Page 93 of Every Move You Make
While Dheer and Vir were already up to speed on his life, Nirvaan and Rohan would have questions, especially about his engagement to Shauna. Given how close their girls were, they probably knew more than he realized, but still… he owed it to them to tell them himself.
Gathering his things, he slipped his laptop into his bag, excited about the evening with his friends. Just as he was about to leave, his landline rang.
He paused, frowning slightly, then reached over and picked it up. “Yes?”
“Hello, sir, this is Mala from reception,” the woman said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but there’s someone here insisting on meeting you.”
“At this hour?” he asked, glancing at his watch.
“Yes, sir. He says it’s important.”
Akash leaned back against the desk, his tone sharpening just a fraction. “Did he have an appointment?”
“No, sir. And I told him that,” the woman clarified. “But he says he’s your father.”
For a fraction of a second, Akash didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. The words landed slowly. Heavily.
Fuck. His father was here?! His grip on the receiver tightened.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Mala replied. “He insisted I tell you that and allow him up.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek. Of course he insisted. His father had returned after decades and expected him to jump at his command. Bloody fucking hell.
Akash closed his eyes, steadying himself, all his previous calm shattered under the weight of this. He opened them again, his mind already made up. He needed answers to protect the people he loved from this man, and what better way to get them than from the man himself?
When he spoke again, his tone was controlled. Deliberate.
“Don’t send him up. I’m coming down.”
He placed the receiver back slowly and typed out a quick message to VJ and Kabier, informing them about this.
A cold, steely resolve settled in his chest as he took the elevator downstairs. He stepped out into the lobby, scanning the area. And then he saw him. Standing near the reception.
Keval Karia was older, leaner. His face was etched with hard lines. His clothes looked old and worn. But there was a strength to him that hadn’t been there before. Prison had clearly hardened him, not broken him. No wonder he could still climb trees like a man half his age to trespass into Akash’s house.
He turned, and his eyes met Akash’s. His father held his gaze, unflinching.
A stone dropped into Akash’s stomach. For a second, he was swept back in a tide of old memories. All the pain and anger that this man had caused his family rose to the surface. His hands curled at his sides. He exhaled and moved forward to meet this ghost from his past.
“You took your time,” Keval said, his voice harsh.
Akash moved to the side, forcing the other man to follow him. Only once they were sufficiently at a distance from anyone listening did Akash speak.
“What do you want?” Akash asked, keeping his tone neutral. He would never allow this man to know how much he affected him.
“You’ve done well,” his father said, studying him calmly. “Being the head of Sehgal Media suits you.”
Akash’s expression didn’t change. “Have you come here to compliment me?”
A faint, almost imperceptible shift passed through the older man’s face. “No,” he said.
Silence stretched between them again, heavier this time. Akash waited. He wasn’t going to make this easy.
His father studied him for a moment longer, then spoke. “You and your sister have both done well from what I’ve read. She’s a Sehgal now.”
This was the one thing he’d been worried about: his father learning about Keya and him through the internet. And of course, as expected, he had. But this… him showing up here in person… that was something Akash hadn’t seen coming at all.
