Page 41 of His Smile
"Yeah, I have heard that his shows are doing verywell and people like them because they don’t last very long giving it a veryexclusive once in a lifetime feeling."
"Yeah, which for a dancer is a Godsend, Jason wants towork with them very, very badly. I just hope the meeting goes well."
"It should,” Rubina frowned at the doubt in hersister’s tone. “You two were always on really good terms while he was there,right? Didn’t he initially invite you to walk with him when he left?"
"Well yeah,” Rahina could feel the pit of nervousnessin her stomach form. “And that’s why I am so scared, I don’t know if he willhold that against me."
"I doubt it, especially since he is dropping everythingand meeting with you so quickly,” Rubina assured her.
Seeing that their family was starting to sit at the largedinner table, she stood up from the couch, followed by Rubina. “Well, let’shope so.”
Sitting at the long dinner table, Rahina couldn’t help butlook at Dev Gorshal’s smile at her with a dubious frown. Sitting on her left,Dev turned in his chair towards her, answering her frown with an even deepersmile. On her left, Safina was chattering away to their aunt about school.Rahina had cast a suspicious look to her mother when Dev arrived just as theywere sitting down, but Deeya Chopra merely pretended as if she did not see orfeel the burning look of accusation from her daughter as she took her seat nextto her husband and step-son Amit. Across from Rahina, Rubina sat between Amitand Riaz and shared a commiserating look with her.
“It’s so good to see you Dev,” Rahina said with an overlybright voice.
Dev’s eyes lit up with knowing amusement at her sarcasm.“Your mother invited me,” he explained. “But I cannot say I didn’t jump at theopportunity to come see you, since getting you to answer my calls isimpossible.”
“I return all of your texts,” she defended. “You make itseem like you and I didn’t have a nearly twenty-four-hour long conversationlast week on the merits and shortcoming of Game of Thrones books versus theseries.”
“I would much rather have that conversation in real lifeRahina, and you know that,” Leaning one arm on the table Dev leveled her with acool stare. “Besides, that was an argument and not a conversation.”
She decidedly ignored his attempt to steer the conversationin a more serious direction. “It’s because you and the rest of the internettrolls are such snobs. Just watch the darn show and stop comparing, try to justsit there and enjoy it without the need for dissection.”
Dev laughed just as Amit spoke, silencing everyone at thelong table immediately.
“So, I heard you didn’t get the principal position.” Shecould see the ghost of a smile on Amit’s lips as he stared back at herchallengingly. She knew the asshole took pleasure at the sudden uncomfortablesilence in the room.
Not daring to look at her mother or father to see theirreaction, Rahina just gave Amit a cool smile. She could never remember when itwas exactly when they started to hate one another. But at some point, growingup neither one of them could stay in the same room as the other withoutarguing. The worst part was that Amit had a perfectly acceptable relationshipwith Rubina, a little distant but acceptable. They recognized one another’sstrengths, could speak cordially to one another, and passively cared for theother’s well-being. With Safina it was even worse, Rahina had watched Amitactually smile and laugh with his youngest sister and treat her like aprincess; the same however could not be said for Rahina. Disdain was what theyhad for one another. Only with passing years, healthy distance, and lots ofmutual silence on their parts were they even able to enter the same roomtogether. Although today was beginning to look like it would not be one ofthose days, Rahina noted with an inward sigh.
“How did I know you would be the first one to find out thatunfortunate event about me?” She replied with an overly sweet voice. “I canalways rely on you, dear brother, to keep me humble. But don’t worry I have gotsome new deals in the works as we speak.”
“Is that how you got the new car Amit tells me about?” Hermom asked, wearing the same naturally stern face as Amit. It was amazing thatthe two were not technically related since Amit was from her father’s previousshort marriage in his youth. Amit had adopted her mother’s ever constantdisapproving facial expressions, which wasn’t surprising since Amit wouldhappily walk over hot coals for their mother.
“No, the car was just a birthday gift.” She looked at hermother with a smile while avoiding the woman’s penetrating gaze.
“Gift?” Numerous curious whispers at the table spoke atonce, and Rahina wanted to just scream. Catching Rubina’s look from across thetable, she read the silent look of encouragement. Stay strong.
“Gift from whom?” Her mother leaned forward with stiffeningdetermination in her posture, which only seemed to bring a fire of emboldenedsatisfaction to Amit’s eyes.
Looking to her father, Rahina had to will herself to ignorethe stab of pain that went through her as he simply watched with interest atthe interrogation of his middle daughter. What was she expecting, she wonderedbitterly? He has been like this for years; he wasn’t going to abruptly changeand have her back all of a sudden.
Taking a calming breath, she gave a bold smile and equallybold lie. “Myself, of course.”
“Bullshit,” Amit said, followed by a harsh reprimand fromher mother on his language. “There is no way you can afford that car,” heaccused.
Beyond annoyed now, she gave Amit a frosty smile. “Ah, butobviously I have since it's parked just outside and the keys are in my purse.Now, if you’re through with your questions can we resume our nice family dinneror would you like to discuss how I filed for taxes last year?”
Giving her a rude snort, Amit turned his attention to theircousin Shaan who across from him and began talking. Slowly the rest of herfamily at the table began to follow suit, Rahina could feel Dev’s eyes on theside of her face and could feel him shift slightly in his chair trying subtlyto obtain her attention. She refused to look his way. If he could sit quietlyas her brother unnecessarily grilled her, then he could continue to sit quietlythroughout the rest of the dinner. Turning to her sister Safina, she fell intoa conversation about the latest gossip at her school.
She ignored Dev for the rest of the night, and she refusedto look in the direction of Amit and her parents. She was angry at Amit, butshe was disappointed in her parents. Once dinner was over, she didn’t wait tolinger around with the rest of the family, and she turned away when she sawDev’s approach from the other side of the room. Saying goodbye to Safina, sheglanced up and saw Rubina standing and talking with one of their pregnantcousins. Sharing a nonverbal goodbye, Rahina pushed through the room’s doubledoors and made her way through the restaurant and out to the parking lot.
“You didn’t say goodbye,” the unexpected sound of Amit’svoice stilled her as she was halfway to her car.
Rahina contemplated turning around and giving him a piece ofher mind, but she knew it would get her nowhere and honestly, she wasn’t in themood. She didn’t want to be here any longer, she wanted to go back home.
Resuming her step toward her car, Amit spoke again. “Okthen, say bye to aunt Rahina, Nayani.”
Bastard.
