Chapter 2
Kashvi stepped out of the air-conditioned high-rise into the thick afternoon heat and winced.
The harsh sunlight made her vision go dark for a moment, and she rubbed slow circles against her temples, trying to ease the throbbing pain. She spotted Luv’s SUV at the far end of the row and, with a sigh, began to walk towards it.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she cupped her palm over the screen to read the message.
I spent last night wishing you were in my bed with me. When do I finally get to see you, babygirl?
Even in the sweltering, afternoon heat, a chill ran down her spine when she saw the message had come from a new private number. She immediately hit the block option and shoved the phone into her purse as she reached the car.
Luv rested one arm against the wheel, typing something on his phone. He looked up as she approached, quickly pocketed it, and unlocked the door from inside before she could reach for it.
Despite her best efforts, Kashvi couldn’t match the warmth of his smile as she got in.
‘Hey,’ Luv greeted, easing the SUV into drive. ‘You want to stop somewhere for coffee or snacks?’
‘Just home,’ she replied.
‘Home as in where you live with Swayam or…?’
Kashvi rolled her eyes, but a sharp ache unfurled beneath her ribs because she couldn’t go back. Not yet.
‘No, just drop me where you picked me up this morning.’
She wasn’t ready to face Swayam. The idea of seeing his smile and hearing his voice both comforted and terrified her.
‘You alright? You’re quieter than usual.’
Kashvi shot him a sideways glance. ‘Just tired. Long night. You know how it is.’
She didn’t elaborate on how she’d woken up in the middle of the night, half-choking on her own breath, trapped in the panic of a seizure. She didn’t tell him that her ribs still ached from how hard she’d jerked, or how she’d lain there for hours afterwards, unmoving and drained out.
He hummed and tapped lightly on the wheel. ‘So, how was your date with paperwork?’
‘It went fine,’ she mumbled, her voice rough with fatigue. Kashvi stretched her legs just enough to ease the strain in her knees. She had failed to realise how much her body still ached until she’d sat down.
Luv glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and caught the faint crease between her brows. When she didn’t follow it with one of her dry, humorous retorts, he tried again. ‘C’mon, don’t hold back the juicy details.’
Kashvi tried to laugh, but lacked the energy to push it that far. ‘Imagine the least romantic date possible. All I felt was the urge to lie down on the floor and never get back up again.’
Luv didn’t comment on the shadows beneath her eyes or the stiffness in the way she adjusted her seatbelt, but he noticed it all. ‘Well, let me make your evening brighter with a funny story. You missed a very interesting dinner at Siya and Abhay’s place yesterday.’
Kashvi turned towards him, stifling a yawn behind her knuckles. ‘What happened?’
He began, tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel. ‘Abhay made those garlic butter momos you’re obsessed with. You remember how he acts all smug, calling it his original signature dish, even though he’s clearly memorised the recipe from a blog post?’
Her stomach gave a small grumble as she remembered the delicious taste. She thought back to when she’d told her brother-in-law it was her favourite dish. Since Siya didn’t enjoy cooking, Abhay had taken it upon himself to make it for her during their monthly dinners.
‘Since you were absent, he tried to earn praise from the rest of us and accidentally dropped a bunch of napkins on a candle while dramatically presenting the dish.’
Kashvi let out a chuckle. ‘Classic. Had he folded them into one of those fancy origami shapes?’
‘Of course. The whole thing fired up like a mini bonfire,’ Luv said. ‘Swayam thought it was a cry for help from Abhay because he wants us to save him.’
‘Save him? From whom?’
‘Your sister.’
That finally pulled a laugh out of her. She could practically imagine her brother-in-law rolling his eyes at that. Damn, she had missed peak entertainment. ‘I’m sure Di will boycott candles from now on.’
‘You know, we really missed you. I think all of us kept waiting for you to walk in and complain about the ghazals your sister was playing. Especially Swayam. He seemed so lost without you,’ Luv teased, watching her for a reaction.
Kashvi was too, but she cleared her throat to hide it. The lie slipped out with practiced ease. ‘I had a wild night of my own, actually.’
‘Really? What did you do?’
‘Shopping spree.’
Luv glanced at her, one brow raised. ‘With whom? That friend you’re staying with?’
‘Mmhmm,’ she murmured, watching the world pass by.
Luv glanced at her again before turning his attention back to the road. ‘You know, in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve hated shopping with a passion.’
Her fingers stilled where they had been fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.
‘Not always,’ she replied, forcing a casual shrug. ‘Sometimes it’s not so bad.’
‘Oh, sure. That’s why you fake urgent work every time someone suggests shopping. I distinctly remember you once swearing you’d rather get a root canal than deal with seasonal sales.’
She blinked, willing her expression to stay neutral. ‘Usually, yes. But yesterday was different. My friend had a date coming up, so we were looking for something nice for her. I was just moral support.’
Luv hummed, weighing her response. ‘Okay. That makes sense.’
There was a beat of silence, and she nearly sighed in relief. Then he asked, ‘And which friend was this again? What’s her name?’
Her heart stuttered. His question was simple, but with fatigue and lack of sleep, her mind went blank. She stared out the window, trying to conjure the name she’d told Siya, but her thoughts were too muddled.
The silence dragged between them. Luv didn’t repeat the question, but she sensed the shift in him as his amusement faded into concern. Her lips parted, then stilled again, because saying anything now would only make it worse.
Luv chuckled softly. ‘You’re a terrible liar.’
‘Great. That’s exactly what I want to be famous for,’ she said, frustration edging her tone.
‘I’m just saying, Kashu, if you’re going to lie to me, at least put some effort into it. Otherwise, it’s just lazy.’
