“Tell me. Though I’m not exactly enjoying that bitter tone. I think a little politeness would do you some good.”
“How about I don’t kick your ass?”
“Keep up that attitude, and you might just give me a reason to say no to the favour you’re asking for,” I grin, knowing how much I enjoy getting on his nerves. Slowly, I pull up to a red light.
“Fuck you.”
Laughing, I reply, “Alright, alright. Because I’m such a generous soul, consider this one a freebie.”
“Generous soul, my ass. Anyway, I need to see if you can handle the meeting with the employees later this evening. I want to drop by Kavya’s house to check on her.”
At the mention of Kavya’s name, my mind drifts back to just a few days ago. Reyansh met her at my parents’ anniversary party a few days ago, and it’s pretty clear he feels something for her. I still remember the moment Kavya accidentally fell down the stairs at that party. His reaction caught me by surprise. He showed a level of concern and tenderness I’ve never seen from him towards any woman. The way he held her, like she was something precious, made me truly question his feelings for her.
“Are you there?” he asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I reply, just as the signal turns green and I shift my car into gear. Then, without thinking much or holding back, I ask, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Instead of a reply, I’m met with silence, and for a second, I assume the line must have got disconnected. Just as I’m about to hang up, he responds, “Did you meet someone?”
The fact that he knows me well enough to sense that I’m hiding something really annoys me. I know that if I lie, he’ll catch me instantly. Yet, something holds me back from revealing my encounter with the gorgeous woman.
“It’s not about me. I’m asking about you,” I lie, with just a hint of truth.
“Me?”
“Yep. The way you’ve been around Kavya is so unlike you. I’ve never seen you act like that with any other woman.”
He lets out a long sigh. “Are you saying I’m being obvious?”
With a smile in my voice, I reply, “Let’s just say you’re not exactly being subtle about it.”
“Will you stop behaving like a nosy aunty?” he grumbles, and I can almost hear him rolling his eyes.
“You still didn’t answer my question?” I ask, ignoring his comment.
“That conversation can wait for another day, maybe with a beer or two. For now, I want you to get your ass to the office as soon as possible,” he says, clearly avoiding the topic. I can’t blame him. I’m doing the same thing, hiding the fact that I met someone who knocked me off my feet without even trying.
“I’m just pulling into the parking lot now,” I say, guiding my car into my usual spot.
“Thank heavens. I’ll have the presentation ready for you to review before the investors arrive.”
“Cool,” I say, stepping out of the car. Just as I’m about to hang up, his voice stops me.
“And Aditya, to answer your question, yes, I do believe in love at first sight. It’s definitely a real possibility that can blindside you when you least expect it. And believe me, man, it changes everything,” he replies. Before I can respond, he hangs up.
I grin, shaking my head as I make my way toward the office building, still trying to make sense of what Reyansh said. But my mind is a mess—tangled up in that damn gorgeous woman, with my gut screaming she’s the one woman who, if I let her in, will wreck my world and change me like no one ever has.
No doubt about it. And that’s exactly why I need to make sure she gets no room in my life.
Chapter 3
Sana
I force a smile, staring into the mirror, but it does nothing to mask the redness in my eyes or the tears streaming down my face. Taking a deep breath, I press my hands against my cheeks, wiping away the evidence of my grief, and try again. But once more, I fail… miserably. I don’t even know why I bother when I already know that no smile could ever reach my eyes today. Each attempt feels futile, like I’m pretending to be someone who has it all together, but, deep down, I’m crumbling.
A whole year has passed, yet the pain feels as raw as it did that day. I know I promised myself I’d be strong for Mom, that I wouldn’t let her see the cracks in me. But no matter how hard I try, my heart screams—why force a smile when it won’t fool anyone, least of all myself?
Yet here I stand, desperate to hide the agony of this very day—the day I lost my dad.
