An Affair In Summer

13. 'Blame Game'

When Shivani walked to the dinning table next morning her eyes were still swollen from the night before and her head was throbbing.

"Morning, Dad."

"Good morning." He didn't look at her but continued doing something with his phone.

She sat down and looked at him, he had dark circles under his own eyes. "Did you sleep fine?"

Now he glanced up, "I should ask you that, are you feeling better?"

She poured herself a glass juice and started to butter her toast. "Yes. I'm sorry Dad I started reading Mom's journal and..." she stopped and looked at him. "I didn't mean to keep you awake all night because of me."

"I wasn't awake because of you, I was up talking to Sonakshi."

Her mood changed and she smiled widely. "That's good. Where is she anyways? And, Sia?"

"Sia wanted to go to Brittany's house so Sonakshi went to drop her off. I've noticed a change in Sia in the past few months. She's talking more than usual again."

"That's good." She looked at him again. "Are you going to Singhania's party tonight, for their new venture."

"I have to but I don't want to because I don't want to see Neil."

Shivani nodded looking at her juice. "You should take Sonakshi with you if you go."

"Why?" Shivani and Dev looked towards Sonakshi standing across the room.

"Good morning, Sonakshi." Shivani smiled at her. "Come have breakfast."

"Good morning Shivani, Dev." She was about to sit down on the chair beside Dev, across Shivani when she stopped thinking about what happened last time she sat in that same seat. She removed her hand off the chair's back and went so sit down beside Shivani. "I'm not going to the Singhania's party even if God came and told me to."

"I think you should go, Sonakshi." Shivani passed her the juice and then folded her hands on the table. "It will give Neil a shock to see you behaving so normally after what happened."

"I think I agree with Shivani." Dev said smirking, looking at Sonakshi. "You should come with me."

"Dev I can see where Shivani gets her traits from." She buttered her muffin and then looked back at them. "But it would be nice to see both Natasha and Neil's faces if I went with Dev."

"You're going." Shivani decided for Sonakshi finishing her glass of juice and then standing up. "I'll decide what you're going to wear."

"Shivani I haven't said yes."

"But I have." She took her arm and made her stand up. "Let's go."

"Let me finish my breakfast, Shivani."
She picked her plate and glass up and handed it to her, "Finish it up stairs. Let's go." She took her other arm and pulled her away upstairs.

Dev smiled as he watched them go up stairs.
**************

Dev knocked on Sonakshi's door while she struggled to hook the back of her necklace. "Can I come in."

"Dev you don't have to ask every time you need to come in, but yes you can come in." She sighed and placed the necklace back in the box, carefully. "Anything important?"

"You look nice."

She wore a translucent black sari with very faint silver work done on it's 'pallu.' With long chandeliers that kissed her fair, slender, neck.

"Thank you." She searched his eyes and then smiled. "I'm sure you didn't come here to tell me how good I look."

"No, I didn't." He looked at her again and smiled nervously. "Since we did announce that we're getting married, people are expecting to see a ring in your finger." He stopped and read her expression, which was unsure because she couldn't let him know how happy she was. He shrugged, "I know it's all a game and everything but-"