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18
Jiya stared at her laptop, not really seeing anything. Her thoughts were all on Rohan. Two weeks. He’d disappeared for two bloody weeks with no replies to her calls and texts. To the world, he’d gone on a business trip to Singapore, but she knew that he’d run away…from her.
The last weeks had been awful without him. Rohan had become such an integral part of her life. Nothing made sense to her when he wasn’t around. After living in his house, her apartment didn’t feel like hers. She was lonely without him. She ached to hear his voice; she ached to touch him, but he…he’d simply left her as if he didn’t feel a thing for her. As if what they’d shared had been of no import to him whatsoever.
Fear crawled in her belly. It had become a permanent resident there since that night when he’d told her that they couldn’t be together anymore. Did she not mean anything to him? Had her admitting that she loved him destroyed everything? Or was it those people he’d met that night?
No, his behavior had nothing to do with her. Seconds before they’d met that couple, they’d been happy. He’d asked her out on a date. He’d wanted to go public about her and him. He couldn’t have simply taken an about-turn on that thinking. His care and concern, his laughter around her, his heavy gazes, his intense lovemaking—all that couldn’t have been a lie.
Her mind had constantly switched back and forth as she tried to come up with reasons for his sudden change of behavior. She hadn’t slept properly since days, and each time he’d refuse to answer her call or text had made her more afraid that maybe he had ended things with her once and for all.
No. She refused to accept that. She told herself again that all she needed were a few moments with him, and she’d sort everything out. She’d endlessly cursed herself for her rash and impulsive nature. This was what she got for blurting out that she loved him.
But now, he knew she loved him, yet he’d decided to break up with her. How could he? Bloody stupid man. She wasn’t allowing him to get away with it. Rohan was not a cruel man, and hence his behavior that night was completely out of character. The uncertainty of everything was eating her alive.
She didn’t want to lose him. He was perfect for her in every way. He was the Prince Charming she’d always been looking for. Yes, he was moody and broody, and yes, he was not very talkative to the outside world, but with her, he dropped all his masks and was himself. She’d seen the playful, caring, and loving side of him. She’d tasted his warmth and light, she’d peeked into his generous and loving heart, and there was no way she was letting him take all that away from her.
She sipped her apple juice. It was all so bloody complicated. All this while, they’d been hiding, but the second they’d decided to let the world in, it had all gone awry.
She’d always suspected there was something in Rohan’s past that affected him till date. Some unknown horror he had faced in his childhood that he hadn’t gotten over. And seeing his stunned, clammed-up reaction to that couple that night made her believe that he was behaving this way with her because of his past. It couldn’t be anything else.
If only he’d confide in her. Then they could sort everything out. Nonetheless, she was tremendously mad at him. How dare he declare they ought to end things and then simply vanish? She was going to give him a piece of her mind for leaving her hanging like this. But for that, he had to return to town first.
“Oh shit!” Akash’s quiet curse reached her.
“What happened?”
She turned to face him.
“Nothing.” He quickly minimized the window he’d been peering at.
She glared at him. “What are you hiding? Don’t you dare lie to me. I’m not in the mood.”
“You’ve been in a foul mood ever since Rohan left town.”
She eyed him. “Are you showing me what you hid or not?”
“Can I not, please?”
“You should know not to piss me off me when I’m already this pissed off. So, give up already and show me what you’re hiding from me.”
“It’s just some gossip. Someone in the office was talking about it earlier, and I thought to check it out.” He opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he said, “You’re not going to like it.”
She pursed her lips. “Can I be the judge of that?”
He maximized the window. The headlines made her chest burn. She took the mouse from him and began to scroll.
Rohan Bali seen with popular socialite Kanika Mehta at Four Seasons in Singapore. Is it love or just business? One never knows with the rich and famous of India.
The article was a few days old. There was even a picture of them entering the hotel lobby. Her temper sparked.
“It’s just gossip, Jiya,” Akash placated, but she flicked her hand, silencing him.
She’d told Rohan she never wanted him to be seen with another woman, especially not Kanika, and here he was, enjoying with that very woman while rejecting all of Jiya’s advances to talk to him. Tears threatened to burst free. Here she was, pining after him, and he was having a gala time with Kanika. God. She wanted to hit him.
Akash wiped a tear that had fallen on her cheek. “I’m not a fool, Jee. Just because I choose to stay silent doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on.”
She sniffed. She’d been lying to everyone close to her about her relationship with Rohan. She’s always believed that was wrong, but she’d gone along with him and stayed quiet. However, now because of that, she had no one to confide in. And this, seeing Rohan with Kanika, was eviscerating her.
