Epilogue #2
Ira’s gaze softened immediately. ‘The honour is all mine. I’ve only met a handful of my readers in person.’
Something warm unfurled in Kashvi’s chest. ‘That makes me feel really special.’
‘If you really want to feel special, you should know I only write under Advay. My actual last name is Kulvardhan.’
Swayam shot Ira an unimpressed look. ‘It took you four years to trust me with that tidbit.’
Vedika nudged him in the arm. ‘Kashvi is a reader, so she’s one of us.’
Swayam rolled his eyes. ‘And what am I? A troll?’
The bell above the front door chimed softly as it opened, and Ira’s smile faltered. ‘What the hell is he doing here?’
A man entered the bookshop with a cocky, arrogant stride, as if he owned the place. He looked older than Ira, maybe in his early thirties. Recognition struck Kashvi at once because she had just seen his photo in the article she read on the way over.
Danish Sinha, the controversial story spinner.
Draped in an expensive long coat, his gaze locked onto Ira as he approached them. ‘Surprised to see me?’
Ira crossed her arms. ‘Of course. I didn’t think you’d take time out of your busy schedule of stealing other people’s work.’
Danish clicked his tongue. ‘The judge said it was inspired, not plagiarised. Don’t throw accusations around, or this time I’ll sue you.’
Vedika’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass. ‘You’re not welcome here, Danish.’
Danish scoffed. ‘I only wandered in because I heard the great Ira Advay is holding her first ever preview. But did you have to do it in a lowly joint like this?’
Vedika lifted her chin. ‘Unlike you, she’s not vain. And you’re also stupid if you think I’ll let you insult my bookshop.’
‘What else should I call it? There are barely six people here.’
‘It’s a private event,’ Ira said in a clipped tone. ‘Only for my close-knit people in town.’
‘Or are you trying to hide the fact that your readership is dying out?’ Danish countered smoothly.
Kashvi couldn’t hold back anymore. ‘I’m surprised you have any readership at all.’
Danish’s head snapped towards her with open derision. ‘And who are you?’
Kashvi lifted her chin. ‘I’m a reader, but only Ira’s.’
Danish narrowed his gaze, visibly offended. ‘I don’t need any validation from people like you.’
Swayam cut in curtly. ‘You take the core plot of Ira’s stories and twist them into alpha men who abuse women in the name of love. So I agree, even one reader is too many for you.’
A loud ringing pierced the room from Danish’s coat pocket, and he quickly pulled out his phone. He took a step back as he remarked, ‘Some of you brainwashed readers have such silly, extreme opinions because of her that I feel sorry for you.’
Kashvi refused to back down. ‘Don’t be. We’re proud of who we are.’
Throwing them a scathing look, Danish walked out of the store.
The tension slowly eased from Ira’s shoulders. ‘He is... an unpleasant man, so please ignore him.’
‘He’s a jerk,’ Kashvi corrected.
Swayam nodded. ‘He’s not worth your time. The fact that you’re even doing this preview is a huge deal, so thank you.’
Kashvi’s suspicion deepened as she caught the oddly familiar way he spoke to Ira. ‘Wait, do you two know each other?’
The door chimed open again, and Kashvi heard her sister call out her name.
Siya stepped inside, with Meera right behind her, both of them brushing raindrops from their clothes. Their outfits were damp from the drizzle, and Siya loosened her hair to let it air-dry.
And then, Luv walked in.
His black shirt was darkened in patches from the rain, his hair damp and dishevelled. His shoulders were rigid with tension, and his mouth was set in a firm line.
Kashvi whispered in her sister’s ear. ‘What happened to Luv?’
Siya merely shrugged. ‘He barely spoke all the way here.’
Luv finally looked up.
In an instant, something dark and stormy flickered in his eyes, edged with visible despair. He took a step forward as if driven by instinct, but stopped short, his entire body locking in place.
His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and the veins in his forearms stood out as he drew in a breath, forcing himself to remain steady.
He paused for a long moment and walked towards them. His gaze, devoid of any warmth, was fixed on the only woman he could see. ‘Aadhira,’ he said, greeting her by her full name.
Only then did Kashvi notice that Ira had instinctively taken a step back, watching him with absolute shock.
‘Luv,’ Ira whispered, managing a stunned nod.
Kashvi’s gaze darted between them, her brows furrowed. ‘Do you two know each other?’
A flicker of anguish flashed in Luv’s eyes as he said, ‘Used to.’
Ira stood completely rigid, the colour slowly draining from her face.
The front door opened again, and Danish walked back in. Instead of approaching them, he took a seat in a nearby chair and watched them with quiet interest.
‘Did you guys have trouble finding the place?’ Vedika asked, directing the question at Siya and Meera.
Luv answered before they could. ‘Don’t worry. I know how to get here.’
