4 Chapter _4 Deal.

I instantly feel bereft. But I need to gather myself. I have had enough experiences. And I can't be selfish.

He is looking at me with irritation and confusion " I won't lie to you ever, but I am sorry. "

I mull it over for a moment careful to not look at him. " No listen , I am sorry. I am being selfish. You are right , I wouldn't have been able to pretend that everything was fine. It's just you were going through it alone. " It's true. I am much more hurt because he was suffering alone. I know how he doesn't express his feelings but he feels them.

" Atleast you got to know. " I give him an encouraging smile.

He shakes his head with a gleam in his eyes, " That's what I love about you. Your habit of seeing good in everything. "

"Shut up and now tell me everything."

And that's how I got to know everything. How he found out from a friend that he saw Sahana with a guy in a pub, sitting a little bit too closely in the VIP section. When Kiyansh called her up she didn't pick his call. And the next morning she told him, she went to bed early. But till then he had found out everything about her and the new trending model.

" I am sorry. " I whisper, my heart turning in sorrow.

We are sitting on the smooth wooden floor just like we used to sit when we were kids. Our homework and snacks scattered around the floor. This time it's our feelings.

" I want to talk to you about something..."

He turns towards me , taking my hand he strokes it with his long fingers, as if he's trying to draw something on it.

Sensation hits me with the force of a hurricane. I want to say something but my throat becomes too clogged up to

speak.

My phone rings and I haphazardly take my hand away from his. My palms continue to tingle when I reach for the phone ringing in the bed avoiding his eyes.

"Hello" I answer, keeping my voice stout. I side glance and find him curiously looking at me.

Mrs. Singhania's voice drips with worry when she speaks over the phone. " Umm Shanvi I hope I am not disturbing both of you. It's been an hour , guests are asking about both of you. Your parents are here. And I saw her coming downstairs, alone. Did something happen?" she whispers as if she's committing a blasphemy.

Before I can speak my phone is snatched from my hands. " Mom stop bothering her. We are coming downstairs. " I don't know what they are talking about , but he nods his head diligently. "Coming" he says before cutting the call.

I raise my eyebrows, " That was my phone, and how did you know it was her?"

" Ofcourse it's yours. " He says holding my phone back.

I shake my head, he takes my hand and drags me up from the floor. " Why are you wearing stilleto? You hate them."

I roll my eyes. " Mom's gonna be there. She'll be happy. "

I move towards the door but he stops me and looks everywhere else but at me. " Umm stay with me, don't want people nagging me today. "

My heart warms, he is just like a kid sometimes. " What ever you say Mr. you will save me from my mom too. "

"Deal" he says and we both head out.

We stand quietly in the elevator without speaking a word to each other. The elevator comes to a halt and we both head out. Then without a word he takes my hand in his. I secretly heave a sigh and move across the living room passing the circular staircases which looks like a twisting riddle but a fancy one.

The soiree is in full mode. We could already hear people swarming each other with invigorating conversation. I hated parties to be honest. But it was about his family. And I couldn't say no to Mrs. Singhania.

"Let's get into the zone." I murmured wryly.

" You have me. " He knows that I hate parties.

I give him a soft smile and see him switching into his unyielding mode. The sudden robust change gave a no nonsense aura.

That's why when we entered, heads turned to our direction. But he looked like he didn't give a damn. I could see people fidgeting and setting themselves straight. The respect in their eyes clear.

My eyes finds Sahana standing in a corner near a server holding a silver tray with flutes of champagne. She looks at me snoutly then turns and picks up a champagne. He doesn't even glance in her direction. But when my head bends , he tugs me even more near him, as if sensing my hesitation.

" Let's go to your parents, they must be waiting for you."

My eyes find my mother dressed in a pink satin suit. She looks like a strong sharp beauty that she is. Her triangle face holds curiosity with striking blue eyes. And my father, as cheerful and casual he is, dressed in a light blue denim and white polo t-shirt. His face radiating with unconcealed toothy grin.

My father whistles when we reach him. " Look look who is here." He excitedly scrabbles me from Kiyansh's arm, hugging me tightly.

" Behave " my mother mutters but not without a soft smile on her lips. They are like that, opposite from each other but they couldn't stay a minute without each other.

" What? " he murmurs still not letting me go. "She doesn't stay with us anymore. Why did you let her buy her own home?" He says petulantly.

My mother drags him back, " Don't behave like a child people are looking and she is grown up. You can't slung on her shoulders and she deserves privacy of her own home. "

My father looks at my mother just like a kid who can't ever win an argument, " She is my baby I can hug her how I want and by god's grace we have a big home she can sleep in any of the damn rooms. "

They both stare at each other. And my father at the end looks right and left.

A laugh breaks out of me. Both my parents smile instantly forgetting about any argument. My heart fills with love for them. They have always been like this. I cried and they fought with each other. I smiled and they left everything and smiled with me.

