Vedant was standing near the glass wall of that penthouse. He was looking down where Kabir's mother and a girl had just come with him. Vedant knew Kabir's mother Kalavati Sinha very well but he had no idea who this girl was. She was looking no less than a heroine in an off shoulder body fit A-line dress, high heels and bold makeup. Her walk, her smile and the sparkle in her eyes were telling that Kabir was not just a name for her but much more. After some general conversation between the three of them, Kabir's mother went up the stairs while Kabir and that girl were now alone in the hall. The girl had a glass of juice in her hand and was sitting on that Ackholtz Paulo red velvet sofa right in front of Kabir. Which was giving a royal touch to the hall.
Suddenly she stood up shaking the glass of juice and sat next to Kabir in a very coquettish manner touching his shoulder with her fingers. Kabir's smile still had the same sweetness and innocence. Vedant's fists clenched.
"After all, he also turned out to be a playboy. How many faces does this man have?" Vedant mumbled. The girl came closer to Kabir. She ran her fingers on Kabir's cheeks and smilingly came close to his ear. When she said something softly, Kabir laughed softly. There was a strange attraction in his laugh. Perhaps that is why more than half of the girls in the audience had become fans of his laugh and smile. Vedant's jaw tightened. Kabir's face was opening up layer by layer. Vedant's anger knew no bounds. Kabir's rally today was still being discussed on TV and his smiling face was still the center of attraction on TV. Suddenly, downstairs, the girl kissed Kabir on his cheek. Kabir did not protest. The girl started caressing his chest and pushed Kabir on the sofa. The juice spilled on the luxury sofa. Kabir started looking at her smilingly. The girl now started kissing his neck. The glass fell down from her hand. She had pounced on Kabir wildly. Kabir's eyes were now directly on Vedant. Vedant was staring at him with red eyes and Kabir's smile grew deeper looking at him. He caught the girl's wrists.
"Baby, I don't think it's right to do all this here. Mom might see us. We should go upstairs," Kabir said, and the girl stood up. The two of them climbed the stairs and went into Kabir's room. Vedant stormed over to the bed and sat down heavily. He grabbed a pillow and began punching it as if it were a person—or Kabir himself.
Suddenly, the door swung open with force, startling him. Kabir stood at the doorway, that same mischievous smile playing on his lips. But Vedant had learned to read that smile by now. With others, Kabir's smile carried charm, but with Vedant, it always held mischief. Vedant glared at him and immediately stood up.
"What are you doing here? Go to your girlfriend."
"How do you know she's my girlfriend?"
"Hmph, I'm not that much of a fool."
"Which means you're a little bit of one," Kabir teased. Vedant shot him a sharp look.
"She came to your house with your mom, so she's either your girlfriend or your fiancée. Otherwise, you could have had your fun somewhere else."
"Ah, you're right, my little Eromene. That's why I like you so much. You know me so well."
"I don't want to hear your nonsense. What exactly are you trying to gain by deceiving the public like this? Was there a shortage of corrupt politicians in our country that you had to join their ranks too? You had everything—why play with people's emotions like this? If you were going to sell out for money, then what makes you any different from the rest?"
Kabir walked up to him with a smile. He gently touched Vedant's cheek, but Vedant slapped his hand away.
"Keep those dirty fingers away from me."
Kabir's eyes were fixed solely on Vedant's face, and Vedant was growing increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze.
"My little Eromene, you know I really adore your rosy cheeks. Honestly, you look even more adorable when you're mad like this."
This time, Vedant picked up the pillow and smacked it right into Kabir's face. Kabir removed the pillow and stepped forward. Before Vedant could react, Kabir pushed him onto the bed. Vedant was just about to get up when Kabir pinned him down. Vedant stared at him with wide, frightened eyes, while Kabir's eyes held unfamiliar and intense emotions.
"I'll kill you."
"You'll get your chance, Ved. But before that, how about something a little naughty?"
Kabir ran his hand across Vedant's cheek. Vedant placed his hands on Kabir's chest, trying to push him away. But he couldn't move him an inch. Kabir simply watched him struggle.
Rishi kept watching the writer until he disappeared from his sight. His feet remained frozen at the doorway, as if they had grown roots right there. The very writer he had spent months trying to find had stood before him, and yet, he had let the moment slip away. He sat down on the steps, defeated.
Meanwhile, the writer was speeding down that empty road in his car. His face now bore a serious expression. After a while, he was walking along the same trail from which he had come. The bushes seemed to part on their own, as if clearing the way just for him. From the gate of Red Pine, he looked at the entire house. Shadows peeked through the windows, as if mocking him with silent laughter. Red Pine was as deserted as ever. Perhaps, in the world of humans, Rishi was the second person after Kabir to set foot in Red Pine. But now, he too had left.
Red Pine had waited for Rishi—how long, no one knew. But perhaps, that wait was far from over.