Chapter 14 #2
If the mehendi wasn’t halfway up her arm, she would have wrung both of their necks at the same time.
Her eyes found him again, unable to resist. His fingers tapped a rhythm against his knee as he gave her a once-over.
She could feel the heat of his gaze moving through her body where he looked, and she squirmed in her seat.
She looked away, down at her arm, and got momentarily fixated on the delicate orange-stained trails beginning to dry against her skin.
‘Wait a second. He missed you? But don’t you two live together now?’ Meera asked.
With a smug smile, Siya responded, ‘I went back to stay with Kashvi until the wedding date. Of course, I did it because I believe it’s in the best interest of the narrative of us “getting married again” so don’t get any funny ideas.’
‘You can be so wicked when you want your way,’ Meera chided her.
‘You don’t have to tell me. I have tolerated her all my life,’ Kashvi sighed dramatically.
A photographer chose that moment to come closer and click a snap, so Siya had to gulp down her comeback and replace it with a faux smile.
A sharp voice, high-pitched with excitement, cut through the noise and Siya didn’t see the woman until the blur of maroon lehenga whirled into her vision. Before she could react, the stranger threw her arms around her shoulders and clung to her tight.
She squealed in her ear, and Siya had to fight the urge to push her back. ‘Oh my god, Siya! I’ve waited so long for this day, you have no idea.’
Siya asked, ‘I’m sorry, do I know you?’
The woman only grinned wider, clearly unbothered. ‘Oh, don’t do that to me now! I wanted to be here for your engagement brunch,’ she turned to the cameras and continued the rest, ‘But I had to show up for a movie mahurat. And I can’t wait to meet Abhi!’
She left as quickly as she’d come, and Siya watched as she rushed across the distance toward Abhay. Every nerve in her body tensed as the woman leaned down with the unmissable intent to hug Abhay.
Siya felt a surge of possessive heat flood through her chest. Jealousy gripped her tightly, curling through her veins like smoke.
Siya locked her gaze on him, just in time to see how his body language changed in an instant.
He straightened and his expression transformed into an icy resolution.
He shook his head at the woman in such silent command that the girl visibly faltered mid-step.
When she still reached out, although hesitantly, he spoke the word with a finality to it. ‘No.’
Her smile stuttered before the woman recovered enough, though her voice broke with wounded pride to reveal how much the rejection had stung. ‘You’re still upset with me. Don’t worry, I’ll make up for it. I’m just so happy for both of you. Congratulations!’
There had been no apology in his tone, no explanation to soften for the woman he’d rejected. That quiet but absolute denial was more electrifying than any kiss she’d ever had. Siya couldn’t understand it.
The woman was gorgeous, with curves and features in just the right places, and even Siya had to admit she understood her appeal to men. Why had he refused to hug her?
It was crazy to her how effortlessly Abhay had drawn a line in the sand, as if the thought of someone else touching him was unacceptable, as if he only allowed that from her.
Her pulse finally slowed down when the woman moved away in a flurry, right into the arms of a socialite, greeting her like they were long-lost friends.
Siya asked in a hushed tone, ‘Okay, who the hell is that woman?’
Meera answered with a casual shrug. ‘Your best friend.’
Siya frowned, confused. ‘Huh?’
Meera nodded. ‘Apparently you two grew up together. Same elite schools, same private parties, same trauma of having too much money and not enough freedom. You bonded over your designer heels and the pressure of legacy. And somewhere in the middle of all that, she also became Abhay’s best friend, replacing Raghav no less. ’
Siya laughed hard enough to shake, and the artist had to redo a design she messed up. She apologised to her, then turned back to Meera. ‘What are you talking about? No one is dumb enough to believe this made-up story. Pretty much everyone knows we’ve been best friends since childhood.’
‘That’s why I told Dhruv to go to hell this morning when he tried to rope me into playing hostess for this circus,’ Meera said smugly.
‘Oh, you should’ve seen his face,’ Kashvi said, sighing in dramatic satisfaction.
Siya’s head jerked toward Meera. She asked, her voice tight with disbelief. ‘Wait… he asked you to host today? I’d specifically told him to leave my friends out of it. It’s like he goes out of his way to go against what I say.’
‘Your dad sent him,’ Meera said, shaking her head. ‘He asked all of us. He even offered to pay us, but none of us agreed to stage-produce their version of a happy family, especially not when it’s being forced on our girl.’
Siya offered her a grateful smile. ‘So, who is she?’
