Page 67 of Lawfully Yours
The city blurred past as she accelerated the car towards Verma and Associates. Today felt like another war. And Kushal better be there to fight this alongside her.
**************
Verma and Associates
Arundhati had been in the office for over an hour now, but there was still no sign of Kushal. Her phone screen was barren of any missed calls, texts, or explanations from him. She paced outside Raj Verma’s cabin, the agitation on her face impossible to mask before she barged inside.
Her uncle was already seated, thumbing through some case files, but he looked up immediately. “Still no word from Kushal?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Phone’s off. No messages. It’s like he vanished.”
Raj exhaled slowly, concern knitting into his features. “This morning when I came downstairs at the Villa, he was almost ready to leave. He seemed normal. No mention of anything urgent. Didn’t say he’d be taking off today.”
Arundhati sighed.
“And you know he’s never unreachable, Aru,” Raj added, brows furrowed. “Even when he’s sick or swamped, he checks in. I don’t understand what happened to him today.”
His eyes searched hers. “Did something happen last night between you two?”
A flush crept up her neck, rising to her cheeks like fire. He raised a hand, quick to clarify, “I meant, did you fight again? You left early. We didn’t see you. And now he’s missing. I’m just trying to connect the dots.”
Arundhati looked away for a second too long. What could she say? That she kissed the man she was divorcing? That she had let her guard down?
“No. Nothing happened,” she said, then before he could read between the lines, she added, “But if your golden boy doesn’t show up soon, then a lotwillhappen.”
Raj blinked, knowing she was right.
“Our client’s reputation is at stake. Anant could walk in any minute, and youknowhe trusts Kushal more than me, or you, or this entire damn firm. Heaskedfor him. You’re the one who looped me into this deal, you said we’d work it together. And now he just—what? Decides to disappear?”
Raj didn’t reply at first. He just nodded, reluctantly accepting her anger as justified.
That’s when Diya, her assistant, appeared at the door. “Ma’am, Anant’s here. He’s waiting in your cabin. He’s asking for Kushal.”
Of course he is.
“Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”
Diya nodded and disappeared.
She then drew a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and turned back to Raj. “Try to contact him, uncle. Please ask ourspecial team to get him here. Call, message, track his damn location if they have to. Just find him.”
Raj nodded silently, already pulling out his phone.
She walked out without waiting for his confirmation. If Kushal had chosen to disappear after last night, after that kiss, then fine. But she would not let him take their work or their reputation down with him.
She would face Anant alone and handle the crisis.
And when he finally showed up, he would have to answer not just to her… but to everything he had just put on the line.
When she finally stepped into her cabin, Anant was already standing by the window, arms folded, tension radiating off him like heat. He turned the moment she entered.
“Where’s Kushal?” he asked immediately, eyes scanning behind her.
“He had an emergency to attend to. Something urgent came up that he couldn’t ignore.”
Anant’s jaw tightened. “Now? Of all days?”
She raised a hand calmly. “He’ll be around soon, Anant. Don’t worry. He’s personally handling this matter. Your case is extremely important to us, and to him. He wouldn’t let anything worse happen than it already has.”
