Chapter 2
Siya gripped the steering wheel with one hand, the other drumming against the leather impatiently as the car inched along Pedder Road. Of all the days to get stuck in traffic, it had to be tonight.
The constant blaring horns were giving her a headache, and the crackling voice through her ear bud only made it worse.
She rubbed her temple as she said, ‘I’m sorry, yaar.’
Swayam sighed dramatically on the call. ‘Let me guess, you’re cancelling dinner again. What is it this time? International espionage?’
She exhaled in a sharp laugh and brushed a hand through her frizzy curls. The AC wasn’t doing its job and the humidity in the air felt suffocating.
‘Next week, I promise.’
‘But I’m hungry right now.’
‘I swear to God, Swayam, if I could teleport a plate of butter chicken to you, I would. But right now, I’m battling through a horde of traffic so I don’t think I’ll make it there in time.’
‘Ah yes. The infamous excuse, Mumbai traffic. I once made it from Andheri to Colaba with low tire pressure. Don’t test me.’
Siya chuckled, her eyes darting to the traffic countdown indicator. Only thirty seconds left, but it felt like a lifetime. Someone honked for no reason, and she barely restrained the urge to get out and set him straight.
‘Dad specifically asked me to attend. This meeting is important. Didn’t you watch the news today?’
Swayam laughed aloud and she could hear the rustling sound of papers on the other end. ‘I haven’t walked out of my room for a day or two. The fact check on this historical non-fiction manuscript is kicking my ass.’
To drive his point home, Siya heard him bang his head twice on the desk. Then asked, ‘Why? Is everything okay?’
This is why we’re friends, she thought with a smile. Swayam could be melodramatic and really chaotic at times, but when it counted the most, he was always a good friend.
‘The Patel Group announced a partnership that threatens our position in the market, especially with the exhibition coming up. Dad seemed worried…’
When she trailed off, he said, ‘Then you must be extremely worried.’
Siya gave a bitter laugh as she replied, ‘It’s like Mihu is right here. When did you decide to become observant?’
‘I’m an editor. It’s literally in my job description. And no, I won’t let you change the topic. I’m not Meera.’
‘Speaking of her and Raghav, do you realise there is still a week before they come back?’ Siya said incredulously.
‘They took the idea of a long honeymoon a bit too literally, I guess. But also, the night of their second wedding at the farmhouse, Raghav got the confirmation for a new project so they left for their trip later than expected.’
‘Oh, I didn’t know. I thought they left the next day like they’d planned to,’ Siya said.
‘How could you know? You left after their party because some work came up, right?’
‘Right,’ Siya lied smoothly. She couldn’t tell him the real reason why she left that night. Abhay’s words echoed in her mind, making heat flare in her chest.
I am not letting you go this time, jaan. I promise you.
The sincerity in that vow struck a chord so deep, she had chosen to run in the middle of the night instead of facing him the next morning. After all, she had experience running away from him.
‘And I know that once Meera is back, there is no hope for our dinner. You’re going to abandon me for her home-cooked biryani,’ Swayam replied, bringing her back to the present.
‘As if you won’t do that. Besides, I always leave a good apology note.’
‘A good apology?!’ he asked, surprise dripping from his tone. ‘You ditched me last week with a one-word text that just said “GTG” in all caps. I almost got worried that you were being held hostage.’
She didn’t know how he could make sulking sound like a stand-up performance but he clearly hadn’t lost his touch since their college days.
‘I was! By my work! And forget editing, overexaggeration is your talent. Try to make a career in that field.’
She was caught in that perfect moment of fond irritation only old friendships allow when he shrieked in a high-pitched mimicry of Meera. ‘Oh! You’re my bestest friend ever and you’re the bestest thing that has ever happened to me!’
She burst out laughing and had to quickly drive when she heard a car horn from behind her. Steering it into a turn, she pulled over into the parking lot of The Imperial Grand.
‘You’re so annoying,’ Siya said as she pulled into an open spot and got out of the car.
‘And yet you keep calling me whenever Meera is out of town.’
‘That is a deeply hurtful accusation, Swayam.’
Her heels clicked onto the marble floor as she made her way into the lobby of the hotel. Nodding at the doorman, she checked her watch and sighed in relief. She’d just made it in time.
‘Which is why it’s probably true. Have you heard from her or is she still pretending that New Zealand is her new permanent address?’
