“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” she said, listlessly.
“Vedu.”
She turned to look at her brother. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, frowning. “Is something wrong? Are Ashish and you having issues?”
“No,” she said, the word falling abruptly between them. “We’re fine. He’s a great guy.”
“I’m sure he is,” Vikram said warmly, though his eyes stayed concerned. “You wouldn’t have fallen in love with him otherwise. I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.”
“And how are you going to do that if you don’t come to dinner tonight?” she asked, her gaze going back to the crowded pavement framed in her car window. Ashish and she had had a whirlwind romance and Vikram had been posted to a highlysensitive and classified area during that time. The two men had never met and this would be their first time meeting in person.
“Point taken,” he murmured. “I’ll be there.” Before he could add anything more, her phone chimed. It was another email from work. She frowned as she read through the message. Everything seemed to be in a mess and that was before she even started to contemplate the headache that was Banlay. That project was just hitting one glitch after another. At this point, Vedika had serious doubts about it going through and that was unacceptable to her. Somewhere along the way, Banlay’s success had gotten tied up in her mind with her own professional success.
“Vik,” she said, emerging from her stupor. “Can you drop me off at the office? I need to check on some stuff.”
“Sure,” he said, looking more than a little perturbed at whatever he saw in her face. A half an hour later when she waved him off, she could still see him looking at her with that worried look on his face.
Much later that evening, as Vedika sat in front of her dressing table, her hand going to separate her hair in preparation to braid it, the lock on the secret Goa folder in her mind fell open.
“Don’t tie it back.”
She heard his voice in her head, her mind replaying the moment in stunning technicolour. She let it fall loose, the heavy mass of it reaching to her waist and stared at her reflection.
Then she reached back and bundled it into a loose ponytail. What the hell was she thinking? She wasn’t dressing for him. She was dressing for herself. And for Ashish, she reminded herself.
Fatigue swamped her as her phone chimed again, drawing her attention. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to have dinner with Ashish’s family. She didn’t want…
Vedika raised her eyes slowly to her reflection. Whatdidshe want?
“Vedu.” Kanak, her mother, appeared behind her, her hands coming to rest on Vedika’s shoulders. As always she looked edgy and immaculate in her black and red co-ord set. Vedika always ended up looking like the mother between the two of them. “Are you ready to go?”
Kanak’s brow furrowed when Vedika didn’t respond. “Are you feeling okay?”
Vedika rose slowly. “Just tired,” she murmured.
“The entire gang is going to be there,” Kanak said smiling, her gaze roving her daughter’s face for a clue to what was going on. “Your in laws invited everyone. Kabir, Tani and Adhvik landed earlier today too. They said they’ll try and make it as well. Everyone’s looking forward to spending time with Ashish and his familt.”
Vedika said nothing. Her stomach did its clench routine, its frequent reaction to stress of any kind.
When she got no response, Kanak said, “So, shall we go?”
Vedika nodded, walking to the door as her mother followed her. Just as they reached it, Kanak’s hand shot out to grab hers.
“Vedu, if you’re having doubts…you can call this wedding off. Your father and I will back you. You know that, right?”
Was she having doubts? She’d known Ashish for months, dated him, spent quality time with him. He had been nothing but wonderful to her. She couldn’t have asked for a better partner.
Was she actually having doubts about marrying him because she’d spent a little more than a day with a good looking, irritating man who’d both challenged and exhilarated her. You didn’t throw away relationships on a whim. And you didn’t trade safety for excitement. At least, Vedika didn’t.
And for what? A man who’d only tolerated her for his brother’s sake. The same brother who’d still been looking out for her even from another city.
It had been little more than a day, a handful of hours, under unique, stressful circumstances. Nothing more, nothing less. She sealed the Goa box in her mind with an iron padlock and straightened her shoulders, taking a deep breath.
“Vedu,” Kanak’s voice sharpened. “I’m getting worried now. What’s going on?”
“I’m fine, Ma.” Vedika shrugged out of her mother’s grasp. “Let’s go. Ashish must be waiting for me.”
