Page 27 of No Boss
Abhinav turned to Divya. She met his gaze calmly, taking him in without hurry.
“And you must be the one who brought Vikram Khanna to his knees.”
Color rose to her face. “I did not… he chose…”
“She is still denying it,” Vikram cut in, clasping Abhinav’s hand. “Good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
The grief moved through Abhinav and settled again. “Thank you.”
“Your father was a good man,” Kavita reached for his hand. “We were heartbroken when we heard.”
“Thank you, Aunty. It has been… difficult.”
Silence followed. Familiar ground now. Harshit stepped in before it grew heavy. “You are here now. That is what matters.”
“But I must say, Uncle, last time I saw you, you did not have a viral superstar son making declarations on national television.”
Vikram groaned. “Not you too.”
“Millions of people, Vikram. Millions of people.” His chest eased, that relief where you don’t have to manage yourself. “I watched the replays at least five times. Pure drama. Very bollywood. Completely you.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“Clearly. She’s still here, which means the grand gesture actually paid off.”
“She has no choice now,” Vikram replied. “The whole world knows.”
“Subtle as always,” Raghav muttered.
“Subtlety is overrated. You should try grand gestures,” Vikram shot back.
“I planned a week of anonymous gifts and a Valentine’s reveal. That was plenty grand.”
“Anonymous gifts she traced back to you in a week. Very mysterious.”
“Not everyone needs an audience of millions.” Ishani tossed a napkin at him.
Laughter circled the table. Abhinav watched them, their ease with each other, their lives that had moved forward while his had stood still.
He had missed their weddings because of his father’s illness. But friends like them didn’t need physical presence to share happiness or grief.
He spoke with Harshit about work, asked Kavita about the charity foundation, matched Ishani’s pace in conversation, who was sharper than he’d expected.
For the first time in months, he felt present without effort.
“Abhinav,” Harshit set his fork down, “Raghav mentioned you plan to go to India?”
“For a short time. Papa left me a Haveli in Jaipur. The family seat.”
“Anand Mahal,” Kavita nodded. “Your father spoke of it often. It has history.”
“Too much history. Too much responsibility I never asked for.”
“You do not plan to keep it?” Vikram asked.
“I have a life in Dubai. A career. A home by the Marina. I cannot abandon all of it to play feudal lord in Rajasthan.”
“So you plan to sell?” Harshit asked.
