And before Mishti could find her voice, Karan and Kanika had already turned toward the door. They left together, side by side, while Mishti stood there, staring at them. Something about the way Kanika looked at him, and the wayhe didn’tlook at his wife, suffocated her.
*****************
KW Capital Ventures
The glass doors of the conference room swung open, and every pair of eyes turned toward the man striding in.
Karan Wadhwa didn’t need to announce his arrival; his presence did it for him. The eight men and two women seated around the oval table stood quickly, voices overlapping in polite greetings.
“Good morning, Mr Wadhwa.”
“Congratulations on your marriage, sir!”
Their smiles were bright, but entirely wasted because Karan didn’t even glance up from the iPad in his hand.
“Let’s not mix personal life within these walls,” he said sharply. “We’re here to discuss the project, not my marital status.”
The smiles faded. A few even exchanged uneasy glances.
Kanika, who had followed him inside, slid into the seat beside Karan, who looked at everyone once before turning to Kanika.
“Where’s Rajat?”
“He’s outside on a call. He’ll join us in a minute.”
“Good,” Karan murmured, eyes still on his tablet again. “Let’s wait for him then.”
The lights dimmed, and the massive screen blinked to life with the project presentation, when Rajat Mathur finally entered, laptop in hand and a familiar easy grin on his face. “Apologies for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s get started, shall we?”
The next three hours were relentless.
Karan in work mode was both mesmerising and terrifying. He dissected every proposal, challenged every number, and questioned every timeline that left no room for weakness.
When the meeting was over, and everyone started leaving one by one, Rajat shut his laptop, stretching his shoulders. “That’s a wrap.”
Kanika leaned closer to Karan. “Are we going out for dinner tonight?”
The question made Rajat freeze mid-motion. He turned toward his sister, clearly irritated.
“Put some sense in that tiny brain of yours, Kanika. He’s married now. It’s his wedding reception tonight in Goel’s mansion, if you’ve somehow forgotten. How can you ask him out for dinner?”
Kanika’s face hardened. “Was I talking to you?” she snapped.
“You may not be,” Rajat retorted. “But I’m your brother, and I have every right to stop you from messing with my best friend’s marriage. Especiallyhis.”
Karan didn’t look up. Didn’t even flinch. His attention remained fixed on his laptop as he typed out an email.
Kanika grabbed her files, feeling humiliated and stalked out. When the door closed, Rajat exhaled. “You could’ve said something, you know,” he muttered.
“And ruin a perfectly good silence? No thanks.”
Rajat shot him a glare. “You’re impossible.”
Finally, Karan closed the laptop and leaned back. “You are just done lecturing your sister. Don't turn this into a family drama now.”
Rajat smirked faintly. “How about I start lecturingyouinstead?”
“About what?”
