24. Wicked Sunny
Maybe you're too rich to understand me.

I spent some time with my grandmother who chose to eat dinner in her room by herself. Her solitude bothered me, and I wondered whether I made a mistake bringing her here. Rosie usually circled around her or sat by her side which brought a smile on her face.

Papa's death destroyed the happiness in my family. At least, having Ashar's family brought some smiles back. If only my mother had the time to spend with her family too. She was too busy with the company.

Jhanvi called me and asked me to find out about Sunny. She wanted me to meet up with him and catch him flirting with me red-handed. I didn't tell Ashar about it since he loathed Sunny's name. With a heavy heart, I texted Sunny if he wanted to meet up.

His immediate response was a yes.

I texted him the location before sending it to Jhanvi.

Today was going to be eventful, to say the least.

* * *

"I didn't think you were going to forgive me."

Sunny wore a crisp brown blazer on top of a white button down paired with dark blue jeans. His hair had caramel highlights styled in a dashing way. Had he not been a cheater, I'd still have a small crush on his hot looks. Unfortunately, his handsome features couldn't compensate for the hideous character.

He sat across from me at a five star restaurant. We were outside in the balcony with other couples and families. Lunch time gave us a warmer weather to converse in. Jhanvi also had better lighting to take photos. I was also recording the conversation on my phone which sat face down on the table. The things I did for my family sometimes amazed me too. Stupid Ashar pushed me to help Jhanvi.

"I haven't forgiven you," I told him frankly. "I want to know why you're behaving oddly with me. First, you told me you wanted my help to get together with Jhanvi. Next, you told me you thought we had a spark. I'm confused."

He flashed his model smile. "I should've been clearer from the beginning. Ashar ruined my reputation horrifically, but I won't get into that. Look, I know you were forced to marry Ashar. I was in a similar position when I began dating your cousin."

"You were forced to marry Jhanvi?" That confused me more.

"She fell in love first. For me, she was a best friend. I wasn't sure about the relationship but she threatened she'd kill herself if I left her." His face fell slightly and he sighed. "I had no choice but to propose."

"That's your excuse for cheating?" I inquired in disbelief. I had to refrain from cursing him out. Jhanvi wanted me to see how far he'd go.

"Annie, people makes mistakes," he said. "If I could go back and change, I'd . . . change a lot of decisions I've made. You can't imagine how much I've destroyed my own life since . . . "

"Since what?"

"Ashar hasn't told you?" he asked almost bitterly. Upon seeing my bafflement, he continued, "He hasn't told you anything, huh? That . . . Never mind. People don't like revealing their criminal pasts, do they?"

"What do you mean?" I didn't come here for this.

"Never mind. Ask your husband," he said scoffing.

"Doesn't matter," I said changing the topic. I'll ask Ashar about his criminal pasts later. "I'm here for your side. What do you want from me?"

"I want to get to know you more," he said in a lowered voice as he held my gaze. Was this how he got girls? "Let me take you out."

"You're married," I emphasized.

"I was married too when you used to try to talk to me at parties," he accused.

My schoolgirl crush wasn't serious enough to become a house breaker.

"I didn't know you were like this back then," I said quietly. Had I known, I would've never talked to him. "Where do you want to take me out?"

"Anywhere . . . Everywhere."

"Just me and you?"

"Just me and you." He grinned.

I wanted to break his jaw. "What about Jhanvi? What if she finds out?"

"We are getting divorced anyway," he said coolly. "She's my ex."

"Why didn't you try to get with me during your relationship with her?" I asked. "Or were you with someone else during that time?"

His silence spoke loudly.

"I won't judge," I lied. "If you want to start something with me, I want you to be honest. I don't want to find out from other people that you were sleeping around with God knows how many women."

Again, his mum mouth went against me. I did my best not to catch Jhanvi's eyes. This recording wasn't going to be as helpful as I had intended. Accepting my defeat, I stood up.

"No, wait!" he said immediately. He stood up too. "Let's talk. You're right. We need to start honestly if we want to build a new relationship."

We're getting somewhere.

Finally.

I crossed my arms. "You promise you're being a hundred percent real with me?"

He nodded. "Yes. Sit down." Once I obliged, he leaned forward on the table and his voice dropped. "When I was with Jhanvi, I've only . . . been with my manager . . . maybe three or four times. I shouldn't have done that. Trust me . . . it wasn't my best judgment."

I couldn't tell if he was faking it to win my trust or he was honest. Either way, he was a cheater.

"You need to start making better decisions in your life," I told him.

I picked up my phone. I didn't want to stop the recording in front of him and give him a heads up about Jhanvi's plan. I grabbed my handbag and put a few hundred dollar bills down on the table for the bill. I hadn't even touched the food.

