Chapter 5

Chapter#4

Vihaan had just splashed water on his face, to clear himself of the last vestiges of sleep, when the light rap came on the bathroom door. It swung open, and Sareena's arm fit through the opening with a roll of paper-towel for him to use.

"This will have to do, I'm afraid; almost everything else is in the wash."

"It's fine. Thank you, Sareena."

The door remained open, although the woman behind it chose not to reveal herself.  "Vihaan, Aasha sent over a plate of food for you when she brought the girls over. I imagine it has been a long day for you. Would you like for me to reheat it?"

"Thank you; that would be great."

She had completed the task and was placing the meal on the dining room table, when he had finally come out of the washroom.  With a friendly smile, and a nod to him, Sareena indicated that he should come.  She moved aside so he could sit, quite willing to return back to the lounge to watch over the little girls, who were now busy at play with the new dolls their chacha had gifted them. Amazingly they were contently sharing their toys and the accessories that had come with the babies that they were caring for, with the expertise that their  tender years afforded: basically emulating  the care they each had received from their absent mother.

Disregarding his apparent propensity for inviting heartache on himself, Vihaan reached out and grasped Sareena's hand as she was about to exit the room.

'Sit with me," he pleaded.  Her head swung around to the twins and then back to him. "We can both watch the girls from here," he interjected, spoiling the excuse he was certain she was about to use. After a minute she nodded, but she purposively removed her hand from his, when he would have led her to the table, and circled around to take a seat one down from his.

He wasn't eating, Sareena noted, and she feared that the effort to warm up his meal would be wasted. Even though she knew that she wasn't encouraging conversation, she realized that Vihaan was not satisfied with merely her company.  Finally she turned to him. "Vihaan you must be hungry; eat before your food goes cold."

He did appreciatively, realizing once he started that he actually was quite famished, and further that this could be their only chance to talk. He couldn't imagine that Jack, wherever he was, would leave her alone for long; he certainly wouldn't have  had she been his. Recognizing that he was on borrowed time, he rushed through his meal.

"How have you been?"

Reluctantly, Sareena turned away from watching Tanvi and Lalita, who were in their own little world, to address their uncle.

"Fine. As you can imagine, a lot has happened in the past couple of years."

"Haan, Daadi let me know that you've finished your residency now; that you are considering moving here for a time."

"Ji, I think it's probably time for a change," she answered. "And you; have things gone well since your promotion?"

Vihaan's eyes narrowed, disbelieving that she would be aware of this. The promotion had happened shortly after they had both returned to London four years ago, and although a client of the investment firm he was employed at, the knowledge would not have been easily discerned unless  Sareena had specifically asked about him. He studied her eyes for an answer, and searched inside himself for another. What did it mean if she, after making absolutely no attempt to contact him personally, had resorted to querying after him via his office? And then he remembered when  his supervisor  had included Sareena's late brothers estate trust  as one of potential accounts that Vihaan could take over, as part of his elevation up the career ladder. Out of self-preservation, he had denied that particular account, but now he couldn't help but wonder if he had actually shot himself in the foot by rejecting it. Had the young physician made one last overture to meet him? Vihaan suddenly felt ill. Had he effectively sent her into the arms of Jack, by his refusal?

Sareena lowered her eyes, praying that Vihaan wouldn't make the connection between her knowledge of his promotion which had made him a candidate to take over a different caliber of client, and her inquiry of the possibility of the firm's up and coming investor being offered her portfolio.  Professionally she had no doubt that Vihaan would be an excellent financial advisor, but in truth that had been the furthest thing in her mind. She had recklessly followed her heart, instead of her head, then, and had suffered his stinging rejection as consequence.  And certainly she shouldn't be feeling that pain today as freshly as she was. She blinked suddenly in the effort of holding the tears she could feel filling her eyes at bay. Unable to bear his presence, she reached for Vihaan's empty plate, under the pretext of returning it to the kitchen; anything to put some distance between them. Only, he didn't let her, when her attempt was foiled when he reached for her.

"Sareena  wait a minute."

"Kiss Reena Chacha."

