Two men in khaki uniforms flanking him on either side were almost hidden behind him, but Siya caught their polite nod which she reciprocated.
Dhruv took in the company behind her, and his lips turned up in a spiteful smirk. Before Siya could ask him anything, he stepped past her and came into her apartment without invitation. His polished shoes clicked softly against the hardwood floor.
‘Well, well,’ Dhruv drawled, sweeping his gaze around the room. ‘Looks like quite a little gathering you’ve got here. Is it a special occasion?’
He turned around to face Siya and clapped his hands together. ‘Ooh ooh, let me guess. You’re celebrating the fact thatyou bagged a rich husband and earned Daddy’s approval all in one day, right?’
The insult struck her like a slap, but it was Kashvi who spoke first. ‘Yes, we are, and you’re intruding on our party. So, why don’t you give us another reason to celebrate and leave?’
‘Careful, little sis. She may tolerate your insolence,’ he said, pointing at Siya, ‘but I won’t.’
Kashvi moved to stand in between her sister and the man she was ashamed to call their stepbrother. Though she usually didn’t mind her short height—in this moment, she hated that she had to look up at him. With a cutting smile, she said, ‘Siya tolerates my insolence, and we tolerate your bullshit. It’s a burden we must all bear.’
His head tilted, smirk sharpening with anger. ‘Kashvi, where are your manners? Did you not learn that in school?’
Kashvi lifted her chin in defiance and shot back without missing a beat. ‘No, what I learned is that respect is earned, and you haven’t done a damn thing to earn mine. You won’t inherit my respect just because we share the same last name,bhaiya.’
Irritation broke through his practiced calm, and the tension in the room coiled tighter. Before it could spiral further, Siya put her arm on Kashvi’s and subtly pulled her behind her. ‘What do you want, Dhruv?’
The flicker of anger was swift in his eyes, and Siya had to fight against the urge to throw him out of her apartment. She’d succeeded so far in keeping him away from their homely sanctuary, but lately, it seemed the universe was dedicated to undoing her every effort by bringing her father and stepbrother to her doorstep.
Instead of answering her, Dhruv took a step back and shouted, ‘Come in.’
The two men must have been waiting for his signal, because as soon as he gave the word, they came in and immediately began shifting things off the furniture. One man pulled books off the nearest bookshelf, and the other went directly into their bedroom.
It took a disorienting moment for Siya to process what was happening, but when she caught sight of the company logo of the movers and packers on their t-shirts, she shouted sharp enough to draw Meera to her side. ‘Stop! What the hell are you doing?’
‘They’re packing up your stuff, dear sister. You’re moving in with your husband,’ Dhruv said, perverse satisfaction glinting in his eyes.
His answer knocked the breath out of her. She got toe-to-toe with him and said, ‘You bastard! Who do you—’
‘Daddy’s orders, Siya. He wants Agrawal’s only daughter-in-law to live where she belongs,’ he interrupted her, not bothering to hide his delight.
Dhruv had to know what their father was forcing her to do, yet here he was taking pleasure in her misery. The betrayal sat bitterly on her tongue.
‘You think you can just waltz in here and oust my sister out of our home just because Dad said so?’ Kashvi’s temper flared in disbelief as she moved to block one of the movers who was handling her books like toys.
‘I don’t think—I know I can,’ Dhruv said, flashing her a smile.
‘You should seek professional help for your delusional state,’ Meera commented, picking up some of the vintage books sprawled on the floor.
‘I don’t think there is any hope for him anymore. He may be beyond treatment.’ Swayam took the books Kashvi passed him and placed them back on the bookshelf. He knew books were sacred to Kashvi, and he couldn’t bear the sight of her trembling hands.
Dhruv ignored them and said to Siya, ‘This is dad’s order. Are you sure you want to dismiss it?’
Her father’s threat rang in her mind. If he’d decided to move her, he’d go to any lengths to make it happen. She could endure his rage as she had for years, but she knew he wouldn’t target her. It would be Kashvi.
A horrifying image of Kashvi dressed as a bride standing next to her fifty-eight-year-old husband, with tears in her eyes and amangalsutraaround her neck, flashed through her mind. An icy shiver ran down her spine, and her nails dug into her palms.
‘You’re not packing anything until she says you can,’ Meera directed her words at one of the men.
‘Stay out of it, Meera. This is our family matter,’ Dhruv replied without looking at her.
She gave a humourless laugh. ‘First of all, Siyaisfamily to me. Second, don’t mock that word because no one would take pleasure in disrupting their sister’s life like you are. So please spare us the theatrics.’
A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he didn’t bite. His gaze came back to Siya, drinking in every flicker of her anger. Herheart slammed against her ribs, yet she held his stare head on, refusing to be the first one to look away.
‘Siya, you made your bed with the enemy, now you gotta lie in it. Jayesh Patel lit a fuse with this pregnancy rumour in the media, so our relations team came up with this. Tomorrow, there is an engagement brunch at Abhay’s penthouse. There will be an announcement, and photographs with investors and elites. It should look as if you’ve been living there all this time, which means your things need to go tonight.’
