Somewhere Only We Go

Chapter 22 (Part 1)

Avinash

"What the fuck is going on here Rishabh?" It took me almost two hours to corner him and I instantly knew I was right. He was avoiding looking at me. Last night at dinner the tension between dad and chachu was obvious.

"Nothing, I don't know what you are talking about." Liar.

"Rishabh please, look..." I take a deep breath, this isn't going to be easy. I had never talked to Rishabh about myself not after he saw me as a crying pathetic mess on my 18th b'day. I hated seeing the pity in his eyes. I realised I couldn't change myself but I can hide it. So that's what I did.

"Look, for the first time in my life, I am in a good space. I am trying to be happy, I just need to know no one is going to create any problem, I don't want Kabir to see our family mess."

Rishabh's eyes finally meet mine and soften immediately. And for the first time I saw my cousin for what we could have had. I withdrew from everything, everyone and he left me, we were both at fault. I didn't ask for help and he didn't try.

"Kabir doesn't know anything?" Rishabh asks.

"He knows about Ishan and he knows there is some tension with my parents."

"You brought him here so that he was going to find out anyways." Rishabh sighs.

"No he actually met Mom in Delhi."

Rishabh's eyes widened. "Now why would you subject that innocent man to that sort of cruelty?"

I smile and shake my head. "It was a mistake on my part."

There is a pause. Then Rishabh looks down.
"Nothing is wrong Avinash, trust me on it. All of us here have made mistakes we are trying to mend. But rest assured this weekend will go smoothly." He sneaked a glance at me then quickly looked down again. "I am happy for you Avinash. You deserve to be happy. Kabir is a nice guy from whatever little chat I had with him, he sounds genuine."

"He is. That's why I want him far away from our family, no offence."

"None taken man."

This was getting borderline weird. We never talked like this. Just then Kabir came in, my forever savior.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"NOTHING!" We both said together. Kabir looked at both of us suspiciously.

"I was just asking Rishabh when he is coming to Delhi next."

Before Kabir could respond, Rishabh did. "Um yes...I think I could make some time soon."

"By the way where do you live?" Kabir asks.

"Bangalore."

Bangalore? Wasn't he in Singapore? Rishabh might have seen the confusion on my face. "I was in Singapore untill recently. But I moved back to India about 4 months ago." Then his eyes met mine. "Finally got the courage to leave the family business and do something of my own." My jaw dropped to the floor, fucking hell, he actually did it. He walked away from a profession he wasn't happy in.

"Your start-up?" He nods. Why didn't he tell me. We might have not been close but if there was one thing we discussed it was our professional life and how we wanted to go in different directions then our families.

When we were kids and Ishan had his career decided, our fathers, both mine and Rishabh's, looked at us as the sons who will take over the business. Rishabh didn't have any choice and I was the only choice left. My dad had many flaws but he and uncle know how to run the business well. They have done so well without threatening each other , without drawing boundaries between our families, and they knew we both will continue it too.

And for sometime I could picture it. Both of us running the business together.

"Wait yout family has business expanded overseas? How rich are you?" Kabir looks at me like I have suddenly grown horns.

"Wait you haven't told him about what you have inherited or going to inherit in the future?"

Dammit Rishabh.

"What do you mean inherited?" Kabir looks at me all serious.

"Ah shit! I am going to go now. See you guys later. Avi I hope the offer to Delhi still stands. Kabir please make sure he doesn't kill me in my sleep tonight." Rishabh all but runs out of the door.

"Seriously how rich are you Avi? I mean I know it's something, I can see the villas your family owns here but overseas...?"

"Dad and Uncle are ambitious. When they got the company in their hands they wanted to expand. What started as a business in the publishing sector later went to entertainment industries. Long story short once they were successful here in India they decided to spread it in other parts of Asia. Today we have offices in Malaysia and Singapore. The imprint for which we hired you is in talks with a Japanese company that published manga. If I get that deal we will be able to bring a wider range of manga here in India working with translators to work with us exclusively."

"That's amazing Avi. Why didn't you tell me?" Kabir looks genuinely happy.

"I don't know, I guess, it's still in the initial stage and there is a chance it might not go through."

"Even if that happens it's a big deal. Deals fall through all the time. But this is huge for you. One company's no can be another company's yes." There it is, the optimism Kabir lives by. The positivity he has been breathing in my life.

"Why didn't I find you sooner?" I whisper.

Kabir's cheeks were red, god he is adorable. The next words that came out of his mouth almost gave me a heartattack. "I don't have an answer for that but I can tell you one thing, we have found each other now and I am not letting you go, Avi. I'll fight for you."

[Hii guys, thank you for all the love for my stories. If you have noticed this is Part 1 of Chapter 22. I am travelling so squeezing in time is a little difficult. I decided to post the next few chapters in parts as I edit it. Part 2 will be posted in the next 24hrs]