Page 37 of Born in Ruin

The grace he’d shown despite being absolutely furious with her had her feeling a little ashamed. She slipped into her car and drove out of the building, automatically heading for his. Ishaan didn’t live too far from her home but Mumbai traffic made it impossible to get there in the expected half an hour. By the time,she did reach his home, she was flustered and irritated, road rage riding her hard.

She walked into the apartment and took the elevator to his penthouse. She leaned on the doorbell but the door didn’t open. He wasn’t home? Of course, he wasn’t home. It was a workday. He was probably at the office. Her hangover was making it impossible to think.

Surprised at the depth of her disappointment at not seeing him, she punched the button for the elevator. The doors slid open and she came face to face with Dhrithi who was carrying a covered casserole.

“Hi,” Dhrithi said, smiling. “Here to see Ishaan? He’s at work but the guys will be home any minute now for lunch.”

“Oh!” Mayukhi fidgeted with the hem of her kurta. “I should probably get to work.”

“Stay no?” Dhrithi input the code for Ishaan’s door and led the way in. After a moment’s hesitation, Mayukhi followed. “All three of them are due home for lunch. Hence this.” Dhrithi held the casserole up like it was evidence at a crime scene. “Chicken lasagna. There’s enough for everyone. Eat and go?”

Before Mayukhi could refuse and make her hasty exit, the door opened and the guys walked in, arguing loudly.

“I know you fucking took it!” Ishaan looked livid, the vein in his temple popping.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Amay said placidly, walking over to kiss Dhrithi on her cheek. “Hi Yukhi,” he said casually as he crossed her, the nickname from his mouth causing a weird warmth to spread through her.

“H-hi,” she stuttered as Dhrithi giggled behind her. Virat nodded at her and she nodded back, feeling awkward and out of place.

Ishaan opened the fridge and pulled out a huge jug full of a vile looking green juice. He poured some into five glasses before setting it on a tray and putting it on the dining table. He threw himself into a chair next to where she was standing, handing her a glass. Mayukhi looked at it doubtfully. She glanced around and noticed nobody else was touching their glass either.

“It’s good for you,” he snarled. “Ask the bloody thieving doctor over there.”

The bloody thieving doctor mouthed the words kale and spinach smoothie at her. She took a doubtful sip. It was the most vile tasting concoction she’d ever had the misfortune to taste. But one look at Ishaan’s intense stare and she gave him a weak smile with an even weaker thumbs up.

The others were fighting smiles, even Virat looked to be suppressing a grin.

“Why are you here, Kraken?” Ishaan asked, his long, lean body sprawled in that seat in unconscious challenge.

“I-“ She wanted to thank him for the car but the words wouldn’t come out in the presence of his friend’s interested gazes.

“Ashish called me,” she said instead. The mood in the room changed in a heartbeat, all the lighthearted grumbling disappearing like she’d flipped a switch.

“And?” Ishaan asked, leaning forward.

“He seems to think that you guys have some information about them. He kept probing to see if I’d heard anything.”

“Does he now?” Virat murmured. “And what information would that be?”

“I don’t know. He asked me if I’d heard anything. I said nothing other than the fact that Varun was an abusive shit.”

Mayukhi glanced from one impassive face to another. “Nothing? You guys are going to give me nothing?”

Nobody answered. Right, of course, she thought, a bitter taste flooding her mouth. They didn’t trust her. She wasn’t part of their precious inner circle. She was just a convenient tool at their disposal.

Well, fuck it! She didn’t want to be a part of their inner circle. She was fine being an island. She didn’t need anybody. She didn’t want anybody. She didn’t-

“Nisha Kohli.” Ishaan’s voice cut through the silence.

“Ish.” Virat groaned.

“Need to know, right?” Ishaan shot back. “She needs to know. How is she going to help otherwise?”

“Ish-“ Amay started to speak but Dhrithi stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“Ishaan’s right,” she said. “Mayukhi deserves to know everything.”

“Everything? What is everything?” Mayukhi’s heart started a rapid drumbeat, the sound a dull echo in her ears.

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