Chapter 7
VEDIKA
Vedika had barely made it past the door of the hotel room before collapsing into the bed. The anxiety attacks always drained her and today was no exception. When she finally woke, the sun was setting over the ocean, a sight that soothed and steadied her.
She poured herself a glass of water and took it out with her onto the little balcony that adjoined her room. She loosened her hair from its braid and allowed the heavy weight of it to fall down her back. A hot, humid breeze wafted over her face as she tipped it up to the dusky sky.
Her phone chimed in the room and she ignored it, continuing to let the peace of the evening wash over her slowly settling nerves. In the distance, people strolled along the beach, a shack came alive with lights, and ladies wandered around braiding hair with beads and tinsel for willing customers.
Her phone chimed again. Sighing, Vedika went in to retrieve it. The sheer volume of messages and calls that she’d missed had her shoulders hunching, the invisible pressure building again.
She sent her family a message letting them know she was fine and then waded through the updates from the airline.
Everything she read only had that pressure escalating.
She massaged her temples as she tried to figure out a way around this.
She couldn’t see one. Her father would never allow her to take a train or bus back home.
So, until the airspaces opened up again, she was stuck here.
She was scrolling through her work emails when her phone rang. She smiled at Ashish’s cheerful face flashing on her screen as she answered.
“How are you?” he asked, sounding worried and tense.
“I’m okay,” Vedika sighed. “How are things with you?”
“I’m not the one stranded,” he replied. “Are you sure you’re okay, Vedu?”
“I’m hardly stranded on a deserted island,” Vedika laughed. “It’s supposed to be paradise on Earth.”
“And I’m not there to enjoy it with you,” he murmured, sounding disgruntled.
“We’ll enjoy Hawaii on our honeymoon,” she replied with a smile, her gaze drawn to the shack on the beach again.
Someone was playing soft music, and a young couple was dancing, their arms around each other.
A strange wistfulness moved through her.
Had Ashish and she ever danced together like that? Or ever danced at all?
“Yeah.” Ashish’s annoyed voice brought her back to the conversation. “We will.” He hesitated, a strange undercurrent to his voice. “You’re going to miss the Banlay meeting. You’ve worked so hard to complete it and now you won’t be there for the final meeting.”
“I know.” Vedika chewed on her lip, lost in thought. “It’s shit luck but the team can handle it. Everything is done except for the signing.”
“Maybe you should try and reschedule it for a few days later,” he suggested.
She frowned. “Why? The team can handle it.”
“It’s a high, Vedu,” he said patronisingly. “Being the one to tie off the last of the loose ends. I just want that for you.”
She didn’t answer immediately, her mind turning over the things he was saying. Should she reschedule? She would much rather the paperwork got done on time than indulge in some feel good high.
“I can speak to Rakesh and-“
“Don’t!” Her voice was sharp enough to startle them both. “Please don’t interfere in my work.”
“I’m the one who brought Banlay to you,” he reminded her, hurt saturating his voice. “Rakesh was my contact.”
“I know. I know.” She massaged her forehead, wincing at the sudden friction between them. “I’m sorry. Please Ashish. Don’t be mad. I just want to handle this my way.”
When he didn’t sound immediately appeased, she offered up an olive branch. “I’ll see about rescheduling the meeting. That was a great idea.”
“Sure,” he replied, sounding vaguely mollified. “I’ve got to go now. Take care of yourself.”
“You too.” Whatever else she was about to say was cut off when he disconnected without a goodbye.
Shit. He was mad, she thought miserably. Everyone kept telling her to draw stronger boundaries but look what happened when she did…people got mad at her for it. She hated friction and conflict and went out of her way to keep her life and her relationships working on an even keel.
But ever since she’d dropped scalding, hot coffee on Daksh Mathur, her life had been on anything but an even keel.
Almost as if she’d conjured up the Devil, a thunderous pounding started on her door.
“Go away,” she called out.
“Nope.” The pounding started again.
Even that one word was enough to ruffle her feathers. She marched over to the door and flung it open.
Daksh paused, one hand still raised in the air, mid-pound. His uniform of black t-shirt and shorts must make dressing easy, she thought resentfully.
“What do you want?” she asked him, her teeth grinding together with the effort to stay polite.
“Get dressed, Mouse. We’re going to party.”
“Nope,” she said pertly, tossing his reply back at him.
“Why?” He narrowed his eyes and leaned on the doorjamb. “Are you allergic to fun?”
No, just allergic to you, she wanted to tell him, but she swallowed the words. This was her future brother-in-law. She couldn’t afford to keep sniping at him.
“I’m tired,” she said conciliatorily, pasting a sweet smile on her face.
Daksh’s eyes narrowed even more. “Why are you being nice?”
“I am nice!” Vedika was offended, her smile disappearing. She was bloody nice, thank you very much.
Daksh snorted, a disbelieving harrumph. “Get dressed,” he said again. “It’s just dinner. It won’t kill you.”
It might, she thought. It was very likely she would choke on her food if she had to sit across this man and eat.
She shook her head. “Thank you for the invite but I’m going to order room service and stay in.”
She tried closing the door on the heels of her refusal, but his hand shot out, grabbing the doorjamb and stalling its movement.
“Fine,” he said, sounding both furious and put upon. “We’ll order room service and stay in.”
No, he wouldn’t! She stared at him, appalled. She didn’t want this giant, irritating hunk of ridiculous hotness in a room with her. A room with a bed. Her gaze darted to the bed, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. It wouldn’t be good for her blood pressure or her center of calm.
“Give me ten minutes,” she said brusquely. “I’ll get dressed.”
His dark, intense gaze bored into hers. “Ten minutes,” he said gruffly. “Or I start banging on your door again.”
Vedika sighed, the pressure on her shoulders intensifying. But when she spoke, all she said was, “I’ll be ready.”