CHAPTER 16! NEW COUPLE ? #4
"And he asked me to leave the room. I was so happy that I hugged him and his coffee fell down on the design he was working for 6 months. And then he actually made me leave the company."
The living room erupted. Even Veer was wiping a tear of laughter from his eye.
Kashvi laughed too.
A little too quickly.
A little too loudly.
The kind of laugh that arrived before anyone could ask if she was actually okay.
"This is exactly why I have trust issues."
Then suddenly, two tiny humans appeared at the edge of the carpet.
Vaani and Ayaan were staring at her like she was a strange, colorful creature.
Kashvi gasped. She crouched down, her posture shifting completely. "Hi," her voice softened, turning warm and gentle.
"I'm Kashvi. And I demand to know who made you both this cute. Who are these adorable, edible potatoes?"
Vaani smiled, her dimples showing, while Ayaan nodded in silent, solemn approval. Within minutes, they were holding her hands, adopting her into their tiny army to show her the proper way to build a Lego fortress.
Aadhira watched them from the kitchen counter, a soft smile on her face. Some people simply carried sunshine with them wherever they went.
Kashvi was one of them.
Then Kashvi snapped out of playtime, standing up and dusting off her knees. "Aadhira."
"Hmm?"
"Coffee."
"What? No, we just had breakfast."
"Coffee."
"Kashvi, no-"
"Main aunty ko bata dungi tune aur aryav ne mall main kya kiya," Kashvi threatened in a swift whisper, a devious glint in her eyes.
Aadhira's jaw dropped. She snatched her car keys from the ceramic bowl near the door instantly. "scooty mein baith."
Kashvi's face brightened. "Yay!"
Aadhira picked up her keys, then immediately turned back to the kitchen.
"Maa, mandir wali kheer fridge mein rakh dena. Aur Vaani ko cold water mat dena. Aur agar bhai mere kamre main jaye. toh bolna mera charger touch na kare."
Shaurya shouted from upstairs, "Main sun raha hoon!"
"Isi liye bola!" Aadhira yelled back, pulling Kashvi toward the door.
"Aaram se, gira degi kya!" Kashvi complained as Aadhira dragged her out.
"Move faster!"
The Agrawal family watched in amusement as the chaotic hurricane swept out of the mansion. Vaani waved from the window. "Bye, didi!"
Ayaan shouted after them, "Bring chocolate!"
"We'll bring two packs!" Kashvi yelled back.
"Five!" Ayaan barged in.
"That's negotiation, not a request," Aadhira called out.
"Five," Ayaan repeated, his tiny arms crossing firmly.
Kashvi sighed. "Fine. Five."
Ayaan nodded.
The deal was complete. Inside Kashvi's jacket pocket, three business cards shifted with her movement.
She never looked at them again. If she had, she might have recognized the surname. And if she had recognized the surname, she might have turned the car around.
Unfortunately for everyone involved-she didn't.
The corporate conference room finally emptied around late afternoon.
Vivaan loosened his tie slightly, the silk yielding under his fingers as he stepped back into the quiet sanctity of his private office. Six hours. Three presentations.
Two grueling cross-examinations with the legal team, and one major acquisition finalized.
It had been an entirely productive day. Yet, somehow, the loud woman from the morning accident had remained stubbornly lodged in the back of his mind.
Annoying.
He rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt, reaching into his pocket to check a late notification on his phone. Then, he paused.
Something delicate was tangled around his wristwatch.
Vivaan looked down. Caught between the heavy metallic links of his silver luxury watch was a thin, fragile silver chain.
It was adorned with tiny, intricate ghungroo charms and a small enamel blue evil-eye bead that caught the harsh overhead office light.
Vivaan frowned. The bracelet clearly wasn't his.
His memory flashed briefly-dark curls bouncing with rage, a furious, theatrical voice, and three business cards disappearing between slender, defiant fingers.
The woman.
The bracelet must have snagged itself against his watch when she had aggressively snatched the cards from his hand.
He worked carefully, his large fingers unexpectedly gentle as he untangled the delicate silver threads from the watch mechanism.
He slid the bracelet into the top drawer of his desk and pushed it shut. He sat back down and returned to his tablet, pulling up the next quarterly projection report.
Three minutes passed.
Vivaan stopped scrolling. He opened the desk drawer again, his eyes dropping to the small silver string resting inside. Just to make sure it was still there.
A sharp line formed between his brows. He closed the drawer harder this time, the heavy wood snapping shut, and forced his eyes back to the numbers.
Frustrated with his own distraction, he hit the intercom button.
"Raghav."
"Yes, sir?" his assistant's voice crackled through.
Vivaan stared at the closed drawer for two heavy seconds. "...Nothing."
He Cut the call , released the button, leaning back in his chair.
He didn't know why he was thinking about her, and he liked answers. This time, he didn't have one.
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