Chapter 17
Two hours later, the city had shifted into that restless evening rhythm. Kashvi sat in the passenger seat, twisting her fingers together in her lap. She’d been stuck in a restless loop of thoughts ever since they left.
She picked at the collar of her kurti, her gaze drifting over the soft pink floral print that now felt far too casual. ‘It’s a house party, right? Maybe this is too simple for that?’
The glow of passing streetlights cut across his face in flashes of gold as Swayam turned to her. ‘You’ve asked that three times since we left.’
‘That’s because you still haven’t given me a straight answer,’ she shot back, turning towards him. ‘What if everyone’s dressed up? Or what if your maasi expects something more… traditional?’
Her mind ran ahead of her, making her uncomfortably aware that this was the first time she was stepping into his world. Her palms felt faintly damp as she worried about not fitting in.
Swayam reached out to hold her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. ‘If you don’t stop overthinking in the next ten seconds, I’m turning the car around and we’re going home.’
Kashvi blinked, startled by the seriousness in his tone. ‘You would not.’
‘I absolutely would, but if you doubt it, try me.’
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she watched the city blur past, the night alive with crowds on the street. ‘You don’t know how these things go. I’m allowed to be nervous.’
‘But I know my family, which is why I’m telling you not to worry about it.’
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ she said, fidgeting with the buttons on the side panel. ‘You already belong there.’
‘Wherever I am, you belong with me,’ he said softly. ‘See, I do understand, and I’ll help you any way I can, but I’m not letting this ruin your day.’
‘So threatening to drag me back home is your way of helping me? And what makes you think I’ll just let you take me?’ she asked, lifting a brow.
Swayam did not look away from the road, but she caught the twitch of his lips. ‘I’m dedicated, and I’ll find a way to win. I am your man, after all.’
‘That can still be reversed,’ she shot back, looking away to hide her smile.
‘Oh?’ he asked, amusement lacing his tone. ‘You can threaten me all you want, but it won’t work. I know that stress is a trigger for you, and nothing out there is worth risking another seizure.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘How do you know that?’
‘I read about it,’ he said.
‘When did you have time to do that?’
‘Audiobooks,’ Swayam replied, tapping his fingers against the wheel. ‘I listened to two books while I was setting up your surprise.’
‘Why?’ It was one thing to know that he cared, but another to realise he had gone out of his way to understand something about her that she still struggled to accept herself.
‘I’m just making sure I’m not caught unprepared if you need me,’ he said, squeezing her hand once before moving it back to the wheel.
She didn’t know how to deal with the fact that she felt strangely exposed. She threaded her fingers together, fighting the urge to run back to her crusty old apartment and hide.
‘So, if at any point you feel overwhelmed, you tell me and we’ll leave right away,’ he said firmly.
‘You’re very bossy today,’ Kashvi muttered. ‘If you try to hover around me or take me home, I will punch you.’
That earned her a soft, incredulous huff from him. ‘You can try, but I doubt it’ll do much damage.’
As he manoeuvred to take a turn, the dark fabric of his navy blue shirt stretched over his muscular forearm. A sliver of heat bloomed beneath her skin as her gaze lingered on him before she forced herself to look away.
Swayam curved into the gated society's parking lot and brought the car to a smooth stop in an empty spot.
It hit her all of a sudden that she was about to meet her in-laws. ‘Why don’t you get out so I can move behind the wheel and drive away to safety?’
A low chuckle slipped out of him as he unclasped his seatbelt. ‘Just give it a shot, and if you don’t like it here, we’ll run away together. I’ll even get a road trip playlist ready in the meantime.’
The tension in her shoulders loosened a little. He got out of the car, and she followed after him. They walked into the lobby and Swayam pressed the elevator button.
In the small enclosed space, Kashvi finally asked, ‘How are you going to introduce me? I mean, what will you say I am to you?’
Swayam placed his hand on her lower back. ‘I’ll introduce you as whoever you want to be.’
Kashvi let out a soft, frustrated breath because he had left the ball in her court.
The doors slid open, and they stepped out into the corridor. Her gaze darted to the apartment at the end. The doorframe was adorned with marigold strings and fairy lights, beckoning them.
A cluster of shoes lay scattered at the entrance, and they quickly removed theirs too. Swayam pressed the bell, and she took a deep breath.
The door swung open instantly, revealing a woman whose face lit up when she saw Swayam.
‘You asshole!’ she exclaimed, practically bouncing in place as she pulled him into a hug. ‘You actually came.’
Swayam chortled as he returned the embrace, patting her back.
