Page 218 of The Redemption
His jaw tightens as I shrug innocently, “So technically, you don’t deserve any reward.”
His nostrils flare.
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.Poor man.Negotiating with rival mafia clans is probably easier than negotiating with his own wife.The great Raghav Kundra, who can command a mafia empire with a single look, is standing here trying to convince me to spend an evening with him.And he’s failing.
He runs an impatient hand through his hair before looking back at me.
“Do you have any other reason?” I ask sweetly. “Because that one isn’t convincing enough.”
His eyes narrow dangerously.
“And by the way…” I pretend to check an imaginary watch. “You have exactly thirty seconds left.”
I hold my laugh. He’s so easy to rile up. He simply looks at me before letting out another frustrated breath. Then he gives up.
“Fine. Don’t come.” Without another word, he turns and starts walking towards the door.
I literally laugh as the door clicks shut behind him.
“You might be the most feared mafia prince, Mr. Raghav Kundra, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you still have a lot to learn.”
Still smiling, I turn back to my laptop and continue working on the design, curious about where he wants to take me tomorrow evening.
*****************
Night
I spent the next few hours occupied in my work, and after our conversation, I didn’t see Raghav much. He did return for dinner, but that was only because he knew he couldn’t refuse Mom. Even then, he barely touched his food, making sure I knew how annoyed he was because I refused to go out with him tomorrow.
An hour after dinner, I return to the living room, searching for him.
“Siya?”
I turn around to find Mom.
“Whom are you looking for?”
“I...” I hesitate before admitting it. “I was looking for Raghav. He isn’t back yet.”
She studies me for a moment. “I noticed something was off between you two during dinner as well. What happened?”
“Actually... he’s angry.” I sigh. “He wanted to take me out tomorrow evening, but I told him that if he wanted me to come, he had to convince me.” I let out a helpless laugh. “And... he couldn’t.”
Maa bursts into laughter. “Oh, Siya.” She walks closer and affectionately strokes my hair. “You need to go a little easy on him.”
I frown. “Easy?”
“Yes.” She smiles. “Don’t rush him. Don’t overcrowd him with emotions all at once. Believe me, I know men like Raghav far better than you do.”
She chuckles, lost in her own memories.
“Your father was exactly the same after our marriage. Romance?” She laughs again. “He scored an absolute zero. He had no idea how to convince his wife, how to make up after upsetting her, or even how to express what he felt. I practically had to teach him everything.”
I can’t help smiling.
“So give Raghav some time too. Men learn surprisingly fast...” She pauses, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Especially the ones who are truly in love.”
My eyes widen. “Mom!”
