Page 9 of Addiction

“Tomato, tohmato…all the same,” Reina dismissed with a roll of her eyes.

“Dr. Reina Mehra, do not roll?—”

“Actually, it’s Dr. Reina Singh.”

Navya frowned. “Huh, what?”

“Look, in my early years studying here, my teachers, mentors, and even my classmates didn’t take me seriously when they learned I was Reina Mehra, youngest sister of Rajiv Mehra,billionaire extraordinaire. I had to keep proving myself over and over again to show that I was capable and not just some spoilt rich kid. So, when I graduated, I changed my name to Dr. Reina Singh. It’s for the best that people don’t know my family background at work. I know you won’t like the fact that I took our real father’s name. But…”

“Hey,” Navya said gently. “I’m no fan of our father. But I’m good with whatever makes you happy.”

Reina gave her a soft smile. Navya’s heart was at peace knowing that her baby sister was happy and living exactly the life she wanted. Reina had fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a doctor, and Navya was so proud of her. The two of them had faced a rough childhood, and Navya was eternally grateful to her paternal aunt, now mom, Sara Mehra, for taking in Reina and her after their mother had passed. Their father, Gautam Singh, hadn’t wanted to be burdened with two children anyway. So, Sara, her husband, Anvay Mehra, and their kids, Rajiv and Ananya, had taken them in and given Navya and Reina the stability and happiness that they had lacked before. Her chest warmed. Those four precious people had made them a part of their world, never once making them feel that Reina and she were adopted.

In fact, now the world had also forgotten this fact. Everyone believed that she and Reina were Sara and Anvay Mehra’s daughters, and Rajiv Mehra’s sisters, especially since Rajiv had moved his business headquarters to Dubai nearly a decade ago. The whole family had shifted with him and they’d started a new life in Dubai.

Reina’s exit from the car jolted Navya out of her thoughts. She stepped out just as Reina handed the keys to a valet. Navya linked her arm with her sister as they headed towards the lawns to yet another queue where security was scanning the guests’ IDs and invites. Everyone entering was body scanned and askedto hand in their cell phones before being allowed inside the vast lawns. The level of safety measures were top-notch. The party was being held just beyond the entrance of the lawns, and already Navya could make out the laser lights zigzagging in the sky and the loud music thumping. Nice.

Cold air hit her face. Despite being dressed in thigh-high boots, a full-length overcoat, and a thick roll-neck sweater worn over a short skirt and warm leggings, she still felt a tad bit chilly. Like her, everyone else was also appropriately dressed in warm clothes. Although, unlike her, they all, including Reina, didn’t bat an eye at the cold wind, used to the English weather as they all were.

A petite East Asian woman was waving frantically at them from inside the entrance. Reina gave her a wide grin. Su Min pointed to them, and the security opened another barricade, allowing them to bypass the queue. After they handed in their cell phones and received a ticket for the same, they were allowed to go right through.

“You’re here!” Su Min gasped, hugging Reina. “And this must be your sister.”

“Navya, Su Min is a nurse in my department,” Reina said warmly.

“Hi,” Navya held her hand out. But the other girl put her arms around her as if they were long lost friends.

“I’m so happy to meet you,” Su Min gushed. “Come on, let’s go, let’s go.” She herded them inside the venue, chatting happily with Reina, while Navya took in everything around her. The grand house loomed majestically in the background, giving the event a surreal ambience. The lawn was lit with tall halogens, laser beams crisscrossing everywhere, disco lights, and loud music. Hordes of people milling about gave the whole setup a happy vibe.

She breathed in, feeling toasty warm. As she watched Reina shed her gloves, Navya looked around and noticed standing heaters everywhere. No wonder she was comfortable. Very nice, indeed.

Multiple bars were set up at various sides of the lawns with food stations at different ends, and right in the front was a large stage, which was currently empty. In front of it was a dance floor where people were dancing to the deejay’s music. All in all, everything was quite grand and lavish. Su Min ushered them to one of the bars and immediately ordered a round of tequila shots for them.

“To a great night!” Reina said.

They all repeated her words, clinked their glasses, and downed their shots. The liquid hit Navya’s stomach, and a slow buzz started in her veins. She smiled, swaying to the music. It was going to be a great night, indeed.

The music halted and a famous rapper came on stage to perform. The crowd roared in delight. Oh my God. This party was really next level. She shared an excited look with Reina. Her sister grinned and ordered another round of shots, after which Su Min ordered vodka sodas for all of them. She handed Reina and her a glass each. Just when Navya was lifting her glass from the bar top, a man crashed into her. Navya swung her glass away from him just in time. She frowned as she noticed something falling from the man’s hand. But before she could look any further, the man apologized to her and disappeared. Ignoring the vague encounter, she allowed the girls to drag her to the dance floor.

The performance ended an hour later, after which a famous deejay took over. The three of them moved to the back of the dance floor, catching their breath.

Reina put her arm around Navya’s waist, pulling her close.

“I’m so glad we’re doing this,” Navya said. “This is fun. I miss Ananya being here. Actually, I miss Rajiv and Sheena, too, and their kids. It’s been so long since all of us have been together.”

“The last time I visited Dubai was when Shiven turned three, and now Nia is going to be two soon. How quickly these kids are growing up?” Reina exclaimed. “I miss them. I’ll try to make a quick dash to Dubai once Rajiv and Sheena return from Mumbai.”

“You must,” Navya said. “After Shiven and Nia, the house feels so empty when they aren’t around. Mom and Dad were already in Mumbai, and now, with Rajiv, Sheena and their kids gone as well, it will be just Ananya and me when I return. I can’t wait for Shiven and Nia to be home again.”

“Oh, I still can’t believe I’m an aunt,” Reina gushed. “They’re such cuties. I adore them.”

Navya grinned. These kids were their future, a new generation coming in. The night Shiven was born, Navya had promised that sweet little baby boy that she would be a great aunt to him, that she would do her best to keep him safe always. And she had repeated that promise to Nia when she was born. Family meant everything to her.

“Hey, girls!” Su Min called out. “I wanted to thank you again for giving us your tickets. We had such a great time at the concert. It was a dream come true.”

Reina gave her friend a warm look. “Thanks for inviting us tonight. I’ve been working nonstop for two weeks and this is just the break I needed.”

Her little sister deserved every bit of happiness. Navya took in the ambience around her, enjoying the mood of the party. Her brows shot up when yet another famous deejay took the stage and began to play his remixes. How rich was Su Min’s boyfriend to afford such a huge event and call such popular artists to perform? And wait… if he was that rich, then why didSu Min even need their tickets? Her boyfriend could have easily organized them, couldn’t he? The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense to her.

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