Warrior

7

As we walked back to rejoin the others, we remained in silence. When the others noticed us coming back, their eyes turned to us. Anxiousness was clear as day in my mother's eyes and it was obvious she couldn't figure out how things had gone between us.

Shalini Singh Raizada resumed to where she was sitting before, as did I.

"I hope you didn't bore Khushi with all of your flower questions," Aryan Singh Raizada teased his wife lightly.

"Oh stop it," she tried to frown, though her smile was evident as she lightly hit his arm.

She then turned her attention to my mother. "You really do have such a wonderful garden, the flowers are just absolutely wonderful."

"O-oh, thank you," Amma smiled lightly.

I bet you she was expecting to hear an insult about me from Shalini - that would explain the little bit of shock in her eyes.

"I'd say it's about time we served our guests brunch, wouldn't you say so dear," Babuji said, snapping mom out of her wonder.

"Oh yes," and she stood up. "Please, follow me."

The rest of us stood up and the Raizada's followed after my parents. As soon as they did, baby sis came darting to my side, gripping onto my arm in excitement to keep me in place.

Not like I was going anywhere.

Payal watched them as they left and once they were out of earshot, she beamed up at me. "Oh my gosh Di! What happened? What did she say? You guys were gone for a while!"

I lightly slapped at her hands, getting her to let go of her vice grip on my arm.

"Sorry! Now tell me!"

Suddenly our butler, Gomez, appeared. Gomez has been with the family for quite a long time. In fact, he's been here for as long as Babuji can even remember. In a way, Gomez was family.

"Madam, your phone has been ringing nonstop," he said.

"Oh right, I left it in the study. Thank you, Gomez."

"Uh, Gomez," baby sis quickly called out before he left.

"Yes Madam?"

"What's your opinion of the Raizada's?"

Ah, smart move squirt, asking the right questions again. You see, not only has he been our butler for so long, but he's also been rather resourceful on gaining Intel, if you catch my drift.

Too bad no one thought to think of using it on him and his family.

Given the look on Payal's face, Gomez understood. "Well Madam, I find the Raizada's to actually be one of the rare few good people in this town."

Oh? It's ever so rare Gomez approves of anyone, asides from us that is.

"May I presume Miss Khushi knows about Mrs. Raizada's, er, situation of the past, shall we say."

Well now I do. I nodded.

"I find her qualities to remind me of a Phoenix rising out of its ashes - very much like you, Miss Khushi."

A Phoenix rising out of its ashes... rebirth as she had put it.

"Thank you, Gomez, that'll be all," I smiled softly.

With a small nod, Gomez headed back to work.

"Huh," I heard baby sis say beside me. "Very much like you, hmm?"

I looked her up and down for a moment. "Would you agree, squirt?"

Payal looked up at me. "From what I researched? Yeah I would."