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Veda and Raashi were on their feet, rushing towards their brother who dropped his hands and growled at Aadhya.
“You tried to break my nose and somehow it’s my fault?” Ram was beyond furious, his rapidly swelling nose making it hard to understand what he was saying.
“We should go to the hospital,” Veda said, peering up at him and trying to get a better look at his nose.
“It’s fine. It’s not broken.” Priyanka walked up to them and examined Ram’s nose carefully. “I’ll get some ice. If you’re still uncomfortable after half an hour, we can go to the hospital.”
Ram came to sit beside Harsh. “If I have to play this stupid game, I want to be on your team,” he told Harsh.
Harsh eyed him suspiciously. “That depends. Which sister do you draw like?”
Ram laughed, a pained sound, as it pulled on sore muscles. “You were partnered with Raashi until now?”
Harsh nodded grimly. “Dude, I know nursery kids who can do better than her.”
“How about you pair up with me and we can stick her with Virat or Aadhya?”
Harsh opened his mouth to agree but a strange sensation snuck through him. Oddly enough, it felt like he’d be betraying Raashi by abandoning her midway through the game. It was just a stupid game, he reasoned. But a stupid game he’d like to win and he wouldn’t win anything with her on his team.
Priyanka and Raashi came back with the ice and Priyanka helped Ram apply it to his nose. From across the circle of friends, Aadhya frowned at Ram like his nose personally offended her. Maybe that’s why she’d tried to shatter it.
“So, are we playing or are we not?” Aarush called out.
Raashi came to sit beside him, her hair falling forward and brushing over his arm. Those annoying bees woke up and buzzed. And Harsh knew he couldn’t do it.
“Sorry man,” he told Ram. “I’m with her.”
Ram smiled and pushed to his feet, still holding ice to his nose. “I’ll partner with Virat or even better, sit this out.”
“Our turn.” Raashi moved their counter after rolling the dice and then pulled out a card. She looked at it carefully and then placed it face down. She picked up her pen and pad and started to draw.
Harsh groaned as he saw the chicken scratch appearing on the page. It was going to be a long night. Was that a pile of shit?
But whatever, Pictionary loser or not, he was with her.
Twenty-Seven
RAASHI
That fake kiss…she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She’d spent all night sneaking glances at his mouth and wishing she could get another taste. A real one, this time. A heated flush had her turning away from Harsh and towards Aadhya who was sitting on her other side.
Aadhya’s curls were having a very bad hair day. The breeze that was stronger than normal that night had it standing up in a riotous mess on her head. She looked like a witch in the middle of casting a spell.
“Want a scrunchie?” Raashi offered watching Aadhya battle to keep the hair out of her face. She dug her spare one out of her tracks pocket and held it out.
“Thanks.” Aadhya took the satin band gratefully, grabbing her hair in a chokehold and tying it up.
“I love your hair,” Raashi said wistfully.
“You’re joking right?” Aadhya was still wrestling her hair into submission, rebellious curls slipping out of her grasp.
“It has character.” She fingered her own limp, straight strands. “Mine on the other hand mimics limp, wet noodles.”
Aadhya laughed, a full-bodied throaty chuckle that had Raashi smiling back. There was something about Aadhya’s confident fire that had always drawn her to the other woman. Raashi had the fire. She just didn’t have the confidence.
Today had been full throttle. From her day at the salon to the engagement party to that kiss, no not the kiss…she was not going to think about the kiss anymore. From the engagement party to this hang out on the terrace, it was a lot of peopling. Raashi didn’t normally people so much and now she was starting to feel peopled out.
“Marrying Harsh Kodela,” Aadhya mused from beside her. “That’s a whole vibe right there.”