‘Aarti Jha, a hired actress. Dhruv brought her in before people started showing up. Your father’s opinion is that an event manager might have felt transactional, so he wanted someone who’d act like your friend to add a personal touch to the evening.
They’re lucky that none of us are hosting.
I know Luv would turn it into a roast night for the Kashyaps. ’
Siya said, ‘Thank you for being here.’
Meera lightly bumped her shoulder and warned, ‘Don’t thank me yet. We still have to survive the cringy and cliché games she’s about to announce.’
As if on cue, Aarti clapped loudly, quickly drawing everyone’s attention. She declared with a flourish, ‘Okay everyone, it’s time to add some desi tadka to this mehendi night and play some games!’
The men across from them groaned, but the guests cheered as they shifted closer.
‘So, we’re kicking things off with a classic coin toss, because obviously, what’s a good war without fate marking the first move?’ Aarti announced, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger to appear demure, but her shrill voice grated on Siya’s nerves.
‘She’s horrible,’ Kashvi muttered, leaning onto Siya’s shoulder since her mehendi was done.
‘And I swear, if she touches me again, I’m slapping her with my wet mehendi hand,’ Siya vowed.
‘Now there’s the bridezilla energy I’ve been waiting for,’ Kashvi teased her.
Her huge jhumkas bumped against her cheek as she whirled around and pointed toward Siya.
‘Whichever team wins the toss gets to assign fun and humiliating little tasks to the opposite team. So, who is your coin-tosser, Dulhaniya ki toli?’ she asked, building suspense.
‘Kashvi!’ Meera immediately yelled, pushing Kashvi’s shoulder lightly.
‘Go, go. I could use a win today,’ Siya encouraged her.
Kashvi rolled her eyes but stood and walked barefoot to where Aarti stood.
Across from them, Swayam stretched with an exaggerated sigh and rolled back his shoulders.
With that easy, cocky confidence that somehow never came off as obnoxious, he came up to Kashvi, close enough until the tips of her toes brushed his shoes.
His close proximity and the warmth seeping off his body made Kashvi take a step back. She barely smothered the urge to fan herself. Swayam noticed her nerves, so he teased in a low voice, ‘Try not to get distracted by me, Kash.’
‘Oh, I plan to win, but I must say victory will taste even sweeter once I beat you,’ Kashvi warned him with a scathing smile.
‘Heads or tails, Kashvi?’ Aarti asked, dangling the coin on her thumbnail, ready to toss it in the air.
‘Heads,’ Kashvi answered, not taking her eyes off Swayam, who watched her with an amused smile playing on his lips.
The coin flicked into the air, gleaming as it spun, and tumbled down to land neatly on the floor. ‘Heads, it is!’ Aarti exclaimed. ‘Looks like the bride’s army gets to decide how much trouble they want to give the groom and his gang.’
Kashvi raised her hand in mock victory as Swayam let out a long, suffering sigh. Guests clapped and cheered as Kashvi returned to her sister’s side, and high-fived Meera.
‘So the bride’s team gets the first pick. Meera, you get to choose and put one groomsman at a disadvantage. Let’s see who’s your victim.’
‘Okay, okay. I choose… Luv!’ Meera said, drawing out the words.
Luv stood and gave a dramatic bow. ‘I’m honoured, Mihu. Do your worst. I’m all yours.’
‘You have to walk up to any woman in this room, and hold a full, polite, perfectly innocent conversation without flirting. You’ve got two minutes, Romeo.’ Meera said.
Gasps and laughter erupted immediately, especially when Swayam declared the challenge impossible.
‘Cruel. This feels like emotional sabotage. I hoped for better from you.’ Luv clutched his chest, then scanned the room, and locked his gaze on Siya.
He gave Abhay a sideways glance and when Abhay narrowed his eyes, Luv laughed and made his decision.
‘Well, if I’m going to fail, I might as well go down in flames. ’
‘No,’ Siya mouthed silently, but it was too late. Luv was already halfway to her, and in long strides, he took a seat right beside her, slowly nudging Meera out of the way, making her laugh.
Luv took a deep breath, then flashed Siya a smile that could melt concrete.
‘Siya, I want to say how it’s been such a beautiful thing watching you and Abhay banter your way into marriage.
Anyone with half a brain can see that he adores you and you both have found a rare connection.
Love can be… fickle, so cherish what you’ve found. ’
Siya blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity and the hint of pain in his voice, but it vanished quickly and his resting smirk was back in place.
For the hundredth time, Siya thought about how little they knew about Luv’s past, and what led him to be the Casanova he was today. Or was he really one? she wondered.