Vedika rubbed a hand over Ira’s back, her sharp, assessing gaze fixed on Luv. ‘That’s funny. I thought you forgot.’
A faint, cold smile touched his lips as he looked back at Ira. ‘If only I could.’
Ira looked away immediately.
Kashvi noticed Danish inching closer with a curious glint in his eyes. She quickly shifted the topic. ‘Di, what took you so long? You missed something amazing.’
Siya threw a pointed glare at Luv. ‘Ask him. He stopped in the middle just to stare at some cottage on a hill for a full five minutes.’
Luv gave her a flat look, his jaw locked hard.
‘I mean, I’ll admit that cottage looked like something straight out of Pinterest, but I still don’t understand why you had to stand there on the road and stare at it,’ she added.
Ira frowned as she looked at Luv, and this time, he met her gaze head-on.
Curiosity piqued in Kashvi as she realised he had been staring at Ira’s house.
Swayam glanced at Luv and teased, ‘Maybe he fell in love with the place.’
Luv’s response was devoid of any emotion. ‘It’s a haunted house. What’s there to love?’
Ira’s forehead creased slightly, and a flash of despair hardened her expression into a cold mask.
A slow clap echoed from a few feet away, and Danish drawled, ‘Isn’t that where you live, Ira? I’ve heard about it too. It used to be a haunted house, didn’t it?’
Vedika’s patience finally snapped. ‘You’re terrible at making up stories, so just stop.’
‘I’m not. It’s a well-known legend around town,’ Danish shot back. When no one responded to his rambling, he added, ‘I mean, Ira, you’re hot, and I definitely have a thing for you, but only a total wacko would buy a place like that.’
‘Weren’t you on your way out?’ Ira snapped.
Danish flashed a smug grin. ‘I kept my day free. Since you’re on an adventurous spree today, I hoped you might also agree to go out with me.’
Ira broke into a disbelieving laugh. ‘You have delusions like that, and I’m the one you call wacko?’
The amusement vanished from Danish’s face. ‘Oh right. Let me guess. You still won’t go out with anyone because you’re married, right?’
Ira’s jaw tightened. ‘That’s right.’
‘Then where is he?’ Danish pressed.
Ira’s breath hitched. ‘You need to leave. Now.’
‘Maybe you stop pretending and lying about having a husband at all.’
Ira’s eyes flashed with fury. ‘Back off!’
Instead, Danish took a step closer. ‘Why should I? Your readers deserve to know that their happily-ever-after author is a liar. She writes all these stories about love and family when she has neither. She’s just a bitter, lonely orphan who plays hard to get.’
Ira visibly flinched and took a step back.
Luv pinned Danish with a glacial glare. ‘Think very carefully before you say another word to her, because I won’t hesitate to use your face as a punching bag.’
Silence crashed over the group as barely restrained fury radiated off Luv in waves.
Danish jumped to his feet, furious. ‘And who the hell are you to threaten me like that?’
Whatever control Luv had been holding onto finally snapped, and the fury in his voice cut through the room. ‘I’m her husband.’
Shock swept across Ira’s face, but the agony beneath it was impossible to miss as her gaze stayed fixed on Luv.
Kashvi immediately turned towards Swayam, hoping for answers, only to find him looking just as stunned.
Danish looked suspiciously between them. ‘If that’s true, then why didn’t you tell me before?’
‘Who the hell are you, my father?’ Luv shot back coldly.
Danish ignored the dig. ‘Then how come I’ve never met you before or seen you around town?’
‘We don’t owe you any answers about our personal life,’ Ira cut in impatiently.
‘I don’t believe either of you,’ Danish said, narrowing his gaze.
Luv scoffed. ‘I don’t give a fuck.’
Then he took a step forward.
‘Listen carefully, because this is my last warning to you, Danish. Mind your own business before you regret messing with the wrong people.’
Danish opened his mouth to fire back, but Luv cut him off in a firm, rough voice. ‘It’s a really bad day to test me, so walk out while you still can, or I’ll make sure you crawl out instead.’
A flicker of uncertainty broke through Danish’s cocky composure, and he swung his gaze to Ira, sharp and venomous with anger. ‘I hope your next book release goes... well.’
With that, he turned and stormed out again.
Vedika cleared her throat. ‘I think we should probably start the event.’
Ira nodded quickly, then turned to Swayam. ‘Hey, I’m sorry. I know we had a plan, but you know how Danish can get.’
‘I understand. Don’t worry about it,’ Swayam assured her with a smile.
After giving Luv a cautious look, Ira followed Vedika.
The second they were gone, chaos broke out as questions erupted all at once.
‘What the hell, Luv?’ was the most common sentiment.
Kashvi’s head spun because none of it made sense anymore. She tugged at Luv’s sleeve and asked, ‘Are you really married to Ira?’
Luv gave a single grim nod.
Siya studied him closely. ‘I have no clue what’s going on. And since when do you threaten people like that?’