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She sent him some more laughing emojis. Anticipation sang in his blood. He ached to be alone with her now.
“Hiding again?” His mother’s cheerful voice made him turn. He locked and pocketed his phone.
He gave her a smile. “You know what it’s like for me.”
“I do.” She came to stand beside him, looking lovely as always. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. I’ll fend people off for a few minutes so you can breathe easily again.”
He gave her a grateful smile. She really did know him very well. He’d figured the best way to face big crowds and loud music was to take breaks when he could. A few minutes to breathe and gather himself, and he was fine again. Already he was feeling more in control and ready to face the world. His conversation with Jiya had managed to energize him like no other. Up ahead, in front of him, Jiya was still busy on her mobile. His phone pinged in his pocket a few times.
“So, Jiya and you… Is it a thing now?” his mom asked, looking in Jiya’s direction as well.
“It’s something,” he exhaled, “I just don’t know what yet.”
He wasn’t surprised that his mom had seen through his interest in Jiya. When it came to her sons, Tara Sharma Bali was a tigress. She always knew what they were thinking even before they’d voiced it. She was attuned to their moods and thoughts, and never minced her words. She’d do anything to protect them. But that didn’t mean she’d coddle them either. She was fierce with them when she needed to be, and she never shied from putting them in place.
“That’s alright, darling,” she replied. “Some things take time to make sense. The only advice I’m going to give you is don’t lead her on. I know you, and you’ve always been afraid of getting into a relationship.”
“I don’t think I’m capable of being with anyone long term.”
She gave him a pointed glance as if asking him how that was any different from what she was saying. It shut him up, nonetheless. A few people walked toward them. As promised, she left Rohan and intercepted them before they could reach him. A few minutes later, she guided them in the direction of the bar and returned to him.
“So, as I was saying,” she began, “about Jiya. Not only is she a nice girl, she’s also very closely connected to us through Rithwik and Janak. So, if you can’t give her more, then don’t begin something with her, no matter how much you’re drawn to her. I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
His mom had always been blatantly honest with him right from the time he’d come to her as a distraught teen. She’d taken him in as her own when he’d lost his parents in an accident and had learned thereafter that Rithwik was actually his twin. His world had shifted in one go. But Tara had held his hand throughout the storm that had unleashed within him.
She’d only insisted on honesty between them. She’d never coddled him during his mood swings and during those initial days when he’d been so quiet that it felt like he hadn’t spoken for hours. She’d told him exactly what she felt he needed to hear until, slowly and steadily, he’d begun to trust her.
While she’d become the mother he’d never known he could have, Varun Bali had become a father he could respect. He’d take Rithwik and him to cricket matches, he’d take time out of his busy schedule to talk to them, and while usually, it had been Rithwik who would always chatter away, Varun had ensured that Rohan’s opinion was heard too. He’d forced him to accept his own identity, to respect his own voice, and to make his own decisions; whether they were right or wrong was immaterial. Tara and Varun had been so different from his own parents that it had been shocking for him initially. But over time, he’d accepted them for the wonderful people they were. Rohan respected them a lot. He cared for them immensely, and he knew he’d fight the world to keep them safe—them and Rithwik’s family. However, despite everything, he hadn’t confided fully about his past to any of them. He didn’t know if he ever would.
His eyes returned to Jiya. She was now standing with a group of people surrounding a female politician who was known to use any platform to voice and enforce her political views. Very slowly, as if bored by the topic, Jiya backed out of the group and slipped away. He smiled. Yeah, he couldn’t imagine her being too interested in that topic for long. Jiya looked around as if searching for him again. She removed her phone and typed something. His phone beeped in his pocket.
“She makes me want to try, Mom,” he whispered. “I want to take a chance on her.”
His mom took his hand and squeezed it gently. “Then you must do that.”
“But I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Why will you?”
“I don’t know how to do this. She may need more at some point, and what if I can’t give her more then?”
“Why don’t you reach that point first?” She looked up. “Look, the Home Minister is here and Varun is calling us. Are you ready to face the crowds again?”
He inhaled and exhaled before giving her a nod.
Linking her arm with his, she walked him to where his father was waiting for them. He and his mom had shared several confidences over the years, and while he was close to his brother, he didn’t want to tell him about Jiya right now. He didn’t want Rithwik to give him a hard time when Rohan himself didn’t even know where this thing with Jiya would lead. And he was certain his mom would never tell Rithwik either.
He reached the pool deck. Jiya turned, and finally, her eyes met his. She stared at him for a long moment. And then, a beautiful smile lit her face.
Some hitherto sleeping entity in his chest unfurled and roared to life, rattling him. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He couldn’t explain why she affected him the way she did. Perhaps once he’d made her his, this infatuation with her would end once and for all. This confounding feeling of not being in control whenever she smiled at him would definitely wither away then.
Yes. That was it.
He took his phone out and glanced through her messages. There was another photo. It was a mirror selfie. She was seated on the floor, one leg flat and another bent, her bare thigh visible through the slit of her gown. She looked hot and sexy, and he wondered how she’d even managed to click such a pic.
He typed back.“Meet me in one hour inside my house, at the bottom of the staircase.”
His mind was already up. Just a little time more, and then nothing and no one would stop him from making that woman his.
