‘But I can believe it,’ Abhay cleared his throat, and his gaze drifted to the skyline. ‘The first day I joined the company, Dad told me to beware of the Kashyaps. He’d said Kartik will sell God if he can profit off it. At the time, I didn’t want to take it at face value, but now I see that he was merely stating a fact.’
Raghav raised an eyebrow. ‘I’ve heard the stories. Wasn’t it… what, ten years ago? That family-run jeweller… I’m blanking out on the name.’
‘Anaya & Sons,’ Abhay offered. He’d looked into the case just yesterday, trying to understand Kartik’s ruthless pattern.
‘Right! They were completely gutted overnight. Half of their suppliers pulled out in a day, and the staff were poached on the same afternoon. Rumour was that Kartik was behind it.’
Abhay nodded. ‘He spread word that their designs had been stolen and that they used cheap resources in production. Despite making their business model public to prove the rumour was false, they couldn’t recover from the hit. They went bankrupt within a week.’
Raghav set his glass down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. ‘Then tell me why Mihit uncle is standing with him on this. He isn’t blind to how vicious Kartik can be.’
Abhay’s mind drifted off to the conversation he had had with his father the night before. He’d shown up at his parents’ home, furious and demanding answers, but all he got in response was the calm gaze of his father as he asked him to have faith and go along. His father’s words echoed in his mind:I have my reasons, son. The only thing you need to know is that I have Siya’s best interests at heart.
He set the glass down and rubbed at the ridge beside his brow, wishing he could read his father’s mind. ‘I don’t understand,’ he admitted. ‘But I know my dad. Since he agreed to it, I have to believe he has a good reason for it.’
Raghav narrowed his eyes in thought. ‘That’s very unlike him. Uncle is usually forthcoming about things. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him act so secretive about something, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.’
Abhay wished he could be as sure as his best friend, but when it came to Siya, he couldn’t see through the possessive haze. ‘You sound more convinced than I am.’
‘I’ve known your father since I was a toddler,’ Raghav replied with a faint smile. ‘He may be a cunning businessman, but he is not cruel at heart. I’ve seen him prioritise people over profit. He instilled those ethics and morals in us, so yes, I have faith in him.’
Abhay huffed a breath, the closest thing to a laugh he could manage. ‘That’s why you’re the one he loves more than me.’
‘Oh please. You cannot be jealous. My dad has carved out a section of his will for you. You cannot become a son any more than that.’
With a laugh, Abhay rolled his shoulder and felt a knot loosen. He couldn’t remember the last time he'd got a proper night’s sleep. He could stretch himself to work around the clock for two-three days, but his body had its limits.
He watched the traffic crawl along the curve of the fountain in the middle of the road, and just then a loud thud sounded from overhead, followed by the faint screech of something being dragged on the floor upstairs.
Raghav turned toward the dimly lit living room. ‘What was that?’
‘Staff from the moving company are setting up new furniture in Siya’s rooms. Kartik sent them.’
‘Already? He did not waste any time,’ Raghav commented.
‘They just showed up without notice. Kartik thinks he can subtly try to control everything, but he is mistaken. The only reason I let them in was because they were here to get the room ready for Siya. If she comes tonight, I don’t want her to walk into a strange room, filled only with cardboard boxes. This is the one part I can make easier for her.’
Another bang rang from upstairs, and Abhay vowed to himself that he would crash down the sky on someone’s head if they broke anything that belonged to her.
Raghav tilted his head and studied Abhay, noting how on edge he appeared. The knot of worry tightened in his gut, and he said, ‘You seem to be taking this quite hard.’
Abhay shook his head. ‘It will be harder for her. She has to move into a new apartment—my space—and worse, she is leaving her sister behind. That is one part I am unable to accept.’
‘Can’t she move in discreetly? It doesn’t need to become the headline for the media tomorrow.’
‘I spoke to Kartik this afternoon. I told him she would have a separate room on the lower level, no press entrance into the society, and a car route through the service lane. He said it would not fit the PR image they’re trying to establish. When I asked him whether he is concerned about his daughter’s well-being at all, I could hear the shift in his voice when he flipped the reason to how he is doing this to keep Kashvi out of the limelight that is following us. He is a manipulative bastard.’ Abhay clenched his jaw to stop the curses from bursting out.
Raghav reached for the bottle and refilled both glasses. ‘I’m sure he applauds himself for the bare minimum care he shows for his family.’
‘He answered with reasons that will read cautious on paper, and I hate that I couldn’t argue against the logic. I’ve seen the swarm of reporters crowding at the front gates. Our lives are being displayed on social media, rife with rumours and lies. It’s like I take a breath and the next day, it is the breaking news of the evening. No one should have to live under that scrutiny. So, I told him we’ll hold the wedding ceremony here at the penthouseitself rather than at a lavish place somewhere else. He was livid but agreed in the end.’
The night air was cool on the balcony, carrying the faint scent of rain from earlier in the evening.
Raghav studied him for a long minute. ‘Alright,’ he finally said, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Abhay could read the determination in his eyes, and knew his time was up.
‘I’ve respected your space and I’ve been patiently waiting for you to talk to me about it, but enough is enough. Are you going to tell me what happened between you two, or am I supposed to keep guessing?’ Raghav asked, his tone serious.
Abhay didn’t bother pretending he didn’t know what he meant. In an amused tone, he said, ‘You know, I’m surprised you took so long to confront me about this. Luv has been begging for answers since the first dinner we had when you met Meera. He keeps a rough list of questions in his wallet all the time, hoping to catch me drunk enough to interrogate.’
