37. Ishaan
THIRTY-SEVEN
Ishaan
Ishaan shot his cuffs as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing his first M-zire. He’d ordered the custom made suit from Mayukhi’s label a few weeks ago, spending hours with Shawn to get it done right. He’d been planning to surprise Mayukhi by wearing it on their next date but that date had never come to pass. He’d never looked better and she would never see him in it.
The pain of missing her was uniquely double edged – both sweet and agonising. And he didn’t know how much longer he could go without seeing her. Even if it was just to give her the opportunity to spit in his face.
The doorbell rang, startling him from his maudlin thoughts. He glanced at his watch. It was probably Virat’s team, here to get him set up for the night ahead.
“We can set up in-“ The rest of his words died on his lips as he saw who was standing on his doorstep. He didn’t say a word as he stepped aside, allowing Mayukhi’s father to enter his flat.
“The penthouse. Nice.” Her father sniffed disparagingly, looking around and taking in every inch of Ishaan’s home.
“Did you need something?” Ishaan asked, acutely aware that this was the father of the woman he was insanely in love with. “I had all the relevant paperwork sent over. I don’t think anything was missed.”
“It wasn’t.” The older man turned to face him, one hand searching his pant pocket for something. He pulled whatever it was out, his fist closing around it so Ishaan couldn’t see what it was. “I have something to return to you too.”
He held his hand out, palm up. Ishaan looked at the diamond ring sitting in the middle of that fleshy palm and what was left of his heart splintered.
“I don’t want it.” His voice was a cold blade.
“She doesn’t want it either,” Shantanu Chatterjee said, putting it down on the side table beside him when Ishaan didn’t reach for it.
Ishaan stared at it, the diamond winking at him accusingly.
Make it a round, brilliant cut solitaire and nothing less than ten carats please. Anything other than that is just embarrassing.
Her voice whispered in his ear, making his chest tighten with need. Desperate, devastating need. Was it possible to die from heartbreak? He guessed he was about to find out.
“I’m going to leave now.” Chatterjee moved towards the door.
“Is she okay?” Ishaan couldn’t hold the question back, no matter hard he tried.
Her father stopped walking, his back to Ishaan. He sighed and turned back to face him. “Why did you do it? Return the shares?”
Ishaan swallowed hard, staying silent.
“I know why you started this whole thing. You have no idea what these people are capable of. You just decided to wade into their mess and drag my daughter along for your own selfish reasons. So what changed? Why the sudden bout of conscience?”
Ishaan said nothing, letting the other man continue to rant.
“You decided she was something more than a pawn to be used in your little chess game with them?”
Whatever Shantanu Chatterjee saw in his face had him pausing. “Oh no. Is that it? You’re in love with her now so you suddenly grew some moral fibre?”
Ishaan met the older man’s gaze, allowing him to see what he felt for Mayukhi.
“I guess she was the one to get us out of this mess in the end, after all. But you’re supposed to be the smart one, Adajania. How did you end up like this?”
Shantanu Chatterjee shook his head, smirked once, before turning on his heel and yanking the front door open. A startled Virat, his hand raised to input the code reared back. Shantanu shouldered past him without another word and headed for the elevator bank at the end of the corridor.
Virat stepped in, followed by another two men. “All okay?” he asked Ishaan quietly. Ishaan jerked his chin towards the console table where the ring sat, shining away like a freaking lighthouse in a storm.
“Fuck man, I’m sorry,” Virat murmured.
“It was a fake engagement.” Ishaan turned away from the sympathy he saw in Virat’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”
Virat grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving away. “Lie to us all you want but don’t lie to yourself. It matters. She matters.”
He dropped Ishaan’s arm and walked towards his team who were setting out assorted equipment on Ishaan’s dining table.
It matters. She matters.
She did matter, more than anything else in his world. Eight days since he’d last heard her voice, since he’d last seen her smirk or snark at him. Eight days since he’d traded insults with her, kissed the words right off her lips. Eight days since he’d taken a full breath, since his world had lost all its colour. Eight days since he’d fallen into her arms, lost his heart, and never found his way back again.
He pulled out his phone and pulled up their last message thread.
I’m sorry.
He watched the messages get delivered, two ticks appearing immediately, but they didn’t turn blue.
“Ishaan, are you ready?” Virat was still looking at him, sympathy darkening his eyes. “We’re ready to get you set up for tonight.”
“Does Mayukhi know about tonight?” he asked his friend, a question he hadn’t dared voice until now.
Virat nodded. “Dhrithi and she have been in touch. Nobody from the DD’s reached out to her about it so I guess it’s truly meant to be all boys only. She’s happy for you, for us…She knows it’s the break we’ve been waiting for.”
Ishaan took a deep breath. He reached for the ring, pocketing it.
“I’m ready,” he said.