Chapter 2 #2
She didn’t answer, refusing to be goaded into a conversation. Just kept her gaze glued on the door, silently willing the elevator to rise faster.
Abhay shifted a little closer, and her pulse quickened. His cologne filled the small space and cocooned her in a flashing memory of their past. That addictive spice and woody scent was the exact reason she had been unable to get rid of the hoodie she’d stolen from him back then.
‘I hadn’t been expecting a reply, but I hoped for one,’ he said softly.
Siya forced herself to keep breathing normally. Her mind screamed at her not to respond, but she said, ‘I don’t owe you that.’
‘No, you don’t. You don’t owe me anything. But you could give me a chance to explain, at least once.’
The air in the elevator thickened in her silence. He moved closer, almost brushing her shoulder with his. His hand hovered near hers, close enough that if she moved hers an inch, they would brush against each other. She clenched her palm into a fist, but refused to move away first.
‘Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that smart,’ she said, lashing out.
‘No, I am not. I’m the idiot who let you walk away.’
Siya turned her head to look at him, and the harsh words died on her tongue. His eyes were misty, and he looked so lost that she had to restrain herself from reaching out.
She had a lot of anger simmering inside her, but her words came out soft. ‘Just let it go.’
He chuckled, low and bitterly amused. ‘Have you been able to let it go, jaan?’
She clenched her jaw tight so that words that would tell him the truth wouldn’t come out. ‘It’s in the past, Abhay. There is nothing I can do about it.’
‘You’re still the only person who could destroy me by doing nothing at all.’
Her lips parted in a harsh exhale at his confession.
Suddenly, Abhay reached out, and before she could react, he had her against the wall.
Her heart hammered against her chest as he leaned closer and said, ‘I see it in your eyes. You can lie with your words all you want, but your eyes still look at me with love.’
She fisted his shirt in her palm with the intention of pushing him away, but hated that she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Abhay held her gaze as he murmured, ‘I still think about that night.’
‘Stop,’ she whispered breathlessly.
‘I think about what I should’ve said, things I should’ve done differently, and about what would’ve happened if you’d stayed.’ The burning intensity in his eyes made her breaths shallow, and her traitorous gaze flicked down to his lips.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. The pull between them felt so magnetic and agonising that she closed her eyes. He rested his forehead against hers as he pleaded, ‘Say something, Siya.’
‘What do you want me to say?’ she asked as his lips hovered over hers, and all she could think about was pulling him closer and ending the agony she’s felt for years.
‘Something, anything, please,’ he said and tangled his hand through her hair as if he couldn’t bear the distance anymore.
He was close, so close, and so tempting that Siya thought to hell with everything. But just then, a loud ding echoed through the elevator, shattering the spell.
She jolted back like she’d been burned, and as the doors slid open, she pushed him away. Abhay held on for a moment, but then stepped back. He knew he’d lost her again when her eyes sparkled with fiery ice.
‘I can’t believe your audacity to stand here and ask for a chance to explain when you knew exactly what you were doing. You want me to say something? Fine. Leave me alone!’
Siya turned on her heels and walked out of the elevator without a look back, but she knew that she had left a part of herself in his arms, once again.
The plush carpet of the hallway muted the sound of her heels, but her pulse was still roaring in her ears.
Siya rubbed her neck and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she walked up to the concierge desk.
The scent of expensive perfume hung in the night air, and the room was aglow in a muted warm golden light.
On any other night, Siya would have loved the serene atmosphere, but her heart hadn’t yet recovered from the elevator. The echo of that near-kiss still clung to her lips with a ferocity that made her feel feverish.
The woman at the concierge desk smiled politely at her and asked, ‘Good evening, Ms Kashyap. How may I help you?’
‘I’m here to meet Mr Kartik Kashyap. Private Dining,’ Siya replied and with a nod, the concierge began perusing through the reservations on the system.
Siya let out a breath slowly and tried to slip back into business mode. She ran her hand down the front of her sleek black dress, shedding the version of herself who had almost leaned into a kiss with the man she swore she’d never trust again.
But her entire body tensed when she felt his unmistakable presence. She could feel the shift in the air and turned to see Abhay standing beside her, hands in his pockets, looking at her with the same infuriating, calm expression that made her want to kiss him and kill him in the same moment.
‘I didn’t expect you to follow me,’ Siya stated indifferently, unwilling to show him how much he affected her.
‘You say that like it ever stopped me before.’ The passion in his eyes had cooled down, but the embers were still burning in their depths.
She couldn’t maintain eye contact with him after their heated moment, so she looked away, but her body betrayed her. A rush of heat rose up her neck, flushing just beneath the collar of her tight dress.
The concierge looked up at Abhay, and immediately her expression became dreamy as she asked him, ‘Hello, Mr Agrawal. How are you doing this fine evening?’
Abhay acknowledged her question with a brief nod but didn’t answer her question. He simply said, ‘I have a dinner reservation with Mihit Agrawal.’
The woman responded with a flirty smile, ‘Of course. One moment, sir.’
Siya knew it was a childish impulse, but she wanted to warn the woman to back off.
She tapped on the screen, then looked back up with a bright smile and announced, ‘Ms Kashyap and Mr Agrawal, you’re both expected in Room 03.’
Siya blinked, her brows pulling together. ‘Excuse me? Did you say both of us?’
‘Yes, ma’am, in Room 03, just down the hallway. Mr Agrawal and Mr Kashyap are already inside.’
Abhay stiffened and said, ‘That can’t be right.’
Siya opened her mouth as if to ask a question, but no words came out. Her gaze darted to the room at the end of the hallway and back to Abhay. Worry bloomed in her gut when she saw her confusion reflected in his eyes.
He leaned in slightly and asked her in a low voice, ‘Did you know about this?’
‘No,’ Siya said, tension curling back into her voice. ‘He only said it was an important meeting. Did your dad mention anything to you?’
‘He only told me we’re having dinner together tonight. I had no idea.’
They stared at each other for a beat, united in their bewilderment. The Kashyap and Agrawal family rivalry had been woven into Mumbai’s history for the last two decades, and Siya couldn’t comprehend the thought of the infamous rivals dining together.
She took a breath and walked towards the room, Abhay falling into step beside her. The door ahead gleamed with a brass number: 03.
Abhay grasped the knob and asked her, ‘Ready?’
Her eyes flicked to his lips for a fleeting moment, but she shook her head slightly and answered, ‘Yes.’
‘Liar,’ he whispered with a smirk and opened the door.
The private dining area was styled with mahogany panelling and glass chandeliers, and a long table dressed in ivory velvet sat in the middle of the room. Seated at one end, their fathers laughed over wine, talking as if they were long-lost friends.
Abhay whispered in her ear, ‘Welcome to the Upside Down.’