He kissed her repeatedly, each kiss growing more needy, and she too returned each kiss with equal desire. Her hands wound themselves in his dark waves at first, then to move down, unbuttoning his dinner jacket, and ripping off his bow tie.
His own hands, now quite familiar with her form, after dancing so intimately, pressed her to him, as he attempted to slow himself down realising his own state of disinhibition.
Thorin found himself torn between his sheer desire, unbridled and full bodied, as it fought against his own better judgement. He had as a younger man, promised himself that he would only remain married to his duty, and she was getting under his skin – it was not a distraction he needed! While he had watched her with the children, imagined what she might be like as a lover, wife, and mother, his mind was clawing at the final threads of restraint his heart and body possessed; his heart singing, body eager, but his mind screaming all the while.
Her small cool hands ran the length of his torso, clearly enjoying the feel of his muscular body. It released a deep growl from somewhere within him, as he spun her around and pinned her against the wall, biting gently on her soft lips.
Her head spun, heightened with desire, as he began kissing her jaw and her neck, biting and nipping here and there to contrast with all his light kisses. Grabbing his crisp shirt, she pulled up, to kiss him again, hands working their way down to trace the hard outline of his erection.
"Fuck me." She gasped, into his kiss.
Groaning, he couldn't help from pressing himself into her hands, only to suddenly pull away from her, as he registered her words.
"We have to stop." He grabbed her wrists holding them against his pounding heart, as she attempted to wriggle free and carry on exactly as she pleased. "Stop this now! I am not in complete control of my own senses –"
"Yeah…. That's right! Fuck me hard." She smiled at him, impatient to carry on, pressing herself against his iron like body again.
"No!" He grasped her hands this time, attempting to sound as firm as he could, nearly shaking her.
"No?!" She frowned at him. "What the fuck?! I thought you said this is what happens to smart mouths –"
"What?!" He looked at her, with lust filled eyes, still trying to regain control of his own arousal. "No; I meant I would kiss your smart mouth."
"Okay. Well, you've kissed the devil out of me." She pulled her hands out of his and began to unbutton his trousers. "Now you can shag my brains out too."
"Shobha… stop this. Right now – I have been drinking," he grabbed her hands again, frustrated by the whole situation he found himself in. He wanted her. Terribly. All of him ached for that release of what being inside her would bring. He had done this before with other women, as a younger man. Women willing to let him bed them, a pure exchange of pleasure, without any other expectation.
But something about HER stopped him.
"So what? I have too…." Angry at his sudden change, after he had done everything she wanted, she pouted and ground herself against his throbbing cock. "It would be a real shame to waste your hard on… at your age –"
"I don't want to lose control, you're tiny compared to me…" he growled at her insult, spinning her back round and against the wall again. He hesitated before speaking again thinking of how he had been unable to control his own transformation around her when he had first come upon her scent. "I… could hurt you."
"Oooh… yeah! Hot hate sex!" She smiled at him, still attempting to wriggle out of his steely grasp, before pausing to whisper a confession. "I… often have these weird dreams about us having sex… except you were a…"
"Wolf." He completed her sentence, feeling sobered by the realisation that his suspicions at the time had been correct all along; they had shared certain dreams. In particular, certain sexual ones. He had dreamt of her; the thrill of chasing her, and claiming her. But instead of submitting, she had at first resisted, even talked to him, as though surprised at being there, before he had ravaged her. The dreams had seemed so vivid, he would have imagined them true, except he had awoken spent.
"Sorry is that weird…?"
"No." He immediately answered to his own surprise, now staring into her big brown, doe eyes. Reaching out he brushed a strand off her face and smiled gently at the new way she had cut her hair. The dark locks framing her face, made her look a little younger, but still as beautiful. "I like your hair like this..."
"My bangs…?" She blinked completely taken aback by his observation and then felt a deep rumbling chuckle vibrate through his chest. She had never heard him laugh like that.
"Aye."
He watched the surprise lift her features, her full lips part, the red stain she wore on her lips now a little smudged from his rough kisses. Her dress had fallen off her shoulders slightly, and her hair once pinned rather perfectly now coming undone; she looked delicious; and in need of finishing off.
Taking a deep breath, Thorin shut his eyes, feeling the fire in his loins. His desperate ache for her, ready to explode. But he would ignore it tonight.
"We shouldn't do this." He wanted her more than he could bear, but not like this; intoxicated and sloppy. That was not how he enjoyed anything in his life worth enjoying, whether it was music, food or women. He wanted to be able to savour her properly – every last inch.
"What?!" She blinked up at him, the surprise on her face turning into a frown slowly. "Why the hell not?!"
"I can not do this - I'm sorry." He cupped her chin in his hand gently. "Not like this…"
"Good Lord!" she slapped his hand away, pushing him back with her hands against his broad chest. "You can't 'do this'?! It's just a shag! Not a bloody lifetime commitment!"
She pushed him firmly onto the bed, and watched him fall onto his back with great satisfaction, only to have him growl at her and grab her hand pulling her down on top of him. Then pressing her body to his, he flipped her over.
"I actually enjoy being undressed – it turns me on. But since you're having some funny turn, I will help you with that…" she began to awkwardly reach behind her in an attempt to undo her zipper, but instead found his hands grasp both her wrists and pull them up locking them in one of his hands above his head. "Perhaps you will come to your senses…"
"No one orders me about woman!" He growled, leaning down to kiss her, as he ran his hand along the smooth skin of her leg, pulling the hem of her dress up along with it, moving higher and higher. He lied to himself, that a little taste would do no harm, and then pressed his throbbing erection against her, thrusting again, in response to her moan. "Close your eyes."
She squirmed under him, wrapping a leg around him and urging him on in her own attempt to ease the need building within her.
"Please…" she uttered grinding her own hips up to meet him, unable to get the words out.
"Close. Your. Eyes." He growled at her again, lifting himself off her, to watch her obey him and relax, sinking into the soft bedcovers. But as his hand skimmed over her thigh he felt it; the raised scar that ruined the perfectly unblemished, soft, dusky skin of her thigh. It sat ragged, and particularly raised in the centre where the dagger had embedded itself in her thigh, and stood as a recollection of how he had only led her to trouble. Not only did this stop the upward path of his hands but also instantly made his kisses more chaste.
She whimpered a complaint, but appeared finally too worn out to care.
Thorin continued to caress her, watching as Shobha, reluctantly closed her eyes, and unknowingly drifted off to sleep, her breathing growing steady. So he carefully rolled over to lay beside her, kicking his shoes off.
Ignoring the throbbing ache of arousal that welled up in him, he initially turned to watch her. But she had somehow managed to wriggle out of her dress in part, which only heightened his desire. So he lay there looking up at the ornate ceiling of the penthouse suite.
"Don't worry… It's just for a night…" she mumbled in her sleep, turning to wrap an arm over his chest as he lay there.
He sighed and moved to hold her close against his chest, moving her soft, raven locks out of her face. The realisation of his own feelings towards her, which he had fought for so long finally dawning on him.
"It can never only be just one night with you now…"
….
Thorin stroked her face gently, as she lay on his chest fast asleep. After a few moments he gave up on the idea of waking her, and slowly moved her onto the bed, so he could sit up. The room was dark, but his senses perfectly adapted to such conditions. And he could hear the soft attempt to break into the suite. It was unusual, as the penthouse required several levels of security to access it. This was the reason his family had always chosen to stay here during their visits, even for a night.
After hours of brooding and worrying about whether he snored, he had only just drifted off to sleep when he had woken to the sound. Shobha on the other hand had fallen into a deep sleep. She seemed to move around a lot in her sleep, and often talked in her dreams. But at this point, she was practically unrousable!
Quietly moving through to the living room, he watched as the green light on the electronic door lock flickered, and the handle twisted in silence.
The intruder's large form entered from the lit corridor into the dark suite, only to find himself face to face with a large black wolf.
