AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re all fine, Ma,” he said. “All of us have been busy.”
“We’re planning to be there next month,” his dad informed him. “We really miss you all.”
He nodded. His mom touched his jaw, her eyes squinting. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“It’s nothing, Ma. I banged into something unexpectedly.”
Not something. Someone.Her. Sheena Sehgal. His gaze found her, and finding her eyes on him, he raised his jaw and scraped a hand down it slowly, showing her the damage that she’d caused. Her lips pursed, and she flicked her gaze away, as if she didn’t care.
His mom linked her arm with his. “Come, meet our friends. I want to show you off to them. I’m so proud of you, you know.”
A couple of years ago, he’d shifted his entire base of operations away from Mumbai. He’d made another city his permanent residence and home. His parents and younger sister, Ananya, and his cousin sisters, Navya and Reina, had all moved with him. He and Ananya considered Navya and Reina as their own siblings and not cousins. Recently, his parents had decided to spend half the year in Mumbai and the rest in Dubai. Both of them were well-known philanthropists, and their charitable endeavours required them to be in Mumbai.
As the owner of Poseidon Shipping Corp, Rajiv travelled a lot, and because he’d been in Mumbai on the same day as his parents, they insisted on him attending this social event and thus meeting their friends. As usual, he couldn’t say no to them, and hence, he was here at their behest…for a few minutes at least, just to make them happy.
He looked up and found Sheena watching him again. Her eyes flicked to his parents next, clearly trying to put two and two together. He noticed the exact second that she realized who he was. Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted. There was no chance in hell she’d be calling security to kick him out now that she’d finally figured out his identity. Doing that would be insulting not only to him but to his parents as well, who were good friends with Sheena’s mom. Besides, no one in their right mind would kick him out of their home, not even the Sehgal Princess. He was too powerful in his own right.
However, he could sense her annoyance. Her closed-off expression reeked of disapproval.
His lips quirked.
Her mouth tightened.
His eyes lingered on her lips for a long second. Slowly, he ran his eyes down her. Dressed in black trousers, teamed with a strapless hot pink top that hugged her chest, her dark hair tied in a stylish twist at the top of her head, she was a vision. Adding to her appeal were her sinfully luscious curves, acres of golden skin on her bare shoulders and arms, high eyebrows, slanted dark eyes, a cute as a button nose, and those luscious lips painted in bold red that were begging to be kissed. Sheena Sehgal was exquisite. She was any man’s fantasy come alive. Her eyes were storming when he finally met her gaze again.
An elegantly dressed woman approached her. The woman was an older version of Sheena—her mom, Mina Sehgal, he presumed. Sheena tipped her head in his direction, clearly seeking confirmation as to his identity. Mother and daughter spoke a few words before Sheena’s mother began to draw her toward him and his mom. Sheena pasted a smile on her face, whispered in her mother’s ear, and darted away in the opposite direction.
His lips tipped in amusement as she purposely ran away from him. He was tempted to go after her, but his parents stopped right then in front of a group of people, and he was immediately drawn into their conversation. He stood by his mother’s side patiently, making small talk with her friends.
Sheena’s mom stopped by to greet him. She was great friends with his mom, and Mina Sehgal welcomed him happily to her home. She spoke to him briefly before moving on. Rajiv searched the crowd for Sheena. She was standing with a man, one he recognized as a diamond merchant. She spoke to him for a few minutes before stepping away. In the next instant, her mom caught her elbow and guided her to another man, this time a coal baron. Mina Sehgal moved aside and left the two of them alone, but definitely kept a hawk-eye on her daughter and the man she was with.
His forehead furrowed. Was the Sehgal Princess on a husband hunt? Strange. A gorgeous woman like her ought to have her share of suitors. She shouldn’t need her mother’s help to arrange her marriage.
His mother’s loud laugh distracted him. His chest surged with happiness as he watched his parents interact with their friends. They both looked happy, just as they deserved to be.
Seeing him watching them, his parents excused themselves and took him to the side.
“You look happy,” his dad remarked.
He nodded. “It makes me happy to see you both like this.”
“We like our life,” his mom said. “We have so many friends, and finally, we have the time to interact with them together as a couple. I’ve spent too many years working, hardly socializing and barely spending any time with your father. So now, your dad and I are enjoying this time we have with one another,” she beamed. “More importantly, we are absolutely delighted to know that our legacy is in your safe hands.”
He’d inherited Poseidon from his maternal grandfather, who’d ensured that his daughter knew exactly how to run their vast business. Sara Mehra sat on the board of Poseidon Corp till date. She was the one who’d handheld Rajiv while he’d taken over the reins of Poseidon after his grandfather’s sudden death. It was only since a few years that she’d decided to take a less active role in the business and was focusing more on her own private life. While his mother had been busy working and running Poseidon, his father, Anvay, had always been at home, looking after Rajiv and Ananya.
His parents’ relationship had been different from the rest of the world’s from the start. While his mother had worked, his father had been the constant caregiver for his sister and him. Anvay Mehra had a flourishing career as a financial consultant in the banking sector, but after falling in love with the heir to the Poseidon empire, he willingly put back his career so as to be able to support his wife. Rajiv wholly respected his parents for the decisions they had taken to ensure that their children had a stable upbringing.
His mom touched his arm, drawing him out of his thoughts. “We finally feel free, you know.”
He gave her a warm smile. He knew what she was talking about. She’d struggled too hard, and for years, with her late brother, Gautam Singh. His uncle was younger than her and had no real interest in Poseidon, except for the money he got every month in his bank account. Wine, women, and gambling were his mantras in life. None of that had changed even after he’d gotten married.
Gautam Singh was neither a good husband nor a good father. Navya and Reina were his daughters. They and their mom had suffered because of their father’s many vices. Rajiv’s grandfather had come from a background where divorces weren’t acceptable. Unable to take the trauma of a disastrous marriage, his aunt had passed away very early in life, leaving the care of the two young girls to an extremely inconvenienced husband. Rajiv’s parents had offered to look after the girls, and his uncle had agreed on the condition that he’d allow that only if he could continue doing as he pleased in Poseidon.
To maintain peace with her brother and in order to look after Navya and Reina, his mother had allowed his uncle to work at Poseidon as per his whim and fancy. She allowed him to take certain decisions, even though some of them had turned out so horribly wrong.
Like the one he’d made years ago. Several years ago, an erroneous decision made by his uncle had destroyed the life of innocents. His uncle had passed away from liver illness soon after. But Rajiv would never be free of the guilt that ate him up till date, thanks to the actions of his uncle. Sadness erupted in his chest. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
He kissed his mom’s cheek. “I need to leave now. The jet is waiting for me. I have a meeting in the morning.”
