Chapter 3 #2
Akash gave her a mock glare. “I’m not going to fall for those cute eyes.”
“Pleeease,” Kiana tilted her head sweetly. “You’re the best.”
“Flattery will not get you anywhere,” Akash said, though he was already smiling.
Kiana looped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Please, Akash.”
He rolled his eyes in surrender. “Okay. For a few minutes only.”
She gave him a wicked little grin of victory, excitedly giving instructions on how many towers she wanted and how high the walls needed to be, while Kush enthusiastically destroyed and rebuilt the same wall.
Shauna worked beside Akash in tandem, the silence between them
broken by the children’s laughter and happy voices. Soon, a small structure rose between them. She reached for a bucket filled with wet sand at the same time Akash did. Their hands collided, and her fingers slid against his. A sharp awareness shot through her skin.
She stilled. So did he.
Her eyes lifted instinctively to his. He was staring at their hands too, as if he’d felt that same jolt. His gaze snapped to hers, his expression flattening before he pulled his hand away.
Her pulse quickened. God, why did this man’s touch always feel different from everyone else’s?
“Kiana, Kush… look,” Akash said, dusting sand off his hands. “We’ve built it.”
The kids squealed, circling the sandcastle proudly as if it were a monument. Akash pulled out his phone and crouched lower. “Stand there. Don’t move.” He snapped a quick picture as the two kids posed adorably.
“Now can we play in the water?” Kiana asked, already bouncing toward the shoreline.
Akash sighed. “Fine. For a few minutes. But don’t go far. Stay right here at the edge where I can catch you if needed.”
Kiana grabbed Kush’s hand with big-sister authority, and together they waddled toward the water, shrieking as the first wave touched their toes.
Akash shifted to stand closer to the shoreline. Shauna moved to stand beside him. The silence between them was thick with tension as they watched the two kids splash and play.
“You are very good with them,” she finally said.
Akash turned to her.
“The kids aren’t listening,” he said, his voice hard. “You don’t have to pretend.”
“I’m not pretending.” Shauna frowned. “I’m trying to have a conversation.”
“Why?” he shot back, keeping his voice low. “No one’s around. You don’t have to try and talk to someone you don’t like, much less respect.”
The words stung more than she expected.
Her jaw tightened. “I never said I don’t—”
But he was already moving away.
He stepped closer to the kids, cutting her off without looking back. “Alright, monkeys. Breakfast time.”
Two loud groans answered him.
“But Akash—!”
He scooped water into his palms and flung it at them. The kids squealed as droplets splashed across their faces. He did it again, laughing this time, and within seconds, they were shrieking and splashing water back at him.
She watched from the side, feeling annoyed and flustered in equal measure. What had she expected? That she and Akash would suddenly slip into a normal, civil conversation like two reasonable adults? That he’d give her a chance to make amends for what she’d said to him last night?
Of course not. Akash never made things easy. Never met her halfway. Instead, he retreated into that cold, cutting version of himself that knew exactly how to provoke her. He had an infuriating way of pushing her every wrong button. And she, equally infuriatingly, always reacted.
After a few more playful minutes, Akash caught each of the kids firmly by the hands. “Come on. Let’s go.”
He led them toward where their slippers lay abandoned in the sand.
Kiana looked back at Shauna. “Are you coming with us?”
Shauna opened her mouth to answer, but Akash cut in smoothly. “No. I’m sure Aunty Shauna has somewhere else to be.”
Irritation flared inside her. “Aunty Shauna can speak for herself.” She smiled down at Kiana. “Of course, I’ll join you. Come on, hold my hand.”
She laced her fingers with the little girl’s and began walking ahead without looking back. She could feel Akash’s angry stare burning into her shoulder blades.
She exhaled. Why was she even bothering? She ought to have let him be. Why willingly spend more time with him? But then again, he had no right to speak for her.
Just as they reached the hotel lobby, Keya and Kabier appeared from the corridor leading to the breakfast area.
“There are my sweet babies.” Keya immediately scooped Kush into her arms while Kabier lifted Kiana up.
Kabier’s gaze shifted between Akash and Shauna, clearly surprised to see them together. Their whole family knew about the perpetual war between them, and as always, no one interfered. No one wanted to take sides, obviously.
Kabier finally looked at Akash. “Thanks for watching them. We’ll take them in for breakfast. Both of you are free now.”
Keya smiled brightly. “Yes, so what’s the plan?
Kabier’s mom, Shauna’s parents, and Janak are going dolphin watching.
Some of the others are going scuba diving.
The rest of us are just parking ourselves by the pool with the kids and basically chilling.
What are you two doing?” She gestured toward the open expanse of the resort.
“There are amazing water activities here. You two should enjoy yourselves. Just don’t forget, tonight we have dinner in the banquet hall. ”
Akash smiled easily at his sister. “I’ll be there.”
Then, without sparing Shauna a glance, he added, “I think I’ll go for a swim in the pool and figure out the rest later. It’s been… quite a morning.” He smiled at the kids, kissing each of their foreheads in turn. “Love you both. I promise to spend more time with you soon.”
And with a quick wave, he walked away, completely ignoring her.
It shouldn’t have bothered her. They weren’t friends. They weren’t even civil on most days. But the deliberate lack of acknowledgment—the way he could be warm and charming with everyone else and then turn ice-cold with her—stung more than she wanted to admit.
She pressed her lips together, forcing her expression to remain neutral as Keya smiled at her.
“I think I’ll head back to my room and figure out what to do today,” Shauna said. “I’ll definitely be there tonight.”
Keya nodded, distracted by Kiana’s animated storytelling, and Shauna used the moment to step away.
She walked toward her room without looking back.
Her heart was pounding, whether from anger, disappointment, or something far more inconvenient, she couldn’t tell.
The feeling was messy. Perturbing. Too close to hurt for comfort.
She pushed open the terrace doors to her room with more force than necessary, the glass rattling slightly in protest. Exhaling hard, she crossed the room in quick strides. His behavior toward her shouldn’t matter. Akash didn’t matter to her. She didn’t care about him.
Nothing between them was ever going to change. This… The tension, the irritation, the endless misunderstandings… this was what they were.
She needed to keep her distance from him. She’d learned the hard way that Akash Karia could hurt her if she let him get too close, so staying away from him was for the best.