Despite his lumbering stance, the prowling figure was fairly agile, ducking and diving several lunges by the black wolf. Finally, a swipe of its sharp claws caught the large figure, in the middle of his torso, who made no noise in reply, but instead turned and disappeared out of the door.
Thorin stood sniffing the air for the scent of the man, and fighting the urge to chase him, for he stood guarding a far more important prize. But the intruder seemed to bear no scent that he recognised or could distinguish for that matter – just an earthy smell, the sort one got from digging a hole in the garden for instance.
The wolf sniffed the air again. This time he caught a far more desirable aroma, that began subtly at but soon drew him in quickly; the scent of a delicate floral fragrance, mixed in with that of her skin. But there was something else he could pick up now as he stepped closer to the bedroom door. Pausing, he sniffed the air again; it was the aroma of her unsatisfied arousal. It was as though her body was in bloom – ripe and ready.
Any remnant of his humanity gone, the wolf alone was in complete control now, as he staggered over towards the bed.
He paused at the foot of the large bed, where she slumbered, and he watched her for a moment, breathing ragged with excitement.
"Eh Thorin! What are ye doin?!" A voice from behind him snapped him back from somewhere dark, but he remained where he was, guarding what belonged to him.
A gun cocked from behind. Reinforcement. A faint familiarity of the sound from a distant human memory, made him slowly turn, scanning around him.
"Go on - Ye heard me!" Dwalin stood there with a large double barrel shot gun, cocked, aimed and ready. "What I mean is; step away from her! And take control of yerself!"
A faint glimmer of old knowledge beyond the wolf within seemed to surface, making the creature tilt his head and regard the man that stood before him. The beasts strange blue eyes settling on Dwalin, finally understood.
Moments later Thorin stood in its place.
"What in Mahal's name happened just now Thorin?" Dwalin tossed a towel over to his best friend.
"You heard that didn't you?"
"Aye. And he'd have not stood a chance against us… but ye lost control." Dwalin looked beyond his cousin at the woman sleeping in the bed, scratching his beard thoughtfully. At first he hadn't believed Thorin, but now had seen with his own two eyes how the wolf had taken over. Then he turned away from Thorin. "Put some proper clothes on Baheluh, that towel ain't gonna hide that giant stiffie yer growin."
Thorin looked around quickly to find some pants he had set aside, before wearing them quickly.
"You know that shotgun wouldn't have stopped me right?"
"Aye, laddie, but it would have sure as hell slowed ye down." Dwalin frowned. "What were ye doing in her room – it smells of lust in there!"
"She… asked me to stay there…" Thorin moved towards the door to inspect what had happened, switching on the lights for a better view, before gesturing to Dwalin to shut the door to the bedroom.
"She asked ya ter bed her?" Dwalin scowled in disbelief, knowing how these two had been fighting like cats and dogs not too long ago. "Was she drinking?!"
Thorin turned away, his face flushing at his best friends inquisitions.
"Did you see what that was?" Thorin attempted to change the subject before spotting the strange dust on the ground. "It couldn't have been a man; I injured it badly but it made no noise. And look… there's no blood…"
Thorin knelt down to touch the red dust that thoroughly covered the carpet of the lounge near the doorway.
"Aye. Ah never thought of seeing one… Didn't get as good a look, mind… but I think that's a Golem…" Dwalin still held the shotgun in one hand and now carried the large case that had been chained to his wrist with the other. "It's hard to move about with this attached. But at least we know these are safe."
Thorin looked up at Dwalin, his face visibly filled with concern, before spotting the case containing all the documents and the two jewellery boxes his father had left, chained to Dwalin. As his chief of security for Erebor, and closest friend, he knew asking Gandalf to fly him to London immediately had been the correct decision. Everything would have been back in the safer vaults of Erebor, but they had believed the pilot needed rest after making several journeys for Gandalf.
"The sooner we get back the better."
"The lass is now involved in all this. If ye think that Newbury is not to be trusted, it won't do to leave her here, even if her family will be there tomorrow." Dwalin fell heavily into a chair. "But I have to agree now – how else would anyone know we might be keeping anything in here… and how did that thing even get past all the security to the penthouse here. This place is guarded like our dungeons and vaults!"
"Aye. And you are sure it's… a Golem?" Thorin frowned, mouthing the word with more care, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
"Look at this red dust; its old dried clay. Makes sense – they were old legends, but…"
Thorin seated himself across from Dwalin, deep in thought himself, trying to recall what he had been told about the Golem legends by his own father.
"I remember it was rumoured that both Nain and Thror used them. And our earlier ancestors used them to do mining work, until they realised they were not very intelligent. But I don't know what is truth and what is part of some bedtime story for our kids." Thorin set his hands on the armrests of the large chair he sat in.
"Baheluh, I'm more concerned about ye, now that I've seen ya… lose control after changing." Dwalin frowned, true worry etched on his hardened features. "We Gandalf urgently."
…..
She lay still for a moment, trying to recall how exactly she had fallen asleep. Presently she found herself contently snuggled against his broad chest, feeling its steady rise and fall, and listening to the soft snoring that rumbled from deep within.
With her cheek resting against his hot skin, she couldn't help notice the many different tattoos inked onto his torso. There were various symbols; some together, some on their own. Slowly she stretched an arm out, making only the smallest movement to ghost her fingers over a particularly elaborate tattoo of a wolf's head.
"It's free to look at, but touching will cost you, my lady." He spoke softly, as though he would scare her if it were any louder, but was unable hold back a deep rumbling chuckle.
She froze for a moment, ashamed of having helped herself to his body like that, and then sat up in bed, to look over at him unable to recall the last time he looked so dishevelled. His silver streaked hair was ruffled, and he lay there in just his boxers, looking unusually relaxed.
"I apologise," he stiffened, a little insulted by her apparent recoiling to sit up himself. "I spoke only in jest."
"No… I…" she hesitated. She had wanted to sleep with him last night – a one night thing. It was not something she had done much; just once before in fact, with a work colleague not long after she had broken up with Mike. She didn't wish to sound as though she hadn't wanted to have sex with him, but at the same time she could only recall pushing him towards the bed, while HE had actually refused her! And she had certainly not been drunk enough to lose control! All the same she felt embarrassed for having thrown herself at him only to be rejected.
"We didn't do anything." He answered her unspoken question, sitting up to put some more distance between themselves. Last night when she had offered herself to him, he had wondered whether she would behave coldly towards him the next morning, and perhaps it was the pain of that which had kept him from bedding her as he so desperately wanted to. "If that's what you were wondering –"
"No I didn't mean that…" she clutched his large shirt together unable to recall wearing it.
"But you did undress yourself for me…" he smirked indicating his shirt on her. "Did a good job of undressing me too – and wouldn't take no for an answer. So I dressed you in my shirt."
"Oh." She concluded, wondering whether that was because he was not attracted to her. "How decent of you."
He looked over at her, surprised at the tinge of disappointment in her voice, and reaching out to her grabbed her hand pulling her back towards him.
"You said you wished for one night, but I could not…"
"Okay I get it. I am technically under your employment, and that makes it complicated." She muttered turning away again, only to have him pull her back again.
"No. I do not feel one night with you would be enough, my lady." He admitted quietly, pulling her closer, staring into her big brown eyes. "And I fear I cannot offer you what you need…"
She found herself frozen in his cold, azure gaze. At least he was honest about his emotional unavailability.
"Guess you're right; if I want to shag another loser, with as much emotional capacity as a broom then I shouldn't do it with someone who's on the hospital board." She cut him short, watching his face harden as her words cut into him. "I might be a prick-magnet but there's no need to jeopardise my application to fund a proper dressings clinic. And I will probably have better if I bought a vibrator right–"
Her phone rang interrupting them, and he watched as she listened on the phone, training her eyes on the window. Of course he could hear most of the conversation, realising that he would most likely never get the chance to hold her again as he had this weekend.
