Page 49 of The Redemption
“It’s all thanks to Kailash Uncle that I got to work here along with my dad,” Kriti adds.
Uncle shakes his head. “It’s all your hard work, Kriti.” He then turns to me again. “She went to Bordeaux, France. Learned everything about wine there and gained the best exposure.” His smile deepens. “And everything she has brought back is now a part ofthisplace.”
Kriti lowers her gaze a little, almost embarrassed by the way he speaks about her.
“That is… really impressive,” I say, meaning it.
“Thank you,” she replies softly, before her attention shifts past us.
To Raghav.
“Uh, I need to discuss something with Raghav,” she says, almost as if she has just remembered it, though the slight change in her tone doesn’t go unnoticed by me. “I’ll be right back.”
Uncle nods. “Of course.”
As she turns and walks towards him, my eyes follow her involuntarily. Raghav looks up the moment she reaches him and gives her his full attention. There’s nothing personal in the way he interacts with her. It’s purely professional.
But for her… it’s different. There’s something in the way she looks at him, the way her fingers brush against her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear that doesn’t really need fixing. Her smile lingers a second longer than it should… almost shy. While talking, her eyes do not leave his face, not even for a moment. And when he says something in response, she smiles again… this time with a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
And just like that, it clicks. So that’s where the earlier dislike came from. The woman clearly has the hots for RK. And seeing him and his father givingmea private tour of the vineyard… of course, she wouldn’t like it.
Just like I don’t like the way she’s trying to get his attention now. But why should I let it bother me? Whatshefeels, and whathefeels for her… none of it should concernme. And yet, my gazestays there longer than it should until Uncle’s voice pulls me back.
“Come, Siya,” he says. “There’s more I want to show you.”
I force my attention away from the two of them as we step out of the processing unit and move further along the vineyard stretch.
“Up ahead,” Uncle says, walking beside me at an easy pace, “there’s a spot from where you can see the entire vineyard.”
I nod, excited to see that spot, but I’m also curious to know if Raghav and Kriti are still inside or if they’re following us.No, Siya, don’t turn around to check. Keep looking ahead.
Just as Uncle said, the vines begin to thin and give way to a slightly raised stone platform built at the edge of the slope. From there, the entire vineyard stretches out in front like an endless landscape.
It’s well past noon, and thankfully, there’s a small setup of refreshments already waiting for us. A neatly arranged table holds a few glasses and bottles of wine, along with a selection of light bites placed beside them. And suddenly, I’m hungry!
RAGHAV
I arrive at the spot a few minutes after them, slowing my steps before coming into their direct line of sight.
From here, I can see her clearly.
Siya stands near the edge, her back slightly turned towards me, her gaze fixed on the vineyard as if she’s trying to take it in all at once. The breeze catches a few loose strands of her hair, brushing them across her cheek, but she doesn’t move. She just stands there, lost in the scene before her.
When Baba says something, she turns, and that easy smile finds its way back to her lips. I’ve seen that smile more times today than I should have allowed myself to. And yet, it doesn’t feel enough. This is exactly what I didn’t want.
From the moment Baba arrived this morning, I made sure of one thing: Siya would not appear in front of him. I even arranged for her to be booked on this vineyard tour separately, to prevent any chance of their paths crossing.
And still, it didn’t work out. She met him anyway, and in a way I hadn’t expected. And the worst part wasn’t that they just met. It was that they’d already connected. She had spoken to him and likely complained about me in the heat of the moment, without realising who he was to me. And Baba,being Baba, would have listened to her without questioning anything.
Things had already happened, and I wasn’t there to control it. That doesn’t sit well with me.
So when Baba said he wanted to take her around the vineyard himself, there was no way I was letting that happen without being there myself. I followed them because Baba was involved, and I don’t take chances when it comes to him.
But for the past few hours, I’ve done nothing but watch. Not just Baba, but her as well.
I watch the way she walks beside him as if she’s known him for years. I notice how she holds his arm without hesitation when the path gets uneven. I see the way she listens to him, not just politely, but with genuine interest.
I know Siya lost her father a year ago, and I’ve seen enough to know what he meant to her. So I understand her instinct to protect, and the way she stays just a little more aware when she’s walking beside Baba, even when he doesn’t need it. She’s not doing this for show, but because she truly cares. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice it. Or that I didn’t appreciate it.
