Page 32 of Every Move You Make
They stood in silence for a long moment, watching the bustle of the newsroom beneath them.
“I know how hard you’ve worked,” Keya said softly. “You’ve been so dedicated to this company, and I’m so proud of you.”
He lowered his chin and nodded. He had worked hard. In fact, Janak had overseen his training personally, ensuring he worked under the very best in the business. Rohan, Aditya, and Dev had all been great mentors, and he’d learned so much from each of them. But now, his years of grinding, struggling, and learning were finally going to come to fruition.
Fierce gratitude curled through him. Janak had taught him so much. Given him more than he had ever asked for or deserved.
“I thank God each day for Janak,” Akash said quietly. “I can’t even imagine what would have happened to us had he not stepped in.”
Keya swallowed hard, her eyes misting over. “I don’t even want to imagine that dreadful scenario.”
The past flashed in front of his eyes. He remembered being ten years old, standing beside Keya at the top of their grandfather’s staircase, his small fingers gripping the banister as fear had hollowed him out. Their mother, worn down by years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of their father, had finally given up on life. Soon after, their father had abandoned them, leaving them on the doorstep of their maternal grandfather, Dhiraj Mishra, in exchange for a small sum of money.
Their grandfather had been a stranger to them, someone they had never met until that day.
And then Janak Sehgal had walked in. Tall. Imposing. With kind eyes and a steady smile that promised they weren’t alone. He’d been their grandfather’s closest friend. He’d helped their grandfather learn how to look after them and had always been around. Those two old men had welcomed Keya and him into their world and had always made them feel seen.
But fate had continued to be cruel, and just when they had begun to believe their lives were stable, their grandfather had been taken away from them.
He’d been sixteen when his grandfather had died from a heart ailment. And once again, their lives had been shattered. They’d been adrift in a storming sea with no hope of ever finding the shore again.
But Janak hadn’t let them flounder. He’d stepped in. He’d stayed. He’d become everything they needed and more. He and his sister had grown, thrived, and built lives rooted in love and stability because Janak had believed they deserved it. He had never let them down, not once.
Keya grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it. “Let’s not think about the past. Let’s look into the future. We’re finally at the point we’ve waited for years. Tell me, when are you goingto see the house? I’m so excited about it. I can’t wait to see the changes you’ve made.”
“I’ll try to go as soon as I can. But I know the renovations are going on fine. It should be complete in a few weeks.”
They both knew what that house meant. It was their inheritance, a link to their past. The house had been their grandfather’s pride, a home they’d locked up years ago when he was away in London and Keya couldn’t manage it alone. They’d moved to a much smaller apartment but had kept this home, hoping that one day any one of them would live there. After her marriage to Kabier, Keya had transferred full ownership to Akash, despite his objections.
Years later, he had started the renovations while he was in Dubai, making quick trips to Mumbai to keep an eye on the progress. Walking through those rooms again and overseeing the repairs felt like finding his way back to something he’d lost along the way.
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” he added quietly, more to himself than to her. “It feels like… reclaiming our legacy, one step at a time.”
Keya smiled. “We’re going to celebrate?—”
Her phone rang.
“It’s work. I have to take this,” she said, moving aside to answer.
Keya worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Sehgal Systems, the software arm of Sehgal Corporation. She’d achieved so much, and he was so proud of how she balanced all the various roles she played so perfectly.
He looked down below at the anchor adjusting the mic on the news desk, his thoughts drifting to the adjacent office, to Janak, and toher.
Shauna Sehgal. The one woman who managed to frustrate him, aggravate him, and entice him all in the same breath.
He shut his eyes and exhaled deeply. When it came to her, he seemed to keep repeating his mistakes, never learning from them. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder about the discussion taking place between Shauna and Janak in the adjacent office. He gritted his jaw. He really shouldn’t care about her at all. She had made it obvious several times what she thought of him. Hence, it didn’t matter what Janak discussed with her. It wasn’t his concern.
“Sorry, that went on far longer than I wanted it to,” Keya said, interrupting his thoughts.
Akash smiled at her. “Everything okay at work?”
“Now it is,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, let’s go for coffee. Kabier is joining us. We have much to celebrate.”
Linking her hand with his, she led him out of the office. Akash cast a glance in the direction of Janak’s office. He couldn’t stop the flicker of apprehension that crossed his heart. The conversation going on inside would change the course of his and Shauna’s lives.
But some things were shaped by destiny, and this washis.
9