The two adults turned in the direction that the childish voice had come from, to find both little girls now near the table, holding their dollies and watching them expectantly.  Lalita repeated her demand, "Kiss Reena Chacha!"

It was hard to tell who was more shocked.

"Beta..." Vihaan began, with absolutely no idea, what he would follow up with.

Tanvi added her two cents in. "Papa gives Mama kisses," she offered as if this explained everything.

"Haan beta, Papa gives Mama kisses, but ..."

"Mama gives Papa supper and Papa gives Mama kisses," her twin added.

The plate that Sareena held clattered back onto the table, when she released it suddenly. Vihaan looked to her, still confounded over the entire situation. He opened his mouth to speak.

"They are very observant, aren't they, Vihaan?"

"Very," he said. "And I would say quite intelligent for their age."

Sareena's eyes widened. He wouldn't dare, he couldn't possibly be considering it. And then he made his move, raising the hand he held and bringing it to his lips, not at one point taking his eyes off of Sareena's face.  "I've missed you Sareena," he whispered to her. "But I recognize a lost cause when I see one, " he added longingly. " Congratulations, I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"Well it's a good thing she isn't dependent on your wishes to determine her happiness, isn't it Vihaan," came the voice behind them, that immediately led to another outcry from the little girls at the appearance of another one of their favorite people

"Uncle Jack!"

***********

The following days had been such a beehive of activity that, until this very moment, Sareena had hardly laid eyes on Jack, let alone had the chance to demand an answer as to exactly what was going on. The fact that they were having this conversation on their phones, spoke to how busy they both had been preparing for the wedding. But no more. Today she would  get some clarification from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Reena. Maybe you are imagining things?"

"Nahi Jack, I don't think so. And frankly I am sick of it." She looked at her watch." How far are you from the hospital, anyway? I was thinking that I would go and visit Naomi in the meantime."

"Take your time, Reena, and let Pretty Eyes know that I am on my way, okay?"

"And then we are going to talk, right?"

The bodyguard sighed on the other end of phone.  Things hadn't quite progressed as he had hoped, but there was no putting Reena off now.  She at least was smart enough to understand that something was awry.

*************

"No fair Sareena, you can't come in here looking like that, while I look like a wrung out dishrag. How the heck am I supposed to be the center of attention when you look so glamorous?"

Sareena leaned over to the patient sitting up in her bed, and hugged her.  "You look beautiful and you know it, so stop fussing," she admonished Naomi.  It was true: the new mother glowed with health today, and her natural beauty shone through more than ever.

Naomi studied the well-coiffed, professionally attired  doctor. "Interview day," she asked. Her green eyes brightened. "So when do you start. You won't convince me that they haven't made an offer?"

Sareena grinned.

"I knew it. There is no way they could turn you down. I'm so happy for you, and for me too. It's going to be so good having you here and Jack as well. And Sanjay, oh God he is going to be over-the-moon."  A reticent expression came over her face, before she spoke again. "And I love the fact that your God-son will have the benefit of having you here for the first few years of his life as well."

It took a moment for Sareena to comprehend what Naomi was saying, and when she did; she found she had no words.

"Rajeev wanted to be present when we asked, so  do you think you could reserve that same reaction, for when we do make our formal request? That is, providing you actually want to."

"Of course, Naomi. And I am so honored that you would even consider asking."  Sareena leaned in again to hug the petite mother. Both of them had to wipe their eyes when they separated.

"Aacha, so does my God-son have a name, and when do I actually get to see him?"

***************

Rajeev's reaction wasn't exactly what Vihaan had expected, and he was left with no alternative now to hear his brother out.

"This is the absolutely rashest; the most foolish decision you have ever made Vihaan. You need to think at least another day or so about this. Call Maa now and tell her you need more time, that  the stress of everything got to you. Dammit, Vihaan this is the rest of your life."

"And I may as well get on with it don't you think? It makes no sense living on memories and wishing for what can never be. It's not like..."

"You're not even giving yourself the chance to find you own happiness. I'm not saying that there isn't the possibility  of it with an  arranged marriage, but..."

