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“No, no! That was never an option,” he said, firmly.
“Chicken,” muttered Sona, grumpily.
“Seriously, though. Why are you guys here?” asked Tasha.
Was she really that clueless?
“To see if you’re still alive.”
When all heads swivelled towards me, I realised that I’d said that aloud. Damn it!
I had sworn to be merely a silent observer on this trip, not a participant. Just to prove to everyone that I didn’t care about Tasha in the least. She was an adult. If she wanted to disappear off the face of the earth, that was her lookout. There was no reason for anyone to panic and presume her kidnapped and murdered. Or worse.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” she snapped.
“I wasn’t worried,” I replied coldly, insulted at the implication that I cared one way or another.
“Yes, I can see that,” she shot back, with an icy glance at my companion, who chose that moment to make matters worse.
She extended a red-tipped hand towards Tasha.
“Hello! I’m Vinnie, DV’s girlfriend,” she trilled.
I groaned silently. Where was a muzzle when you needed one?
Tasha stared at her in disbelief, and just as I braced myself to reach over the back seat and grab her if she lunged at Vinnie’s face, she turned away without replying.
“Alright, let’s wind up this farce. As you can see, I’m alive and well.”
She waved the drone in Samar’s face.
“As for your little toy…”
She threw it on the ground and crushed it under her heel, smiling widely as Samar whimpered in distress.
“That drone cost us fifty thousand bucks,” wailed Imran, from the driver’s seat.
“Yeah, well, that should teach you to stay away from me,” snarled Tasha, turning away.
Sona squeezed out of the van and grabbed her arm before she could walk away from us.
“That’s the trouble! We can’t stay away from you, you idiot! You’re my sister! I know you’re upset and need some time to heal, which is okay. Take all the time you need. Just don’t shut us out. Nani Ma needs you, Tasha.”
Tasha snorted in disbelief and shook her head.
“She has you, Sona. She doesn’t need me hanging around that old mausoleum reminding her of her murderous daughter. And I still can’t get whyyou’dwant me around. My mother killed your parents. She tried to killyou!”
“And you saved me! Why don’t you get that through your thick head?”
“Hey,” cried Tasha, looking offended.
“Sorry, but I don’t understand why your healing process needs you to break away from whatever family you have left. Do you hate me for forcing my way into your lives? I haven’t taken your place in the family, Tasha. No one can take your place.”
“It’s not like that, Sona. And for the record, you didn’t force your way into anything. We had to drag you into the family kicking and screaming. It’s just that I… well, I needed to get away from that life. To have my own identity, one that isn’t coloured by my mother’s sins or by my royal heritage. And Ihavefound such a life in Paradiso. Here, I can be whoever I want.”
“You mean like role-playing?” asked Vinnie, her eyes wide.
They all turned to stare at her in disbelief and then turned to glare at me accusingly.