The call was from her sister, asking her to arrive early to help with some preparations; it also appeared that her family wanted to meet him. Prompted by the conversation, she looked over at him and frowned, unhappily. And so, he stood, turning away to hide his own disappointment, before wondering out of the room quietly.
By the time Shobha had ended the call and turned back, he was gone. She felt annoyed at the prospect of having to ask him to go to the wedding with her, but then resolved herself to go alone unless he volunteered.
"Um… I have to get ready…" she took a few steps through to the living room, only to be surprised by several hotel staff busy cleaning the floor. "Oh! What is this…"
"There was a break-in last night miss," one of the cleaners turned to her to explain nervously.
"Oh gosh!" Shobha gasped, her thoughts instantly turning to all the paperwork they had removed from the vault in Hatton Gardens.
"No need to worry, lass, everything is fine." A familiar voice from behind her made her turn around to find Dwalin sitting in an armchair reading a newspaper. He lowered the broadsheet enough to reveal a quirked eyebrow as he assessed her. "Sleep on the sofa; me arse Thorin!"
"Dwalin!" Shobha smiled, partially happy to see him, but also feeling a little caught out now.
"I'll give him one thing; Yer look good in his shirt." Dwalin commented hiding a smirk behind his part raised paper. "Better get ready then, lass…"
"Dwalin – Ah! Miss Seth," Thorin walked in through another door on the opposite side of the living room surprised to find her here. "I will be ready in twenty minutes... I suggest you make haste and get ready."
"Oh… okay…" she briefly glanced up at him, feeling her cheeks heat up as he observed her, his eyes alone revealing how much he enjoyed seeing her like that.
"You think so little of me, Miss Seth!" His expression changed into something quite cold, his tone to match. "I am not such a dumb brute as you might imagine me to be; as soon as we removed the papers and the jewellery items from Newbury's vault, I had Dwalin flown over with Athol, so that two of us remain with them at all times, until we get them back to our vaults safely. I don't trust Newbury one bit; there was a reason my father kept a separate store of jewels and funds through one of Gandalf's trusted banks. And we were proved right – there was an attempt to break in last night… and as for accompanying you to the wedding, I believe it is to be expected after I joined you last night… unless you do not need me…"
"Of course – I would appreciate that! Thank you." She added quickly, turning to head back into her room. "See you in forty minutes."
…..
Clutching the full skirt of her lehanga, she walked along the grand corridor as fast as she could towards the grooms' rooms.
Within moments of arriving at Ria's grand wedding venue, Myra had found her, explaining that both bride and groom had been missing from their rooms since morning! And with various members on both sides beginning to panic, she had been called in to help.
Shobha cursed under her breath as she knocked on the door to the grooms dressing room, wondering where Anaya, the maid of honour was!
The door opened, but it wasn't Vikram who greeted her.
"Shobha?" His warm hazel eyes, rugged face and dirty blonde hair, were just as she remembered when she last met him quite a few years ago.
"Brent! Oh my gosh!" She cried out as he immediately pulled her in for a big hug.
"Hey darlin'! Its wonderful to see you again!" He spoke with an unmistakeable Texan lilt, pulling away briefly to scan her face, as if he didn't believe it, only to hug her again. "Dya know how hard it is to get hold of ya?!"
She looked up at him and smiled. It was a strange relief to meet an old friend, amidst all the drama unfolding.
"Oh my gosh! Mr Brent Sawyer! You have not changed one bit!"
"Right back at ya missy!" He pulled her in and shut the door. "As you can see, I have the brilliant job of waiting here for Vik, so I can report back to your sister. The boy's truly missing?"
"Yeah. And you haven't heard anything then?" She looked up at him worried. "I have been everywhere in this enormous building…"
"His suit is gone, so figure he's in it… but no one else has been here…" he shrugged looking around. "I just got in this morning from Dallas! And I was thinking of havin a nap… How have ya been? I've been trying your number for some time…"
"Yeah – I'm sorry. I changed it." She didn't want to explain that after Mike, she changed everything – her phone number, her email address. And even moved to Erebor, but she knew he wouldn't probe. That was the nice thing about him; he never judged, and always took her as she was, whether it was heading out to lectures in her pyjamas or going out to on a date. They had lived in the same halls at university. Brent, was the son of an wealthy oil mogul, and had decided to spend some time studying engineering and economics at university. He had always been the 'handsome and popular American' through university. "I'm sorry I didn't call you for some time…"
They had all been close friends, often going out together until she, Jessie and Ria all got into serious relationships. Mike had always been in a foul mood about her friendship with him, which had led to her putting some distance between them. Then after her break up, she had effectively cut herself off from everyone.
"Its okay. I was only calling to see how you were doing… I heard about you and…" he trailed off, watching her with his warm hazel eyes and slowly reached for her hand. "That asshole."
"I've been better…" she smiled. "So I heard you were getting engaged…?"
He laughed in response to that.
"D'ya remember you said once, when we were all just kids – that if someone loved me, they would sign a prenup… that YOU would?" He laughed, this time a little bitterly. "Well, turns out, most girls don't want to..."
….
Thorin carried several bouquets back towards the brides suite, as Myra has asked. They had been left at the site where the photos were to have been taken prior to the wedding, but with a delay in locating the missing couple, she had decided that the flowers would fare better in the cool of the room, rather than outdoors.
He had met all her family, who had welcomed him warmly. It had left him distracted, after the way they had left things that morning, thinking of her and what it might have meant to marry her.
Reaching the door, he berated himself for being dazzled by such foolish follies, when he had a pile of journal entries belonging to his father to go through, and a threat towards his state and mines. Then as he was about to knock he noticed the door was already open.
Still holding the large crate full of big bouquets, he used his forearms to push the door open further. There inside stood Ria, half dressed, deep in conversation with Shobha's former betrothed! He held her hands in both of his.
He stood still, hoping that they had spotted him, but it seemed that they hadn't.
"What can I tell you, Mike… I need someone who will stand by me!" She appeared distressed.
"I have told you already!" He tugged at her hands. "You have to be brave – and make the leap."
Thorin frowned at how intimate the moment seemed between them, and moving further into the room, he cleared his throat to interrupt.
"But how do I know it will be okay –" she gasped, stopping mid sentence and pulling her hands away quickly at Thorin's entry. "Oh! Hi Thorin! Come in!"
"Don't you knock?" Mike grunted at him curling his lip.
"Are you alright Ria?" Thorin set the flowers down on a dresser, ignoring Mike. "Everyone has been worried about you…"
"Oh! Yeah – um… I needed to pick something up. Popped out quickly. I know I'm late…" she turned angrily to Mike. "Can you go find Vik please, and let him know I'm running late."
Mike paused, unwilling to leave, but Ria scowled at him again.
"Please Mike – go find Anaya and Vik." Her tone moved to a plea this time, reaching out to pat his arm gently which seemed to move him. "And just give me some TIME to get ready…"
Mike didn't linger for long, bustling past Thorin as he stomped out of the room, apparently quite upset, leaving Ria to turn towards the dressing table.
"I will let them know you are getting ready, shall I?" Thorin inquired from a distance. He didn't like the interaction he had witnessed not moments before, and had no intention of finding out more.
"Oh God! I've really made a mess of everything Thorin… what do I do?" Ria, tearful looked over at Thorin, half expecting a him to come rushing over.
"Really, it is not my place… Perhaps I could call your maid of honour to help?" He offered helpfully from a distance.
"Ugh she's useless. I have her because I have no one else…" suddenly Ria looked over to Thorin, her narrow eyes scanning him for any signs of sympathy towards her. "I can see you love her, even if you don't know it or deny it…"
He remained silent and stony faced, unable to deny it, but unable to admit it either.
