Page 78 of Playing By her Rules

“Bloody fucking hell!” Rohan cursed. “What’s she doing withhim?”

“What’s wrong with Aditya?” Nirvaan looked confused. “He’s a great guy from what I’ve heard. He’s rich, he’s handsome, and he’s one of her sister’s closest friends.”

“He’s old.”

Nirvaan laughed. “Really? He’s as old as you.”

Fuck. There was nothing he could say to that. Aditya did seem to be perfect. And he’d definitely have Raashi’s approval if things got serious between Jiya and him. Something which Rohan never would have gotten, nor would he have cared enough to get.

Nirvaan studied him for a moment, and then he chuckled. “And here I thought you broke up with her because, like every other woman, she didn’t manage to hold your attention.”

“She always had my attention, Nirvaan,” Rohan admitted, watching as Jiya disappeared from his sight.

“Then why did you call it off with her?”

“The darkness from my past lurks into my present. I don’t want her to be affected by that ever.”

“Why can’t you let her light drown that darkness?” Nirvaan asked.

“I can’t, Nirvaan. I don’t know how to. Letting her go has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

“Then you have to be prepared to let Aditya, or someone else, claim her light.” Nirvaan clucked his tongue. “Rohan, what makes you think you’re the only one with problems? Do you think Aditya may not have skeletons in his closet?”

Rohan straightened. “Oh my God! Does he?”

Nirvaan shook his head. “It shouldn’t matter to you either way. You gave her up. You chose to free her from your baggage. How does it make a difference now if she carries someone else’s burdens then? You definitely didn’t allow her to carry yours.”

His shoulders dropped. He’d never really given Jiya a chance. A small voice whispered in his brain—what if he had given her a chance? His breath hitched. The voice in his head grew louder, bolder. What if he’d told her everything?

But the thought of doing that, of talking about his past and his problems, made his heartbeat accelerate. It made him anxious and fearful of being rejected.

“The thing is, Rohan, you made a decision. I’m sure it was difficult. Difficult decisions, however, always come with a price. I just hope the price you pay with isn’tregret.”

Nirvaan’s words hit him in the centre of his chest. His friend was right. Rohan was already paying the price of the decision he’d taken, and it was regret, indeed. And regret was a bitch. It was a pain in the ass. It came and bit you where it hurt the most.

Rohan drowned the whiskey he’d been cradling in his hands for far too long.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Where are we going?” Nirvaan asked.

“We’re going to that bloody nightclub.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know right now, but I will figure it out.”

Rohan stormed off in the direction in which Jiya had just left, with Nirvaan following him. He took the elevator down and halted outside the nightclub, watching the queue of people at the entrance. Strained beats of music reached his ears. He knew what would happen once he stepped inside. The closed space, the loud music, the swarming crowd—all of it would get to him. That was why he vehemently avoided nightclubs. He could manage restaurants, home, and farmhouse parties; he could attend conferences and go to the races because all those places had open areas that allowed him to steal time to centre himself. But nightclubs…he disliked them the most.

He inhaled and exhaled several times. He was going to go inside no matter what. Taking one last breath, he walked to the hostess and gave her his card. She read his name and immediately opened the barrier allowing him entry.

His heart rate doubled as he walked into the dark, loud, swarming club. He took deep breaths. Somewhere in this crowd was the woman he wanted, the only one he craved for. What he did when he saw her was still to be seen. Right now, he just couldn’t bear the thought of Aditya and her together.

25

Shauna was right. This place was indeed fabulous. The whole vibe of the club screamed stylish, rich, and opulent. Dark velvet walls, red strobe lights, the latest English and Indian music, two floors teeming with patrons, a massive gold circular bar in the centre, and black chandeliers…it was all wow. Jiya sipped her mimosa, taking everything in. In front of her, Akash and Shauna were arguing over some useless thing as usual. Jiya didn’t get them. The two of them had taken it upon themselves to get her out of her funk after her break up with Rohan, and thus she’d spent a lot of time with them together in the last few days.

The attraction between the two of them was off the charts. Anyone in their vicinity could notice it. But they acted indifferent to it and to one another. In fact, they went out of their way to irk each other. She’d tried bringing this up with Shauna, but her friend had brushed her off, refusing to talk about it and him. Jiya didn’t want to probe, especially considering she had her own man troubles.

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