Love Finds a Way !!!

Chapter 46

Pratiksha had run off before Kanak could get all riled up and lecture her incessantly over what she had told Aarav. It had been fun. But Kanak with her sense of proper and improper would have gone on and on about it. Later when she had decided to apologize to Kanak and find her she hadn't been able to locate her. With the amount of people swirling around she could have been anywhere. But Pratiksha wasn't just anybody. She knew Kanak would look for a quiet spot to get over her embarrassment. So she had thought about it and decided to start looking at just those places. It had taken her a while to reach the pool and she had gone there only to find her friend with another man. Not sure if she should leave Kanak alone or approach her she had stood there contemplating. The man didn't look threatening at all. Though he was a bit odd. Tall and excessively handsome he wore a two piece suit with a maroon tie. But his hair was styled to the side with a bit of extra gel. It was as if he had a need to be apart from the regular crowd. So she had inched closer slowly. If she thought it was all fine she would leave and see Kanak later. But then she had heard him slight Kanak. And she had felt her anger rise. What gave her pause was Kanak. She seemed to be managing just fine and Pratiksha had been taken by surprise. She had never known Kanak to stand for her own. And then she had faltered. Pratiksha had realized that though Kanak was probably finding herself she was still far from reaching that goal. She would be damned if she let this man bully her. Handsome or not. To hell with it. And she had announced her arrival.

"And what do you think that language of yours says about you?" she had said angrily.

Kanak turned around and Pratiksha saw both surprise and relief in her eyes. As for the man well, he had gone back to having a lazy expression on his face with a faint mocking smile. He seemed to be a compelling personality. His hands still in the pockets of his trousers. Not that it bothered her. She marched straight up to him and stood between him and Kanak.

"And you are," the man said with a raised eyebrow.

The audacity. The arrogance. Was he a relative to the Singhanias?

"I haven't heard you reply to my question yet," Pratiksha said as she crossed her arms over her chest, "what makes you think I would respond to yours first," she said matching him in tone, demeanor and language.

Tanish was intrigued. He looked at the girl. She was young. About twenty five or twenty six. Not that much younger to him. He was twenty eight. But with his height and build he looked older. Not that she needed to know that. She was cute. With her small tilted nose, full lips, and dimpled cheeks. Flashing angry eyes which would be a lighter shade of brown if she wasn't worked up he guessed. She had long hair too with curls and everything. The bottle green sari she wore suited her. The color enhanced the glow of her skin. She was well spoken too he had noticed. And that temper. He smiled wryly. She apparently knew Kanak. Was she a relative?

"Very well," Tanish said inclining his head. It was as if he was humoring her and Pratiksha looked closely at him. "Let's get the introductions out of the way first," he said and smiled, "the name is Tanish Singhania," he said proudly.

Pratiksha blinked. Tanish Singhania. She repeated the name in her head. She realized she liked the name. One often didn't hear a name like that. Tanish. And he had said it proudly. But she didn't hear falseness in his tone. As if he knew he was worthy of that name. Maybe he was. So he was a relative to Dhruv. Direct or indirect didn't matter. She had been right about that part at least. Why was he harassing Kanak this way?

"Pratiksha Kak," she answered back with just as much pride.

She had a husky quality to her voice. It wasn't apparent but if one listened carefully one could make it out. He found he liked it. But did it matter? Pratiksha she said. Nice name.