Kashvi let out a breath. ‘Shut up.’
Luv grinned. ‘Well, whatever her name is, next time you can just send your mystery friend along with me. I love shopping, and I’d love to keep her company too.’
She’d seen it coming. He always joked about things like this, and they laughed it off. But this time, a surge of anger curled hot in her chest, and suddenly she wanted to push him into the spotlight instead. ‘Would you? Would you actually do that?’
Luv went quiet, his shoulders tensing slightly. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
She spoke pointedly. ‘You said that like a joke. I’m asking whether you truly mean it.’
His brows pinched together. ‘Kashvi, you’re reading way too much into one comment. Besides, you don’t even have a friend—’
‘That’s not what I’m asking,’ she cut in sharply. ‘I’m asking if I had a friend I thought you’d get along with, would you want me to set you up with her?’
She expected him to play along, like he always did when Meera or Siya tried to set him up, but he didn’t.
There was no hint of amusement on his face when he asked, ‘Where is this coming from?’
‘You always talk about being this charming casanova, this date-them-and-leave-them type, but you’ve never once followed through.’
‘That’s because I’m unmatchable,’ Luv muttered, trying for humour again, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
‘Maybe because you won’t let us try,’ she retorted back.
‘Kashvi—’ he said, but she kept going.
‘In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never asked anyone to set you up with someone.
You’ve never even let them try, and Di would love nothing more than to micromanage your love life.
You always find some excuse to get out of it.
So now I’m beginning to wonder if your entire casanova image is just an act. ’
The car slowed as they approached a red light, but Luv kept his hands tight around the wheel. There was tension in his posture now that hadn’t been there moments ago.
‘So, I’m asking again, if I have a friend I think you might like… would you actually want me to set you up with her?’
He kept his eyes fixed on the road as he replied, his voice firm and flat. ‘No.’
She threw his words back at him with a snide twist. ‘I’m just saying, Luv, if you’re going to pretend to be a player, at least put some effort into it. Otherwise, it’s just lazy.’
The air inside the car turned suffocatingly tense. She rubbed slow circles against her temple again, trying to ease the anger building under her skin.
He asked, frustrated, ‘Would you offer the same choice to Swayam? I’m sure he’d love to be set up on a date. Or is he only reserved for you?’
That question sliced through her irritation in a single stroke. The thought of Swayam with someone else burned away her anger and replaced it with a sharp, hollow ache.
Luv realised instantly that he’d crossed a line, and he said quietly, ‘I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.’
He’d hit too close to the truth, and maybe that was why she’d done the same. Kashvi exhaled slowly through her mouth, controlled and careful, the way Maithili had taught her.
She spoke again, and it echoed with guilt now rather than defensiveness. ‘I shouldn’t have said what I said either. I’m sorry, Luv.’
‘I know. No need to apologise. It’s fine,’ he replied kindly.
That only made the guilt worse, reinforcing her belief that staying away from people she cared about was the only way to protect them from her anger.
When they turned into her society, the silence began to gnaw at her. She didn’t want to leave things on a sour note, so she searched for something to say.
‘Thank you for picking me up today.’
Luv shook his head with a soft smile. ‘I’m happy to do this, you know. I really don’t mind, even when I don’t fully get what’s going on.’
Kashvi opened her mouth to respond, but he cut in before she could.
‘I know you told me your car is in the garage when I dropped you off earlier. It’s the rest I don’t understand. Like why you’ve been MIA these past few weeks, or why no one knows where you’ve been, or why you’d rather text me at the last minute than call your sister or your roommate to drive you.’
Kashvi found the questions unsettling and began to fidget with the chain around her neck. ‘Because with Di… there’s love, but it also comes with a lot of questions, and I don’t always have the right answers.’
‘Siya means well,’ Luv said gently.
‘She always has, no doubt, but she doesn’t know how to give people space. Usually, she’d argue with me over the smallest things, but if I so much as cough, she’ll have a doctor on speed dial. I needed someone who’d give me space without commentary.’
His lips quirked upwards. ‘And you thought I’d be the one person who wouldn’t comment?’
‘You’re usually too busy making dumb jokes,’ she teased.
He didn’t speak again until they pulled up near the entrance. He cut off the engine and turned to face her. ‘I understand the need for space. Just don’t become a stranger.’
She reached for her purse and unclipped her seatbelt. ‘Yeah. Thanks for today.’
‘Sure,’ he mumbled, tapping out a text on his phone.
‘And Luv, don’t tell anyone you saw me today. No one at all,’ she said, turning towards the door.
She turned back when he called her name. Luv rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. ‘I… I just want you to know that I’m sorry.’
Kashvi waited for him to go on, but when he didn’t, she asked, ‘For what?’
He hesitated, then shook his head. ‘Doesn’t matter. I know you can handle it.’
Something about the way he said it caught her off guard. She tilted her head, confused. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
He gave a short, amused laugh. ‘Nothing. Don’t overthink it.’
Kashvi narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re weird.’
‘Always have been. You’re just noticing?’ Luv huffed.
She chuckled, then stepped out of the car. She waved him goodbye and made her way towards the staircase.
Weariness dragged her down as she climbed up the first flight of stairs. No amount of rest would ease the weight lodged in her bones, but she was desperate for a bed and a pillow.
With a soft exhale, she reached the top of the stairs. Suppressing her yawn, she clutched her keys and slid one into the lock.
The key turned too easily, a detail that barely registered until Kashvi pushed open the door and sensed the shift in the air.
Even though she saw him, her mind refused to process the shape of the man leaning against her bookshelf.
Swayam.