Page 52 of Lawfully Yours

She offered polite smiles and nods to a few familiar faces as she moved through the crowd, heading straight for her uncle.

Raj Verma stood near the bar area, talking animatedly with a group of old friends. The moment his eyes landed on her, his entire face lit up. Breaking away from the conversation, he came to her and pulled her into a warm, protective hug.

“You’re late,” he murmured with gentle affection. “I was beginning to think you forgot your old uncle’s big day party tonight.”

She smiled and pulled back. “I can never forget. And sorry for coming late. I came straight from the office. A client meeting ran longer than expected, and then there were some last-minute filings to submit before the court reopened tomorrow.”

Raj raised a brow. “And I see you didn’t get time to change either?”

“I didn’t,” she admitted. “I have a couple of dresses upstairs in my room. Hopefully, one of them still fits. Give me ten minutes. I’ll be quick.”

Raj nodded. “Go on. Freshen up. I’ll hold the fort.”

But as she turned to head up the staircase, her eyes instinctively swept across the room, scanning the faces of the guests. It was subtle, but not enough to escape Raj’s notice.

“The one you’re looking for isn’t here.”

She froze mid-step. “I wasn’t looking for anyone.”

He chuckled softly. “Aru, I may not be your father by blood, but I know you well enough to read those eyes. Youweresearching for him.”

“I wasn’t searching for Kushal, Uncle.”

Raj folded his arms across his chest. “Is that so? Well, in any case, he’s not coming to the party tonight.”

Her steps faltered. He wasn’t coming? That caught her off guard.

“What do you mean he’s not coming? He said this morning he would. Did you speak to him?”

Raj chuckled.

“Why doyousound so concerned? Shouldn’t you be glad the one person who annoys you endlessly won’t be around to ruin your evening?”

Arundhati rolled her eyes.

“I don’t care if he comes here or not. I just wanted to make sure you’re not hurt. He’s your golden boy. I know how much you adore him, and I also know you’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t show up tonight. That’s all.”

Raj patted her shoulder affectionately. “Lying doesn’t suit you, Aru. Especially not to me.”

Caught, she looked down, wondering what excuse to give further, but before she could defend herself again, Raj leaned in conspiratorially.

“He’s on his way. I was just pulling your leg.”

“Uncle! That’s not funny. Don’t use his name to tease me. Please.”

He laughed, delighted at her flustered reaction.

Shaking her head, Arundhati sighed, then leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be down soon, and my gift is in the car. I’ll get it once I am ready.”

“Take your time,” he replied, watching her fondly as she turned and made her way up the stairs, disappearing into the soft glow of the upper hallway.

***************

Kushal’s Penthouse

Kushal stood before the full-length mirror, sliding on his silver watch. He wore a black three-piece suit tonight, with a deep midnight blue tie that matched the storm in his eyes.

Although ready to leave for the party tonight, he felt... distracted. Restless.