She slowly turned to face her father, and her voice broke as she said, ‘It won’t be necessary to bring Kashu into this.’
Kartik raised an eyebrow. Intrigued, he asked, ‘Because?’
She whispered, ‘I’ll do it. I’ll marry Abhay.’
He didn’t react at first, but then a look of satisfaction came over his expression. His lips curved in a victorious smile. ‘I’m so glad you have come to your senses. I knew if I explained the bigger picture, you would stop being silly.’
Something inside her curled with rage. Siya hated her father at that moment. Her throat felt raw as if she’d swallowed broken glass. Her fists were clenched so tight that her nails dug into her palms.
Kartik stood and brushed something off the sleeve of his jacket. He checked the time and then walked toward the door. ‘You made a bit of a mess back at the hotel, storming out like that. Abhay has backed out of this deal.’
Siya looked up, startled. In the chaos of their conversation, she’d forgotten about him.
Kartik paused at the door, hand on the knob, and briskly told her, ‘So it’s your job to fix it. Do whatever it takes, but make him agree to this match.’
Stunned, she asked, ‘You want me to convince Abhay?’
‘You’re the one who ruined it,’ Kartik snapped but then caught himself and smoothed his expression. ‘It’s only fair you handle it. You wanted to make your own decisions, right? Now deal with what comes with them.’
Just as he opened the door, he glanced back over his shoulder, and the icy depths of his rage made her shiver. ‘The stakes are through the roof, Siya. I have Ravindra Bhatt’s number on speed dial. Just in case you fail,’ he threatened with a pleasant smile. And then he was gone.
The door shut with a soft click.
Siya still stared at it, feeling numb. Her knees buckled, and she sank down the length of the door until she was on the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her forehead on them. Finally, the dam broke, and hot tears spilled, trailing down her cheeks.
Kashvi had become the centre of her universe when Siya was only ten. Her teenage years were dissolved into raising her younger sister. School homework. Burnt dinners. Apology letters to the school. Working internships while still in college to pay rent. Holding Kashvi after nightmares of the fateful accident that still haunted her. Siya was her mother, sister, and friend, and she wore those titles with pride.
Kashvi would not be handed off like a pawn to someone old enough to be her grandfather. Ravindra Bhatt might be powerful, but he would never be worthy of Kashvi’s fire, her dreams, her freedom.
Kashvi would find love. Real love. The kind that made her laugh at two in the night, and feel safe when the lights went out. She would find someone who saw her for more than her family name or net worth. And if the price for that was Siya’s own happiness, then so be it.
She would marry the man who had broken her heart, and whatever happened after, she would deal with it. For her sister. Because real love means stepping into the fire so the people you hold dearest don’t have to burn.
But would Abhay be willing to pay the price for Kashvi’s future by agreeing to a forced marriage?
Siya had to find out. She straightened her spine against the door, tilted back her head, and took a deep breath. Then slowly,she reached for her phone. Her hand trembled as she unlocked the screen.
Siya scanned through her contacts until her finger landed on his name. Abhay. Her thumb hovered over the green circle for a second. Then she typed her message.
Can you come over tomorrow morning? We need to talk.
The text was gone with a whoosh. She set her phone aside and rested her head back against the door.
She would meet him tomorrow and hopefully convince him to marry her, just hours after asking him to leave her alone. Abhay was right. They were stuck in the Upside Down with no way out.
Chapter 6
Four Years Ago, New Year’s Eve
By the time they reached the hotel, she had only a minute left. They quickly went up the stairs and in through the staff entrance.
It was time. Siya could hear the echo of her name being announced from inside the ballroom.
She quickly shook off the rest of the sand clinging to her saree and smoothed out her hair. When there was nothing else to straighten out, she finally asked, ‘Are you coming in?’ trying to keep it light.
He looked at her for a moment too long, and she thought he just might, but then he shook his head. ‘I should go.’
Siya swallowed hard, pushing down the protest. His answer stung, but she reminded herself that there had been no promises. Just one ride around the Ferris wheel. That was the deal. And she’d agreed to it, hadn’t she?