"I don't think I can hide from the truth any more…" she shot a pleading look at him. "There is so much I have to say…"
…
"To be honest, I have no idea where Vik could have gone to. Or what he looks like beyond his photos on Facebook!" Brent laughed, brushing a hand through his hair, before whispering the rest. "I kind of got a late invitation – a couple of weeks ago… I met some guy called Darren outside – says he's the maid of honours boyfriend, sounded really fucked off about it too. He said one of the bridesmaids pulled out last minute, couple of weeks ago and her boyfriend was meant to be an usher – so I figure I'm a last minute stand in."
"Guess what Brent? I am a last minute stand in too!" She squeezed his arm. "That was Jess who pulled out by the way –"
"No waaaay!" Brent frowned, apparently he was just as stumped by the whole thing as she was. "Your bridezilla cousins bestie?!"
When Shobha nodded, he looked around him, comically miming.
"Has hell frozen over? Are pigs flying yet…?"
"Be serious now Brent. Or else, the maid of honour will get you!"
They looked at each other for a brief moment with wide eyes, only to break out into laughter immediately together.
"I've missed you." He whispered earnestly. "I hated that guy…"
"I know… we all drifted apart," she let go of his arm recalling how they had been close during their student days, she had even once spent thanksgiving at his family home – But he was frequently followed by gaggles of admiring girls, and so she had never even bothered to attempt competing. "Anyway, I don't think any of your gorgeous girlfriends ever appreciated you hanging out with us girls."
He stepped closer.
"Oh no honey! Is that really what you thought all this time?" He smiled down at her, slowly reaching out to touch a lock of her hair that fell over her shoulder. But they were interrupted. "They were only ever jealous of you –"
"Shobha..." Thorin stood in the doorway, his initial eagerness to see her, turning into cold indifference as he regarded the other man standing so close to her. "Ria is asking for you."
"Oh – thank you – um…" she stepped away from Brent, a little taken aback by Thorin's firm tone. Then rubbed her old friend's arm as she introduced him. "This is Brent – a close friend of mine from our days in University – he lived in the same halls as me! Brent, this is Thorin, my plus one."
"I am pleased to meet you." Thorin tilted his head and replied in a polite but clinical manner, as Brent held his hand out, only to find it left hanging there, so he finally withdrew it back.
"Good to meet ya." Brent nodded before turning to Shobha. "So I guess I just wait for Vik right? I'm sorry if I kept ya back."
"Not at all." Annoyed at Thorin's clear rudeness, she made it a point to reply warmly towards Brent, leaning in to embrace him again. "I'm glad that you came – it's really lovely to see you again. We'll catch up during the reception. It'll be really nice to remember some of the good old days."
Then she walked out and past Thorin who had held his hand out for her, leaving him to follow behind.
"Are you angry with me?" He grunted.
"No. But maybe next time I meet someone you know, I will be rude to them too…"
Thorin did not reply, aware that he had acted less than gracefully.
"Wait… Shobha. Your cousin.." he caught her hand gently, tugging her to a halt. The warning he was about to give her would be based purely on his observation, and how she had behaved last night and today. There was a certain irksomeness to it, even though he had been quite used to women subtly attempting to cast their nets in his direction; it had been part of the reason for his cold, unwelcoming nature. But he had also often prided himself in his ability to call people for what they were based on mere first impressions. He had rarely ever been wrong. "I do not like your cousins behaviour. I think she only looks to cause trouble –"
"What?!" Shobha started up at him, trying to read his face. "What did she say to you?"
"Nothing specific… just something about knowing a secret." He struggled to find the right words to use, out of fear of insulting her family. "But it troubles me all the same."
"Oh God! Don't worry." She patted his hand dismissively and released herself from him, rolling her eyes. "Ria always does this – she is a massive drama queen! Look, I have known her all our lives, and she always has some secret, or a 'big problem'… that's her."
"But she seemed most convinced…" he attempted again, realising he had very little evidence.
"I'm sorry if she tried to draw you in Thorin." Shobha shrugged. "Ria has always done this. Often to boys I've dated in the past. She once convinced this guy who asked me out, that she was flat out broke; he called off our date and gave her money for her text books!"
Shobha shook her head.
"I had to literally pay him the money back. And even then he was so convinced that he told me off for not helping out my own cousin!" Shobha laughed bitterly – that had been the one big flaw with her cousin, but she had tried not to judge her for it, after all, Ria had been there for her at times too. "I think she got worse over the years… but I figured once she met Vik – who seems fairly stable, that all this crap would stop. And I think it probably did for quite a while… Really, don't worry."
She turned to take a few steps on, while he remained there, still pondering the matter.
"Look, let's listen to what 'big secret' she has to say… and then figure it out." She gestured for him to hurry, before carrying on herself.
So he simply followed her back to the bridal suite in silence, wondering whether Shobha harboured any feelings towards the man she had just spoken with; whether he had been an old flame. Perhaps he had no place to ruin any chance at happiness she might have – particularly, where he was in no place to offer her the same, however much his soul yearned for her, or how much it pained him to imagine her with another.
As Shobha walked in through the door to the bridal suite, she spotted Ria fiddling with her wedding saree, apparently having trouble getting into it; Both her waist and chest spilling out.
It made her stop and observe her cousin with greater care for a moment, before Ria herself looked over at her.
"Oh God! Shobha! I'm soooo sorry." She squeaked as she looked up, with her tear stained face. "It's all ruined Shobha…"
Ria sobbed rushing over to her and throwing her arms around Shobha, who hugged her back and patted her reassuringly.
"Ria, I am sure there is nothing that can't be fixed… is it your saree?" Shobha offered, growing a little irritated. "I mean it's hardly noticeable – and with a few pins I can get that fixed right up –"
"No! I mean yes - it's tight but - that's not the main problem…" Ria sobbed harder.
They were interrupted by the sounds of another visitor.
"Oh thank goodness!" Anaya stood in the doorway, looking partially relieved only to see them all, interrupting. "Ugh you're here too?!"
"Please leave Anaya." Ria sniffed looking away.
"What?" The young woman looked uncertain, as if she hadn't quite heard Ria correctly. "Has SHE been upsetting you –"
"No Anaya. Please go –" Ria began but this time Anaya interrupted.
"He's here." Anaya pointed at Thorin.
"Shobha..?" Thorin looked at her. He imagined Ria had nothing pleasant to reveal. In truth he wanted to take her with him – far away from this place.
"I'll be okay." Shobha nodded, and watched as he left, followed by Anaya.
Ria continued to sob. So Shobha quickly sat her down at the dressing table and offered her a tissue, before picking up a water bottle and pouring out a glass and setting it in front of her.
"Ria, nothing is ever that bad… you know that." Shobha reassured once again before offering her another tissue. "Besides, Vik really loves you… and you are ruining your make up and dehydrating yourself before your big day!"
"I've done something terrible, Shobha." She began, only to sob again.
"It's ok…" in the past Shobha would have given her a hug, but right now that seemed insincere, after all these months when they hadn't even spoken a word to one another.
"Really…?" Ria peeked up from her tissue. "And you won't be mad?"
"Why would I be mad. I think we've known each other too long for that…" Shobha smiled, attempting to coax her along. She and Jess had been so used to dealing with Ria's dramas it no longer troubled her. And whatever issue this was, the sooner it was resolved, the sooner she could leave.
"I'm pregnant…"
"Oh my goodness!" Shobha feigned surprise and then happiness, even though she had suspected this when she first saw Ria spilling out of her saree only minutes ago. "That's lovely news Ria! Why would you be worried… no one can see…"
"Really, you mean no one will suspect…" Ria dabbed at her smudged make up with her tissue, examining her cousins face for clues indicating that she might be lying. "I'm almost four months… I got a check up early…"
"Oh gosh Ria! Is that what was troubling you –"
"I don't think I can marry Vik now." Ria quickly added before glancing over her shoulder.
