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“Come on, Dad.” Neil pulled his hand. “You have to wish Uncle Aaryan and Uncle Vihaan.”
Aaryan and Vihaan shared a look, but they kept their silence as Neil and Sanjana led him to them. He wished them each, and they accepted his wishes with a nod, not showing their contempt for him in front of Neil. Shaurya greeted him with a tight nod.
“It’s a birthday party, Dev.” Myra broke the awkward silence all around. “No gifts?”
He gave her a smile. “I do have gifts for them. It’s just that I don’t think they’re ready to accept them yet.”
Vihaan took an agitated step toward him, but Aaryan held his shoulder and shook his head. Sanjana immediately went to Aaryan’s side, linked her hand with his, and spoke softly to him. Avantika still stood with Rajiv to the side, only now Sheena had joined them, all of them watching him.
Sensing the discomfort all around, Shaurya stepped in. “Neil, come on. Let’s go get Dev something to drink.”
Dev faced Myra. “How are you? I hope you’ve recovered well.”
“I have. Although I am tired, a lot.”
Myra gestured for him to move to a set of sliding doors that she pushed open and led him outside to a small patio that over looked the beach.
They stood together in silence outside for a long moment. He turned, and behind him, the conversations had resumed, with Vihaan looking very agitated and Aaryan trying to calm him. Avantika, it seemed, was still maintaining a distance from her brothers. Clearly, they hadn’t forgiven her yet.
“You always manage to create a stir.” Myra folded her hands on her baby bump. “I remember that about you.”
“What can I say? Trouble follows everywhere I go.”
She had worked very closely with him for too many years, and he had shared a healthy relationship with her.
“I never thanked you, you know…” she said quietly.
He frowned.
“You allowed me to use your jet to get to Shimla when my father was unwell, even though I’d resigned.” She breathed out. “You were kind to me even after I accused you of using me as a pawn in this war that you’d begun with the Rajpoots.”
“I did use you,” he admitted. “But I won’t apologize for it because, in the end, we both got what we wanted. You found Shaurya, and I found Avantika, eventually.”
Myra studied him. However, before she could react to that admission, the sliding doors opened, and Shaurya and Neil entered.
Neil put a small plate of various starters on the patio table.
Shaurya handed him a glass of whiskey. “Is this acceptable?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Rajiv’s two-year-old daughter waddled outdoors, her dad hot on her heels.
“Neil… Neil…” she mumbled.
Neil bent down to lift her up in his arms. The little girl grabbed Neil’s chin and kissed his cheek. Dev smiled. She was quite adorable.
“Nia!” Rajiv tapped her nose. “You can’t run outside by yourself, sweetheart.”
“I’ll take her inside, Uncle Rajiv,” Neil said. “It’s too hot here.”
Neil pointed at Dev. “Do you know this is my dad? Have you met him?”
“I will now,” Rajiv said. “Go inside. This August has been too hot to stay outdoors for long. We’ll be in shortly.”
Rajiv exchanged a glance with Shaurya, who took Myra and returned inside as well.
Dev studied his friend-turned-foe. Rajiv was slightly shorter than him, his skin tone a shade darker, and he had light brown eyes. Even though he was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a light-colored t-shirt, he oozed confidence and authority. Dev had seen him at various business dinners and conferences over the years, but the two of them had stayed clear of one another.
