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9
Janak had chosen a fancy Italian restaurant at Delhi Sehgal Plaza. The hotel was close to their office, and they reached in no time. They’d just about gotten seated and had placed their orders when the skin of her nape tingled. She looked up and froze. Rohan was entering the very same restaurant with… Wait a minute! What the hell was he doing with Kanika Mehta? And why was she clinging to his arm? Why was he letting her? Rohan lowered his head to listen to something that woman was saying, and Jiya’s blood boiled.
Suddenly, his eyes lifted and met Jiya’s. Surprise flickered in them for the briefest of moments before he took in everyone else seated with her. He spoke something to Kanika, and then the two of them headed in the direction of her table. Her heart pounded with every step he took her way. So, this was the prior commitment he had? Kanika?
“Oh look, Rohan’s here,” Varun Bali said from Jiya’s right. “And he’s with Kanika Mehta. Her father owns Mehta Finance,” he said by way of informing Akash and Jiya.
“Jiya was working with them before she joined FF,” Akash put forth.
“Really? Vinay Mehta is a close friend.” Rohan’s dad faced Janak. “Did you know that Tara and I once hoped he would marry Kanika? Her parents, too, wanted the same.”
Wait, what? Rohan had told her that he knew Kanika. He hadn’t told her that he knew her that well that both their parents had hoped they’d marry one day. She pressed her lips together to prevent herself from saying something nasty. Of all the women on the planet, why Kanika Mehta? Ugh! And now Rohan was out with her on a date again. It was bothering her no end.
“What happened between them?” Janak asked casually.
Varun shrugged. “Oh, you know my son. He’s never been the type to settle for one woman. Kanika was the only one he dated longer than the others. Seeing him back with her has given me some hope again. Tara is going to be delighted when she finds out. Do you know Kanika’s father…”
Jiya couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation over the drumming in her ears. Her gaze spun back to the woman with Rohan. Kanika was petite, with light brown, perfectly styled hair that was liberally streaked with gold. She was dressed to the nines in a prim, green dress that hugged all her curves. Her makeup was bold, and her entire aura screamed born-with-a-silver-spoon, which she was.
Jiya’s anger rose. One day after kissing Jiya, Rohan was out on a date with his old girlfriend. Clearly, he didn’t care about Jiya at all. Her mind swirled. What if kissing her had shown him that he’d been missing the other woman, and he had decided to rekindle their relationship?
Wonderful! She didn’t know she was that miserable a kisser to push a man back to his old flame. Her mind went round and round, spinning various scenarios.
Akash kicked her under the table, jolting her out of her thoughts. Jiya turned to glare at him, but he tipped his head at Rohan, who was now standing in front of them, introducing Kanika to everyone at the table. Kanika’s eyes flared in recognition when they landed on Jiya, but she flicked them away, dismissing her. It further aggravated Jiya.
Rohan finally faced her. “And this is Jiya. I think you already know one another. Jiya has just recently joined our finance team. She’s also very close to Mr. Sehgal.”
“Of course, she is. Jiya has very good connections, I believe,” Kanika said, her tone cold. To Jiya, she said, “I hope you last longer at Fortuna Finance than you did at Mehta Finance.”
Her deliberate taunt was not lost on Jiya.
“Don’t worry, I will,” Jiya countered sweetly. “Fortuna Finance allows people to use their minds and voice themselves, much unlike…other firms.”
Kanika glared at her. Jiya smiled back at her. Akash cleared his throat to dispel the tension. Kanika immediately focused on Rohan’s dad.
“Mr. Bali, how is Aunty Tara?” she drawled. “I haven’t met her in so long.”
“Rohan ought to bring you home someday to meet her,” Rohan’s dad said.
Kanika gave Rohan a coy look. “Perhaps it will be soon.”
Akash leaned closer to whisper in Jiya’s ear. “Stop looking at her like you want to stab her eyes with that knife you’ve been gripping so hard.”
Jiya loosened her hold on the knife and looked at Akash. “Um…don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We’ll talk later. But I know you have a thing for him,” he whispered.
Her jaw dropped. How did…? When did he…? Who was she kidding? Akash had known her since she was a child, and he was one of the most observant people she knew. She gave him a warm smile. He flicked her nose.
She looked up and found Rohan’s gaze on her, hot and heavy like always. It annoyed her. Here he was, on a date with another woman, and he was staring at Jiya instead. Kanika, too, noticed his attention on Jiya because her mouth thinned, and she linked her arm with his as if marking her territory. The woman’s behavior was appalling and downright childish. She ought to have more faith. After all, Rohan was out with her for dinner and not Jiya; hence why she considered Jiya as competition was beyond her understanding. But Kanika Mehta was a bitch. Always was and always would be.
Varun addressed Rohan, “Why don’t you both join us?”
“We don’t want to impose,” Kanika put forth before Rohan could reply. “And to be honest, Rohan and I have a lot to catch up on.”
A waiter placed all their drinks in front of them. Jiya took a large sip of her mimosa, refusing to look at Rohan and the woman by his side anymore. She only looked up when she realized they had moved away. But now, she had an unimpaired view of them as they sat together at a table right in front of her. Bloody hell.
Dinner, however, continued pleasantly. The three men with her were great company. Akash had lots of anecdotes to share from his years spent in London, and the older men regaled Akash and her with tales of their triumphs and losses in their respective businesses. All throughout, she smiled, nodded, and even laughed when required. But her heart and mind were focused on the man seated at the table in front of her.
