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“Only if I get to do the same,” she replied.
He found his lips curving. She was quite feisty.
“Sure,” he said.
She arched a naughty brow. “Go on then, ask.”
“Why aren’t you a part of your family business? Your sister is a very successful restaurateur, and after she married Sameer Sehgal, her business has only grown to greater heights. I believe her organic spa and restaurant at the new extension of Hotel Marquis in Mumbai has been voted the number one restaurant in Mumbai three years in a row.”
Her face brightened. “Raashi took over our grandmother’s restaurant business and made it the success it is today. That business is in her blood, not mine. I love math and numbers. Finance makes me happy.”
So, she was a maverick. He appreciated that she wanted to chart her own path. What was surprising was that her sister had allowed it. Knowing how stubborn and controlling Raashi was, it was shocking to know that she had allowed her younger sister to follow her own course.
Jiya rubbed her hands. “Okay, my turn to ask you a personal question.”
He sipped his tea, studying her. “Why do you sound so excited? I’m the least interesting person around.”
“Oh please!” she scoffed. “No man who’s called as the Big Bad Wolf, a total player, very private and dangerous, could ever be ‘least interesting’.”
He straightened, shocked by her words. “Who’s called me that?”
“Keya and Raashi, at a time or two.”
A twinge of annoyance wafted through him. These women had been the reason why he and Rithwik had been estranged for years, and now they were calling him names…again? Why was he not surprised? Years had passed, and yet nothing had changed with those two.
“Hey,” she leaned forward. “Stop frowning. They hardly ever speak of you.”
“Sure, but when they do, they use a lot of colorful adjectives. Nice.”
“Relax, it’s not a big deal, really.” She tapped his hand. It was a fleeting touch, yet, he could swear it singed his skin.
He sighed. She was right. It wasn’t a big deal, and he didn’t need to make it one. It was sad that Rithwik’s closest friends were the two women he couldn’t stand at all. It sucked even more that this beautiful woman sitting in front of him was closely associated with both of them.
Jiya tilted her head. “You don’t like them much, do you?”
He squinted. “I suppose it is obvious.”
“And a shared sentiment,” she declared boldly. “What I don’t get is why.”
He shrugged, refusing to answer that.
She studied him for a long beat. “I’ve always thought you were different from Rithwik, but now I can clearly see how.”
So many people had often said enough that he and Rithwik were different. That statement was old now, yet he found himself curious to know her thoughts. Thanks to her sister’s equation with his twin, Jiya had known Rithwik since she was a teenager. It just made Rohan all the more inquisitive to hear what she thought was different between them.
He straightened. “What is it that you understand?”
“Well, for starters, Rithwik would have jumped head-on to explain why he doesn’t get along with someone, which in itself is rare because he likes most people, whereas you like only a few.”
“You’re right. I am not a people's person.”
He wasn’t. It was a problem he’d developed since he was a child, and it had filtered into adulthood. Although, he was better than before now. Besides, having one-on-one conversations was easier for him. It was the big crowds and the loud noises that bothered him.
Her eyes glimmered. “You seem to be doing fine with me.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to conduct business transactions if I didn’t know how to communicate.”
“So, am I just a business transaction?”
