His phone buzzed.
Chaos Doc (10:18 p.m.)
Good night, bad Bugs. China plan on hold indefinitely.
When Rian turned the lights off later, the smile lingered. He had been sleeping better than he had in years, laughing a little more, feeling lighter than before.
Maybe it had to do with the girl on the other side of the wall. Maybe he was learning from her to focus on a happy present. Maybe, with Kaya’s life finally settled, he was learning to let go of old burdens.
Rian dozed off, never realising that the nightmares that used to hound his dark nights had slowly been phased out, replaced by dreams of a woman with twinkling chocolate eyes and a smile that felt like home.
17
Friends Know Best
Aditi
If Aditi had hadany apprehensions about meeting Kaya Rathore, they vanished the moment she came face to face with the curly-haired beauty.
Warm and inviting, Kaya had shyly introduced herself before turning to the two men who’d been waiting with her.
Arjun Rathore and Vihaan Oberoi.
Men blessed with good looks, manners and evidently, a lot of money. Arjun was one of the most sought after businessmen in Asia, with his company recently going public. Vihaan, on the other hand, was on track to becoming the next media mogul, having recently acquired a new broadcasting channel in addition to the print press work his publishing house already excelled at.
Speaking with them should have been a daunting experience, but neither seemed to show any awareness of how important they were.
Seated between Rian and Vihaan at the circular table they were sharing, Aditi was forced to accept that Mumbai’s watercontained something special. Not only had this city produced three beautiful odes to masculine beauty, but had also blessed her with the opportunity to be seated with all of them at the same time.
She watched the four friends bring each other up to speed, each ensuring that Aditi felt included in their discussions.
Arjun, she noted, was a gentleman who was clearly besotted with his wife, Kaya, and vice versa. Vihaan in contrast was a complete rascal who’d begun flirting with her immediately, much to her amusement. He was charming, and she was flattered. She’d laughed at his dramatics when he complained about having to work when there was so much life to enjoy, half wondering if this lazy persona was a front that hid something deeper.
Out of nowhere, she felt a strange sensation creep up her neck. She glanced beside her to find Rian watching her, a small smile playing on his lips. That was all it took for any flicker of curiosity about someone else to switch into an awareness of him.
With his piercing eyes—sometimes silver, sometimes stormy—his wavy hair, his chiselled jawline that looked like it would cut her if she ran a finger along it, Rian was breathtaking.
Yes, Arjun and Vihaan were distractingly handsome. For Aditi however, it was only Rian who caused her body temperature to rise and her panties to dampen at the mere thought of kissing him again. His height made her feel like a delicate doll, and there was not much about her that could be considered delicate. The recollection of how easily he’d lifted her, her weight no barrier, had her bringing a hand to her cheek.
She let out a quick breath, warning her brain and her body to behave through dinner.
“Doc, how long are you in town for?” Vihaan asked her, continuing their conversation.
Before she could answer, Rian interrupted them.
“Her name is Aditi.”
“So?” Vihaan grouched. “She’s a doctor, isn’t she?” Without waiting for Rian to respond, Vihaan looked at her, tilting his chin in question. “I can call you, Doc, right?”
“She has a name. Call her Aditi. Not Doc,” Rian stubbornly demanded.
Aditi and Kaya stared at Rian, both women blinking at him in confusion. Hadn’t he himself called her ‘Doc’ multiple times already?
“I can give her a nickname. Friends give friends nicknames. You can call me V,” he told Aditi. “These fools do.”
“Hey!” Kaya protested sadly, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.
“Not you, Kaya.” Vihaan immediately consoled her, a hand on his heart in apology. “Never you. You’re my star. You’re the best thing in—”