He Stole My Heart ✅

18 - Sameer, never heard about him

The next day grandma kept a puja(prayer) in the house and invited all the relatives. Grandma gifted me with a lehenga choli to wear. It's a beautiful powder blue lehenga with an intricate design and baby pink mono net dupatta.

Dia braided my hair to lose fishtail braid and adorned it with tiny flower clips. Dia wore yellow and pink silk lehenga choli. She looked beautiful. Her brown eyes adorned with kohl and jet black hair in a half up half down with curls at the end.

As I walked down, I can feel all the eyes in the living room staring at me. Grandma invited around 40members for the pooja mostly close-knit family members. I was standing awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs. I can't see any known faces. All the new faces and the way they are gawking at me is making me very uneasy.

A middle-aged lady in a red silk saree and heavy gold jewelry walked over to me scanning me from top to bottom. I tried giving her a small smile despite my nervousness.

"Hey, Are you Priya's daughter?" She questioned me.

"Yes," I smiled at her. Maybe she is one of the relatives.

"Lakshmi Aunty is gushing over the past few months about you, that you are very sweet and beautiful. What's your name?"

"Amelia Jones," I told her with a smile.

"Your Mom didn't even give you an Indian name. She forgot her roots after getting married to your father."
Tsk tsk tsk... She shook her head in disappointment.

What the hell does this lady think of herself. I want to give back to her right there but I really don't want to cause a scene. But I'm already in the scene thanks to this red hippo.

"Do you know me? I'm your mom's cousin Bharti. We used to be close before... you know.. she eloped with your father." She said with a disgusted face.

Before I could give back to the lady. "Woahhh!! You look gorgeous Amy." Ryan, the monkey he is, jumped from nowhere putting his hands over my shoulders. He is dressed in white kurta with jeans.

I can see the expressions on my new so-called Aunt Bharti change from horror to disgusting, looking over Ryan and me. Her brows knitted to a deep frown.

"Doesn't she look, sexy bro?" Asked Ryan and that's when I noticed Jason in black kurta and blue jeans, standing nearby gazing at me intently to the point I checked my face if everything is alright or if make up is smudged.

The hippos eyes turned to the size of saucers with Ryan's choice of words.

"Who are these boys? Why is he holding you?" Hippo asked me with a horrified face.

Then she steered her attention to Ryan "Get your hands off her boy. How dare you touch her?" She shouted at him.

Ryan immediately removed his hand from my shoulders. That's it I lost my last bit of patience, I can bear whatever nonsense she has to spew but not a word against my friends.

But before I could open my mouth to lash at her, grandpa spoke,

"Bhatti, they are Robert's best friend's sons. Amelia is staying with them after Priya and Robert's death. They are our guests you can't yell at them, you have to give them the respect that they deserve."

"Why are they here in India uncle? Why didn't you bring Amelia to India for good? Look at the way the boy is jumping on her and we don't want her to do the same mistake like her mother, running away with some foreigner and bringing shame over the family."

I just can't believe she said that. I want to rip her hair and claw her skin. Some of the guests looked uncomfortable with the topic while some came near us eager to watch the drama unfold.