Stepping in when Rajveer took too long, Akaash said, "Congratulations to you both!" before shaking each of their hands. Mira followed suit, giving Rajveer a look that he better get it together.
Rajveer shook Zoya's hand first, then meekly shook Aditya's hand and said, "Congratulations... Aur invite karne ke liye shukriya. It shows that you two are the bigger people here. I know jo kuch maine kiya voh aap shayad kabhi maaf nahi kar paenge lekin phir bhi main aap dono se maafi maangta hoon. I'm sorry."
Aditya looked as though he was going to retaliate with a taunt of some sort but Zoya put a hand on his arm. Smiling at Rajveer, she said, "Thank you for your apology."
Stepping in once more, Akaash diverted the conversation to one of business which kept Aditya and Zoya engaged while Rajveer and Mira politely listened and nodded once in a while. It wasn't long before Rajveer's eyes wandered through the crowd and spotted Mahi still speaking to her mother. His eyes softened somewhat before returning his attention to the conversation. He would occasionally glance back at Mahi in what he assumed was a stealthy way but Mira bore witness to the whole thing and couldn't help but smile.
Eventually, Aditya and Zoya moved on to greet the other guests. Almost immediately, Mira said, exasperated, "My goodness, us ke paas jao already."
"Kya?" Rajveer asked, playing dumb.
Rolling her eyes, Mira said, "Mahi ke paas. Tum baar baar us ki taraf dekh rahe the. Don't worry, we won't be offended."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Main usse nahi dekh raha tha. Aur anyway, hum dono saath rahte hain - mujhe tum dono se baat karne ka mauka everyday nahi milta."
This time Akaash rolled his eyes, "Seriously? Yaar tum jab chahe mujhe mil sakte ho. Now go, don't waste the night."
Sighing in defeat, Rajveer made his way over to Mahi. As soon as he left, Akaash all but squealed. Looking at her husband, Mira shook her head with a smile. "Kabhi kabhi main confused hoti ho ki hum dono mein se kaun aadmi hai aur kaun aurat."
"Whatever! Tum bhi excited ho. It's finally happening!" Akaash said.
"Haan, I'm happy for the two of them," Mira agreed as they watched Rajveer join Mahi and her mother.
"Sorry Auntie-ji, kuch zyaada hi der lag gayi," Rajveer said upon his return.
"Koi baat nahi. Aap dono baat kijiye, main Roshnaq-ji se milkar aati hoon."
Left alone once more, Rajveer and Mahi stood in a slightly awkward silence. "Kya tum Aditya aur Zoya se mili?" Rajveer finally asked.
"Haan voh aaye the," Mahi nodded.
"Kya hua? Matlab unhone tumhe kuch kaha toh nahi...?" Rajveer asked, genuinely concerned.
"No no. Agar unko kuch kahna bhi tha voh kuch nahi kar sakte the kyunki Maa mere saath kardi thi aur Zoya Maa ki bahut izzat karti hai. Kyun? Unhone tumse kuch kaha?"
"Aditya kuch kahane vala tha lekin Zoya ne usko rok diya."
"So better than expected," Mahi said with a sarcastic smile.
Suddenly, Aditya' brother, Arjun, interrupted everyone by making an announcement. There was an entertainment performance followed by speeches made by select family members. Mr. Hooda's speech seemed to be a bit over the top and Mahi got the impression that it was more of a show-off to the public than an actual heartfelt message towards his son. Mahi noticed that Rajveer tensed slightly while Mr. Hooda spoke and she momentarily placed her hand on his arm.
Rajveer looked at Mahi after she had returned her hand back to her side in curiosity. However, she didn't look back at him. Then, Mahi gasped, "Maa?"
YOU ARE READING
Itefaaq
RomanceBepanah AU set after the court case. Mahi and Rajveer deal with the consequences of their actions and try to move on with life.
