The Heirs - MG - chapter 4, pg 7, 2/8 - Page 4

It was a Sunday morning, and the Rathod residence was in the midst of preparations for the afternoon dinner.

Sushmita opened the door of Naina's bedroom to find her lounging in her pyjamas, her laptop placed in front of her lap.

"Naina, get ready. Mishal and Jay are arriving in half an hour."

"I'm not coming to the dinner."

"You don't have a choice."

"Are you going to force me, Mother?"

Sushmita glared at her, and her eyes went back to the laptop. Glancing at the details in front of her, a plan came to mind. She turned back to her mother, painting on her best smile.

"I'm sorry for being disrespectful. I'll be ready as soon as I can."

Sushmita was taken aback by her daughter's change of stance; Naina had inherited her stubborn attitude, and once she set her mind on something it was impossible for her to back down. Nevertheless, she shrugged her thoughts away and left the room, hoping that Naina was finally starting to accept the impending changes.

Little did she know that there was a bombshell to be delivered at the dinner table.

***

Geet crept out of her room, her ears alert for any signs of her mother wandering around. When she was certain that Rekha would be taking an afternoon nap, she grabbed her purse and began to make her way to the door when Rekha emerged from her bedroom, wrapped in a plain bathrobe.

Rekha raised an eyebrow in question.

"I'm just going to the shop to get more milk. I wanted to make home made ice cream tonight."

Rekha pointed towards the freezer, and Geet rolled her eyes. "God knows how long you've kept that ice cream for, Ma. I'll be right back, okay? Do you need anything?" Her mother shook her head, and Geet quickly left before she was interrogated again.

***

"Dev, how many times have I told you that time is a precious commodity? Stop wasting your days and nights on your stupid games console and pay attention to your surroundings. If not your studies then at least help your father with the business."

Dev rolled his eyes at the usual ministrations of his father, Sushant Khurana. The owner of a constructions empire, his father lived and breathed his business. So much so, he had often felt neglected throughout most of his childhood.

"I've told you I'm not interested in the business. I'm still studying."

"Yes, I can see the fruits of your labour. You were dangerously close to failing your last semester, have you forgotten that?"

Dev pulled his phone out and began dialling a number.

"What are you doing?" Sushant asked.

"Calling Mom, at least I have one parent who cares rather than trying to push their own agenda."

Sushant rolled his eyes, grabbed his briefcase and headed for his car. On the way out, he asked the housekeeper to keep an eye on Dev.

Once he got into his car, he dialled Maan's number again but there was no reply, as usual. Dev's words came floating back to him but he brushed them aside and headed off for his office.

***

"I need to a ticket. To California, as soon as possible please."

The travel agent, a Ms Natasha as Geet had read from her name tag, raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Can I have identification please?"

Geet pulled out her passport and handed it over. Natasha looked at the passport, then back to Geet, then the passport several times before huffing and tapping away into her computer.

"We have a ticket for tomorrow. 60,000 rupees."

"What?!"

Natasha raised an eyebrow, and Geet contemplated her options. She only had 20,000 savings, which she had set aside for her studies. If she chose not to fly out, then Pari would continue to feed them lies and live a double life. Rekha was sending half of her monthly salary towards Pari's studies, and it annoyed Geet that life was so difficult at home whilst her sister was depending on her so called scholarship and her mother's earnings.

It pained Geet to see that Pari had been blatantly lying, and she was desperate to uncover the truth.

An option came to mind, and it was the only option she had left.

"If I come back tomorrow with the money, will you reserve the seat?"

"I'm not sure..." Natasha trailed off, but Geet folded her hands in front of her.

"I'm literally begging you. It's an emergency, I have to see my sister. Please?"

"I'll see what I can do."

Geet nodded gratefully, grabbed her documents and made her way out. The walk back to her house was filled with regret but determination, guilt but certainty. She stopped off at their local corner shop, buying the all-important milk before heading home.

***

"When are you heading back to India?" Ryan asked Maan as they swigged from their cans of beer. Ahead of them was miles and miles of glorious golden beach. Maan stared out into the horizon, watching as the waves crashed softly and the seagulls squawked overhead.

"I don't even want to go back, to be honest."

"Things aren't great back home, are they?"

Maan digged his heels into the sand as he leaned back. "It's not that. Well, not quite. I just don't feel like I belong there."

"Don't you go to university in Delhi?"

He nodded. "The best of the best. But does it even matter, when you're not content with yourself?"

"Can't you get a transfer out here? Your dad is a billionaire, can't he pull a few strings?"

"He wouldn't be pleased. He's not happy that his eldest son fled home and is choosing to spend his summer in the States rather than slave away at his office. Anyway, what does he need me for? Dev's the favourite, he can do the hard work. I'm just here to leech off my father."

Ryan noticed resentment in Maan's voice, almost hatred towards his father. He wanted to press for more answers, but decided against it and chose to take another sip of his beer instead.

***

Sushmita looked up at Mishal, who smiled tightly. Beside him sat Jay, who pushed his food around the plate aimlessly. Opposite him sat Naina, who appeared to be enjoying the delicacies.

Mishal cleared his throat. "Jay, Naintara, we have something we want to say."

Jay raised an eyebrow and turned towards his father. Naina looked up and placed her fork down, her hands folded primly in front of her.

"Myself and Sushmita are getting married, as you will have probably guessed. And we're merging businesses."

There was a silence, before Naina offered her congratulations and began eating again. Jay looked bemused, and slouched backwards in his chair to express his disinterest in the whole matter.

"We're about to become a family, and you both have no reactions?" Sushmita asked.

"Actually Mom, there is something I want to say." Naina turned towards her. "I'm going away to the Bahamas. I fly out tomorrow and I'll be gone for two weeks."

"You're doing what?!" Sushmita exclaimed. Mishal looked disturbed and Jay smirked, clearly enjoying the entertainment.

"Who gave you the permission?"

"I don't need permission, not from you or anyone else. I'm on the next flight out, and I'm sorry but there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me."

"Is that so?" Sushmita gritted her teeth, then proceeded to give Naina a hard slap across the face. Mishal stood up, his face an expression of pure shock. Jay sniggered behind his hands.

Naina looked into her mother's eyes, blinded by her own tears. She rushed away from the dinner table, slamming the door of her bedroom.

Mishal rushed over to console Sushmita, and Jay excused himself before leaving the room. Perhaps it wasn't such a case of happy families, after all.

***

Precap: "Please forgive me. I'm so sorry but I have to do this. I'll be back soon, I promise."