Kashvi studied her closely, a nagging certainty in her mind that she had seen her somewhere before. She wore a deep maroon kurti with delicate embroidery along the neckline, and it matched her red-tinted curls.
She pulled back and smacked his arm. ‘I can’t believe you were planning to ditch the party. Do you have any idea how worried everyone got? And now you just show up like this, huh?’
Swayam tilted his head. ‘Are you going to let us in, or do you plan to interrogate me at the door?’
The woman furrowed her brows as she echoed, ‘Us?’
Swayam shifted to the side and turned to look over his shoulder at Kashvi. ‘Kash, this is Lavanya, my cousin’s fiancée.’
Lavanya tilted her head as she studied her, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. ‘And who is Kash?’
Kashvi stammered, and a flicker of uncertainty passed between her and Swayam as his gaze searched hers.
He turned back to Lavanya, lifting one shoulder in a casual shrug. ‘She’s my girl.’
Lavanya gave a delighted gasp. ‘It was about time you brought home someone special.’
Kashvi tried her best to fight off the heat warming her cheeks. She stepped forward, offering her hand. ‘Hey, Lavanya. It’s great to finally meet you.’
Lavanya clasped her hand with both of hers and pulled her into a quick hug. She tangled her arm through hers, tugging her along. ‘Finally, someone new to talk to. Come in, both of you.’
When Kashvi glanced back at Swayam, he lifted his thumb in the air, wishing her luck.
The living room was expansive despite the number of people filling it. Groups of relatives and friends were scattered across the space. The walls were painted in a cream hue, lined with photographs and a wall garden.
Laughter and the hum of conversation wrapped around them as a few people exchanged words with Lavanya and Swayam. Kashvi hung back slightly, away from the limelight.
They walked into the kitchen. Lavanya moved to the home bar and pulled out wine glasses. ‘Kashvi, what will you drink?’
‘Any red wine is fine. Thanks.’
Lavanya nodded, pulling out a bottle from the shelf lined with a variety of options. She threw the same question at Swayam, who waved his hand. ‘None for me. I’m driving.’
Lavanya paused. ‘Going where?’
‘Back home,’ he said.
‘Don’t you even dare,’ she said, shaking her head and glaring at him. She pointed a finger at him as she grabbed a can of beer and pressed it into his hands. ‘You came late, and you’re already talking about leaving?’
‘I didn’t want to steal the bride’s spotlight,’ Swayam teased.
Kashvi chuckled, enjoying the exchange as she took a sip.
Lavanya sighed, turning around to pour wine. ‘Oh please, for the love of God, take it all away. I’m exhausted. If I have to tolerate one more aunty’s crash-diet trick to be a zero-figure bride, I’m going to kill someone.’
With Lavanya’s back to them, Swayam slid the beer can into the open space beneath the kitchen counter, out of sight. When he caught Kashvi watching him, he flashed her a wink as he asked Lavanya, ‘Where’s Maasi?’
Lavanya turned around and handed Kashvi the glass of wine, then leaned against the counter, taking a sip from her own. ‘She went to pick up a guest with Viru. I’m sure you can guess who it is.’
‘How am I supposed to—’ He cut himself off, frowning. His eyes widened. ‘No. It can’t be. Dhanush Fufa?’
Lavanya squeezed her eyes shut as she nodded. ‘Our one and only favourite relative. He called Mummyji when he was already at the station, complaining about how no one came to pick him up. So both of them ran out like it was an emergency.’
Kashvi noticed his shoulders stiffen, and she wrapped an arm behind his back.
Swayam pulled her closer as he remarked, ‘She shouldn’t be doing that. It’s only been, what, two months since her knee surgery?’
‘Exactly. You try telling her that, because she doesn’t listen to me,’ Lavanya snapped. The bitter hint of sarcasm in her voice was sharp as she said, ‘What do I know anyway? I’m just a nurse.’
‘Why didn’t Viru stop her?’
Lavanya rolled her eyes. ‘Because your cousin is the biggest mama’s boy I have ever met. You should know that better than anyone.’
‘Yet, you’re marrying him,’ he pointed out.
A fond smile played on her lips as Lavanya said, ‘If I had any sense, I wouldn’t have become friends with both of you back in school. But what can I say? I was too young and stupid to realise Viru was going to be this much trouble.’
‘You’ve had over a decade to change your mind, but you didn’t. Now you’re stuck with this idiot for life,’ Swayam teased, wiping a fake tear from his eye.
Lavanya shared a playful, conspiratorial look with Kashvi as she said, ‘The Sharma boys have a way of making it hard to walk away.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Kashvi agreed, glancing up at him. He watched her with a soft, unguarded smile, making her wish the world would vanish, if only for a moment.