Chapter 1 #2
Her forehead furrowed. She absolutely hated it when they all kept discouraging her from moving forward at Sehgal Media, knowing very well that it was all she had ever wanted.
On some days she even resented her brothers and Kabier for never supporting her.
She never understood why they all disliked her working at Sehgal Media, when they all ran different verticals in the Sehgal Corp.
themselves. What was worse was that even her father and grandfather had never truly supported her decision to build her life around Sehgal Media.
They only accepted it reluctantly because she was adamant that it was what she wanted.
And this was also one of the main reasons she worked so hard—to show everyone that they were wrong and she truly was working where she belonged.
“Will you all let her breathe?” Mehak, Rishi’s wife, said, rocking a pram back and forth. “Let’s all just enjoy being together tonight.”
Shauna gave her a grateful smile and then reached into the pram to lift her niece Ruhaani, Rishi and Mehak’s six-month-old baby girl. She cooed at the baby. Ruhaani yawned and promptly shut her eyes.
Mehak shook her head. “You’re so good with all the kids. Look how quickly she fell asleep in your arms, and here I’ve been trying for half an hour now.”
“I love all your babies.” She looked around. “Where are the rest of the kids? I can’t believe no one is running around tonight.”
“They’re all busy creating chaos in the resort’s kids’ zone,” Keya said from beside her. “The nannies have their hands full. There are so many children that it’s like a madhouse in there.”
Shauna had witnessed firsthand how her cousins, brothers, sister, and all their friends had married and settled down.
Most of them had kids of their own now. Her chest tightened.
They had all been fortunate to find the one person who loved them irrevocably.
At one time, she’d hoped to find the same kind of love for herself.
At one time, she’d thought she’d find it with…
No. She wasn’t going down that road again. She wasn’t thinking about him again. He wasn’t for her. He’d made that abundantly clear all those years ago.
“Come, let’s sit,” Keya said. She cast a wistful glance at the two empty seats next to Shauna.
“Hey,” Raashi said to Keya as Shauna took her seat. “It’s okay. Akash told you he couldn’t make it.”
Shauna’s heart lurched. God, what was wrong with her? Why did even hearing his name send a sharp ripple through her? Why did it feel like a door she’d locked firmly shut was suddenly being jolted open?
Fuck. She exhaled a deeply, forcing her mind to focus on anything but him.
Nine months. It had been nine long months since that night, and six months since she’d last seen him, yet she still hadn’t been able to forget him or what had happened between them.
The memory of his hands, his mouth, the way he’d undone her so completely, clung to her like a ghost. Some nights she still jerked awake, breathless and hot, her body aching with a need she didn’t dare name as she relived every charged second of that night.
A night that never should have happened.
But it had, and now her body refused to let her forget it.
Damn Akash Karia for ruining her so completely. She hadn’t been able to date properly after that night. She’d tried so hard to go out with other men, hoping another man’s touch would erase Akash’s hold on her. She’d tried and failed miserably.
Akash Karia, the one man she ought to feel nothing for, had imprinted himself on her mind and body. And she hated herself for feeling like that about him. God, she was such an idiot.
She exhaled slowly. It had been six months since he’d moved to Dubai to train under Dev Luthra of the Keystone Corp.
Six months since anyone in this group had mentioned his name or even spoken about him in her presence.
After so much silence surrounding him, she’d even started to assume he’d moved to Dubai for good.
And she’d had… feelings about that.
Relief, for one. If he stayed abroad, she wouldn’t have to deal with him once she stepped into a bigger role at Sehgal Media, which had been her plan all along.
Then there would be no awkward tension. No competing with him on the job.
And definitely no memories of that night sneaking up on her at the worst possible times.
But the other emotion, the one that twisted painfully inside her every time she imagined him building a whole new life far away?
No. She was never naming that out loud. Absolutely not.
She hated him. He was smug, arrogant, and it always felt like he was competing with her for the top position at Sehgal Media, which wasn’t even his to claim.
