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“Yeah,” Raashi concurred. “We just want you to be safe, okay?”
She looked at her friends, at the worry lining their faces. They were two of the most important people in her world, and they were begging her not to go out tonight. Her phone beeped in her pocket. She knew it was him.
She had to choose between listening to her friends’ advice or taking a chance on a boy she was beginning to like. She only hoped that whatever choice she made was the right one.
1
10 years later
Mumbai
“The Sehgal Princess is here…”
“I love her style. Oh, that outfit…”
“She’s gorgeous. So unfortunate she’s such a snob.”
“Have you heard how because of her…”
“One of her friends…”
“Ten years ago…”
Head turned, whispers abounded, and a general buzz followed her wake as Sheena Sehgal made her way down the living room of her house. By now, she was used to the comments that followed her everywhere she went. Ten years had passed, yet the crowd in Mumbai’s elite society hadn’t forgotten the past, nor did they let others forget. Gossip continued to follow her, including inside the doors of her own home. It was her destiny, so it seemed. Thankfully, at least the media frenzy had dissipated over the years. At one time, that had been too tough to handle.
Sheena flicked a glance at the faces of the people studying her, nodding at the ones she knew and ignoring the others, especially those who made it evident that they were talking about her. She loathed these events. However, as the daughter of Mina Sehgal, Mumbai’s prime high society hostess, she had to smile and pretend everything was perfect in her world. Pretend that none of the inquisitive glances and whispered comments affected her any more.
These events tended to be long and tedious, especially when she stood at the periphery of this group of Mumbai’s who’s who. She was not an insider like her mother or even her aunt, for that matter. The thing about high society was that once a scandal erupted in your name, no one forgot it. Yes, newer scandals came up and took center stage, but no one forgot your past misdemeanours, even if you were a Sehgal.
She scanned her surroundings. Her mom had outdone herself as usual. The setup was par perfection. The cream and white décor was a sight to behold. Tiny droplets of crystals floated from the ceiling and glittered like diamonds. White flowers strategically placed in large cream urns, gold accessories, the food, the champagne, the caterers—everything was fabulous and top-notch. The who’s who of the film fraternity were in attendance tonight, along with the rich and the famous of India. Reporters lined Sehgal Mansion’s gates, waiting for a glimpse of the celebrities. The invites for Mina Sehgal’s annual July soiree were coveted by one and all. But Sheena just wanted to take a break from it all. And while she had learned to expertly navigate this crowd, she hated any sort of attention on herself, especially from the media.
She let out a deep breath, surreptitiously making her way out of the living room. She sneaked a glance at her mom. Fortunately, her mom was surrounded by a bevy of her friends, and her aunt was busy with another group. Neither of them was paying her any attention…for the moment, at least.
Keeping her steps calm so as to not draw any more attention to her, she snagged a champagne flute from a passing server and escaped to the kitchen. It would be the quietest place in the house right now and the last place someone would come looking for her. Entering the spacious room, she perched on the breakfast bar and exhaled.
Thankfully, her mom had a separate outdoor kitchen in the house, especially for the caterers to do their setup. It was an extravagance they could afford and was much needed considering how social her mother was. It also gave Sheena a place where she could get a brief respite from whichever event her mom was hosting. And there were plenty of smaller events held across the year. This kitchen was like a safe haven when the whispers, comments, and glances became too much.
She’d figured out this trick of escaping to the kitchen several years ago. Since she deliberately didn’t carry her phone to the parties held at home, her mom and aunt couldn’t call her. And if either of them went searching for her, they’d go straight up to her bedroom first. No one bothered to check the kitchen. Hence, she could always pretend that she’d been out in the garden or chatting with someone while they’d been busy. This trick had worked beautifully so far.
Since Sheena categorically refused to attend high society events, her mom kept hosting parties at home in the hope that one day, Sheena would enjoy the socializing and come out of the decade-old box she’d locked herself in. Thus, whenever an event was held at her own house, Sheena had no choice but to make an appearance for her mom’s sake.
However, no matter how hard her mother tried, Sheena couldn’t be the extrovert her mom wanted her to be. She was no longer the loud and boisterous girl she’d been a decade ago. To the people outside, she came across as a social recluse, an enigma, a snob, as they called her. Only when she was in the company of her two best friends did she let loose and allow herself to be the girl she really was. Only the two of them knew her, the real her, and not this façade she showed to the world. A decade had changed so much… One night all those years ago had changed everything.
She took a large gulp of her champagne, the bubbles fizzing as they slid down her throat. Here in the kitchen, it was quiet, peaceful, in fact. The sounds from the party were distant and faint.
She leaned back on her hands, looking at the ceiling. Just a few minutes more, and then she’d return to the chaos. She’d put on her party face and smile when needed, give the appropriate responses when spoken to, and when sufficient time had passed, she’d be able to leave. Her friends were meeting later at Keya’s house, and she couldn’t wait to be with them. Just two hours more, and she could be herself again. She smiled, thinking of her friends.
Over the years, Raashi and Keya vehemently refused to attend her mom’s social events. First, they found such events boring and second, neither of them wanted to be a part of this crowd, from which many still blamed Sheena for her actions in the past. Her girls were her biggest cheerleaders and supporters, and they’d been with her through thick and thin.
She finished the champagne. Time to return outside. Sheena put her party face on. She inhaled, then exhaled, and took a step forward. And the lights went off. She blinked as utter darkness enveloped her. It was a moonless night and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the pitch dark surrounding her.
She waited for the generator to kick in like it usually did, but even after a few seconds, nothing happened. A noise outside the kitchen window caught her attention. Their main kitchen had a separate back entry reserved for their house staff to use. But she was aware that they were all on leave tonight as the caterers and event management staff were looking after everything. Which meant that it was someone else outside the kitchen door.
Sounds of footsteps nearing filtered in. Someone was coming…closer. Her heart raced. She calmed herself. There was no reason to panic. Her house was heavily guarded. No intruder would have been able to simply get past the guards stationed at the gate. Yet, that didn’t stop her from taking the biggest knife from the knife block as security. There were tons of reporters outside. What if one of them had sneaked past? What if it was really a thief?
The lights were still down, and to even go outside to the living room, she’d have to cross that rear door, which would put her directly in the path of whoever was going to enter the kitchen. She wasn’t an idiot to remain unarmed in the dark. Besides, it reeked of cowardice knowing that someone was outside, and she simply ran away without as much as checking. This was her house, after all, and she was trained in self-defence. Her brother had ensured it ten years ago.
The back door of the kitchen rustled, and the handle turned. Her nape tingled, and a zing went down her spine. The very air around her shifted as she saw him enter. He was tall. Very tall. And well-built. That’s all she could make out in the darkness.