"Vik? Why the hell not?" Shobha frowned. "He will love that! Always talked about having children –"
"It's not his okay?!" Ria cried out, as her hands flew up to her face.
Shobha stiffened up and took a step back suddenly, unable to compute how, her cousin who had always claimed to have been in love with the perfect man, and so lucky at that, could have done such a thing. Ria and Vikram had always seemed so happily in love!
"I think he already knows… I just… I made a mistake – at first…" she paused and looked at Shobha. "But I have to leave him…"
"Why on earth did you wait till today then…"
"I wasn't sure who the baby belonged to." Ria sobbed again.
"Well… it doesn't matter. It can all be fixed. We let Vik know… tell the baby's father… and figure something out." Shobha tried to explain from afar, more in troubleshooting mode than truly comprehending the whole situation directly.
"Oh God Shobha! That's just it… I'm ashamed about the baby's father…" Ria peered up at Shobha again.
"Then you raise the baby on your own. I still don't understand what's so terrible…?" Shobha inquired, but as she watched Ria's face, a vague memory of the discussion she had overheard last night, between Mike and her cousin, came flooding back suddenly. "Who exactly IS the father of the baby Ria…?"
Ria paused and looked up at Shobha, in between dabbing at her eyes with a few tissues.
"For fuck's sake Ria…" she uttered, now fully suspecting what her cousin was about to confess.
"I think your suspicions are right…" Ria sobbed again.
Shobha's heart raced, and slowly she took in a deep breath, as she felt the anger build up somewhere deep inside. It made her ball her hands into tight fists, digging her nails into her palms as she fought the urge to run.
"No. You don't get to do that." Shobha spoke coldly. How could she have been so stupid. It all now made sense; Jessica's distance, the missing groom, and Ria herself cutting Shobha off. "If you did the dirty… then have the balls to come out and admit it."
"I'm pregnant Shobha…"
"Say it!" Shobha repeated sternly this time. Her words rang out.
"It's Mike!" Ria shouted in reply, her hand flying up to her mouth. "I feel sick Shobha…"
But before Ria could stand Shobha moved over to the dressing table, slamming both hands on the table top where Ria had spread all the make up and an array of hair clips and pins everywhere, and with one swoop she wiped off all the items onto the floor. Then grabbing the small bin that sat underneath she slammed it on the counter top directly in front of Ria, beside the box of tissues.
"There you go." Shobha managed, as she clenched her teeth, biting back the desire to yell. "You'll be fine. Now do the right thing…"
Ria began to cry again.
"Why the fuck isn't Mike here. If he knocked you up, he should be here…" Shobha turned sharply on her heels and paced back to the door, which she ripped open to find Anaya stood close clearly trying to listen in. "Do something useful; Go and find Vikram, and Mike! Right now!"
Shouting at Anaya, was not the right thing to do, this much she knew. But if she was stupid enough to be there, then she deserved it. Scanning the floor nearby, she spotted a small case, and picked it up. Then she swung the door back, propping it open by jamming the case against it.
"Right. Now carry on."
"Please, Shobha I'm sorry…" Ria began crying again.
"Okay, I pretty much chopped in my entire life as I knew it – so I think you can answer a few simple questions; you owe me that much." Shobha paced the room now. "When did you first…?"
"Around eighteen months ago..." Ria sobbed harder.
"What – on my birthday?" Shobha struggled to keep her voice down now, her breathing was now much faster. "I was oncall!"
"I came over and he was alone. We expected you back, but you were late after work – and got held back." Ria shook her head, looking down at her hands. "Vik had been away on business for a month… we had a meal together, spoke lots about you… and then… it just happened…"
"I WAS ONCALL! There was a massive trauma that came in – a teenager hit by a lorry! I couldn't just dump and leave!" Shobha stopped briefly to shut her eyes, biting back the tears. When she came home, she knew something had happened that night, but he had denied any problems and she had been made to feel as though SHE had been imagining it all! Of course, Mike had never been the same with her since that night. "You didn't think it was a bit wrong?!"
"It was a mistake Shobha!" Mike replied back from the doorway.
She spun around to face him. This was the conversation she never had with him. They broke up, practically by phone, and the next time she saw him was when he came over to collect his things and drop hers off.
"A mistake?!" She shouted at him, before taking a deep breath again. "Oh I see.. Like… I had an extra beer on a weeknight, tripped over and fell into her! Repeatedly!"
He stood frowning at her words.
"Is that why you proposed to me? Out of guilt?" Shobha turned to question Mike, but he shook his head and didn't answer further. So she paced up and down the room again several times, trying to get her head straight again. "Okay, well how long –"
"I loved you - that's why I proposed… of course it was all wrong." He held out his hands in a gesture of regret. "We both knew that. And the guilt ate at us for months. But that drove us further together Shobha… it was like this great big secret we had to keep… together… and we realised we had more in common than we thought…"
"Oh right. So that means you both kept fucking behind my back."
"No! Shobha!" Ria cried out from behind her. "We didn't do anything for a three months! But then…"
"We realised that… we were in love." Mike delivered the final blow, taking a step into the room. "We never meant to hurt you –"
"Does Vik know?" Shobha came to stand by the window now, no longer able to look at either of them. Choosing to watch the world outside instead as people milled about in the beautifully tended gardens below, completely oblivious to the drama within the bridal suite.
"We haven't told him yet – I mean – he figured out that I'm pregnant…" Ria replied.
Shobha watched a waiter walking about gracefully, carrying a full tray of champagne flutes all full, as though they weighed as much as a feather. She had once thought hearing the truth from Mike would give her closure, and answer all the questions she had. She had expected to be livid, and perhaps she had been for a little while, but now all she felt was numbness.
"Oh God! Shobha say something…" Ria stood from the dressing table and took a step towards her, but paused, unable to complete her actions. There was no comfort for the betrayed.
"What are you going to do.?"
"I can't go through with this…" Ria finally concluded.
"The wedding or our baby?" Mike took another step in nervously. "Please Ria – I promised you… I will look after you both."
"The wedding Mike." Ria replied quietly before turning towards her cousin again. "Please, Shobha… I need your help."
Shobha watched the string quartet this time. The faint sound of music, resulting from their graceful movements could just about be heard from where she stood at the window. Finally the words her cousin spoke and their meaning registering.
"What am I supposed to do?" Shobha frowned. She needed to leave but her legs simply wouldn't carry her right now. They felt weak. "Do you know what's ironic? You guys did a lot of fucking around. But in the end, I'm the one that got fucked over."
"Please Shobha –"
"Who else knows?" Shobha looked from Ria to Mike over her shoulder.
"Jess… Cathy… Mike's housekeeper." Ria replied quietly, hoping the answers would help. "I think my mother knows… please Shobha…"
"It's my fault. Be mad at me…" Mike stepped closer again, as Ria looked on at Shobha.
"I'm mad at myself… What on earth can I do for you? This is your wedding day – your mess to clear up."
"I know it's terrible of me –" Ria jumped in again. "And hate me all you want after this. But I really need you to help me one last time… please Shobha… and I promise – I will never ever ask for anything else again."
"Tell me this, Ria… why?" Shobha asked still facing away from them both. She had accepted that Mike was a terrible, selfish man, and blamed him entirely, imagining he had prayed on some unsuspecting random woman, but her cousins actions in this pained her.
Ria remained silent at first, and then tried her best.
"I… don't know…" she sounded out slowly. "You… always… had it all… you will never understand…"
Shobha started out of the window for a few more minutes, while they waited in silence. She had come back for closure but this was more than she had bargained for. In some ways she wished that she had never found out the painful truth; To be betrayed by the man she thought of spending forever was bad enough, but also her once dear friend, and cousin, had left her feeling numb.
"Oh God! Shobha… please… say something…"
Slowly she turned to face them both, each watching her every movement closely, guilt written all over their faces.
"This is it…" Shobha turned, finally bringing herself to look at them now. She wanted this over quickly, now.