Her gaze flickered to her reflection in the brushed steel doors of the elevator. Frizzy hair again. Great. As she reached up to smooth a strand, she recounted their conversation to him. ‘Mihu said if she could, she’d prolong the trip for a little longer.’
Her hair looked marginally better but her posture looked stiff. Or maybe, that was just her trying not to look tense and failing at it.
‘I can’t blame her for avoiding coming back to real life. It’s tragic here.’
Siya laughed and said, ‘You’re so dramatic!’
‘You know who else is dramatic? You, when you’re around Abhay,’ Swayam said suddenly.
She froze, and her eyes narrowed but she played dumb. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, please. Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t know what I am talking about?’
‘I honestly don’t know. Anyway, I think I should go—’
‘See, see! This is what I’m talking about. The second anyone mentions him, you either walk out of the room or behave as if he doesn’t exist.’
Siya rolled her eyes, but it dawned on her that maybe she hadn’t handled this as discreetly as she thought she had. ‘Whatever,’ she mumbled, the only thing she could think of.
Swayam sighed on the other end of the call and all she wanted to do was throw her phone away and run as far from it as possible.
Talking about Abhay was not helping, especially just before the meeting with her dad.
Just hearing his name induced a flutter in her gut and she did her best to ignore it.
‘One of these days, you will have to tell us what happened between the two of you. We have guessed that you have a history, it’s obvious. So it doesn’t really make sense when you go out of your way to avoid him.’
‘Nothing happened between the two of us. Abhay means nothing to me,’ Siya lied through her teeth and felt relieved that Swayam couldn’t see her.
But it didn’t last long. A smooth, growly voice brushed against the shell of her ear as he whispered, ‘You can’t lie to save your life, jaan.’
In an instant, Siya whirled around, and at the first sight of the smug expression on Abhay’s face, her heart kicked into a race. A flirty smile played at his lips as he caressed her with his burning gaze.
Siya gulped as she heard Swayam screech through the speaker on her phone. ‘Did he just call you jaan? I was right! There is something between the two of you.’
She was furious with Abhay for saying that when he saw she was on call, but she directed her anger at Swayam. ‘Shut up! That’s not what he said.’
‘I have to call Meera,’ Swayam said eagerly.
That kicked her into action and Siya threatened, ‘Swayam, if you want to stay alive, it’s not in your best interest to tease me, or I’ll tell Meera that you tried your chance on her favourite cousin.’
‘Hey! That’s not fair. Besides, I didn’t exactly date her,’ Swayam grumbled.
Hyper-aware of Abhay standing next to her, his eyes trained on her, Siya tried to maintain her focus on the call. She knew she couldn’t completely ignore the hulk of a man beside her, not with those whiskey-brown eyes burning a hole through her, but she could pretend her best.
‘It wasn’t for lack of trying. Now shut up and mind your own business. I’ll talk to you later.’ Not waiting for him to respond, Siya disconnected the call and looked straight ahead at the elevator doors.
The air between them sizzled as Abhay leaned sideways and said, ‘How do you survive in the legal world? You suck at lying.’
Unwilling to dignify his statement with a response, Siya walked into the elevator as soon as the doors opened. She turned to press the button but saw Abhay following her into the tight space.
Every thought flew out of her mind as soon as she saw the vintage gold chain dangling around his neck, peeking through the open collar of his black shirt.
She hated that she still remembered the way it felt brushing against her skin.
Her heart stuttered a clumsy beat, and she tore her gaze away from it.
Abhay walked past her and leaned against the steel back wall. He stood back far enough for it to be appropriate, but just close enough that she could feel his warmth.
Shaking her head slightly, she stepped forward and pressed the button for the private dining on the twenty-sixth floor. The doors slid shut, and the elevator began its smooth ascent. Just then, Siya realised they were together in a confined space after four years.
She clasped her hands in front of her and fixed her eyes on the numbers ticking upward, trying her best to ignore the towering man behind her.
‘So, I guess ignoring my texts was your way of saying hello?’ he asked, and his deep, baritone voice sent a shiver rushing through her.
Of course she’d noticed his messages when she had come back from the farmhouse. It’d been difficult to stop herself from responding, and she wasn’t proud of how her heart would skip a beat every time his name flashed across her screen.
Abhay hummed and then after a beat, he added, ‘I thought you might block me, but then again, leaving me on read is more your style.’