Page 8 of That Same Old Love

The following Friday, Mahi was nervous when she arrived at the party.

She had no idea what to buy for a ten year old girl.

So she bought her an assortment of things that she thought Srishti might like, a perfume, a brainy snap circuit board game, a book about how teens dealt with the world around them and a gift card to purchase music or e-books.

She held her gift box gingerly in her hand and walked towards the bustling party. Even though it was a teenager’s party, there were a lot of adults and young kids talking loudly and walking about busily.

She had finished up some pending work at her office and was home by six in the evening.

She didn’t see Samrat’s SUV outside his house and assumed that he had left already.

Quickly deciding on a cream dress with a red border and some light jewelry, she got ready in less than twenty minutes.

She grabbed the gift which she thankfully packed the previous night and drove to the party hall.

She was late by an hour, but she had deliberately planned it that way.

“The less time I spend, the less awkward it is for everyone,” she muttered.

Her stomach was growling, reminding her that she had skipped lunch that afternoon in lieu of an important meeting.

“Seriously, what is the etiquette before one can pounce on the food at a party?” she muttered.

“Talking to yourself again, are you?” she heard Samrat ask her from behind.

She jumped and almost dropped the gift box on the ground.

“My God! Why are you always creeping up on people? Maybe you should invest in some jewelry, some kind of bell around your neck perhaps?” she said and turned around, and almost gasped looking at him.

She had never seen him dress up in ethnic wear before. He was always either in business suits or casuals. With a cream and red ethnic suit, he looked like a king. A very hot warrior king, ready to plunder.

Yeah that’s what Ananya needs to see. Me drooling over her brother with X-rated fantasies at her daughter’s birthday party. A party in which the actual hosts hadn’t invited me or even think that I would have the gall to show up.

She had spent most of the night tossing and turning, still debating whether or not to attend the party. But like Srishti had said, maybe it was time to stop running away from the past, and apologize properly in person.

And what best way to do that, other than crashing a party during a happy occasion when the hosts were the proud parents and she had the security of a crowd around her, to save her from an attack, just in case things went south soon.

Samrat was amused. “I’m sure you would like that along with a rope attached.”

She smiled absently. “Maybe I do. Where is the birthday girl?”

“Srishti is getting ready I think. She has finished wearing her family mandated attire until now and is changing into something different I assume.” Samrat had a crooked smile as though he knew whatever his niece was going to change into would cause uproar within her family.

“Oh.”

“No smart comeback with how girls should be able to choose whatever they want for their party like the boys, and all that talk?” he asked.

She was too nervous to spar with him. “No. I think sometimes, you do need to make allowances for your family, and adapt to the environment. And boys get to do that too. Or you would have turned up in your usual shorts and a T-shirt.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “You almost sound sane. Are you sure, you are okay? Maybe you are not feeling that well.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Don’t be too sure about my sanity. Oh, by the way, our clothes are matching with the cream and red color combination. If you don’t want another set of lipstick marks on your pristine cream colored kurta, you better be nice to me.”

His eyes narrowed slightly in warning. “Don’t you dare pull a stunt like that over here. Most of Sidhu’s family and friends are here, and they are very conservative. And not to mention my parents and family too.”

She grinned. “Does that mean I can pull that stunt somewhere else? When the ‘conservative’ family is not around?”

“I happen to like what I’m wearing. It was a gift from Anu, and I wouldn’t like to burn it like my other shirt,” he bluffed, sounding ridiculously pompous.

She rolled her eyes. “God… you are such a boring uptight prig. Anyway, while I love standing here and trading insults, I’m starving. I had to skip lunch for the Stimmulus phase two go-live meeting. Where can I drop off the gifts and get some food?”

He frowned. “What? Why did you have to skip your lunch for that? The dining hall is on the right in that next building. And why are you getting involved in the Stimmulus project?”

She felt guilty because she didn’t want her manager to be in trouble because of her.

“I asked Mehul to allow me to interview with the Stimmulus project team. There was an opening, and I had the right credentials. I’m still working on my old projects as well, and a lot of team members are involved in multiple projects, so you can just chill. ”

“Hmmff.”

Samrat was about to walk away when he heard someone calling his name.

“Wait. What does that hmmff mean? I hope you are not planning on harassing Mehul or even Sanjay for giving me an opportunity to work on something I’m interested in.”

He turned to look at her. “We’ll see,” he said ominously before walking away.

She was beginning to get agitated. “I must be brain dead to mention that to him,” she muttered.

Samrat was the chairman of his company, and even though he didn’t bother about normal operations or projects, he still had a huge influence in what could happen within his own company.

God, I hope I’m not fired again for the second time within a week. And simply for working on a project that I enjoy contributing to.

She walked a little dejectedly towards the main hall and as soon as she walked in, she was amazed with the decorations.

It was like a teenage girl’s dream come true with understated pinks and purples everywhere, while also staying classy for the adults’ sake.

There was a huge table to the right side of the entrance that held all the gifts.

She dropped her gift on the table and went towards the dining hall that was connected to the main hall via a wide and long pathway.

Her steps faltered when she saw a profile of a stunningly good looking man, talking to someone animatedly, and laughing in a very familiar manner.

Oh my God, Sidhu!

* * *

Sidhu knew it was Mahi, the moment one of his business partners told him that a woman was approaching them and left them alone.

During their college days, he and Mahi had a strange ability to sense each other’s presence, even amongst hundreds of people around. They also knew what was going on in each other’s minds, and finish each other’s sentences, amusing all of their friends.

“I love you, Mahi. You and me… what we have is real. We are soul mates, and I promise you that we will love each other like this until we die—hopefully when we are a hundred, and in each other’s arms, surrounded by our great grandchildren.”

He had told her that several times during the four years of college, when they had been together. He had been madly in love with her, and thought that she had reciprocated it.

“Hello Sidhu,” Mahi greeted softly, looking at him with a small smile. “You look great, Sidhu. How have you been?” she asked him, as though they were distant friends, and not someone who had promised to love, cherish and marry each other.

He remembered how heartbroken he had been after finding out that she left him, and married someone else. She didn’t even have the decency to inform him about it, or to even break up with him properly. He had found out from another classmate about her wedding.

He had hated her with a passion for a while, for breaking his heart and then turning him into a sad broken boy.

“I’m doing fine,” he said. “I have been blessed with an amazing wife and a daughter.”

“I know.” Mahi smiled at him as though she was genuinely happy for him.

“I heard your marriage didn’t work out. And that you are back to India for good.” He kept a polite tone.

“Yes. Some things are not meant to be,” she said softly.

A pang pierced him, along with a flood of emotions he couldn’t quite interpret.

“I love you so much Sidhu. You are the only person in the world who can truly understand me. I know I want to be with you and offer you everything I have, including my body.”

But he resisted her, even though she made it very difficult to.

“I love you too Mahi and I respect you. Our first time will be on our first night as husband and wife.”

She laughed. “God Sidhu. You are so old fashioned. Okay… let’s at least make out again.”

Sidhu had cherished her. People thought he was blind and not aware of how she would lash out at people, hurting them. But he knew her reasons, and what had driven her to behave that way. He didn’t approve of her actions, but he had loved her and accepted her with all her faults.

She was looking at him imploringly. “Sidhu… I—”

“Mahi, can you please come here for a moment.” As soon as Samrat called her, Sidhu noticed how her expression had changed into dread.