God, why had her grandfather encouraged him to work at Sehgal Media too?
And the worst part was that he had started working there much before her.
She sighed. Over the past year and a half, Akash had interned with several other companies, yet he had always maintained an office at Sehgal Media. It annoyed her that despite the distance, he continued to oversee certain aspects of the business.
She sneaked a glance at Dev Luthra, the tall, dark-haired man seated beside Sheena’s husband, Rajiv Mehra. Akash had been interning under him in Dubai. Dev was here tonight, but Akash wasn’t. Maybe he had moved to Dubai for good. Which was the best-case scenario for her. Wasn’t it?
Ignoring her jumbled feelings on the topic, she asked. “Where is Grandfather? He hasn’t replied to my messages.”
The last time she’d spoken to him, her grandfather was in Mumbai, working at Sehgal Media, the only business in the Sehgal empire that he personally oversaw to this day. He should have been here tonight.
Keya exchanged a glance with Raashi before shaking her head. “Janak is traveling. Oh, I miss him and Akash. I wish they were here.”
A sliver of unease worked its way down her spine.
What was with all the glances they kept exchanging with one another?
Why did she feel that something was going on?
Something she wasn’t privy to, but the rest of them were.
Added to that, her grandfather hadn’t replied to any of her messages, and that never happened.
And he was traveling? Where? Why didn’t she know about it?
Sameer tugged her down beside him, and before she knew it, she was swept into the easy laughter and overlapping chatter that always seemed to rise and flow at gatherings like these. Her heart eased. God, it felt good to be here amongst all these people.
As the evening continued, she indulged in some of the finest food imaginable and sipped more than a few glasses of exquisitely smooth wine.
For the first time in weeks, she felt relaxed in a way she’d almost forgotten was possible.
Maybe her family was right. She really did need to do this more often.
Nothing beat the quiet joy of being surrounded by friends and family, or the simple pleasure of breathing in the fresh ocean air and listening to the distant rhythm of the waves.
Keya rose from her seat, tapping her glass lightly until the chatter around the table softened.
“I’ll keep this short. Thank you all for being here,” she said warmly. “It means so much to Kabier and me that so many of you took time out of your busy schedules to celebrate with us here in the Maldives. We’re truly delighted you could all be here.”
Her eyes found Kabier’s. “Kabier, I love you more than I ever imagined I could love anyone. I never thought being in love would shape my happiness or my life the way it has… until you walked into it. You gave me strength when I needed it and showed me that sometimes all you need is to take a chance on love. Thank you for being you, and thank you for the best five years of my life.”
Kabier rose and kissed her forehead. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
Catcalls and teasing whistles erupted from their friends around the table, laughter spilling into the night. Shauna chuckled on hearing their raucous comments.
When the noise subsided, Keya looked back at the two empty seats beside Shauna.
“We are missing two very special people tonight—Janak and Akash,” Keya said. “It doesn’t feel quite the same without them.”
“It really doesn’t,” Kabier concurred.
Keya and Akash were orphans, and as far as Shauna knew, they had no family beyond those gathered here, so she understood Keya’s need to have her brother by her side on this special day. Though she was more than glad he wasn’t here.
“Was someone talking about me?” a loud voice said from behind Keya, and Shauna’s heart lurched. A tremor rushed down her spine as she recognized that voice. Fucking hell.
Keya whirled around. Her face lit up instantly, and she crossed the short distance to where Akash stood beside Janak. She pulled Janak into a quick hug before launching herself into her brother’s arms, holding him tightly.
Akash kissed his sister’s cheeks, and then his eyes moved over the table, taking everyone and everything in until they landed on her.
Shauna’s heart pitched. His lips curved into that infuriating smirk that always drove her mad and made her heart beat faster.
Before she could look away and break eye contact with him, he and Janak were swarmed with everyone rising to meet them.
Still, she ought to look away, to focus on anyone else but Akash. But her eyes refused to obey. She watched as he interacted with every person who came to meet him with warmth and that familiar hint of mischief that always made everyone smile.