Vedika laughed. Kabir grinned and pulled her into the hug so Tani and she were squashed together in his arms. Daksh reached their little group and Vedika’s laughter died. He hadn’t looked at her or spoken to her the whole night. Not once. She hadn’t realised how much that would hurt.
That fucking lobster.
Ashish made the introductions, going around the circle. Kimi did a little bounce when Daksh smiled at her and then he was turning in their direction.
Kabir let go of Tani and Vedika, reaching a hand out for Daksh to shake. “Hey. I’m-“
“Kabir Kashyap, I know.” Daksh grinned, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m a huge fan.”
“As am I ,of your work, Daksh Mathur,” Kabir replied. “That cover spread of the leopard in mid hunt was sheer poetry.”
This time when Daksh smiled, it lit his eyes up. Vedika ignored the squirming in her stomach. “Thank you,” Daksh said simply.
“Oh my God,” Tani yelped. “You’re that Daksh Mathur! Kabs follows your work like a psychopathic stalker. That image you posted on your socials last month of that baby hedgehog is the reason we have Mowgli.”
“Mowgli?” Vik asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Our hedgehog,” Tani said, her face softening. “He’s the cutest little bundle of prickly needles in the world.”
Vedika giggled. Daksh’s head swung towards her, his stare lasering through her, burning a trail down her profile.
“Where is Mowgli now?” Vedika asked, forcing herself not to glance at Daksh. Two could play the not looking at each other game.
“In pet boarding,” Kabir replied, pulling out his phone. “Want to see?” They crowded around to watch the tiniest hedgehog in the world curled up in a little ball in the corner of a plush looking cage.
Daksh didn’t really have a chance but to look when Kabir all but shoved the phone in his face.
“Your pet boarding live streams your pet to you?” Daksh asked, amused.
“How else are we supposed to be sure they’re not abusing him?” Tani demanded, taking the phone out of Kabir’s hand and looking adoringly at the screen.
Daksh laughed and shook his head. “Rich people problems,” he said, teasingly.
“You’re not hurting for it either man,” Kabir grinned. “I know what the cash award was on that last prize you picked up.”
“What award?” Ashish asked before Daksh could respond to that. He looked at Daksh whose face had gone completely blank. “You won an award?”
“He’s won several,” Kabir drawled, staring down at his phone. “He’s mega talented.”
An awkward silence fell over the group as the brothers stared at each other, neither saying another word. It was fairly clearhis family knew nothing about his awards and Daksh hadn’t bothered to enlighten them either.
“Alright everyone,” Daksh’s mother, Sheela called out. “Dinner is ready.”
In the general exodus towards the dining hall, no one noticed Daksh fall into step beside Vedika. A large hand wrapped around hers taking the still full glass of pineapple juice from her. A smaller glass of ice cold water replaced it. She glanced up at him, her gaze clashing with his.
He lifted her glass of juice, chugged it, and left the empty glass on the table beside them.
“Problem solved,” he said, with a small wink. And then he was gone.
Problem solved? No, she didn’t think so. Vedika had a bad feeling her problems were just starting.
CHAPTER 24
DAKSH
There wasnothing on the table that Vedika could eat. Everything was too rich, too spicy, and too layered with ingredients that would only make an irritable bowel worse. He should know. He’d spent an awful lot of time the past few days reading up about the condition.
And why had he done that?
