She watched with dismayed fascination as Kimi herded her into a luxury salon and told the woman at the reception that they wanted the ‘works.’ What was the works? In that moment, as fatigue and grief dragged at her, Vedika couldn’t have cared less. She just surrendered to the inevitable, sitting down in the chair they pointed to and allowing Kimi to drive the ‘works.’
She closed her eyes, letting the noise and chatter of the busy space drain away, leaving her cocooned in a little bubble of her own. She went where she was led, sat where she was instructed to, and drank what was handed to her.
After some painful waxing, a relaxing pedicure and manicure, the hairstylist led her to her chair.
“What would you like?” The woman asked, popping gum.
Vedika met her gaze in the mirror. In a chair beside her, Kimi’s head had disappeared under a steaming cone and she couldn’t hear their conversation.
“Ma’am?” Some more gum popping.
“I would like to not look like myself.”
“Any preferences? Length, layers, etc? You have beautiful hair. It’s just not styled to suit your face.”
Vedika shrugged. “Do whatever you think best.” And then she shut her eyes, blocking the world out for as long as she could.
Finally, the woman who’d been working on her, said, “You can open your eyes now.”
Vedika stared at herself in the mirror. That was…she was…Oh my God. A small whimper escaped her.
What had she done?
A cool breeze wafted over her bare neck as she stared, horrified, at her new hairstyle. Her hair had been chopped into an asymmetrical blunt that framed her face and jawline with angular levels. Mousse or something else had her hair fixed in a sleek cap around her face. All around her lay long locks of thick, black hair.
“Oh my God!” Kimi breathed from beside her, having just walked in from where she’d been getting a facial.
“I can’t…I don’t…” Vedika’s words deserted her. Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit!
“You said you weren’t particular about the length,” the hairstylist said defensively, clearly panicked by their reaction.
“You look fucking gorgeous,” Kimi said, still staring at her.
Vedika said nothing. It took everything inside her not to grab for the locks of hair littering the floor of the salon and try to stick it back on her head. She felt naked, bare to everyone’s gaze. Gorgeous? No, she didn’t feel gorgeous.
“It’s just a haircut,” Kimi said finally, when Vedika continued to stare at herself like she’d sprouted a new head. “Hair grows. It will grow back.”
Vedika wanted to agree, but she couldn’t. Her voice had disappeared.
“Vedu, say something.” Kimi sounded like she was having an anxiety attack.
“I think,” Vedika said hoarsely, “I need a drink.”
CHAPTER 28
DAKSH
Daksh settledback in the comfortable armchair, a gentle buzz from the scotch he was drinking making him feel mellow as hell.
“So,” Kabir said, coming to sit across from him with a beer in his hand. “How are things with your family?”
And just that easily, the mellow disappeared. Shit, Daksh thought, letting his head drop back on the backrest.
“That bad huh?” Kabir asked sympathetically, clocking Daksh’s expression accurately.
“Worse,” Daksh grimaced, sitting up. “My brother is pulling a full on victim card. My father seems to be buying a one way ticket to a heart attack. And my mother…” Daksh paused, then shrugged and continued, “she spends most of her time playing cards with her various kitty groups. I guess, she’s fine.”
“And you?”
