Page 95 of Every Move You Make
The restaurant was stunning, every detail carefully considered, from the soaring ceilings to the antique finishes that lent it an old-world elegance. Soft amber light bathed the room, while quiet conversations and the gentle clink of glasses created a steady, calming rhythm. Dark antique-print wallpaper adorned the walls, elegantly restored arches framed the room in quiet grandeur, and baroque pillars added a timeless charm. Victorian tables and chairs were arranged with effortless precision, each corner of the room exuding a refined, old-world sophistication.
For a moment, he let himself absorb it. Let it settle him.
Le Grand Salon was a stunning restaurant. Truly, Raashi and Sameer had done a brilliant job of converting this old heritage villa that had once belonged to Sameer’s grandmother into this beautiful restaurant, which was also connected to the spa wing of the Marquis Hotel.
He scanned the space, searching for his friends and found them all seated at a table in the corner, drinks in hand, deep in conversation. Nirvaan noticed him first, lifting his hand in acknowledgment. Akash made his way over to them.
All the men rose to their feet as he approached, greeting him with easy familiarity, pulling him into quick hugs before settling back around their table.
“It’s good to see you, Akash,” Rohan said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Vir gave him a naughty smile and a wink. For once, his famous friend wasn’t in disguise. No cap, no glasses. Yet, even in an exclusive restaurant like this one, he’d chosen to sit with his back to the room, out of view of any prying eyes.
Akash smiled as he took his seat with them, instantly feeling at ease among his friends.
Nirvaan pushed a whiskey glass toward him. “It’s a Bowmore. I know you like it.”
“Thanks,” Akash said, taking it.
“Oh, and we have a surprise for you,” Dheer said.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I see you’ve all started without me,da?” an accented voice said from behind Akash.
Akash turned and broke into a wide smile the moment he saw his friend, Armaan Oshnov.
“Armaan!” he said, rising quickly and pulling him into a quick hug. “You’re here?”
“My friend has gotten engaged, so I had to come and see you,moy drug.”
Moy drug—my friend. Armaan and his brothers had spent years in Russia after being adopted by the oligarch who’d raised them. Hence, Russian phrases slipped into his speech without thought. By now, Akash knew enough to understand what he meant.
He looked at the others. “You all knew?”
“Of course,” Vir replied. “We planned it. It was high time the whole group was complete and together for a night.”
Akash grinned. With Armaan here, his circle was indeed complete. He gave Armaan another hug. God, it felt good to have him here. This man had been a friend to him when he had hardly any in Dubai. Armaan was the reason he loved that city so much.
Rohan handed a glass of vodka to Armaan. Nirvaan shifted his black-rimmed glasses up his nose before raising his ownglass in a toast. “To Akash… congratulations on heading Sehgal Media and on finally getting hitched to Shauna. All your fighting with her never really seemed like hate to me.”
“I agree,” Rohan smirked. “All that verbal sparring seemed a lot like foreplay.”
Dheer, who had been quietly observing, took a slow sip of his drink before speaking, his tone calm, almost thoughtful. “You were never as indifferent to her as you pretended to be.”
“I’ve heard only fragments about the back-and-forth between you and Shauna. That too most of it from these guys,” Armaan said. He looked at the others, a naughty glint entering his eyes. “You know, one night, Navya and I took him to a nightclub in Dubai. One of Navya’s model friends was there, and she’d been eyeballing him the whole evening. But he wouldn’t even give her a second glance. In fact, he never went out with a single woman while he was in Dubai, no matter how hard I tried to convince him to. Now, I believe it was all because of Shauna.”
Of course, it was because of Shauna. No other woman had appealed to him after their night in Singapore. And if he were being honest, even in the past, every other woman had paled in comparison to her. That’s why he’d never been in a serious relationship with anyone.
Vir leaned back, grinning. “So can we finally agree you’ve crushed on her for years?”
Akash scoffed, shaking his head. “Not admitting that to you. Ever. But I will admit that I am happy with her now.”
“So anyway,” Nirvaan said, lifting his glass with a grin. “You and I are going to be brothers-in-law. Cheers to that.”
Akash clinked his glass against his. The conversation drifted easily between them as they caught up on work, business deals, and the personal details of their lives.
On his side, he filled them in on everything—his father’s sudden appearance and his conversation with him. His friendslistened without interrupting, their expressions shifting from curiosity to quiet concern as he spoke.
