Our rollercoaster relationship

28. Meet his family

REET'S POV
I was on the verge of saying a yes but let's not get overboard. "Ranbir I would love to say a yes, but I don't love you. I might in the future but right now let's know each other first? I'm willing to help you around your parents but that's it."

I honestly think I should have said yes and waited for love to happen. But sadly once you give your heart it's not yours really and mine was clearly with Sid still. Being with Ranbir would be like cheating him of an honest partner. He smiled sadly and told his driver to take us back to his parents place. "You will help me right? Well, the deal is they know I'm coming home with a friend. So you will have to come with me." I looked down at my creased clothes, scared of looking at the mirror, I self consciously moved my hand to my hair, "Ranbir I'm not exactly dressed for dinner. Let alone with a Bollywood family!" Ranbir smiled at me. "Your personality is your best dress up. Why do you worry my love?"

I loved his lines, given a chance I would pen them somewhere. But the truth was I looked shabby. "Ranbir tomorrow night please. Or at least take me home to let me change," I protested. "We are going right now love, but being the best guy in the world, I stopped by Zara."

There is something for you at the back. I turned around expecting a Zara package but the car trunk was filled to the boot with Zara, forever new, H&M, mango, aldo, charles and keith, Gap, MAC, Bobbi brown and heck even a small Dior bag! I should have said yes. "Ranbir I'm just taking one piece and you return the rest." I regretted what I just said. I should have thanked him at least. "Sorry Ranbir. But thanks. No one has ever pampered me like this," I said softly. "Okay but let me choose what I will keep."

"This is all for you. The reason I got these Reet is that I like you too much to let the paparazzi bash you. I will have to fight them if you do not keep all these," he smiled. I was mad not to love him really. But it was not in my hands. I cursed myself as I remembered Sid's engagement.

Anyhow we reached his parents place and I did not change. Just wore a shell pink blazer above my clothes, some wedges and retied my hair.

The evening was awkward. As Ranbir introduced me as a friend his father lost interest, his mother tried her best to know why I was with her son. "Come Reet I will show you my room," Ranbir held my hand and we walked up to the first floor. "Ranbir it's an uncomfortable situation. Why?"

Ranbir chose not to answer. This is my old room. He opened the door and as I peeked inside, it was a mauve room with pink furnishings and a photo of a cat. I stifled a laughter as I saw Ranbir look sad, then angry and then his eyes looked guarded. His parents had changed his childhood room and maybe he was attached to it.

"I think we will leave now," Ranbir said to no one in particular. "Beta what happened? Did you two fight? You did not like the new room? We got it styled for you!" His mother was screeching as his father still nursed his drink. "Maa how could you? It was my room?" Ranbir sounded hurt. His father sneered, "says the boy who has no time to come home." Ranbir held his head down. 

But before he could say something, I held his hand tightly. "Ranbir can get hundreds of those designer rooms made, but he wanted to share his childhood memories which you helped him make by being a superdad. The room change doesn't hurt, your attitude sure does! Yes he is busy, busy working hard! How about you stay with him for a bit to see he gets up at 4 to exercise for his shoots. Let's go Ranbir," I held his hand and walked out. The guy was trying too hard.

He held my hand and gulped down some expensive Scotch. "My father is too self centered. He wanted me to be a CA and I spent most my childhood pleasing him." I held his hand tighter. Parents and meeting their expectations was always difficult. Maybe if I offered a bit of my life to him, Ranbir would feel better, "I was also a rank holder till I messed up and got involved with my tutor in college. My father threw me out Ranbir," it felt lighter to have confessed this to someone for the first time in my life. "Reet, I don't know what to say." He offered me that green Scotch bottle and I took a swig. The past burnt more than the neat whiskey.