Seven Dates A Weekend | RO ✓

33 | the one in which she got to start anew

Saloni was practically running around her bedroom from one corner to another, on a mission to get ready. I stood at the door frame, with folded arms as I examined a very frantic and anxious Saloni prance about her room. Her usually frizzy, thick hair was tied up into an updo with perfection and I am guessing with a lot of setting hairspray, for even a bay hair did not stick out of its place. She wore a black light-pastel blue blazer that I had gifted her for this very moment. Her lips were coated with a layer of pink lipstick to bring out the colour of her dusky cheeks. Her eyes were lined with an what she said was an 'eyeliner' and she even managed to press a little bit blush onto her cheeks, with some 'highlighter.'

"You look fine," I said for the fifth time, but she wouldn't hear any of it.

"I have to look perfect. This interview means a lot." She shook her head and went back to checking her handbag. "You know there is a lot down the line, depending all upon this one moment."

"Yes, I am aware," I said, looking back at her mother who crossed her arms and stood behind me with a stern look. She only raised her eyebrows when our eyes met and I shook my head. "Saloni, we will get late. It better to be early than a little late."

"Alright, alright." She put her hands up in surrender but her head stayed checking all the things in her bag. "Just let me check my resume, one last time."

I walked up to her and took her bag in my hand, which quickly made her land her attention on me for the first time in the past twenty minutes. "What are you doing?"

"Making a move," I replied, and walked out of her room, nodding at her parents on my way out of their house. Saloni followed me soon then, with stumbling steps in her formal heels that clicked with every step. She was still not used to the shoes I had bought for her. It was a light-pastel cream colour.

"Aahan." She called out to me from behind me. I did not answer.

"Aahan." She called out to me again and this time I turned around to face her. "What?"

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. I have it all covered." I walked back to her and handed back her handbag. "Just trust me okay?"

"Okay." She nodded. "I trust you."

And then we headed for my car, which was parked close by to Saloni's house. I was to drive her to the interview and I knew she would need someone to be with her today so I had already taken the day off. I had full faith in my girl. I knew what she could do once she had put her mind and soul into it.

The only thing left to do was my part of the work, that is, to make sure everything went as planned for Saloni's and my own sake.

***

It has been two months' since Saloni and I have started to date. During this course of two months, we had barely spent a moment of romance together. To prove Saloni's parents I had to go back to work and work even harder, and though I had lost my position as a producer of the shows, I had gained the position in the directors of the board that decided the overall production of the company. And it was then that clicked me, that everything happens for a reason and maybe things not going our way I sometimes the steps of the plan, life has mapped out for us.

It wasn't easy to make Saloni come back home. From the time I had started dating her, I had learned the fact that she was staying with Henna after her parents had lashed out on her for appearing on my show. Making amends between the parents and child, for me- an outsider was tough. But I knew that all Saloni needed was a push on the back and everything else would fall in place. And that was exactly what happened.

The next step was the hard pill for Saloni, for she had to officially stop 'seeing' Ashish and though it made me happy that he was out of her life, I had to respect him for keeping my girl happy in my absence.

Things had been so hectic; we were beginning to get angsty. We were suddenly observing the flaws of each other. The little things that annoyed us. Sometimes it would even manage to make us fight or make a drifting distance between us. But love bonds us, again and again, each time, for I would remember how am I without her and how bleak life would be without her.

The last few days I had spent planning certain events for today. I could officially say that saloni had rubbed off her habits onto me, for now, I was always planning and staying one step ahead of the happening events. And you could say it's the same for Saloni, for I had rubbed off the reckless behaviour of mine on her.

After driving through traffic river of the Mumbai highways and making a few shortcuts, I was finally able to reach Saloni, half an hour earlier than the interview time.

"Go groom yourself again," I advised Saloni as she unbuckled the seat belt. "Prep yourself, If you have to. I need to be someplace."

"You won't be here?" she looked at me with a frown on her face. "I thought you took the day off to be with me."

"I will be with you in time for the interview. It's just I need to meet someone." I explained, handing her the handbag from the backseat. "But..." she trailed off, to which I slowly pecked her lips and said. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, returning a peck of a kiss of her own. And then she was out of the car. And when she was away from my sight of the vision, I reversed the car and ended to the close by Café.

It was time I met with the older Neeves sibling.

***

"You haven't told her that the interview is for my agency?" Kavya Neeves was a taller and slimmer version of Saloni. It was astonishing how similar their features were. One could even call them twins. But what set them apart was the evident hair treatment Kavya had gotten for her hair, while Saloni's was a wild mess.

"If I told her, that it is related to you she wouldn't have agreed to it. You might understand this better than me." I said, taking a sip of my Frappuccino. Kavya and I were of the same age. Our mindset connected instantly and I was glad that I got along with Saloni's sibling so well.

The problem with the Neeves siblings was that each of them was envious of each other and were lacking honesty. While Saloni envied Kavya's guts to fight with their parents and chase after her modelling career, Kavya had envied Saloni who remained as the 'good child' in the eyes of their parents. And here, I was planning on making them both understand that what they truly needed was each other.

"I guess you're right. But she won't be happy to be seeing me on the interview panel." Kavya sighed as she leaned back onto her chair. "But I appreciate your efforts. I do wish to reconcile with my sister."

"You will," I said, firmly. "Saloni might not be pleased at seeing you, at first. But she adapts well than anyone else I have known. She will thrive through this. I know my girl can do it."

Kavya smiled and placed her cup of expresso down. "I hope you continue to love my sister like this Aahan. Otherwise, I might have to destroy you."

"I wouldn't disturb the on-screen industry peace that I have established." I smiled back at her, finishing my frappuccino "Shall we go then?"

"I will make this show run, so we shall." Kavya gave me a stern nod and then headed off and out the café first. I could only imagine how angry Saloni would be at me.

***

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