Page 19 of Since You Stole My Heart

As she moved past Luv towards the empty space on the sofa, she deliberately stomped on his foot, making him yelp.

His protest dissolved into laughter when he looked up to find her glaring down at him in warning.

Luv raised both hands in surrender. ‘I get such a special greeting? Aw, you must have really missed me.’

Kashvi snatched the pistachios from his hand and replaced them with a handful of almonds. ‘You need these more,’ she said dryly.

He grinned, unbothered, and all trace of their earlier tense conversation vanished. It made her wonder what else Luv hid behind that easy smile.

Swayam took a seat beside her, and she tried hard not to look his way.

Raghav set his phone aside and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. ‘It’s been a while since we heard from you. How have you been?’

Though his tone was casual, the concern beneath it was impossible to miss.

She forced a smile. ‘Great. Work’s been a little chaotic,’ Kashvi said, then quickly deflected. ‘Where is Meera? She never misses dinner nights.’

Raghav watched her for a beat, knowing exactly what she was doing, then relented with a small shake of his head. ‘Mihu’s in Delhi.’

Before he could add more, Luv cut in, pressing a hand dramatically to his chest. ‘My life feels dull without her. When is she coming back?’

Raghav reached across the sofa and punched his arm.

Swayam, who had been quietly observing, leaned back and stretched out his legs. ‘Before this turns into a full-blown drama, can someone tell me what’s for dinner?’

Abhay glanced up from his laptop. ‘Nothing.’

‘Weren’t you cooking?’ Swayam asked.

‘That was the plan.’

‘You burned something?’ Raghav teased.

Abhay ignored him. ‘Meetings ran late, so we have to wait for Siya. She’s picking up food on her way back.’

‘What did you order?’

‘Chinese.’

‘Excellent,’ Swayam approved. ‘I’m so hungry I can’t see straight.’

‘You can take half my bowl. I don’t feel like eating much,’ Luv said absently, scrolling through his phone.

The room went quiet for a second.

Abhay looked up, his eyes widening. ‘Are you sick? Should we call a doctor?’

Kashvi placed her palm against Luv’s forehead, frowning. ‘Do you have a fever?’

Luv rolled his eyes and swatted her hand away.

‘Maybe we should call a priest instead. He might be possessed,’ Swayam suggested.

‘I don’t like to eat that much,’ Luv remarked, glaring at all of them.

Raghav chuckled. ‘You once dunked a chocolate bar into hot chocolate.’

‘It made the bar melt in my mouth, so that was a genius discovery,’ Luv said, waving his hand dismissively. ‘Besides, I’m perfectly fine. My family dragged me to eight weddings in the last two weeks. There are only so many buffets a man can survive before his stomach revolts.’