Page 91 of Temptation

Within minutes, they were parked outside The Sehgal Plaza. They asked Keya to come out. Keya appeared soon with Sheena’s grandfather by her side. She and Raashi got out of the car. They gave a squeal of delight and rushed forward. Immediately, they were all hugging and laughing and talking at the same time, while her grandfather quietly watched their loud display of affection.

“You’re engaged,” Keya chirped. “I can’t believe it.”

“Me neither,” Raashi gushed. “So cool.”

Keya grasped Sheena’s hand. “This ring is so pretty. I love it.”

“Now, now, girls, we are in a public place. You mind being a little quieter?” her grandfather finally said, laughing.

Sheena and Raashi stepped forward to hug him, and they resumed their conversation with even more gusto. He’d always been an intrinsic part of her life. Her heart swelled, seeing how happy her friends and grandfather were for her. This…this was what she’d been waiting for. She looked up and found Kabier nearing them. Her heart nearly fell to the floor. They had all been too loud about her engagement and she didn’t want him to hear about it like this.

She nudged her friends, and they all lapsed into silence.

“Hey, big brother, come here and give me a hug,” Sheena said, breaking the awkwardness. She and him were not on the same page currently, and she didn’t like it one bit. Kabier, however, gave her a smile and drew her in a hug.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her.

“The three of us are going out for a bit,” Sheena replied.

“Well, not another late-night Sheena. This last week, you’ve been home late every single night,” Kabier remarked.

She huffed out a breath. Despite being busy, Kabier always kept a tab on her, and he very well knew that she had been out with Rajiv every night the entire week. And now he was behaving difficult about it, irking her further.

“Come on, Kabier, I’m twenty-seven, not seven. I know how to look after myself,” Sheena retorted.

“In any case, I want you home early tonight. We need to talk,” he declared, his tone final.

Sheena made a face but accepted with a nod. They had to talk. He had to know everything. But first, she was going to go out and have a super time with her friends.

36

Rajiv paced inside his hotel room, feeling on edge. Ever since they’d landed in Mumbai, the only time he’d been apart from Sheena was during the day when he had to work, and at night, when she insisted on going home to sleep. He was aware that her brother was not on Team Rajiv yet, but he had hoped that after tonight, he’d get an opportunity to talk to Kabier and tell him how much in love he was with his sister.

Falling in love with Sheena and knowing that she was going to be by his side for the rest of his life was more than what he’d wished for himself in life. Sheena made him so happy, and he wanted to relish in that feeling forever. She was his, and he couldn’t wait to marry her and keep her by his side. He’d protect her with everything he had.

He reread that text message he’d received a few hours ago, and his throat knotted. He ran a hand down his face, calming himself. Knowing that Sheena was out with her friends tonight, he had agreed to attend a business dinner with some clients. While there, he had received this particular text message that had put him on the edge. Throughout the evening, he’d kept calling Sheena, and each time, his heart had settled only after he heard her voice.

But now, a strange sort of restlessness took over him, and he wasn’t able to sleep. The urge to see Sheena and to talk to her had taken over his mind. She’d texted him earlier, telling him that she was at home, but still, he needed to see for himself that she was safe.

He checked the time. It was midnight. He dialled her number, but there was no reply. Perhaps she was sleeping, and he had nothing to worry about. His heart, however, continued to be restless. He called her again, and when there was no reply, he called her brother.

“Hi, Kabier. This is Rajiv Mehra,” Rajiv announced when the other man answered.

A short, terse silence followed.

“What do you want?” Kabier asked.

“Is Sheena there? I’m unable to reach her. I just need to know whether she’s fine and at home with you.”

“You need to stay the fuck away from her,” Kabier growled. “I don’t like you, and I trust you even less.”

“Look,” Rajiv said, getting irritated, “I really don’t care what you think of me. But the truth is that I love her very much, and I need to know she’s safe. I need to hear her voice, okay? So please check on her and ask her to call me.”

“Why are you asking me to do this?” Kabier asked. “What is going on?”

“Karan Sachdeva was released from jail yesterday,” Rajiv breathed out.

“What? How do you know?”

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