Ria nodded, watching her cousin face them, tears welling up in her eyes again, recalling the countless times that Shobha had put her arm around her shoulder as children, or teenagers and reassured her. To see the frank betrayal on her face would be one of the unforgettable events in her lifetime.
…
"Thank you…" Ria truly wanted to tell Shobha that she was sorry, but couldn't bring herself to admit it, not with all that had transpired. She had, after all, no regrets now that she was going to have a baby with Mike.
"Sure…" Shobha nodded in defeat, watching as Ria moved to the door where Mike now stood. "Go quick then… or I imagine everyone will be here soon…"
As Ria and Mike opened the door they came face to face with Thorin, who moved past towards Shobha. He had wanted to be there for her, but felt helpless, despite his desperate need to protect her from all this. He was not her kin, and had no right to be there. After last night he had wanted to just take her back to Erebor. But he was equally troubled by how much the wolf within him wanted her, and just how powerless he was to keep the beast away. He had never knowingly hurt anyone, while he was transformed, and yet, he had never found his will completely surrendered to the wolf either.
"Oh it's you. You were right – I shouldn't have told anyone about all this. I should have just left with Mike this morning!" Ria scowled at Thorin before glancing over at her cousin one last time, and disappearing through the door.
"Are you alright my lady?" Thorin moved towards her, imagining she needed some comfort – at least he could hold her.
But she suddenly looked at him, her soft features hardening as Ria's words finally sunk in, like a painful dagger.
"You knew about this?" Shobha frowned.
"I did not, my lady!" Thorin shook his head, realising now, that Ria had intended to cause more trouble. He took a few more steps closer, and stopped.
"Then why did she say that?"
"I told you. She claimed to know some big secret, upon which others happiness rested. So I told her that unless any good could come of it to keep it to herself." He replied calmly. "Of course, after this morning when I suspected further, I did try to warn you – but you didn't want to know –"
"Yeah, you tried to warn me, on the walk back here –"
"Well, you were too busy flirting with that man to have your head on, so that you might listen better!"
"FLIRTING with that man?!" Shobha frowned again, feeling angrier. "Apparently, YOU were too busy cosying up, sharing secrets and giving advice to my cousin – which is pretty rich coming from Mr 'I cannot give you what you seek'…"
She moved closer to him now, to study his face better. He no longer wore his usual stony expression, initially appearing quite taken aback at her outburst. But his handsome features soon hardened, with his usual frown lines appearing once more, giving his azure eyes the callousness she saw once, a long time ago.
"That's right… in the end, we can dance around this all we like – but it's all just a farce! A bit fat lie – like yesterday!" Shobha snapped at him angrily. She had fallen for Mike, who clearly couldn't commit to her, and now she was falling for yet another emotionally unavailable man, which was making her angry. "You are all hot and cold – swooping in one minute to 'save me' and then next minute asking me what I 'want from you'? You don't know whether your coming or going with me! I mean really?! Don't tell me that YOU – Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, Lord Durin of Erebor, doesn't know what he wants?"
"Oh good! Place the blame on me for this… when you should have seen it coming, all the while! It was clear to me from the first moment I met your cousin, that she is spoilt, has little regard for others – particularly YOU; And yet you choose to martyr yourself to help her, out of.. what…? Some sense of old friendship?" He moved closer, but stopped short of touching her, noticing the change in her. Their relationship from yesterday seemed like a sweet dream from long ago. "The only farce here, is that you refuse to see what's right under your eyes, woman!"
"Yeah! You're right - I'm an idiot not to see this is all useless. So I don't even know what you're doing here Thorin! I am a big girl and can look after myself – these aren't Victorian times – although I figure you've lived through those too no doubt; I don't need you to hold my hand under the table where no one can see – like I am a dirty little secret.. And I certainly don't need saving!" She turned away from him now, so that he couldn't see her face, in case she was unable to keep herself from crying. She had managed to hold back her bitter tears while Ria and Mike stuck their daggers of betrayal through her already broken and barely healing heart. "Just go."
"Go?" He scowled taking another step closer, wanting to turn her around so he could see her face. So he could be certain she meant what she said. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, unable to find the words in response to her request. Then after what felt like an age spoke again. "How will you get back safely…"
"You don't need to feel obliged to worry about me; go back to Erebor. Anyway, haven't you got work to do? There's no need to pose as my boyfriend anymore - I will be fine; I'll get the train back."
He took another step closer, desperate to pull her into his arms and shake some sense into her. To love her as she deserved; as she had wanted him to last night. But she stiffened at his approach, even though she looked away now. And this flinch did not go unnoticed, making him halt very abruptly.
"Very well, my lady." His tone was clinical once more. "I will have your train tickets emailed to you, and your luggage taken up… I can also have the car waiting –"
"Thank you."
After a long silence between them, he finally turned to leave, feeling as though he had been punched hard in the abdomen. He paused as he reached the doorway, looking over his shoulder once more, hoping that she would turn to glance at him, even if for a brief moment, or at least give him some sort of indication that the day they had spent together yesterday had felt as real to her as it had to him.
But she merely stood there, looking out of the window, statue still and almost not daring to breathe.
…
"Shobha!" Myra opened the door to the bridal suite, after having been called by Anaya. "What is going on there –"
She stormed in followed by the maid of honour, and the bride's parents, Lalitha and Hari to find Shobha sitting there by the window, all alone, watching everyone still milling outside.
"See! I told you - she upset Ria!" Anaya cried.
"I'm sure Ria can look after herself just fine!" Myra dismissed her irritated. "Er… Shobha, where exactly IS Ria?"
"Gone."
Myra was silent for a few minutes, so where Shobha gave no further explanation, she pressed again.
"Gone?! What the hell does that mean?"
Shobha slowly turned back to face her sister. Myra had always disliked Mike and when then had broken up, her sister had painfully pointed this out, much to her chagrin.
"She's gone. Not coming back." Shobha repeated as if they were being stupidly slow. "Where is Vikram…?"
Before Myra could respond, Anaya, who finally realised what was going on shrieked out and turned to run back out, only to be halted by the incoming party of Shobhas own parents, Arun and Pushpa, followed by Vikram and Brent.
"Where is she?" Vikram repeated.
And once again everyone fell silent awaiting Shobhas reply, as if somehow it might have changed in the moments since Myra asked her before that!
"Vikram – she's gone…" her reply was softer this time, for she deeply felt his humiliation and frank disbelief. "I'm sorry Vik… I asked her to talk to you herself – but she couldn't... So she wrote you a letter…"
Shobha pointed at an envelope that sat on the dressing table and after some initial hesitation he crossed the room and waiting crowd to pick up the envelope.
"She didn't want to talk to us?!" Lalitha gasped, clutching onto her husband, Hari. "I don't understand Shobha…"
Vikram silently took the envelope and sat on the bed, staring at it.
"Son, perhaps it is best we read it for you…" Arun offered gently.
"Here, I think I know what it is going to say anyway." Vikram offered the envelope to Myra who stood closest and then let his head fall into his hands.
Myra, was quick, as usual.
"She says she's sorry but that she has had a 'crisis of conscience' and after much 'soul searching', she cannot go through with the wedding because she has realised she is 'in love with someone else'." Myra summarised with great efficiency what appeared to be two pages of Ria ramblings. "She says she is sorry to all of you… blah blah… and that's it –"
"In love with someone else?! I don't understand. Everything was perfect right up to last night." Lalitha cried out dramatically holding her hands up to the sky. "Baap re Baap!"
"What she doesn't tell you is that she was almost four months pregnant! Because she been shagging Mike all this time! Yeah that's right!" Vikram ground out through his teeth. "He even took her to the scans! And that's who she ran off with!"
"What?!" Myra inquired sounding genuinely surprised, while the words he uttered made her freeze where she stood. "How did you know?"
