Cupid never had a chance in their messy, parental-restricted love story
Karishma Jha, a twenty-one-year-old recent graduate with the world at her feet if only she chose to face it. Plagued with the worries of the future and yet healing from the scar...
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The three of us got in the lift. I took a step forward so the men were behind me and my back faced them. I needed to get back my composure.
This was a complication that I hadn't expected. But I could do this. It was going to be business as usual. My one worry was Rishabh letting Abhay know that we knew each other from before.
Rishabh wasn't vindictive as far as I had known then. But then I could have never thought of him as a cheater either. My judgment wasn't the best when it came to men
I needed a chance to warn him off.
As we were walking towards the restaurant, a boy of maybe fifteen years old approached us. Dirt streaked his face as he wore clothes brown with dirt.
Abhay sneered and took a step away from him. I got my packed lunch out of my bag and gave it to the boy. I did not need the food. Rishabh went a step further and took him aside.
"Good for him. That boy needs to know his place." Abhay curled his lips in contempt. I was tempted to swat his ears and make him learn some manners, but that would mean moving my eyes off Rishabh.
He handed him some cash and a card. After talking to him for some more time, they parted ways.
"They are taking advantage of you. They will rob you blind one day," Abhay admonished once Rishabh came back to us.
Rishabh frowned in disapproval. The irony must not have escaped him. We were meeting to discuss a charity gala, where did Abhay think the money raised would go to?
He raised his eyebrows at me as if to say, "Really him?" I averted my eyes and pretended to be engrossed looking at a storefront display, feeling a bit embarrassed at no fault of mine.
Moving on we reached the Italian restaurant where Rishabh had made reservations. Its exterior boasted white columns and a name board in a fancy font that bordered on illegible.
It was a typical place that I never spared a look at as I knew that charged more than it was worth. However, this time since it was Rishabh taking us here, I saw it as a good thing. His ego along with his wallet deserved a hit.
A doorman opened the doors of the restaurant as we walked through. A bit too excessive for my taste.
The skylight on the roof flooded the room with plenty of natural light and ventilation. Two of the walls were entirely made of windows and the third wall boasted a brick finish. I wondered if Rishabh had designed this one as well.
We were seated at a table that was dab right in the middle of the room. All around us, the tables were occupied. The smell of various dishes, mostly garlic, was thick in the air. Abhay took his seat while Rishabh hovered near me. I was waiting for him to take a seat so I could choose the one farthest away from him.
"Sit," I insisted. He flattened his lip slightly and tipped his head to the side. I had forgotten about his edict of not sitting till the woman in his company had sat down. My younger self found it endearing, older me found it annoying.
