Page 45 of Since the Night We Met
Abhay chuckled and nodded. His father then followed Kartik.
‘I don’t understand how a man this blind is allowed to move around without a supervisor holding his hand,’ Swayam commented, looking at Kartik.
Luv interjected. ‘No, you’re missing the point. You should admire his dedication and faith in his delusional world where he is the king and everyone is beneath him, because I do.’
‘Ignore Dad,’ Kashvi offered with a smile. ‘Everything does look really beautiful, Abhay. I’m sure Di will love it.’
Hope blossomed in Abhay’s heart, and he held onto it tight. He’d made sure to arrange her favourites in everything, from decor to the brunch menu. Today was going to be difficult, so he wanted to give her small slices of comfort.
When Dhruv came to stand beside her, Kashvi glared at him. ‘Why are you even here? I thought you don’t attend personal events unless you’re paid for it.’
Dhruv didn’t miss a beat. ‘Relax, Kashvi. I’m not here for our dear sister. Look around and see the men following our every movement through their camera lens. I wouldn’t miss a PR stunt this grand. You’ve done well, especially when it’s for a woman who’d throw away anything lesser than flowers made of gold.’
In one smooth move, Abhay took a step closer and his hand landed on Dhruv’s shoulder. He smiled as he lightly squeezed it and warned, ‘You will not speak about my woman like that.’
It must have looked like good old ribbing from a distance, and Abhay squeezed harder when Dhruv’s eyes went wide with surprise. ‘You are an attention seeker, fine, but beg for it in front of your father. I don’t care what kind of household Kartik ran, but here in this home, dare to speak about Siya only when you can behave.’
Dhruv tilted his head and mocked, ‘What are you going to do, punch me with your investors and media present?’
His hand curled into a tight fist as Abhay said. ‘What can I say? The thought of punching your smug face is just too tempting to pass up on.’
Abhay meant it. He was seconds away from closing the distance between Dhruv’s face and his fist when he felt a gentle and delicate hand settle on his shoulder. His breath hitched in a way that had nothing to do with anger.
The glide of her soft fingers against his chest sent a shiver right down the centre of his spine. His heart stuttered once, then kicked into a marathon.
Siya stood barely inches from him, close enough that he could smell the vanilla blend of her perfume. He took in a deep breath, committing the scent to his memory, and a knot of tension in his gut came undone.
She met his gaze with a warm, affectionate smile. ‘Sweetheart,’ Siya began, ‘do you really want your name in tomorrow’s headlines beside his instead of mine? That’d make me very jealous.’
Abhay didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his traitorous hands found her waist and he pulled her right against him. For a second, her smile faltered. The carefully arranged loving expression she wore for the world slipped, and in its place he saw something raw and vulnerable.
‘I was about to teach him a lesson,’ he murmured.
Her lips curved into a seductive smile. She practically purred as she said, ‘That would be a massive waste of your time. If you had any sense, you’d have been upstairs with me.’
‘And what would I be doing?’ he asked, throwing the challenge out there.
Her eyes widened as she understood his trick, and despite telling herself not to do it, she replied, ‘You’d be helping me… get ready.’
The effect of those words was instant and devastating. He moved his palm to the small of her back and pulled her in until the space between them was erased. She was fine, she was safe, and she was in his arms—that’s all that mattered to him. ‘If I were helping you get ready, we would never come out of the room.’
Siya had intended to only play the part of the happy couple in front of Dhruv, just to prove they hadn’t gotten to her, but the moment Abhay kissed her cheek, the heat became very real.
‘That sounds like an awfully slow way to get me dressed,’ she remarked, and softly gasped when he trailed his lips to her ear.
‘No, I’m saying I’d be on my knees before you even picked out a dress,’ Abhay whispered in her ear, his voice rough with unabashed need.
But then Dhruv’s voice sliced through their moment of playing with fire as he said, ‘I didn’t realise that the fake couple performance included public foreplay.’
Abhay felt her body shift as she reluctantly turned to look at Dhruv. There was an icy edge in her gaze that showed him just how precise she could be in her aim when she wanted to hurt someone. ‘I suppose it would seem fake to someone who’s never had anyone stay long enough to love him back.’
‘I don’t mind. It’s fun seeing all this spectacle, all for you. It must be flattering. There are very high expectations for the new Mrs Agrawal,’ Dhruv taunted her with a snicker.
‘And you think you can help her with that? You really have a knack for embarrassing yourself, don’t you, Dhruv? It’s a little tragic, I must say,’ Abhay taunted.
‘You might think you’re untouchable because you’re the Agrawal heir and getting married to a Kashyap daughter, but you’re not,’ Dhruv shot back.
‘No. I know I’m untouchable because I belong to Siya, and just like that, I ferociously protect what’s mine.’
