Page 61 of The Promise of a Traitor

When they finally got to the ballroom floor, Advik was more than ready to be done with the engagement part of the evening and disappear somewhere quiet with Aastha.

The ballroom was huge and crowded. How his mother and Aastha’s had pulled this off on such short notice, he would never understand.

His parents came over to greet his team and they took over, leaving him free to go find Aastha. She was at the far end of the room, his sister with her, and her father, looking uncomfortable.

“All good here?” he asked, lacing his fingers with hers. She smiled and nodded.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”

Aastha went a bright red. “The staff from the café are here and you’ve already met them.”

Something inside Advik burned at the sight of her embarrassed face. His Aastha had been a social butterfly, the life of every party, and the one with friends spilling out of every corner of her life. Everyone who met her loved her. How was it possible that she didn’t have a single friend to invite to her engagement today?

“Come meet my friends?” he invited.

She nodded. The angry red in her cheeks slowly fading.

“Amyra,” he said now. “Have you met Zara yet? Kabir’s sister?”

Amyra shook her head.

“Kabir Kashyap’s sister,” Aastha said dryly.

Amyra’s eyes went round. “What?”

“I didn’t tell you until now because I thought it would be a nice surprise,” Aastha teased.

“Surprise?” Amyra squeaked. “This is a shock. I’m not, I’m just…”

“Amu’s a bit of a fan girl,” Aastha explained to Advik who was watching the whole exchange with an amused look.

“And you’re not?” he drawled, laughing as she rolled her eyes at him. He was acutely conscious of her silent father glaring at all of them. He pulled his phone out and called Kabir who was somewhere in the crowd.

“Kabs, can you come meet me by the stage? Bring Zara with you.”

Kabir walked up minutes later, dragging a grumbling Zara with him. “I was talking to Reh and Kimi,” she protested. “Why do I have to go anywhere with you? They’re more fun than you!”

“What’s up?” Kabir asked, depositing his annoyed sister in front of them like a sack of potatoes.

“Kabs, Zara, meet Aastha’s sister, Amyra.” Belatedly remembering the silent, angry presence standing beside them, he added, “And her father, Mr. Pramod Agarwal.”

“Namaste,” Kabir said pleasantly to Aastha’s father. He dug an elbow into Zara’s side and she smiled, a ferociously sweet smile at Mr. Agarwal. The poor man took a startled step away from them.

“Hi Amyra,” Kabir said now, pinching his sister in the side to remind her to behave.

Amyra squeaked. Again.

Zara grinned. “Oh, one of those, is it?”

“Zara,” Kabir warned.

“Hi. I’m Zara.” She held a hand out to Amyra who took it warily. “Come with me and I’ll tell you all his embarrassing stories.”

Kabir groaned. “Don’t listen to her,” he protested. “I’m a paragon of virtue.”

“He’s not,” Advik interjected. “Please don’t insult fellow paragons like myself by likening your tainted self to us.”

“Jeez Adi.” Zara stared at him. “Even your jokes are boring.”