"I have suspected for some time now. But I heard them talking again today…" Vikram shook his head angrily. "They've been having an affair for some time now…"
He was unable to help himself from glancing over at Shobha guiltily.
"How long have you known?" Shobha asked unable to comprehend this.
"Maybe just over a year, but I think it's been going on for longer. At first I thought it was because she was hacked off I hadn't proposed. So I did… but she still carried on.."
There were several gasps from the group, and Lalitha and Anaya both cried out dramatically again.
Myra came to stand by Shobha, silently reaching out to hold her hand in solidarity. It was the last person she expected it from, and yet, so desperately needed.
"Don't look at me like that!" Vikram sighed at Shobha. "It was none of my business to intervene. Besides Jessica, her boyfriend, Cathy, all knew… in fact Anaya knew. And frankly I believe you knew too Aunty Lalitha?!"
The shocking revelations left Arun, Pushpa and Hari all turning to watch Lalitha flush amidst her dramatic performance!
"Is this true Lalitha?" Hari turned to look at her immediately, letting her go as if she had committed a terrible crime.
"No… I mean… I didn't know… exactly." Lalitha carefully worded her reply. "I thought they were inappropriately familiar…"
"What does that mean Lalitha?" Shobha's mother, Pushpa stepped forward this time. "If you knew your daughter was having an affair with my daughters fiancé, you had better tell us right now!"
"He is her former fiancé!" Lalitha snapped back, all pretence of her prior innocence lost. "And it is not my problem if YOUR daughter is unable to keep her man happy – the silly girl is always working or running off to do whatever it is that she fancies…"
"OUR daughter is perfect – both of them. And we are proud of the hard working, clever, kind and generous women they are! Something that you and Ria, with your self centred ways have no idea about!" Pushpa was sharp with her reply.
"It's her fault for bringing that man into our lives!" Lalitha pointed at Shobha and carried on, as her husband attempted to calm her down. "We are all ruined –"
"Well, it certainly didn't stop your daughter from having a bastard baby with him now, did it?" Vikram stood up from where he sat on the bed angrily.
A piercing whistle cut through the angry voices bringing them all to abrupt silence, and leaving all turning to meet the creator of the noise – Shobha, who stood beside Myra.
"Stop it everyone!" Shobha cried out. "It doesn't matter who's fault it is, now. The bottom line is you have no bride. So there will be no wedding – and a lot of hungry guests."
At first all eyes trained on Vikram, who immediately stood up.
"You can bloody well forget it, if YOU all think I am going to embarrass myself out there. No. I'm out of here." And with that he stormed out past the group gathered in the bridal suite.
"I'm telling my parents. They'll be so mad," Anaya wagged her finger angrily at the group and rushed out following him.
"I do not feel well…" Lalitha walked over to Myra and took the note her daughter, the runaway bride had written and sat heavily on the bed, rubbing her forehead while reading it again.
"Do you think you might be able to help, please Shobha?" Hari pleaded looking towards where she and her sister stood, before slowly walking towards where his wife stood, frankly crying. "I realise it's a big ask…"
Shobha nodded and sighed – this would be the second wedding she would be calling off in two years! But her older sister shook her head and stopped her. She had put up with Ria and all her drama for so long, that she came to accept this too.
"No Hari. That is not right." Arun stepped forward supported by Pushpa. "It should come from the direct family."
"Please…? I do not think Lalitha is capable –" Hari began to plead. "I will help, but this is better from a woman…"
"I will do it." Myra offered. Hari and Lalitha had often asked for support with matters like this, for as long as they could recall. There was a time they relied heavily on their eldest son, but Pavan, had at some point abruptly stopped stepping in all the time. "Leave my sister out of this."
"Okay dad, I know I'm adopted, but maybe this is one of those times you actually ask me to help." Pavan, Ria's brother, who had been standing at the back of the group, finally stepped forward. "I told you this whole wedding was turning into a bit of a debacle…"
He smiled at Myra and Shobha.
"I might need help from a few people to gather up the guests, and I think the wedding planner is about, so will be able to help too…" Pavan looked around the group. "Myra – I would be grateful. But you're right, not Shobha this time. As for you mum, I think it's time to admit that we all need to sit down and have a long chat. You can't keep dumping the stuff you find painful to do on other people, like Unle Arun…"
Lalitha began sobbing again at that.
"Don't cry my dear." Hari brought the box of tissues over.
"He's right, Lalitha. You were once my little sister, but you have been a mother for some time, and now you are about to become a grandmother!" Arun finally uttered the words he should have a long time ago, receiving an encouraging nod and gentle smile from his wife. "Its time to be grown up –"
"Sir, perhaps I can help too?" Brett offered from the very back of the group, to which Arun nodded as he began to usher everyone out of the room leaving the bride's father to comfort his wife.
"Wait – Shobha! Did they at least say where they were going?" Hari asked, clearly worried about his daughter.
"No, sorry Uncle Hari, but Ria will have her phone with her; call her." Shobha replied over her shoulder as she began to walk out.
As soon as the group had moved out into the corridor Arun turned to Shobha.
"My darling girl, I am so sorry. We have really let you down and it's unforgivable." Her father pulled her into a hug, as her mother stroked her hair.
"I should have never let you come back to do this, if that mother fucker was involved!" Pushpa fumed.
"Mum! I am shocked at your language!" Myra's eyebrows shot up and she was unable to help herself from covering her mouth, for she truly had never heard her mother swear like that! "Thank goodness the children weren't here."
They all burst out chuckling at that thought.
"We need to get you out of here." Arun interrupted. "Shall I get you to Myra's house –"
"Dad, I have to go back. Work and responsibilities…" Shobha explained. "Don't worry, I am taking the train – so I will get a taxi."
"What about your friend?" Her mother asked hopefully.
"I asked him to get back early once I saw the car crash about to happen." Shobha admitted quietly. "It's fine; I will be fine."
Her parents looked at her, their faces filled with irritation at her adamance. But she really didn't want to talk about anything anymore.
"You have a mess to sort here –"
"Oh please – I will ask everyone to stay and enjoy the meal. No sense in wasting all this food and champagne go to waste…" Myra winked before giving her a gentle hug. "Give us a bell from the train and when you get back."
"Or any time you feel like it." Her mother corrected.
….
She stood at the reception desk, half looking out of the grand entrance, and half wishing for a car to appear.
"How long did you say that taxi was going to take?"
"I'm sorry miss, but it may take half an hour –"
"Shobha…?" Yet another familiar voice called out to her.
Unable to recall who it might be, and imagining the worst, with a sigh she turned around, in part regretting that she turned down a lift from her parents. She prepared her face to put on a fake smile for whoever it might be, then silently reminded herself that Myra had taken on the task of tactfully informing guests that there would no longer be a wedding, which was a far worse place to be.
As she turned, she spotted a face that she never thought she would see again, since her break up with Mike. It was Mike's father!
"Evan!" She beamed with a mixture of relief and fondness. "Oh my goodness Evan! How are you?"
"Shobha my dear! I should be asking you the same, but I think I know the answer to that, given that you look even more gorgeous!" Evan smiled, moving closer to lean down and give her a peck on the cheek. His once auburn streaked hair had turned completely silver, but his face had not aged a day since she last saw him, as their engagement dinner. "Are you making a run for it too?"
She nodded.
"Me too. It's sort of bad form, if your son's responsible for the wedding being cancelled." Evan grimaced, whispering. "Let me drop you off where ever you need to go?"
He jangled his car keys, and gently put his arm around her. It reminded her of how much she used to get along with him.
"I have to catch the sleeper train… I can't have you drive me all that way…" Initially she hesitated, although she had always liked Evan very much.
"Well, we'll make it to Euston, well on time…" he nudged again, with a gentle smile. "I'm not exactly in a hurry to explain to Bethan, why I am home early."
"How is Bethan?"
