Playing With Fire

Chapter 36 - Her Protector

The show went off without a hitch. Happy tears stung her eyes as she watched all the hard-working children taking a bow as the audience clapped for them. Their little faces glowed in triumph. They'd nailed every line, smiling while they each acted out their skits about the town, both the city and the physical act. Warmth tingled her skin as she felt a familiar touch on her shoulder. Shahru. Although his hand sat on top of her layers of jacket and sweater she still felt him. Amazing how that happened. She felt him with just a look across the room sometimes.

He leaned forward, the heat of his body taking away any chill she felt from the cold winter air. "You should be proud of yourself. Why don't you go out there and take a bow too? You worked hard, and it showed tonight. Those kids were great."

The tears that threatened her eyes earlier now slid down her face. "Thanks, Shahru. I'm proud of myself, but even more proud of them. They deserve the recognition not me. I was scared they wouldn't be able to bring it all together with such a short amount of study time, but they did it."

"You all did it, Angel. They couldn't have done it without you."

His kissed her cheek from behind, and it was all she could do not to turn around and
drown in him. God, she loved this man. Everything about him. He made her feel so alive, so strong, as if there wasn't anything she couldn't do. "I couldn't have done it without you. You built that stage out there. You donated so much of your time and hard work for the raffle, Shahru. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."

Shahru nuzzled her neck, and she leaned into him. "You can show me tonight," he said a smile in his voice. "I think I deserve hours of compensation for all my hard work."

In situations like this she forgot this had started as a game. She forgot that right now,
in some ways, it was still just that. Though she loved him and wanted a future with him, Shahru wanted to live in the moment, to play the happy couple when he knew he wouldn't let himself have a future with her. He kissed her neck again. Didn't he see how real this was? They were beyond the intimacy he tried to hold himself back from. "I can't wait to start paying you back. Although, It's a win-win for me. I got your hard work and your body."

"Kajol . You're in public, for God's sake. People are watching."

Kajol spun out of Shahru's arms with the sound of her mother's voice. "Mother. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Obviously." She turned to Shahru and lowered her voice. "You know it might help save her from looking like she jumped right from Amir's bed to yours if you showed a little restraint in public."

Shahru stepped away from her to face her mother head-on. "Fortunately for Angel,
everyone in this town knows her character better than to think that badly of her. They all seem to know what a wonderful woman she is. Well, except her family, it seems." Shahru grabbed her hand. "Come on, bab—"

"Don't walk away from me like that. I came here to speak with my daughter. Is your hold on her that strong you won't let her speak to her own family?"

"She's free to speak with anyone she wants as long as they show her the respect she deserves."

Her heart thudded. She shouldn't let him keep riding to her rescue like this. If she was really as strong as he thought she would be defending herself right now and not letting him do it for her. But ... it was so hard. This was her mother. No matter how the woman treated her, Kajol loved her, and sad as it sounded, it felt so ... amazing to have someone there for her, who cared for her more than themselves. Kajol hugged his arm tight. "Thanks, Shahru. Let me hear what my mother has to say, and then we can get going." A flash of what looked like disappointment flickered in his eyes, but just as quickly disappeared.
"Did you watch the show?" she asked, unable to disguise the hope in her voice.

Her mother looked at her as if she'd sprouted a second head. "No. I'm busy, Kajol. I have responsibilities I have to get done here too. I don't have time to watch a bunch of children I don't know play on stage."

She fought a new wave of tears that loomed behind the brave front she tried to show.
"Jesus," Shahru mumbled and ran his free hand through his hair. "We're in a hurry here. Tell us what you came to say so we can go."

"I didn't come here to tell you anything. I came to talk with my daughter."

"Ma—"

Her mum interrupted her before she could reply to the way she'd treated Shahru. "I
need you to come to the house this weekend, Kajol. We're throwing a party for Amir. In case you didn't notice, he just won a really big case, and your father has decided to make him partner. It would look good if you could be there."

It would look good. Was that all her mother cared about? How their family looked?
Did it escape her that she asked Kajol to come and celebrate for the man who took another woman to his bed while they were engaged? A man who'd treated her as if she didn't matter? He treats me just like they do. Why would they see any wrong in that? Why couldn't she tell her mother that? What was wrong with her? "I—"

"She can't make it. We're going away for the weekend."

Shahru to the rescue again. She hated that. Why did her parents turn her into a weak
woman who couldn't defend herself? Now he'd made up a lie for them to get her out of a party that would do nothing but humiliate her.

"This is important. Reschedule."

"No. I'm taking your daughter away to celebrate all the hard work she put into this fair that you were too busy to care about. You reschedule. Actually, don't, because we wouldn't be going regardless."

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing to our family. Kajol will realise it, and you'll be gone like you never existed."

That was it. She couldn't stand by and let her mother treat Shahru this way. "Shahru is right. I'd much rather spend the weekend with him than at any party with you or for Amir. And don't insult him again. He means everything to me. I—"

Shahru's grip on her arm tightened, and he started to back away before she did something really stupid like admitting she loved him. That was all she needed—for him to find out like this. That would give her mother more ammunition with him, because he would no doubt take the news badly.

"You don't have to defend me to her, Angel. Let's go. We want to get out of town before it gets too late." With that they walked away, leaving her mother fuming behind them.