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Akash beamed. “Haven’t you heard? Aditya’s going to propose to her…now.”
A buzzing began in his ears. Rohan’s heart twisted in pain.
“What the fuck?” Rohan choked out.
“Sorry to break it out to you like this,” Rithwik said, his tone apologetic. “Aisha was to tell you. I saw her talking to you earlier and assumed she’d told you.”
“She didn’t. But wait…I don’t believe this. They hardly know one another,” Rohan protested.
Rithwik shrugged. “Aditya’s been thinking of settling down for a while, and Jiya seems to be the right fit for him.”
“The right fit?” Rohan shook his head in disgust. “Who the fuck gets married because of someone being a right fit? What about love?”
Akash said, “They gel well together, and that’s what’s important. Love will come, if at all. Else, several marriages are based on companionship and friendship.”
Rohan addressed his twin. “And you agree with this?”
Rithwik shrugged. “Just because I married for love doesn’t mean everyone else also will.”
His brother was behaving too casually about this while Rohan’s whole world seemed to be crumbling around him.
“No. Jiya would never be satisfied in a loveless marriage,” Rohan stressed. “She needs romance, a fairy tale. I know her.”
Akash’s lips tightened. “Well, she fell in love once, and it brought her nothing but pain.”
His words stabbed at him. If only he’d valued and cherished her love when he had it.
“What does her sister think of this?” Rohan asked.
Rithwik sighed. “Do you really want me to reply to that?”
Fuck. Of course, Raashi would be delighted if Jiya agreed to marry Aditya. Just because Rohan and Raashi had patched up and sorted their differences, it didn’t mean she’d prefer him over Aditya. Raashi and Aditya had a long history of friendship.
Rithwik studied him carefully. “I’m so sorry, Rohan, but this is happening. Aditya is proposing, and I have a feeling she just might accept.”
“No. I won’t let this happen,” Rohan said. “She’s mine. I won’t let her go, Rithwik.”
Jiya was his. He began to rush away from the two men.
Rithwik gripped his shoulder. “In the end, it may not be your choice, brother.”
“I have to try, Rithwik. I’ll regret it if I don’t.”
He ran down the stairs toward the beach where he’d seen Jiya last. Jiya had been in love with him, and he’d let her go because of his insecurities, and now another man was trying to claim her. He wouldn’t stand for it. He was going to stop her. She needed to give him a chance. He deserved that. Heneededthat chance from her.
He reached the sandy shore and looked around. Up ahead in the distance, he found Jiya. She was standing by the water, alone, the waves crashing against her bare feet. She stood staring at the sun setting in the distance.
Aditya was nowhere to be seen. But that didn’t mean…it didn’t mean… His chest hurt. Fuck. What if he was late? What if she’d already agreed to belong to another man? What if he’d lost her because of his own stupidity and fears?
His eyes ran over her, taking in her black and gold gown, her dark red lips, and her hair flowing down her shoulders. Even without the red in her hair, Jiya was beyond gorgeous.
She turned to face him, and his heart fell to his feet. At that moment, he knew he’d never be able to survive if he lost her. She was everything he hadn’t even known he’d wanted. His chest twisted even more. She’d become his reason to live. His feet began to move, leading him to her.
Her hazel eyes on him; Jiya waited for him to reach her. She gave him a tentative smile, looking nervous, and his heart broke a little more. Why would she be nervous unless she’d decided to tell him that she and he would never happen? Unless she’d decided to reject him. He opened his mouth to cut her off, to stop whatever she was about to say that would ruin him for life, but she held out a hand, stopping him.
“I have to tell you a story,” she said.
Her unexpected words jolted him. “Now?”