"Annie, what are you doing?" he asked.

"You're a lying fraud," I told him. "I used to hate my cousin, but I pity her now for choosing you as her husband."

"Annie, I like you a lot," he said desperately. "Ashar will never let anyone take Hayat's place. You'll be divorced soon enough—"

"That'd be mine and my husband's problem," I told him fiercely. "Not yours."

"Your husband?" He let out a mock laugh. "You know nothing about him, Annie. You don't know the blood he has on his hands."

"I know him well enough to know he's hundred times a better person than you," I retorted.

He screamed something else about me regretting leaving him and other idiotic things. I left him red faced.

Jhanvi waited for me in the parking lot. She had pulled up her black Range Rover next to my Porsche. I told my driver to go home while I sat down next to Jhanvi. I stopped the recording finally and sent it to her. She thanked me over and over again for being by her side while she drove.

"Tell me something," I started, "did you really threaten that idiot to marry you or you'd kill yourself?"

She bit her lip. "I might've been exaggerating, and he took me seriously."

I rolled my eyes.

As we neared my house, another issue came to my mind. It perked up my curiosity and knowing Ashar, he'd never tell me. I knew Jhanvi's network and sources. Her dad knew how to get information on anyone.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" I asked my cousin.

She had pulled up in my driveway. "What?"

"Can you or your dad do a background check on someone for me?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Ashar Virk."

She blinked back at me and raised both her eyebrows quizzically. I nodded sharply. She shrugged and nodded affirmative.

We had a deal.

* * *

Sunny texted me asking to meet him again, but I blocked his number.

Staying home felt unproductive, so I began working on making short videos of my home's property the next week. I used my grandma in small video stories and sometimes, Ashar's sisters.

Ashar and his family gathered together for dinner every night. My grandma had started to join as well. But she didn't partake in any conversation. Okay, maybe I was being harsh as she had turned mute after Papa's death.

Everyone ate chicken lasagna for dinner except me. I wanted coconut shrimp soup. It was usually delicious except today, it tasted like the maids had overdosed on all the spices. I was too hungry to wait for another one.

"Ashar, Christmas is coming up," Aara announced.

"I know," he said tiredly. "You've been singing All I Want For Christmas Is You all day long."

"My school's having a Christmas charity ball. Can I go?" she asked sweetly.

"How are your grades looking?" he asked.

I laughed as Aara gave him a glare. "I'm a straight A student."

"What are the hours for this charity ball?" Ashar took the parental role quite seriously.

"Seven to midnight," she said smiling. "There's an after party too that my new friends invited me to."

"No," he said simply.

"Ashar!" Aara whined.

"No means no," he said firmly.

Aara looked at me for help. I usually didn't get between her and her brother. I wasn't exactly a part of their family, so butting in their decisions would come back to bite me.

"Annie, tell him how unreasonable he's being," Aara begged. "It's my last year of school. I'll be too busy to party and have fun in college as a pre-med."

"She's not wrong, Ashar," I said slowly. "Let her have some fun. What's the worst that can happen? Her Prince Charming will come to our house asking if the glass shoe fits?"

"I won't leave a shoe at the ball," Aara insisted.

"So there's a Prince Charming?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows at her.

She looked at me and then at Ashar's dilated eyes. Something was definitely up.

"No. No. Definitely no Prince Charming," she said shaking her head. I could tell she was lying as she started scarfing down her food.

"You better keep it that way," Ashar warned. "No boys or dating till you become a licensed doctor."

Aara groaned.

"Only ten more years to go." I patted her shoulder reassuringly.

She pushed me away before proceeding to leave the table. She didn't listen to me or Ashar to finish her food

I turned to Ashar who ate his food merrily.

"It's just a school dance," I said.

Grandma and Rosie nodded in agreement with me.

"I don't want her getting comfortable with all these new clothes and new shows," he said setting down his fork. "I don't know the school or her circle. I can't let her hang around these superficial people. They will have each other's back, but no one will stand by my sister's side if anything happens."

"You've never been to a dance before, have you?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"Maybe you're too rich to understand me."

I blinked at him.

He left his food half finished. I assumed he was going to his sister's room. Rosie was busy enjoying her food.

I looked at grandma who reached out and held my hand.

Maybe she understood my emotions. I let her hold on to me for a while as I absorbed Ashar's words.

I was too rich to understand him?

_________________________

A/N

No idea why this wasn't published. I didn't even know I had written a chapter haha. I had to reread to know what was going on.

I am extremely busy. I was in a bootcamp for the past seven months. Now I'm interviewing almost every day and applying to jobs and studying.

How is life for you guys?

How is the story?

How was the chapter?

—K-K-Kiran