"Oh, very well. Believe it or not, she was sincerely disappointed not to have a reason to spend more money when your engagement was called off…" he chuckled. "I think she was hoping to push my retirement out by about five years. I imagine she dreads a time when we are home together, with nothing but each other… now shall we?"
She paused to consider things again, before giving in to the dull ache that had been building up in her still healing leg, for having been on her feet all this time.
She nodded, and within minutes, they were in Evan's car, heading for the train station.
"You know Shobha, I always liked you… and I know he is my son, but I must admit; you were wasted on him…" Evan spoke the words he had longed to say for so long. It felt like a relief, to simply say it. "Cathy, and Bethan are soft on Michael, but the truth is, he was always spoiled. By the time he came along, things had started looking up for us you see. We had more money, and Bethan didn't need to work. So toys, attention, affection… he had everything. And of course Cathy, being our only daughter and youngest, was the same. Evan junior on the other hand, well, if I could have picked a son for you – he would have been the one…"
Shobha glanced over at Evan as he continued to drive, wondering how long he had felt this way.
"Apart from inheriting the good looks, Evan, is a real man. And I am proud of him for it. Works hard, earns well, and would have looked after you in the way you should be…" he smiled, but there was a bitterness to his words. A tone of regret. "I tried to call you last year - a few times… just to check on you, but –"
"I changed my number." She replied back quietly. It felt as though she had surrendered for having done so.
Evan fell silent for a moment, contemplating her words again.
"I'm sorry you left your life in London, because of him."
"Don't apologise Evan. Not for him." She looked over at him briefly, to meet his pale grey eyes. "Besides my old life was overrated. And Erebor, has its wild charm…"
"You know, Evan junior is still single… and he's always fancied the pants off you…" he chuckled, before glancing at her again while the car stood still in traffic. "Too weird huh?"
"Maybe a little weird…" she mused, considering she was living with a clan of werewolves.
"So… that guy you came with…" Evan began. "Cathy said you both seemed rather cosy last night…"
Shobha remained silent, grateful the car was pulling up near the train station, while the man she once considered to be her future father-in-law, and fortunate for it, remained quietly pensive.
"Why is he not here now?"
"I sent him away." She felt no need to explain.
"I imagine you don't want to hear my take or even think it's. But I still care for you as a daughter. So I will just say it: Don't let Michael effect your outlook on love…"
They both sat silently, each mulling things over.
"Michael had never brought a girl home before you. I mean, we knew there were women – but never met any. Cathy often snooped," he laughed at that quite frankly, reliving some undisclosed memories. "I used to joke about that girl being like the Gestapo. No secrets were possible with her around. And she even had nicknames for them all; 'big boobs', 'nose job', 'veneers'… she called you 'the baby'. In fact when I heard about him dating a younger woman, I thought it sounded terrible. I was on the verge of sitting him down and having a chat… you know like an intervention. Then he brought you home for dinner. Do you remember that day?"
"Oh gosh yes! I was so nervous. I had Mike pull over just before the turn off to your road so I could check my make up after the long drive…"
"Well you looked perfect; You wore that pretty flowery, white dress with blue flowers. I remember it like it was yesterday…" Evan looked out of the windscreen as he spoke. "When you pulled in to the driveway, I was struggling to change the headlight on my Merc. Never done it before, but I couldn't wait for the guy at the garage to do it, so I thought it couldn't be so complex, and then learnt the hard way how fiddly it was. My hands were too big to manage. I got the old one out but couldn't fit the new one –"
"Oh my God! I had forgotten about that!"
"I had grease all over my good shirt, and stood there swearing like a sailor, when Michael walked past!" He smiled. "But you didn't go in with Michael, staying to help instead. And those tiny hands of yours did their magic, even though you got grease on that pretty dress! I knew you were a keeper that very day and I told that fool…"
"Evan… it's okay…" she wanted to cry again, but she reached out and squeezed his arm instead. "I'm okay. And I think they'll be happy…"
He silently nodded again.
"There has to be a reason for these things and how they work out… something good to come out of something bad…" he spoke finally as she opened the door to step out onto the pavement. And then he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "But I mean it; if you ever need anything; any help…"
"Thank you Evan." She leant over and this time, gave him a peck on the cheek before stepping out.
And with one last look at him as he sat in the car, she headed out to catch the train.
…..
She lay on her enormous Ereborean bed staring up at the ceiling feeling numb.
Having hoped for closure, she got more than she bargained for. Much more.
After keeping all those tears in, out of some sense of preserving what was left of her dignity, she had cried all the way back on the sleeper train. She had cried for every broken promise, for the life she had imagined she would have, and for every plan she had made with him, which would go unfulfilled. Most of all she had cried out of the anger she felt for herself, at being such a fool!
She had cried until she had no more tears.
All she could be grateful for was that by the time Dwalin had picked her up from the train station, she had been so exhausted that she had slept through the entirety of the long drive back to Erebor. It had meant they hadn't spoken beyond their initial greeting. And then she had headed straight to the infirmary, to drown herself in her antidote to all things – work.
Even after arriving back after an extra long day, and having a long shower, she still felt drained.
Now she knew the whole truth, she wondered whether it would have been better if she had remained blissfully unaware.
There was a quiet knock at her door. But she didn't move.
"Shobha… I… hate how we left things…"
Somewhere in her fuzzy, cried-out, work-worn head, she recognised his deep, velvety voice.
"Are you alright…?" Thorin spoke quietly from outside her door.
He paused again, but she lay there just listening, for even talking felt too exhausting at that point.
"Very well, then at least listen; I am sorry if my words sounded harsh… I did not mean to sound the way I did. And perhaps if you allow me to explain myself better…" He sighed heavily leaning against the wooden door.
But she still lay there quite still. After their last exchange, she hadn't expected to see or hear from him for some time.
"Very well then. I shall be waiting for when you are ready to speak." He spoke again, quieter still and paused for several minutes before leaving.
She remained there, still in her bathrobe, having found no will to wear her pyjamas yet.
She still felt numb. Dead inside; like she needed to feel again.
Slipping off the bed, slowly, she walked out of her room, and along the corridor before finally coming to a halt in front of Thorin's bedroom door.
She knocked gently on the ornately carved dark wood and waited a few moments, expecting no answer, given how late it was.
To her surprise, the door opened, and she found herself under the scrutiny of those stern, sapphire eyes as Thorin stood in the doorway, bare chested in a pear of pyjama bottoms.
"Shobha..?" He appeared surprised.
"Were you expecting any other booty calls?"
"Booty calls?" His face flushed as he worked out the meaning of the term. "No! I truly wished for the opportunity to –"
"Please..." She silenced him moving closer. "I don't want to talk tonight. In fact, I don't even want to think tonight."
He remained at the door looking down at her, wondering what specifically she wanted him to do, but unable to vocalise it all the same.
"I just can't be alone tonight."
Unable to deny her anything she wanted, he stepped out of the way, and she moved past his broad, looming frame into his bedroom.
…
He awoke, sitting upright, breathing heavily. His head ached and he could feel his transformation waking him from his sleep. Normally, he was in control, but this time the beast held the reigns.
Panicked he looked over at where she lay, beside him in his bed, soundly asleep. Her small frame seemed so vulnerable, and her robe had loosened in her sleep flashing a strip of bare skin between her breasts visible.
Another jolt of pain, shot through his body, a sign of his imminent transformation, and his fingertips tearing open, where the claws would soon emerge.
Taking a deep breath, he threw himself out of bed, fighting hard to hold on to his humanity.
He staggered a few more steps into the room, willing himself to reach the door, only to fall to the floor again as he felt the tearing sensation across his back.
Mahal help her, for he would be changed soon…
…
Dear all,
sorry for the long gap between updates.
It's a very long chapter (sorry about that). Lots of horrible stuff from her past, finally catching up with her. It's more background about her I guess…
Thank you again for following so far. Let me know your thoughts/ comments xx