Page 16 of Bad At Love

There was pure joy in knowing that he’d played a small part in how Chaaru’s son had turned out. But it also made him wonder if mentoring Kaasi had just been another way he’d been clinging to the margins of her life.

The thought left a sour taste in his mouth.

No, his attraction to Chaaru and his affection for Kaasi were two separate things. Though, everything suddenly felt like a gray area, muddied by all that he’d buried for years.

“Some classes have been extremely challenging, yes. But I have it better than most of my friends,” Kaasi said, leaning back against the couch and laying his head in his mother’s lap. “Mom cooks for me, stays up to keep me company when I study.” He grinned sheepishly and in that beautiful smile, DP saw Chaaru again. “Hate to admit that she even does my laundry once in a while.” He held up his hand, palm out, as if to forestall DP’s lecture. “I know that’s not what you taught me, but I think she does it for the general wellbeing of the world. My clothes and I can become quite the ripe nuisance after a week.”

All of them laughed.

“Get this, DP.” Kaasi’s gaze flicked toward his mom, an easy smile stretching his mouth. “She set me up with this guy last month who’s the son of a client and he’s a good one. And my friends wonder why I don’t move out.”

“Your mom’s quite the talent at matchmaking,” DP said, an edge creeping into his tone. “She’s forever setting me up with the perfect woman too.”

Chaaru’s chin tilted in his direction, eyes wide. Something arced between them, but DP was damned if he knew what it was.

She thumped Kaasi’s shoulders good-naturedly. “As long as you focus on landing that internship, it’s all good. Did you let DP eat a morsel of the biryani?”

“I told him I’d already eaten, but DP insisted,” Kaasi said, smacking his lips. “His fault for offering me food. He knows I can’t say no.”

DP said he didn’t mind. He could feel Chaaru’s gaze on the nape of his neck, as surely as if she were running her fingers over him. “How did the interview for the internship go?” he asked Kaasi. “Did prepping with my friend help?”

“I killed it, yes,” Kaasi said, pumping his fist in the air. “He really helped me articulate my answers. Boosted my confidence when he said my concepts were solid. The second interview got scheduled in the first week of the new year.” Kaasi patted DP’s shoulder. “Thanks so much for putting me in touch with him.”

“Not a problem,” DP said.

Chaaru looked up from her phone, frowning. “Kaasi, why do I have a message from Shanti that you canceled your Christmas skiing trip with them?”

Kaasi frowned. “I don’t want to spend my Christmas break with them.” Before Chaaru could say something, he added, “Ever again,” in a small voice.

DP frowned. For as long as he remembered, Kaasi had spent one week of Christmas break with Chaaru’s older sister’s family. While she herself wasn’t close with Shanti, she’d always encouraged Kaasi to spend time with his cousins and grandparents who lived in SFO. He also knew that it was out of guilt that she couldn’t afford to take Kaasi on those expensive vacations herself, that it had grated on her self-respect to accept her sister’s help. Which Shanti always served up with a side of judgment and unwanted advice.

But for Kaasi, Chaaru swallowed it all.

“Why? What happened?” she said, sudden tension radiating from her.

The mention of her older sister, like the rest of her family, was a painful trigger for her. The passive-aggressive arguments persuading her to go back to Ravi the first time she had left him, the barely veiled threats about not supporting her if she did, even painting doom-filled scenarios about how Kaasi would turn out without a father.

Then there was the lying to extended family and friends about Chaaru’s business because it embarrassed them to admit that she was a ‘glorified maid’.

God, just remembering it made him burn with anger. Chaaru had had no other choice but to distance herself.

When DP got to his feet, fighting the urge to gather Chaaru in his arms, Kaasi stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Stay, DP. Mom’s so less…”

He paused when his mother raised a brow, her mouth pursed.

“What? This is a serious issue,” Kaasi said, sounding defensive. “You only ever listen to him or Mona aunty, and I need backup on this.”

“Sounds ominous,” DP said, settling on the arm of the couch, though he wasn’t sure if it could withstand his bulk. Immediately, Chaaru’s scent filled his nostrils and longing flooded his entire being.

God, there was so much history between them, so many minuscule, meaningful moments. Was it wrong to want to cross the last step and have more?

Kaasi gathered their bowls and glasses, deposited them on the island and then came back to stand in front of them, his jaw tight with resolve.

From the different angle, it was startling to see how much the young man was beginning to favor his dad, in looks and even mannerisms. Especially the way he carried himself and charmed anyone in the vicinity, just like Ravi had. But the resemblance stopped there, thank God. Where Ravi had been all empty charm and roiling insecurities beneath, Kaasi was kind and sweet.

“Okay, kiddo,” Chaaru said, fidgeting on the couch, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness. “Let’s hear it so DP can get home and I can sleep.”

“I’m twenty-one now,” Kaasi announced, with the brazen confidence of youth. “You’ve given up a lot for me. I don’t want you to put your life on hold anymore.”

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