Page 49 of Lawfully Yours

“You and a heartache?” she let out a mocked laugh. “A man who doesn’t have a heart?”

Raj sighed, exasperated. “As usual, you two have turned this room into a courtroom again. Can we not go one day without a sparring match?”

Kushal and Arundhati both looked away like schoolchildren chastised by a teacher.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten what day it is,” Raj continued, forcing a lighter tone into his voice. “Tonight’s my birthday party. The big sixty-five.”

Arundhati smiled at him, the expression softening her otherwise taut features. “How could I forget, uncle? Your tradition of midnight cake-cutting has been drilled into my memory since childhood. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Turning sixty-five but still looking fifty, Sir,” Kushal added with a polite smile. “Tell us, what do you want for your birthday?”

Raj gave them both a meaningful look. “I know what I want. But I doubt either of you will give it to me.”

Kushal and Arundhati stiffened simultaneously. That unspoken wish lingered in the silence between them. The one thing Raj Verma had always wanted was for his two most trusted people to find their way back to each other. But some things were easier said than done.

“So, I’ll settle for something else,” Raj said at last. “Tonight, I don’t want arguments. No bitterness. Just peace, a few smiles, and maybe being cordial with each other. Please?”

Arundhati nodded. “You have my word. I’ll behave.”

But then she turned to Kushal. “Though I can’t promise that for your golden boy.”

Kushal’s lips curved. “The golden boy’s been standing by your uncle since the day he joined this firm. Even when his own blood…” his eyes flicked toward her, “…chose to oppose him.”

The barb wasn’t subtle.

“Yes, and you’ve always agreed with everything he said. So much so, that when he proposed his niece’s hand to you for marriage, you didn’t take a single day to say yes, even when you were planning to propose to someone else at that time. To Kamya Bakshi!”

The moment the words were out of her mouth, the room fell into a stunned silence.

“Arundhati…enough,” Raj said, more of a plea than a reprimand.

But Kushal said nothing. There was no smirk on his face this time. No sardonic quip dancing at the edge of his lips. Just a silent, burning storm before he turned around.

Without a single word, without giving her the satisfaction of a reaction, Kushal walked out of the cabin. His fingers reached up and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, as though the tension in the room had wrapped itself around his throat. The door closed behind him with a muted click.

“What was that?” Raj looked helplessly at Arundhati. “Why now?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I know I promised I wouldn’t start another argument today of all days. But… I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

Raj pressed his temples in worry.

“You’re angry. I get that. You’ve always had a sharp tongue when your heart’s involved. But do you really think bringing up Kamya now, today, helps anything?”

“Have you invited her for the party tonight?” she asked suddenly.

Raj’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you serious right now, Aru? Why would I invite her?”

“I just asked,” she shrugged. “Kamya is one of the top clients of this firm. I know she and Kushal go back a long way. You’ve both shared ties with her that go beyond the courtroom.”

“Only family and a few close friends are invited tonight. Kamya is not one of them. You think I don’t know how you feel about her? About everything that happened? Aru, I would never bring her into your space again. I may have pushed you and Kushal into this marriage, but I’m not blind. I can see where the cracks began. And I see who’s hurting most.”

Arundhati gave a bitter smile. “It’s not about her anymore. It never really was. It’s the man I married, Uncle. The one who, for his greed, chose to hide some of the most crucial facts of his life. The one who pretended to see me, when all he really saw was a chai, an opportunity—Verma & Associates, dangling behind me like a reward.”

Raj had no words.

She didn’t wait for him to respond either. She didn’t want to ruin his day any more than she already had. Instead, she reached out and gently pressed her hand over his.

“You carry on. I’ll see you tonight at the Villa.”