Silver Lining | Grooms #3

XXIV. Dear Father

The doorbell rang just as everyone was getting up to go to the dining table for dinner. "That must be Parth." Arjun said, ready to walk over when Esha commented.

"I'll get it."

Nikhil asked Arjun, "Is this the Parth that teases her by calling her love?"

Arjun popped his p, "Yup, the one and only. I take it you know of him."

Nikhil tilted his head to the side, "Something like that."

Esha swung open the door. Parth looked at her in surprise, "Wow, what are you doing here, love?" Esha rolled her eyes and was about to scold him when he put his arms around her, hugging her and lifting her off the ground. "You know, you're here at the perfect time."

"Oh?" Esha asked, pulling back, "How's that?"

"I've got some major news to share." He answered, being secretive and walked inside. Joining the rest in the dining room, he cleared his throat and announced, "Okay, guys, I am officially an engaged man." He didn't get the response he had been hoping for. Everyone resumed taking their seat at the table, making him burrow his brows. "Uh, did you not hear me?"

Sanam commented, "Parth, you're acting as if this was supposed to be some big secret."

Arjun patted him in the back, "Yeah, man, we've been waiting for this to happen since a year now."

Parth switched his glance to Esha, to see if she was surprised. She too shrugged, "About time you maned up and asked her."

He grumbled, slumping in the chair, "Atleast you could have pretended to be surprised."

She chuckled and hugged him from the back, resting her chin on his head, "Aw, don't be a crybaby. Trust me, I am happy for you. We all are."

Before he could answer, a throat was cleared. Esha looked up to see it was her father glaring at her. Esha sighed inaudibly and pulled away from Parth. She found it to be ridiculous that her father was admonishing her for hugging a guy, when he had just announced that he was engaged, to someone else! How could he still doubt that Esha and Parth were not simply friends? Best friends, but nothing more.

"So, where is Maahi?" Neha asked to divert everyone's attention before the dining table was overwhelmed with tension.

"Outside on the phone with her dad. She'll be in soon." Parth answered, starting to serve himself dinner just as others were.

Sanam glanced up when she felt a foot tracing her leg. She asked sweetly, "Nikhil, would you like more rice?"

Esha looked at Sanam in confusion, for his plate was already full with rice. Nikhil's eyes widened as he realized it wasn't Esha' foot, but Sanam. The two sisters were sitting next to each other. He looked mortified, and he tried to cover it up by shaking his head. Sanam had known it was him, and not Arjun, for Arjun was seated at her other side.

Once dinner ended, everyone walked to the living room but Nikhil stayed back to talk to Sanam. Finding a moment when the maids weren't around clearing the dining table, he apologized, "Sanam, I'm sorry for that earlier."

Knowing just what he was talking about, she waved it off, "It's fine, relax. You were lucky it was me, not our dad."

"Yeah." He answered, looking away.

She looked at him at his lowered response. "Hey," She expressed, "I couldn't say this before as everyone was around when I got back from work. I'm glad you're here. Eshu has talked about you and I can tell just how happy you make her. So, you know, don't worry about our dad too much. As long as the two of you are happy together, you know?"