Chapter 7

Kabir shrugged and the smile slipped away, getting replaced by a serious look. His gray eyes stared at her with curiosity. "But seriously, Shan, where were you last night? I called you like a hundred times." 

She ran her fingers through her wet hair strands as the light buzzing of the machine continued. Pretending to not hear his question, she said looking at herself in the full view mirror, "Do you think it's okay for you to be in my room while I'm not here? And even when I am. With me. Alone?" 

"Let's not pretend like I didn't spend half of my teen years here," He shook his head as his eyes went over the room, quickly examining it. Picking up a pillow, he flipped it and then stuffed it behind his head, relaxing even more. 

"You're not scared of what Dadi has to say?" 

His eyes flickered away from her but a small smile appeared on his clean shaven face. "She stopped doubting me a while ago. Precisely on the day I got married to Noor. Unless she considers me able enough to have an extra-marital affair, I don't see why I should be scared of her. And I assure you she knows I'm not capable of that. And of all people with you. Yuck." 

"Why are you here, Kabir?" 

"So, I can't come to see my best friend? I know she prefers to be lonely and pretends to ignore questions thrown at her but that..." He sighed and she caught his eyes in the mirror. "You know what, I have no idea where I was going with that. So, go on, spill it." 

"Why are you here, Kabir?" 

"Okay, stubborn Shanaya. Dadi invited me over for lunch. Unlike you, she remembers me. And let me tell you, I'm only here because she asked me to come. Not because I'm friends with a certain stubborn businesswoman who loves solitude." 

"Okay. But why did she invite you? What's the special event?" She asked, running a comb through her hair. 

"That's what I wanted to ask you." 

A groan left her lips and she unplugged the hair dryer. "Apparently, everyone is hiding things from me these days. So, we're equal there." 

Kabir nodded his head slowly. "I think I might know why. Dhruv Kapoor." 

Shanaya gasped and turned her head to him. "What did you say?"

"Yes, Shan. He returned a few days ago. A friend told me he's staying somewhere in Mumbai. Your grandmother must've found out somehow." 

Shanaya raised a brow at him. "What's the connection between him returning and you being invited to lunch at my house?" She gaped at him, trying to catch something but her mind had gone totally numb. 

Kabir stared at her, his brows knitting together. He stared at her some more before he opened his mouth in shock. "You met him last night," He finally concluded. She had no idea how he had arrived to that conclusion and the panic kicked in. 

"Why-Why do you think so?" 

"Because you didn't react as I expected. You knew about this. You were with him last night," He accused her, his face twisting. 

Shanaya gulped as realisation dawned upon her. There was no way out. She couldn't lie to Kabir. 

Gently putting down the hair dryer, she tiptoed to the door to ensure it was close before tiptoeing back to the bed. She seated herself on the edge uncomfortably. 

"Go on, tell me," Kabir promoted and she could sense the irritation in his voice. 

"Look, please don't scream," She requested, holding his arm. He flinched at the contact. 

"Shan, no... " 

Shanaya closed her eyes, shaking her head before she guilty admitted in a low whisper, "I had sex with Dhruv last night." 

"You did-what?" Kabie yelled and abruptly got up from the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and his gray eyes watched her with disbelief. 

"Don't be so dramatic, Kabir," She said exhaling heavily. "I'm not proud of it but I don't regret it either, okay? Dhruv... He's really muscly now. Not the lean nerd we knew once. And what matters is, he's good at it. Like really really good." 

Kabir closed his eyes and held a hand at his throat. "Spare me the details. I might puke right now." 

"The bathroom's that way." 

"What if your grandmother finds out?" Was his next question and Shanaya had to shake her head to confirm she had heard it right. 

Her heart hammered against her chest at the notion. "Huh? What? What do you mean? I don't tell her about my one-night stands." 

"One-night stand? That's what you're going to call it?" Kabir asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, considering her with a challenging gaze. 

Shanaya nodded. "That's what it is. It was." 

He shook his head and laughed nervously. "I know you and I knew him and I knew of you both together. Shanaya, you meet your ex after eight years for the first time. Eight years. And you bring it on the same night before you can exchange even two words." 

"No. No, Kabir. That's not how it happened. You're exaggerating the situation."

"Understand my point." 

Shanaya sighed and held his shoulders. "Calm down. It's okay. I've already forgotten about him. Calm down, Dhruv. Er-Kabir." 

"See?" His widened and lips quivered. 

"Look at me... Kabir." 

With hesitation, he lifted his head and met her gaze. 

"It doesn't matter. I'll forget about him. I'll find someone hotter tonight. Yes, I'll do that," She said to herself more than to him and then shook her head. "Dadi won't find out. She cannot find out." A nervous chuckle left her throat. "And you'll pretend to be oblivious about his return. Okay?" 

He lowered his eyes before replying with a softer, genuine voice, "Okay. I just don't want what happened before to happen again... "

"It won't happen, God dammit!"

He flinched at her sharp voice and no words left his mouth after that. 

She had her authoritative voice up again. It worked outside of work more often than it did in her office. "Go down and wait for me at the table while I get my brother Ahail ready." 

Kabir nodded his head and quietly left the room.