Page 65 of Shattered

Sidharth and I rise as well to bid goodbye as he leaves. We then walk to the bar in the corner of the living room, pour ourselves a glass of whiskey, and take our seats again.

“It must be really hard for Kavya. How is she coping with everything?” Sidharth asks, taking a sip of his whiskey.

I down my whiskey in one go before answering. “She hates that every lead we get turns out to be a dead end. But she’s strong, not breaking down completely and handling it incredibly well.”

“I never thought I’d see the day you’d settle down,” he says with a grin. “With a different woman in your bed every night, I figured you were a lifelong bachelor. But now it’s surprising to see you so committed.”

I flinch. My past is that chapter of my life that I am not proud of, yet it’s also something I can’t change. I regret the choices I made and how I lived during that time. But then, if I dig deep, I wouldn’t have changed nor regretted it if it hadn’t been for Kavya.

“It’s Kavya who changed everything for me,” I admit.

“I can see that, man,” he replies with an understanding nod. “When someone comes into your life and makes that kind of impact, it’s hard not to be changed by it. By the looks of it, you’ve found something special with Kavya.”

“Trust me, I have. Kavya is truly one of a kind and precious, and I consider myself lucky to have her in my life,” I lay it all out there, holding nothing back. “She’s unlike anyone else I’ve ever met. She gets me in a way no one ever has. Now, I’m more possessive than I ever thought I could be. I used to laugh at guys who couldn’t let go of their girls, but now I get it. She’s my world, and I can’t imagine my life without her. She keeps me grounded and inspires me to be a better man every day.”

“Wow, man, you’ve really got it bad, getting this invested and worked up,”Sidharth chuckles.

“You have no bloody idea how fucking crazy I’m about her.”

“I think I’ve got a sense of it. Man, she surely is stunning,” he remarks, glancing over my shoulder.

My head snaps back to see Kavya descending the steps. My eyes drink her in—she’s changed into my track pants and t-shirt, looking effortlessly gorgeous.

“I wish I had your luck, man, having her in my life,” he says dreamily.

My head turns back to him, and I see a touch of envy on his face. “She’s off limits, asshole.Keep those thoughts in check, or I might forget we’re friends,” I warn him sternly, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Relax, man, I wouldn’t dare mess with you,”he laughs, raising his hands in mock surrender, but I shake my head, not in the mood to entertain his nonsense and turn my attention back to Kavya.

“All good?” Kavya asks as she comes to sit next to me, and my hands automatically wrap around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me, I kiss her forehead.

“We still don’t have a clue who it is, but Akash is ruled out as a suspect,” I tell her. “Apparently, it’s someone from the college, a staff member.”

She lets out a breath and drops her head on my shoulder. “I feel guilty for doubting Akash. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” she admits softly, and I smooth my hand up her arm while Sidharth places his glass on the table and shakes his head.

“It’s all good, Kavya,” he assures her gently. “Anyone in your place would be cautious. Don’t blame yourself for being vigilant. Trust me, in my line of work, doubts and suspicions are normal. That’s how we handle things daily.”

She gives a quiet nod.

“I really think you should take a few days off from work and stay home until we figure out who it is,” I suggest, desperately hoping she agrees. Even thoughAkash is no longer a suspect, I can’t shake this feeling of unease. I just don’t want to take any chances, not even if there’s just a fraction of a possibility that our assumption is wrong.

Kavya lifts her head and looks me straight in the eye. “I’m doing no such thing,” she declares firmly. I open my mouth to protest, but she shakes her head, not letting me speak. “I appreciate your concern, and I understand where you’re coming from, Reyansh, but quitting my job and staying at home isn’t something I’ll consider. Sure, I’ll take all the necessary precautions and stay vigilant, but it’s important for me to carry on with my responsibilities and not let fear cage me.”

“I agree with Kavya,” Sidharth chimes in, and I turn to glare at him, knowing he will never understand how hard it is for me to know my heart, my life is out there as bait. “Staying locked up is not the answer,” he continues. “And more importantly, she has Karan with her to protect her if anything happens.”

“I didn’t ask for your expert advice,” I tell him through gritted teeth.

“Hey, calm down,” Kavya says, gently squeezing my arm, making my gaze shift to her. “I know you’re worried, but Sidharth means well. He understands that quitting my job isn’t the right solution.”

“Kavya—”

She cuts me off. “Please, Reyansh, staying locked at home will suffocate me,” she pleads.

“Fine,” I agree,letting out a long sigh.

Sidharth’s laughter makes me growl, but then Kavya smiles and leans into me, kissing my cheeks, instantly melting away my irritation.

“Thanks,” she says softly.

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