" Mr. Sharma " Kiyansh comes forward and extends a hand towards him.

My father takes it and smiles softly at him with a gleam in his eyes. My father hugs almost everyone he meets. But I never saw him hugging Kiyansh. He understood Kiyansh's aloofness and undoubtedly respected it. It was quite weird to be honest when Kiyansh was a kid and he came to our house. He always used to shake my father's hand. But they had some sort of undeniable bond, which was present as some sort of secret joke. Even now Kiyansh gave a quick handshake to my mother. And started having conversation about cricket with my father. Men!

" Hey Shanvi you are free on next Sunday right, we are taking you to the match. It's the semi finals. " My father looked at me excitingly. I was going to say no. But then I saw my father's and Kiyansh' s hopeful eyes. And I could not say anything except 'sure.'

I did not miss the gleaming smile on their faces. I could watch thousand cricket matches for these smiles.

" What is going on? " My mother finds me in a corner and asks me with predator eyes. " Why did he come to the party with you and not her? " It hurt coming from my mom but she was a direct women so I didn't mind much. And ....she knew everything. Yes , she knew. She catched me several times. And one day I couldn't lie anymore. She said , " A mother knows her daughter. She knows every look of her child." So yeah... She also knew that he was gonna tell everybody today. We had ice cream crying night session over it.

" Hey. What happened tell me. " My mother shook me with the force of news she wanted.

I shook my head at her, " Not now mom."

" Hey I deserve to know. You know Ice cream partners. " she said with wide eyes. If anybody looked at her now. They wouldn't recognise her. My mother was almost like Kiyansh. Busy in her work, that pristine- like aura she carried with her made people look upto her. She was heading several companies. Owned Sharma Cooperation which dealt into several dealings such as Petrol Pumps, Furniture, Departmental Stores, theaters, malls and a lot more. She was twice awarded as Business-woman of the year. And was fifth under the Forbes Women of the decade.

But yeah, she was a mother. And sometimes a gossipy one.

" You are not tricking me right now." I said with cool eyes. But her face made me speak up, " okay okay, she cheated on him. And he knew since a month." I whispered looking right and left. I took a sigh of relief when I saw Kiyansh and my father involved into a deep conversation.

" Oh My God" her eyes looked like it would pop out any minute.

" Mom take a breath and don't behave like that " I chastised my mother. I never thought that a day would come where I would tell my mother to behave.

" Okay. But...." She shook her head as if the information was too much. Which it kinda was.

" Shanvi.." Mrs. Singhania's voice boomed from my right. " I hope I am not disturbing you both she asked kindly.

"No. Not at all Maya. " My mother said in friendly tone. Covering her incredulous look with a smile.

" Oh my husband is bothering me again about her. "

" Of course I am. " Mr. Singhania came with a smiling but stern face. He had that stern look always. But people who knew him , would know that there was a soft person inside. " You guys cheated on me. "

I laughed and stood up to kiss on him on his cheek. " No we didn't. "

" My wife and son met you alone. " He said with a raised eyebrow. His raised eyebrow was almost like Kiyansh's.

" But here I am right?" I asked him with a pleading smile.

He nodded and smiled at me fondly.

" We are too fond of your child Aisha " Mrs. Singhania said calling my mother with her first name.

" We all are mother. " Kiyansh's deep prevailing voice made everyone turn in his direction. " I told you to stay with me. Sorry have to take her. You guys can chat among yourself." He said and offered his hands to me.

I took it hoping I was not blushing. Almost two people cleared their throats. I didn't look up to find.

" What are you doing all of a sudden " I whispered dubiously when we were safe distance from our parents.

" What? " Before I could answer him. He took me out from the garden towards the swimming pool on the other side where Ashraf Kaka was standing.

I took my arms out of his moving towards him. " Hi Ashraf Kaka why are you standing here. Come inside. "

" He won't come inside. Me and your father asked him twice. So I thought I would bring you. "

" Let's go? "

He looked at me pleadingly. " There's no need to ..."

" Kaka you are a part of family and you know that. Let's go inside. " He took a tentative step towards me. So I took his arms and let him inside the party.

It was the first time he agreed since that incident. He was very important for me. And everyone knew that. A smile came on my face when I saw Kiyansh making Ashraf Kaka comfortable. He was talking to him. And it made me happy. People were looking at us curiously maybe thinking who the person was with which Kiyansh was taking so much interest in. But it didn't matter.

It made my heart warm when Ashraf Kaka was comfortably standing laughing and eating with my family like old times.

" Thank you. " I whisper and squeeze Kiyansh's arm.

" No need to thank me. I want something in return. "

" What? " I ask happily looking at our family.

" Marry Me."

My breath stumbles and I guess stops. I slowly turn my head towards him. Oh so slowly. I look in his eyes casually looking at me but not so casually.