional. He’s a billionaire who owns an island and whisks me away to exotic places and he’s never needy,’ Natara said.
Kaavi, Shona and Anni burst out laughing.
‘At least you know what you want,’ Anni grinned. ‘Anyway, Natara, we’re going into Durban tomorrow to look for Diwali outfits. Want to come with us?’
‘Thanks for the invite, I’m in.’
‘When are you heading back home?’ Shona asked.
‘Friday. I’m going with Neel.’
Kaavi and Neel exchanged a glance.
Three more days, Kaavi thought.
Neel was leaving in three days. But was she leaving with him? He hadn’t said. Not really. There was talk of chemistry. He’d said he loved her after her father died and then at the funeral. But not since then.
Then again, she hadn’t said it back.
So, who was at fault? Maybe neither of them. Maybe both. Maybe they were just two people circling the same question, scared to say the answer out loud.
Now, with time running out, Kaavi felt the pressure settle on her chest. She didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
hey’d somehow convinced Neel to tag along to Durban. Anni said it was so she and Shona could get to know him better, but he knew they just needed a driver because they’d talked about having lunchtime cocktails in the city.
So here they were, just after 9am, on the road. Kaavi rode up front with him. Shona, Natara and Anni were crammed in the back, already deep in conversation.
Neel kept quiet, hands on the wheel, ears half-tuned. Their conversation bounced between music, fashion, TV shows and old school crushes. He caught bits and pieces, enough to smile at the banter. Every now and then, something made him want to laugh out loud, but he kept it to himself.
‘I would’ve loved for you to come in and see my shop, Natara, but now that I’ve taken the day off, I just don’t want to go in, you know?’ Shona said.
‘No problem. Maybe another time,’ his sister replied.
‘Or maybe you’ll get a chance to shop there for your own wedding outfit when you marry Gavin,’ Anni teased.
Natara rolled her eyes. ‘Let’s not start that again.’
They’d moved on to talking about a designer who’d just re-emerged after years off the radar.
