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“I get it,” Rohan agonized.
Jiya’s happiness would always come first for Raashi, and he understood that. He really did.
Aisha soon called them in for dinner, and Rohan sat amongst them all, feeling a part of their circle for the first time. He’d kept himself out for the longest, but they were all welcoming him in. Inviting him to be a part of them. All of them ensured that he didn’t stay silent for too long. They all kept him in their conversations and banters, and he…he enjoyed himself thoroughly. So, this was what it felt like to be in a warm group of friends, and he had to thank Jiya for that. Had it not been for her, he’d probably have stood at the sidelines all his life.
His heart lurched. Jiya. She still had to feel something for him. She had to. Else everything would have been for naught. He’d battled his demons for her. He had laid his past to rest for her. If only she hadn’t given up on him completely. If only she chose him.
30
“Ican’t believe you walked out on Rohan,” Rhea commented, pressing her hand to her lower back. She was heavily pregnant and was due any time now.
“Here, come forward,” Jiya said. “Let me rub your back.”
It was late in the afternoon, and Rhea, Shauna and her were all seated in Jiya’s home, catching up. It had just been a few days since she’d moved back from Delhi, and finally, the three of them had found time to be together. She’d just finished updating them on what had happened the last time she was with Rohan.
Shauna lifted her twin’s feet off the floor and placed them on her lap, massaging her ankles.
“You two are the best,” Rhea sighed. “This is heaven. I think I could live here forever.”
“And then your husband will become a bigger grouch than he already is,” Shauna stated. “No, thank you. As it is, I wonder how he let you out of his sight while he was in Delhi, and now, he’s let you come meet us.”
“Nirvaan’s just worried as my due date approaches…” Rhea smiled. “He wasn’t even going to Delhi. But I insisted on it. One of us had to be there for Aunty Tara and ensure QubeArt displayed everything well. Anyway, we’re not talking about Nirvaan. We are talking about Rohan. I can’t believe Jiya didn’t tell us all that was going on between her and him.”
Jiya shrugged. “At that time, we’d decided to lay low. But now, I realize it was wrong, and I shouldn’t have agreed to it.”
It felt so good to be with her best friends. They’d been with her through thick and thin and had never once questioned her decisions or her choices. They simply accepted her and what she wanted to do. Being with them nowhere reduced the ache left behind by Rohan’s absence, but they did brighten her day.
“And what about Aditya?” Rhea asked. “He is…unexpected.”
“He’s been amazing,” Jiya said.
And he was. She was thankful to him…for his understanding and his patience. A sound at the main door made Jiya look to the right. The door unlocked, and Raashi walked inside. She took in their cozy scene and smiled.
“Look at you three,” Raashi said warmly. “It reminds me of Keya, Sheena, and me.”
All of them smiled at her. At one time, Raashi used to live here until she married Sameer. She’d then left the house to Jiya to do with as she wished, and Jiya was grateful to her. Her home had been a safe place to return to when everything else had come crashing down as it had for her.
“Uff! I miss Sheena. She’s the wild one in my trio,” Raashi gushed, taking the armchair next to Jiya. “Sheena’s always up to something. It sucks that she lives most of the time in Dubai now.”
“Hey, sis,” Jiya said. “Dubai is not too far. You can leave the kids with me, and you and Sameer can go visit her.”
“Yeah…” Raashi swung her legs across the arm of the armchair, settling comfortably. “Actually, let’s all just do a girls’ trip somewhere. All of us need a break, and I think the guys can safely look after the kids for a few days.”
“I’d love to do a girls’ trip with you all,” Rhea said, sounding tired. “But that’s not on the cards for a long time for me.”
“Don’t worry,” Raashi said. “Your baby phase will be beautiful too.”
“In the meanwhile, I can help you plan,” Shauna put forth.
Jiya watched them all fondly as they discussed a dream girls’ trip. These women were her tribe. They were loyal, fierce, strong, successful, and role models for anyone. More importantly, they always had each other’s backs. She loved them to bits.
She was glad Raashi was here. They hadn’t had a chance to really catch up since she’d returned. Jiya had been busy organizing the house and setting up her routine in Mumbai, while Raashi was, as usual, busy with her twins and her restaurant business.
True to her word, her sister hadn’t said a thing when Jiya had told her she’d quit FF. She’d just told her to look for another job. She’d even suggested that she and Sameer would help her find one. This time, Jiya didn’t object. She was good with them helping her get a job. Perhaps, if she’d allowed them that option in the beginning, she wouldn’t have had her heart broken.
Jiya watched her sister fondly. At least one good thing had come from her leaving Mumbai—she and Raashi were better attuned to one another than ever before.
“In other news,” Raashi said. “Aisha’s birthday is in two days and—”
