Page 9 of The Promise of a Traitor

What the hell had just happened? Advik had said yes? Why?

You look at me like you hate me.

I do.

“Well,” Amyra’s bright voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts, “I guess he doesn’t want someone else after all. He wants you.”

No, Aastha thought. He didn’t want her. But he wanted something, that was for sure. But what?

Chapter Five

Advik

Advik sat behind his desk, three screens on it lit up with code, a fourth showing a barrage of unread emails. And still, his mind couldn’t find a grip on any of it. The AI driven robotics company - MedTech he’d founded close to a year ago had exploded right out of the gate, bringing with it endless complications. He was a technology guy, not an operations and finance guy and though he’d gone out and hired those, the final decision making still landed on his desk. Scaling something that had set the market on fire was the most fascinating challenge of his life.

He should be focusing on it. Only on it.

He wasn’t.

Advik was about to give up on trying to work when he heard the commotion and hissed conversation outside his cabin door and braced himself for what was coming. A second later, the door flew open and his parents walked in. Or rather, his father walked. His mother flew in, excitement and agitation warring for supremacy in her bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

“You said yes,” she announced, coming to a stop in front of his desk.

“Hi Ma. Hi Dad,” he drawled, getting up to walk around the desk and hug and kiss his mother before turning to his father.

“What the hell were you thinking?” his father murmured, as he hugged Advik briefly.

“Don’t start, Yash,” Maya scolded. “He obviously liked the girl.”

“If he did,” Yash retorted dryly, “the logical thing to do would be to meet her a few more times. Get to know her and then figure out if marriage is something that works for them.”

The logic in his father’s words had concern flickering in Maya’s eyes. “Would you like to do that?” she asked. “That makes sense.”

“It’s fine, Ma,” Advik muttered, avoiding his father’s perceptive gaze. “I don’t need time.”

He didn’t need time, he thought grimly, because he already knew everything he needed to know about Aastha. Aashika, he corrected himself in his head. He hadn’t known her name until now but what the hell, that was hardly important. Not for what he had in mind.

“Either way, I’m going to let Binita know that we are not having a hurried engagement. You guys spend some time going out, getting to know each other and –“

“I don’t have time for all that,” Advik said abruptly. “The company takes up all my available time, and I don’t see how I can fit in this whole dating scenario you’re building out. Isn’t that the point of an arranged marriage? That you don’t have to go through all this nonsense?”

“Nonsense?” Yash brows rose. “Getting to know your future wife is nonsense?”

“I can’t win with you guys,” Advik snapped, exhaling heavily. “You wanted me to meet this girl. I did. You wanted me to say yes. I did. Now, you have a problem with me doing what you wanted me to do all along?”

Silence met his outburst and then his father said, “Watch your tone when you speak to your mother.”

Advik sighed, dragging his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m not five, Dad. I haven’t been for a long time.”

“You’ll be my son at five and at fifty.” His father gave him that look of quiet disappointment that always levelled him. “And I will always tell you when you’re out of line. Watch. Your. Tone.”

Advik sighed again. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, feeling like he really was five years old.

Maya was watching him carefully, her brows drawn together in a frown. “I’m glad you like Aashika. She sounds like a lovely girl which is why I set you guys up. But Advik, this is the rest of your life you’re talking about. Are you sure you want to spend it with her?”

Was he sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her? Advik smiled grimly. At one point there had been nothing he’d wanted more. Now…there was no way in hell he would take that cold hearted witch into his bed, forget his life.

But his mother didn’t need to know that. All she needed to know was that he was ready to get engaged to her Aashika.