Page 86 of Since You Stole My Heart

The glow of passing streetlights cut across his face in flashes of gold as Swayam turned to her. ‘You’ve asked that three times since we left.’

‘That’s because you still haven’t given me a straight answer,’ she shot back, turning towards him. ‘What if everyone’s dressed up? Or what if your maasi expects something more… traditional?’

Her mind ran ahead of her, making her uncomfortably aware that this was the first time she was stepping into his world. Her palms felt faintly damp as she worried about not fitting in.

Swayam reached out to hold her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. ‘If you don’t stop overthinking in the next ten seconds, I’m turning the car around and we’re going home.’

Kashvi blinked, startled by the seriousness in his tone. ‘You would not.’

‘I absolutely would, but if you doubt it, try me.’

She huffed, rolling her eyes as she watched the city blur past, the night alive with crowds on the street. ‘You don’t know how these things go. I’m allowed to be nervous.’

‘But I know my family, which is why I’m telling you not to worry about it.’

‘That’s easy for you to say,’ she said, fidgeting with the buttons on the side panel. ‘You already belong there.’

‘Wherever I am, you belong with me,’ he said softly. ‘See, I do understand, and I’ll help you any way I can, but I’m not letting this ruin your day.’

‘So threatening to drag me back home is your way of helping me? And what makes you think I’ll just let you take me?’ she asked, lifting a brow.

Swayam did not look away from the road, but she caught the twitch of his lips. ‘I’m dedicated, and I’ll find a way to win. I am your man, after all.’

‘That can still be reversed,’ she shot back, looking away to hide her smile.

‘Oh?’ he asked, amusement lacing his tone. ‘You can threaten me all you want, but it won’t work. I know that stress is a trigger for you, and nothing out there is worth risking another seizure.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘How do you know that?’

‘I read about it,’ he said.

‘When did you have time to do that?’

‘Audiobooks,’ Swayam replied, tapping his fingers against the wheel. ‘I listened to two books while I was setting up your surprise.’

‘Why?’ It was one thing to know that he cared, but another to realise he had gone out of his way to understand something about her that she still struggled to accept herself.

‘I’m just making sure I’m not caught unprepared if you need me,’ he said, squeezing her hand once before moving it back to the wheel.

She didn’t know how to deal with the fact that she felt strangely exposed. She threaded her fingers together, fighting the urge to run back to her crusty old apartment and hide.

‘So, if at any point you feel overwhelmed, you tell me and we’ll leave right away,’ he said firmly.

‘You’re very bossy today,’ Kashvi muttered. ‘If you try to hover around me or take me home, I will punch you.’

That earned her a soft, incredulous huff from him. ‘You can try, but I doubt it’ll do much damage.’

As he manoeuvred to take a turn, the dark fabric of his navy blue shirt stretched over his muscular forearm. A sliver of heat bloomed beneath her skin as her gaze lingered on him before she forced herself to look away.

Swayam curved into the gated society's parking lot and brought the car to a smooth stop in an empty spot.

It hit her all of a sudden that she was about to meet her in-laws. ‘Why don’t you get out so I can move behind the wheel and drive away to safety?’

A low chuckle slipped out of him as he unclasped his seatbelt. ‘Just give it a shot, and if you don’t like it here, we’ll run away together. I’ll even get a road trip playlist ready in the meantime.’

The tension in her shoulders loosened a little. He got out of the car, and she followed after him. They walked into the lobby and Swayam pressed the elevator button.

In the small enclosed space, Kashvi finally asked, ‘How are you going to introduce me? I mean, what will you say I am to you?’