Page 35 of Since the Night We Met
The air thickened in her throat. A fabricated life of a couple in love for two years, complete with a neatly scripted romantic past that would be on display for everyone, in a home that wasn’t hers.
The thought made her sick to her stomach, but she understood the necessity of it. It would be better to squash any rumours now before they could damage their credibility any more than it already had.
‘Your life now belongs to this fake story. The sooner you learn that, the less painful it will be.’
He may be right, but he doesn’t get to take it out on me in my home, Siya thought to herself. She held her head high and stepped forward until she came toe-to-toe with him.
‘You know, I thought you’re a smart man, Dhruv, but I guess I was wrong,’ she threw his cutting words back at him. ‘You come into my home and speak about me as if I’m furniture to be moved, and talk down to my sister. You would have to be really, really dumb to be talking to your project lead like this, wouldn’t you?’
All the colour drained out of his face. Dhruv narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her and asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, looks like Daddy didn’t tell you everything. Abhay and I are co-chairs of the new collection. My signature sits on the vendor sheets. I can end your access to every single part of this project with one word. If you had any sense, you’d understand how easily you could get blacklisted.’
Siya saw the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead and knew she’d struck him where it hurts. Dhruv searched her eyes but found no lies.
‘I never thought you’d stoop this low for business,’ he said, each word coloured with anguish. ‘I knew we were both competing to lead this project, but I thought you’d fight with dignity. It’s my fault for giving you credit you don’t deserve.’
His accusation clung to her, taking root deep in her soul, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
‘So that’s how you want to play this. Fine. You want war, then war it is,’ Dhruv vowed quietly. The smile that followed had no warmth. He let his threat settle before adding, ‘And don’t be late. Your husband is waiting for you.’
With that, he turned and walked out. The door shut behind him with a muted thud, and the silence that followed was thick with tension.
‘Shall we begin packing, ma’am?’ the mover asked.
All Siya could do was nod. If she spoke just then, she’d scream.
‘Are you okay?’ Meera asked her.
Siya gave her a tight-lipped smile and patted her arm. Meera held her gaze for a moment, understanding she needed space, and she stepped back.
All three of them began sorting things out to pack, leaving Siya alone with her thoughts. Another strip of packing tape tore across cardboard, sealing away her life and memories in a cardboard box. She felt the sound sink into her chest like a nail, reminding her she would have to share a roof with Abhay.
And in the chaos of her mind, she wondered what other pieces of herself she would have to give up next.
***
The balcony stretched wide along the edge of the penthouse, framed by textured glass and the faint shimmer of the city below. The faint scent of the sea drifted up from Marine Drive. A warm light from the living room pooled at their feet, making the half-empty bottle of whiskey glow in amber.
Abhay leaned back in his chair, one ankle resting over his knee. His jacket lay abandoned on the armrest beside him. He cradled his glass and watched the low hum of traffic crawling beneath from the 30th floor.
‘So that’s all of it.’ Raghav lifted the glass to his lips, ice clinking softly against the crystal. ‘You and Siya are getting married even though the public story is that despite the infamous rivalry between your families, both of you are crazy in love and have been married for two years? Tell me again I heard you right.’
Abhay let the whiskey roll across his tongue before swallowing and welcomed the familiar burn settling into his gut. ‘That’s all of it,’ he echoed, tapping lightly against the edge of the glass.
‘Is this an April Fool’s joke?’ Raghav urged, hoping Abhay would laugh just then and say he was kidding.
‘It’s February. If only it were a joke,’ Abhay scoffed, loosening his tie. ‘It is already signed in principle.’
‘They are trapping both of you in a corner and calling it a ceremony, but it doesn’t make it a marriage.’
Kicking off his shoes and flexing his sore toes, Abhay murmured, ‘Tell me about it.’
‘You know, Mihu and I… we’ve been talking,’ Raghav began, taking a sip. ‘We’re discussing starting a family in a couple of years. If we have a baby girl, I can’t imagine doing this to her. How can a father force his own daughter to get married? I can’t even square it with being a man.’
Abhay rested the glass against his knee, the condensation seeping into his trouser and dampening it. ‘Neither can I,’ he said.
He recalled how panicked Siya had looked when the plan had been laid out for them. He had barely contained the instinct to punch the man who was now essentially his father-in-law.
