Abhay understood the unsaid warning in her words and pinned it as priority in his mind. He would keep an eye on her, but the knowledge that Kashvi was alone tonight settled uneasily in his gut. ‘And how is Kashvi? Why didn’t she come?’ he inquired.
‘They had a hard time saying goodbye. Kashvi wanted to be alone for a bit, so she stayed back. She said she’ll be here for the brunch tomorrow.’
Abhay slowly breathed in through his nose, trying to control the burst of anger. Failing at that, he exhaled harshly.
Meera’s gaze softened and she gently caressed his arm. ‘Our girl is strong. She’ll be alright. Just… watch over her.’
Abhay gave his best attempt at a smile and guided Meera into the room and they joined the others.
Siya had chosen to sit at the other end of the sofa, far from everyone. Although Swayam and Raghav chatted animatedly about an upcoming concert, Swayam kept one eye on Siya.
‘That is one killer view,’ Swayam said when Abhay came in, tilting his head toward the glittering city beyond the balcony doors.
Abhay bowed dramatically and Raghav launched into a brief story about how once Abhay had to fight with a previous PR head who wanted to hold photo ops at sunrise here for the company newsletter pictures.
Conversation moved easily between the group but his focus kept circling back to Siya. Meera caught his gaze and followed it to her friend staring fixedly at the floor.
She stood, running her hands over her dress to smoothen it. ‘We should let you two settle in,’ she said, subtly gesturing at the men beside her to get up. Swayam pushed to his feet last, casting a quick look at Siya.
As they got ready to leave, Meera went up to her to give her a parting hug. She whispered something in Siya’s ear, and Abhay caught a flicker of pain on her face.
Swayam turned to Abhay as they made for the door and said, ‘Call me if you need backup. I live five minutes away if the lights are green.’
With a smile, Abhay patted him on the back. ‘I’m never here enough to invite any friends, but I’ll give you the access code and you can come over anytime.’
He bid everyone goodbye as they walked out. The steel doors of the elevator closed behind them, leaving the room unnervingly silent.
Abhay turned back toward the room where she sat. Though he didn’t rush up to her right away, he felt a pull toward her deep in his bones, and ached with the need to find a way to reach her.
***
Siya hadn’t heard even half of the conversation from earlier, but the air felt heavier in her friends’ absence. She fidgeted with the silver bracelet Kashvi had given her last birthday, wondering how her sister was holding up. Had she eaten dinner yet?
Kashvi had retreated into herself as they’d packed up her belongings. Despite trying her best, Siya had failed at finding theright words to comfort her so she’d stayed quiet too. When they had hugged at the door, the tears shimmering in her sister’s eyes had said enough. Siya couldn’t purge the haunting image from her mind.
Footsteps echoed as Abhay came back into the room. She sensed him leaning against the wall, watching her, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. He broke the silence when it became overbearing. ‘Siya?’ he asked softly, as though afraid of startling her.
She wanted to answer but felt too numb to speak. Her thoughts moved in slow, hazy circles, making it impossible to focus. A flash of an old memory pierced her mind. Kashvi, with pigtails and an innocent smile, had once gotten lost in a rally crowd. Siya had screamed for her so loud, she’d lost her voice for days.
Abhay waited for a beat, hoping she’d answer, but when she didn’t, he moved to sit beside her. His arm brushed against her in a way that made her skin prickle with goosebumps. He gently tugged at her arm to get her attention. ‘You’ve had a long day and you need rest. Let me show you to your room.’
A high-pitched ringing filled her ears and her pulse pounded in her head, loud enough to drown out everything else. Her body felt as if made of stone, and she had burned the last of her energy in driving over here. For too long, she’d been running on reserves, and now she’d finally run out.
‘I know you haven’t eaten,’ he said after a moment. ‘I could fix you a pla—’
Siya managed to shake her head. The black lines on the marble floor blurred into inky waves as tears welled up in hereyes as she thought about Kashvi eating alone tonight. Every breath scraped like sandpaper in her throat.
His linen trouser rustled softly against the leather as he shifted to kneel down in front of her. He lifted her gaze to his with a thumb under her chin. ‘What’s going on? Talk to me,’ he urged, his voice laced with urgency.
The sheer intensity in his eyes anchored her to him and she couldn’t look away. Her lower lip wobbled as she fought to hold back tears but then he rested his forehead against hers and her facade crumbled. He whispered, ‘Jaan, talk to me. Say something, anything.’
Her breath caught in her throat. Her lips trembled with the struggle to form words but she forced out a response. ‘I’m fine!’ Siya snapped in a rugged scream.
With a growl, he threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her head back, making her look at him. ‘You’ve gone pale, your hands are trembling and your skin is clammy. Don’t lie to me. I can’t help if you don’t let me in.’
Siya gasped as the heat of his body lashed against her senses, cutting through the icy chill clinging to her skin. The gleaming brown orbs in his eyes held her captive.
The numbness that had kept her quiet cracked open. Anger rose with the panic, and her fingers curled around the wooden armrest until her knuckles ached.