"Bas bhai, I've made my decision. Ma is happy and...I am too. It's just time, thik hai."

Rajiv turned into the visitor section of the hospital, frustrated beyond belief. It seemed that Naomi would be his only hope in dissuading  Vihaan from possibly making the worst mistake of his life.

It appeared however, that fate had something in store for the younger Agarwal, and that Vihaan's Bhabhi wouldn't be needed after all.

****************

Naomi's eyes had widened in shock, as she focused over Sareena's shoulder and towards the door. Automatically, Sareena rotated to see what was the reason for her friend' s alarm. She jumped up and raced to the door, where  Vihaan leaned, sporting a split lip, and favoring his left side.

"Vihaan, my God what has happened to you?"

He hadn't expected to find her in here, but never was he glad to see anyone more in his life. He grinned like a buffoon. Today was just getting better and better. "Aacha, well if you think I'm bad you should see the other guy."

The "other guy" was currently suffering the worst dressing down of his life, one he couldn't defend against, not that he would have anyway.

"This isn't a joke; our marriage isn't a joke. How could you have led him on like that, making him believe that the two of you were engaged? Couldn't you figure out how painful that would be for someone? It was cruel and unbecoming. And look at you Jack, our ring ceremony is a mere three days away, and you may possibly be sporting a black eye. What are my parents and my family going to think?"

"Darling, I promise it won't come to that, and even if it does there's always concealer. It will be okay, I promise. And I'm sorry honestly, I am, but I needed to know. I'm finally leaving her after all these years, and I needed to know if he was worthy of her. After abandoning her the way he did, I couldn't trust him. And I couldn't allow the remote possibility that he re-enter her life and create havoc in it once again. You know Sareena is more than my best friend, she's practically my sister."

************

It was by pure chance that Vihaan had caught sight of Jack pulling into the hospital parking lot, as he and Rajeev had been about to enter the medical facility. And while his heart had fluttered just a bit, recognizing that more than likely that he would run into Sareena; there was nothing unusual about him being there. That was until out of the corner of his eye he watch the slender female dashing in the direction of the bodyguard's vehicle. And dammit if he didn't recognize the young woman who sidled into the passenger seat and met the Englishman halfway for a hug and what they thought was a clandestine kiss.  He swore out loud, and before  Rajeev could stop him, had run to the vehicle. Wrenching the driver's door open, he grabbed the faithless bas***d out of the car, uncaring that the man could overpower him in a matter  of seconds. He would just have to get his in before that happened.

"You f**king British bas***d. One Desi-girl is not enough for you," he screamed before he aimed his fist directly at Jack's face.  He then grabbed Jack by the collar and shoved him hard against the body of the car. "You're sick. You have it all and it's still not enough for you. She loves you, you ass, and you're not worthy of even being in her presence, " Vihaan screamed at the man. "I walked away from her believing that I was giving her the choice of the better man, the man she loved, and this is how you do her. Well f**k you, Jack. If you think you are going to marry her now..."

"Vihaan, enough..."

"Nahi, bhai, not today," he answered his brother with a shake of his head. He turned slightly and noticed the young woman standing with a look of shock on her face.  He let go of Jack and went to confront her, uncaring how she had backed up closer to Rajeev. "And you Arpita...The Tripathi's have treated you just like family and this is how you repay them. I guarantee you will be out of a job before the end of the day, you stupid bitch!" He advanced on Rachna's assistant not sure himself what he would do when he reached the characterless female.

He never touched her, as seconds later he was seeing stars, when Jack finally reacted.

"Know this now; I will kill you right here, if you dare lay a finger on my fiancee, Vihaan Agarwal." Jack hissed at him.

Laying on the ground, Vihaan closed his eyes sure  that he was hearing things. This couldn't be, because that meant that he had been a first class idiot, that he had made the biggest mistake in his life. Jack and Sareena were getting married...not ...

But then finally a tearful female voice proved him wrong...well sort off.

"And if you think I am still going to marry you after this Jack Thompson, then you have a few screws loose in that brain of yours. The wedding is off."

crtkelly2016-11-21 18:35:37