Raghav chortled a laugh. ‘You don’t know the half of it. Luv is going to kill me for telling you about this. We have a bet ongoing about what happened between the both of you.’
Abhay dragged his gaze from the ceiling back to Raghav and found mischief gleaming in his eyes. ‘What the hell? Whose idea was—it was Luv, wasn’t it?’
‘You got it,’ Raghav managed to nod in between laughs. ‘When we were decorating the farmhouse for our second wedding, Swayam and Kashvi got into an argument about which is better: fiction or non-fiction. Kashvi went to war defending her romance novels and book boyfriends, and during that, sheintroduced us to “tropes”. Luv wondered out loud which trope you and Siya fit into and thus the bet began.’
‘Why am I surprised?’ Abhay said to no one, but he could feel the weight on his chest becoming lighter as he laughed with his friend.
‘You’d be surprised to know how much money has accumulated in the pool now. This bet started out as a joke, but a few months back, Luv and Swayam began moonlighting part-time as brokers who bring in bets from other people they know.’
When their laughter faded into the cool breeze, Raghav prompted again. ‘So, what happened between you and Siya?’
‘If I tell you now, I’d be betraying my wife-to-be by contributing to this bet, so forget it,’ Abhay trailed off as it hit him that he’d called Siya his wife. He imagined saying it to her face and then shutting up her arguments with a kiss. An overwhelming, burning need for her burst into his veins.
‘If you give me a hint, it will make Friday’s weekly meet up much more interesting. Luv says it’s to stay connected, but really, it’s an excuse for him to whip out his guitar and woo the girls with his singing. It’s insufferable to watch, and I’ll do anything to keep him busy in something else,’ Raghav chuckled, dragging his chair closer until his knee nudged against Abhay.
‘Then why do you go?’ Abhay asked pointedly.
‘They discuss interesting theories about both of you, and Meera brings cupcakes, and you know where her sweet treats go, I go,’ Raghav announced and Abhay felt a surge of joy at seeing his friend so happy and unabashedly in love. He’d witnessed their bond bloom in real time, and it had truly restored his belief in the enduring nature of love.
‘But really,’ Raghav continued. ‘You know that you can talk to me, right?’
Abhay hesitated but then gave him a nod. With a sigh, he leaned back and trained his gaze on the balcony ceiling.
‘What happened is that I fucked up big time.’
Something in his tone must have cut through the humour because Raghav’s smile faded. He tilted his head, curiosity edged with concern tugging at his heart. ‘Bigger than the time you and Luv raced off a cliff and into the sea, to decide who was the better swimmer, and then nearly drowned because you didn’t even know how to swim?’
Abhay scoffed bitterly. ‘That wasn’t a mess. It was me living my life. But when it came to my woman, I managed to make the biggest mistake of my life.’
Raghav gave a pat on his knee and waited patiently for Abhay to gather his thoughts. Even in the near-darkness of the night, he could see pain shimmering in his eyes as Abhay said, ‘When we first met, I lied about my name, my identity. I thought I was protecting us, but I chose to do it with the kind of lie that poisons everything it touches.’
He knows Raghav has seen him through his best and worst in life, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes. Even in the unlikely scenario, Abhay couldn’t stomach seeing disgust in his friend’s eyes.
‘I know that’s not who you are. What were you thinking?’ Raghav asked, disbelief colouring his question.
Abhay couldn’t suppress a mean scoff escaping from his lips. ‘The night I met her, just looking into her eyes stole mybreath. I’d been worried she’d hear the loud thump of my heartbeat. There were no thoughts in my mind, just her.’
Raghav looked up from his glass and studied him closely as he asked, ‘Are you this serious about her?’
Abhay did not hesitate, did not deny. He simply let the conviction in his voice speak up for his heart. ‘Siya is in my thoughts from the moment I wake up to the last quiet minute of the night. She is… she’s the one thing I can’t afford to lose again because I won’t survive it. Give me the worst day, and I will still choose it if it comes with her happy and safe in my arms.’
For a beat, the sounds of the night crickets and the faint click of ice in the glasses filled the silence. Then, the tension drained out of Raghav’s tense shoulders as he took in the determination etched onto his friend’s face. ‘In that case, you know how to fix this mess. You remember what our dads used to say on our boys’ trips? Accountability. Action. Acceptance.’
Abhay set the empty glass down on the table and recited it from memory. ‘Accountability for the mistake. Actions to make sure you never repeat it. And acceptance that forgiveness is earned, not owed. Frankly, I used to think these “life lessons” they gave us were dorky.’
‘So did I,’ Raghav admitted. ‘But those values run through our veins, so it’s time for you to buckle up. You owe her better than the old misogynistic patterns that the men in her family and society have shown her.’
Hope surged in his heart as he vowed, ‘If I have to spend years grovelling to earn back her trust, I’ll call it a good deal. I’ll make things right, no matter what.’
The corner of Raghav’s mouth curved into a small, knowing smile. ‘Good. Because since you’re that far gone in love, you’re lucky that your friends know how to play cupid.’
‘That’s a terrifying thought,’ Abhay laughed.
The balcony door slid open with a soft whoosh, and Aadar stepped out onto the balcony with a tablet in his hand. The bright screen made his spectacles glow as he spoke to Abhay. ‘The movers have left, sir. The room is ready for Ms Kashyap.’
Abhay couldn’t remember why he had ever been against hiring an executive assistant. He had come to depend on Aadar for organising the chaos in his work life, but it was difficult to fight against his meticulous nature when it comes to Siya.
‘What fell onto the floor earlier?’ Abhay asked.
