Page 83 of Right Where I Belong

“I’m so mad right now,” Raashi said through gritted teeth. “I’ve always liked Sabrina, but I hate how she’s hurt you.”

Keya squeezed his hand gently. “There has to be something in her past for her to do what she did. I can’t believe she’d be so cruel. That is not her.”

“She led him on,” Raashi argued, “and then she broke up with him.”

“To be fair,” Aditya said, “she said no to me. Several times. I was the one who relentlessly pushed her to go out with me, in Singapore and here in Mumbai.”

Raashi crossed her arms. “Why are you taking her side?”

“Because I love her, Raashi,” Aditya said. “I can’t help it if she, perhaps, doesn’t feel the same. And even if she does, she outright said she doesn’t.”

“Fuck,” Rithwik cursed. “Hearing you say that hits really hard. I can’t believe you fell in love with her.”

“This sucks,” Raashi said, looking angry on his behalf. “She shouldn’t have led you on. She should have stood her ground, if that’s what she truly wanted.”

“I still think she’s holding back because of her past,” Keya said before she turned to Rithwik. “What do you know about that?”

Rithwik frowned. “To be honest, not much. Aisha just mentioned once, long back, that Sabrina was brought up in an orphanage close to Mumbai. I doubt even Aisha knows more because she’d have told me if she did.”

Fuck. He hadn’t known that, because Sabrina had never spoken about her childhood or her past with him. He looked up and found Sabrina still standing where he’d left her, her eyes onhim. His gaze met hers. Heat flared in his chest. He glanced back at his friends. He had to learn to ignore her.

“So, what are we going to do?” Keya asked.

Raashi looked at Sabrina. He followed her gaze. Aisha and Diya had joined her now, and the three of them were chatting.

Raashi huffed. “I think I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.”

Rithwik, too, turned to stare at Sabrina, his eyes dark and angry. “I think I need to have a word with her too. I’m so mad at the way she’s handled things.”

“I think we should just give her some space,” Keya reasoned. “If she does love him, she will come around.”

Rithwik and Raashi turned to glare at her. Unfazed, Keya crossed her arms and met their angry gazes head-on.

“Okay, enough,” Aditya stepped in front of Keya, addressing Raashi and Rithwik. “Neither of you is going to talk to her about anything. Am I clear?”

Raashi opened her mouth to protest, but Aditya held a hand out. “Am I clear?”

Both Raashi and Rithwik made a face, but they did nod in agreement.

“Sabrina and I are over, and that’s that,” Aditya said. “The reason I didn’t tell you earlier is because I knew you’d be biased in your judgement, either to her or to me. It’s not fair either way.”

“I will have to tell Aisha,” Rithwik said.

“Fine, only your spouses.” Aditya looked at the girls. “I know you can’t keep anything from your men. Can I request that they, too, keep this to themselves?”

The girls nodded.

“I don’t want my relationship with Sabrina to be discussed as gossip in our group,” Aditya said. “So, please let’s limit this to you three and your spouses.”

“Alright,” Rithwik agreed. “But no matter what you say, Aisha will do as she wishes when she finds out. Even I cannot control that.”

Aditya groaned.

“Okay, enough of this sad talk,” Keya said. “It’s my son’s birthday and we are celebrating. Now come along, all of you. It’s cake time.”

Keya linked her arm with his, and Aditya allowed her to drag him to the center of the party, away from Rithwik and Raashi. She spoke nonstop about her children, pointing to their friends and relating some naughty incident. When they reached the center where the cake was being wheeled in, Raashi appeared next to him, taking over from Keya and continued chatting with him. In their own sweet way, these girls were trying their best to distract him from his woes, and he adored them even more for it.

Rithwik appeared at his side, putting an arm around his shoulder. “I’m right here, Aditya. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. You don’t have to face this heartache alone.”