There were million little reasons to not love him,
And million little things that I despised now.
+++
Her:
Unwanted emotions,
I didn't want any of it, any of them.
From the outside, she seems adorned with all that glitters-wealth, celebrity, and...
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After ensuring that Shiloh wouldn't escape, I closed the door behind me and made my way to the elevator. While waiting, I double-checked the contents of my clutch, going through the mental checklist: chapstick—check, face powder—check, phone—check, AirPods—check, credit card—check. Satisfied that I had everything I needed, I stepped into the elevator and rode in silence until I reached the lobby floor.
As I walked into the opulent main lobby, the receptionist stood up and greeted me, and I acknowledged her with a nod. Stepping outside, I spotted my brother standing by his Land Rover, his face lighting up with a big smile as he caught sight of me. However, that smile quickly transformed into a scowl as he took in my outfit, expressing his disapproval.
"Okay, what on earth are you wearing?" He exclaimed, his voice reverberating through the empty area.
I pouted playfully, "What? It's an Oscar De La Renta outfit. And it looks fabulous on me!"
"I couldn't care less about this Oscar De La—whatever," he retorted, glaring at me with tightly pressed lips. "Go change into something that doesn't expose your damn legs."
I frowned, defending my choice, "There's nothing wrong with this outfit! It's perfect for the occasion!"
"We live in India, not the USA," he snapped back.
"Oh my gosh! Look, I'm not changing. If you want me to go, then keep quiet and stop complaining," I countered, resorting to blackmail. I had no interest in attending his school reunion, especially because it held unpleasant memories for me. But Siddharth insisted, wanting to showcase his beautiful and successful younger sister.
He scoffed but held the door open for me to sit in the front passenger seat, and I grinned cheekily, "By the way, this outfit perfectly showcases the beauty and success of your younger sister."
"Shiya," he said through gritted teeth, clearly exasperated, "just get in the damn car."
Laughing, I settled into my seat and fastened my seatbelt as he took his place behind the wheel. Both of us siblings had never been fond of having drivers since we had a particular interest in cars and enjoyed driving ourselves.
"Why couldn't you just take your girlfriend with you?" I asked, my annoyance evident in my voice. I really didn't want to go to this lousy school reunion and have to interact with the people who had made my life miserable, especially Siddharth's classmates from 2017.
This was Siddharth's 2017 batch, not my 2021 batch. If it had been my batch, I might have considered going to show off how much I've changed. But with Siddharth's batch, there was no way I was interested in attending. The memories and experiences with that group of people were far from pleasant.
"It's because my girlfriend is busy with a virtual laboratory meeting," he replied. "Even on New Year and her best friend's birthday."
I chuckled. "Well, I'm glad that you both have moved past your differences and accepted each other." Siddharth and Tani were perfect for each other. Being science students, they had common ground to discuss and it saved me from listening to endless science-related discussions.
