By your side

Valentine's Day

I eagerly waited for the plane to land as it hovered over Pune, knowing that Ishaan was supposed to pick me up at the airport.

Once I had collected my luggage, I rushed towards the exit, scanning the crowd. My eyes locked on him, waving with a broad smile on his face. He was accompanied by a girl who seemed oddly familiar. I slowed my pace, trying to discern her identity.

Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. She was Rishika, his sister. My heart had already been racing, but now it felt like it was pounding at breakneck speed. Ishaan had never mentioned that his sister would join us. Rishika was stunning, just like her brother, inheriting their good looks from their parents. She stood tall with a model-like figure, as Ishaan had mentioned they were twins, making her 25 years old. Everything about her, from her Chanel bag to her Armani jeans, exuded high-end fashion. She gave me a polite smile as I approached them.

"Hey!" Ishaan greeted me with a hug.

I wanted to kiss him, but I refrained because of his sister's presence.

"Aadya, meet Rishika, my sister. Rishika, this is Aadya," Ishaan introduced us with a beaming smile.

I returned the gesture by hugging Rishika as well. "Glad to see you. Ishaan has told me a lot about you," I said.

She smiled in response. "Strangely, he never mentioned you until he came back for the holidays. But I'm glad to meet you."

Her statement left me somewhat perplexed, as it was my first encounter with anyone from his family, and I was feeling overwhelmed. I didn't want to come across as too loud or awkward.

As we got into his car, I took a seat in the rear. Ishaan explained their plans, mentioning that he would drop me off first and that Rishika was attending a friend's fashion show. I agreed with a simple "Yeah, that's perfect."

Throughout the journey, I remained mostly quiet as Ishaan and Rishika engaged in a conversation about the upcoming fashion show, her designer friends, her recent shopping trip to Paris, and even some celebrity fashion mishaps. While I refrained from making judgements, Rishika was a typical high-society socialite. She was pleasant to talk to, and if she had any reservations about me, she didn't show them.

"Thanks, Ishaan. Bye, Rishika. I hope we catch up soon," I said as I exited his car.

"It was nice meeting you, Aadya," Rishika replied.

Ishaan handled my luggage and headed up to my apartment in the lift while Rishika waited in the car.

"I missed you, baby," he declared, grabbing me and kissing me as soon as the elevator doors closed.

"I missed you too, dear," I replied.

"Why didn't you inform me earlier that Rishika would be with you?" I asked.

"It was a last-minute decision. She had to attend some fashion shows, so she tagged along with me. No big deal," he responded casually, as if introducing me to his family was an everyday occurrence.

As we reached my flat, he carried my luggage inside and gave me a quick hug before leaving. I wasn't sure if I had made a good impression on Rishika or not.

Later, when I shared the incident with my friend Shweta, she remarked, "So you met his sister, and she's quite the socialite, huh?"

I nodded. "It's a good sign, right? It means he's comfortable introducing me to his family."

Shweta offered some perspective. "Well, it's kind of strange, isn't it? I mean, you shouldn't worry too much about whether she approves of you. It's Ishaan's decision, and if there's talk of long-term commitment or love, that's up to him, not his sister."