Page 116 of Since You Stole My Heart

For one fleeting, reckless second, she leaned into him, holding him close.

She heard Malini’s voice before she walked in, and reality slammed back into place so abruptly that it left her reeling.

In an instant, she pulled out of his arms and stepped back several paces.

Swayam reached out to stop her, but Malini moved between them, angling her phone towards his face. ‘Swayam, see what Lavanya is saying.’

His shoulders stiffened, and reluctantly, he turned to the screen. ‘Hmm… yeah,’ he murmured, half-listening as Lavanya complimented him.

Kashvi rubbed her damp palms against her jeans as the walls seemed to close in around her. She couldn’t escape the hollow pit opening in her gut.

This was wrong. This was too much.

Her chest ached with a sharp, relentless pressure that made each breath shallow. She pressed her lips together, trying to holdherself together even as everything inside her felt like it was splintering.

Lavanya’s voice floated through the call. ‘So I spoke to Aisha this morning. She sounded really sweet, Swayam, and she’s actually excited to meet you.’

Swayam let out a huff. ‘You want me to trust your judgement on this? You picked someone like Viru.’

Her scoff came instantly. ‘Wow, rude. First of all, if you want to impress anyone at all, fix your attitude. And second, it’s not just me. Even the universe seems to agree, because you ended up choosing the exact same colour that Aisha’s wearing tonight.’

Oh God, just how much more of this torture?

‘I’ll pick something else then,’ he retorted, irritation slipping through.

‘God help me,’ Lavanya said, her voice muffled as she moved away from the camera. ‘Viru, will you come here please? Your brother is being annoying again, and you need to fix him.’

Her blood ran cold, and panic surged so quickly it left no room for hesitation. This was it. She couldn’t stay any longer.

Kashvi pressed her phone to her ear, speaking loudly enough to grab everyone’s attention. ‘Hello? Yeah, I’m here. No, no, I got caught up, but I’ll be right there.’

She pulled the phone away, forcing an apologetic smile as she told Malini, ‘I’m sorry, Maasi, but I forgot I have the home keys and my sister is waiting downstairs.’

Malini frowned. ‘Arrey, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Go, go, don’t keep her waiting in the afternoon sun.’

Kashvi nodded quickly, clutching the strap of her bag as she bid Malini goodbye. She didn’t look at Swayam. She simply turned around and walked out.

She rushed into the bright corridor in blind desperation. Hot tears blurred her vision as they slid down her cheeks.

Kashvi stumbled forward until she reached the railing, leaning against it. She kept her head lowered to hide her unravelling from the scattered, oblivious crowd around her.

Suddenly, a firm hand gripped her elbow and spun her around. In the next instant, she found herself face to face with Swayam.

He’d changed back into his off-white shirt, but nearly half the buttons were undone. The raw anger and agony in his eyes made her chest seize painfully.

Swayam tightened his grip on her elbow, and the pressure landed directly over the bruise Viraj had left the night before. A strangled yelp escaped her as she jerked her arm away.

He froze at the sound, then gently pushed the sleeve of her top upwards. It exposed the dark purplish imprint, swollen slightly around the edges. Pain flared when he brushed it lightly, and her face twisted.

‘Kash, what happened here?’ he asked, his voice edged with something dangerous.

She tugged the sleeve back down. ‘Nothing. I banged it against the door last night.’

‘That angry mark is just from banging it?’ he asked, unconvinced.

‘It’s not a big deal. What are you doing here? Your maasi must be looking for you,’ Kashvi urged, taking a step back.

His hand shot out and wrapped firmly around her wrist. ‘Why are you so eager to leave? Where are you going?’