Page 17 of The Promise of a Traitor

“Maybe she,” Kimaya pointed at Aastha, “can decode his grunts. Like their own little love language.”

“Or maybe he likes to talk to her rather than his annoying cousins,” Vedika interrupted.

“About you,” Rehaan muttered disgruntled. “He didn’t seem to think he needed to talk about us.”

“You were footnotes,” Advik drawled, finally entering the conversation.

“Footnotes.” Kimaya glared at him and he grinned, reaching over to ruffle her beautiful, long, silky hair. Kimaya smacked his hand away. “Don’t mess with the hair or I’ll shave your beard off while you sleep.”

“Touch my beard and I’ll dye your hair green,” he promised her, yanking on a lock of the hair in question.

“Children,” Rehaan tsked. “Behave yourself. We have a guest.” He slung an arm around Aastha’s shoulders startling her. “Don’t mind them. They were raised in a zoo.”

Advik’s gaze dropped for a second to where Rehaan’s hand rested on her shoulder before blanking out and turning to where Vedika stood, watching them all.

“Where’s Daksh?” he asked her, pulling her in for a hug.

“My boyfriend,” Vedika explained, looking over at Aastha before turning to Advik and saying, “He’s at work.”

“He’s having an affair,” Rehaan proclaimed, throwing himself backwards on the bed and sprawling out like a starfish.

Vedika kicked his leg. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Your boyfriend is a wildlife photographer.” Rehaan sat up, holding one finger up in the air. “Tell me where he’s finding wildlife to photograph in Mumbai? Ergo, he’s having an affair.”

“Ergo?” Vedika’s voice shook with laughter. “He’s with Vikram, you idiot. They’re doing some fun side project.”

“That’s impossible,” Kimaya said, plopping on to the bed beside Rehaan. “Vik doesn’t know the meaning of the word fun.”

The easy affection between the lot of them had Aastha’s throat closing up. She swallowed the tears clogging her throat and turned away, her gaze snagging on Advik who was watching her closely.

Vedika shook her head at the two who were now wrestling on the bed and came over to where Aastha stood. “Aashika right?”

“Aastha please,” she corrected her. “I’ve never really felt like an Aashika.” She could feel Advik’s gaze burning into the back of her neck but she refused to give him the satisfaction of turning to look.

“Are you okay?” Vedika asked, her concerned gazes taking in the stray tears Aastha hadn’t been able to completely blink away. “Adi…” She turned to her cousin but he just shrugged and walked over to where Rehaan and Kimaya were in the middle of an intense conversation. Intensely hilarious from all the laughter that ensued from them…

Vedika tensed, frowning at her cousin who made a point of not looking at them.

“I should go,” Aastha murmured, pulling away from Vedika. “I didn’t mean to intrude on-“

“If anyone is intruding, it’s us,” Vedika said firmly, grabbing Aastha’s hand and holding on. “You should stay. Right, Adi?” she asked, raising her voice.

“Sure. Whatever.” He muttered the words without glancing over.

“Advik Malhotra,” Vedika’s words took on an ominous tone but before she could finish a new voice joined the chaos.

“Why are you threatening him, love?”

Aastha turned to look at the door and found herself staring at the most devastatingly good looking man she’d ever seen in person. Her mouth dropped open but before she could say anything embarrassing, he stepped aside, allowing another darkly brooding man to enter the room. But that wasn’t what had Aastha feeling like she’d fallen down a rabbit hole. She was staring at the final person to appear in the doorway.

Kabir Kashyap stepped into the room. Kabir freaking Kashyap.

Oh my God! He…she…w-w-what…

Advik walked over to where she stood, not touching her but close enough to make her feel like the warmth of his body was branding her. A familiar brand.

“Breathe,” he said, the word tinged with humour.