Page 23 of Since You Stole My Heart

Abhay answered without hesitation. ‘We were waiting for you to come home.’

Kashvi jerked back. ‘Seriously?’

‘Kashu, did you really think we’d choose photos for the family album without you?’

Guilt tightened into a knot in her gut. ‘But now Meera is missing out.’

‘Oh please, I’m picking her pictures anyway, so you’re off the hook,’ Raghav said. Luv silently agreed, flashing her a photo of him and Meera from his pile.

‘Still, I made all of you worry. I’m really sorry,’ Kashvi murmured.

Abhay shook his head, his gaze soft with affection. ‘There’s nothing you need to apologise for. You’re an adult, Kashu, and you get to decide how you live your life. There’s nothing wrong with that.’

The difference between his words and the things she had grown up hearing from her father felt jarring, and she didn’t know how to untangle one from the other.

He added gently, ‘But you’re also family, which means we get to worry about you.’

Raghav said, ‘Siya called Mihu every night asking if you’d reached out. I’m not exaggerating when I say she was about ready to hunt you down herself.’

If there was one person Kashvi owed deeply besides Siya, it was Meera. She had always opened her home to Kashvi whenever she needed space, and promised never to tell her sister about it. But if Siya had started asking questions, she must have already suspected something.

Kashvi needed to find a way out of this. Now that her sister had finally begun to live her life and chase her dreams, she refused to drag her back into the old mess.

She stood abruptly, flashing a quick smile. ‘I need to call a friend. I’ll be right back.’

Kashvi moved towards the glass doors leading to the balcony. A cool gust of wind greeted her as she stepped outside, sliding the door shut behind her.

The air carried a faint salty tang from the distant sea, threaded with the low, constant hum of never-ending traffic.

She gripped the railing and drew in a slow breath. For a moment, Kashvi simply stood there, the wind lifting strands of her hair as the city pulsed quietly below.

Yet the chokehold of guilt didn’t loosen an inch.

If Siya found out about her seizures, everything would unravel back into what it had been nineteen years ago, when her sister’s entire life revolved around taking care of her. Even now, she still lingered like a shadow over Siya’s life.

But her sister had finally carved out a life of her own, and Kashvi would protect that, no matter what it cost her.

She startled when the balcony door slid open behind her and turned to see Siya step outside.

Chapter 5

The warm yellow light from the living room spilled out behind Siya, then faded when she pulled the balcony door shut.

Judging by her outfit, she had just come home. A fitted navy blazer hung open over a soft blue blouse, the sleeves pushed back in that absentminded way she always did when she was knee-deep in work.

Anger flickered in her dark eyes as she walked across the tiled floor, and Kashvi felt her stomach tighten. She knew that look. The lecture was coming.

But then Siya surprised her by dropping a leather file onto the small wooden table before pulling her into a fierce hug.

A slow breath escaped Kashvi as the tension she had carried all evening finally eased. She wrapped her arms around her sister, her throat constricting when she felt Siya sniffle against her shoulder.

Kashvi knew how to handle her anger, but never her tears. Words failed her, so she simply held on just as tightly.

Siya cleared her throat and pulled back just enough to look at her. ‘Do you have any idea how impossible you are?’

Kashvi let out a soft huff. ‘Thank you. I like to list that as my best quality right at the top of my résumé.’

Siya smacked her arm. ‘What the hell were you thinking, Kashu?’