AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll see you tonight, Sir?” he asked the producer, shoving thoughts of Raashi from his mind.
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it. A joint event by the Kodela and Gadde families. It’s going to be legendary.” Another dry chuckle.
His cocktail party, two nights before his wedding, and all it was to people was a joint event by the Kodelas and the Gaddes. His wedding wasn’t even about him.
“Wonderful Sir. I look forward to seeing you there.”
“Of course. And we’ll raise a toast together.”
“We must.” Harsh turned away from his reflection, unwilling to stare into his flat, dead eyes anymore. “It’s not every day one gets married.”
“It’s certainly not every day that Harsh Kodela gets married.”
Another snicker from the other man. Harsh was starting to get a little tired of it, this constant amusement at his expense.
“True Sir,” was all he said. He couldn’t afford to piss off the man who held his future by its balls.
“Yes, we’ll toast your bride and your wedding and the hero of my upcoming film.”
Harsh stilled, a fierce exultation sparking in his soul. “Sir?” Did that mean what he thought it did?
“Congratulations Kodela. You’ve became a superstar on your own merit but, now, I’m going to make you a God.”
Harsh whooped, the sound loud and bright in the quiet room. “Thank you, Sir. I won’t disappoint you.”
“See that you don’t, and I’ll see that you reach heights no one can ever bring you down from.”
Harsh bid the other man goodbye and hung up, his heart racing, excitement coursing through his body. He needed to tell someone the good news.
Raashi. He wanted to tell Raashi.
He had no idea why her name was the first one to come to his mind, but it was. He had an overwhelming urge to speak to her, to tell her that it had all been worth it. This whole mess of an engagement, their fake marriage, the whole shitty roller coaster they’d been on…it had all been worth it.
His heart stilled as his mind caught up to the moment. It was worth it, but he had a horrible feeling it had nothing to do with him getting the role. And everything to do with her.
Someone banged on his bedroom door. Harsh ignored it, watching himself in the reflection. He looked like himself, but he definitely didn’t feel like himself. On the inside everything had changed. She’d changed him.
Restless now, he stepped back from the mirror. He didn’t do deep. He didn’t do emotions. He didn’t do feelings. He couldn’t afford to. That way lay nothing but pain and hurt. But it looked like he’d already given Raashi the power to hurt him or why would her thoughtless words from their previous encounter bother him so much? He couldn’t allow that to happen. He needed to take that power back.
He needed to be the Harsh she thought him to be.
The banging on his door started again. Harsh forced a smile to his face and walked over to the door, yanking it open. A regular mob stood on the other side of it.
“How many people does it take to get a Kodela to a party?” Virat asked, grinning.
“If it’s me, none. If it’s him.” Harsh jabbed a thumb at Agastya. “You’d need Arjuna’s army.”
Aarush laughed. “Let’s go man. It’s your night.”
“So, all of you decided to come and get me?” He glared at the crowd in the corridor outside his room. Agastya, Veda, Virat, Aarush and Priyanka grinned back at him, all dressed to kill. “I would have made it to the venue on my own.”
“We had to make sure you wouldn’t run,” Aarush replied, slinging an arm over his shoulders.
“I think you’re confusing me with yourself,” Harsh answered drily, ducking the punch Aarush threw at him in reply. He was still chuckling when they made it to the ground floor of his house. Then he saw his parents waiting for him in the drawing room, right under the dick shaped chandelier which was their father’s pride and joy, and he stopped smiling.
Taking a deep breath, he shot his cuffs and walked over to where they stood. No amount of rebellion or hurt at their attitude towards him had managed to cut off the love he felt for them and so, he bent at the waist and touched their feet. He shut his eyes as he felt their hands press briefly on his head.
Family. They fucked you up as much as they healed you. But whatever you might feel for them, and Harsh’s feelings were complicated when it came to the older generation, they were family. And family was the blood in your veins, the air in your lungs, and the very foundation you planted your feet on.
