Page 5 of Since You Stole My Heart

Her heart gave a startled jump as a sense of purpose rushed through her. ‘I’ll be good, and I won’t disappoint you again. I promise.’

Karthik held her gaze as he instructed, ‘Until I come back from my trip, you won’t let your mother take you and leave from here.’

‘How?’ Kashvi asked, uncertainly.

‘You’ll figure it out. My daughter is smart.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘You always have to know everything, don’t you?’ he scolded her lightly. ‘You don’t have to worry about me, just focus on how you will keep your mother home. Remember, if she takes you to your Nanu’s farmhouse in Nashik, he will keep you girls away.’

Kashvi said quickly, ‘No. Maa won’t let him do that.’

‘Arohi loves her father, and if he tells her to stay away from me, she’ll listen to him. And then you’ll never see me again. Ever. Is that what you want?’ he asked softly.

Her eyes burned, filling too quickly as she gripped his hand tightly, scared that he might vanish into thin air. ‘No, Papa, please.’

‘Then you have to be brave, just like your mother is, and obey me, okay?’ he asked. When she nodded, he continued, ‘It’s actually very simple. Just tell her you have homework, or you’re sick. She won’t leave if she’s worried about you.’

Kashvi swallowed, reminding herself to be brave, just like he said. ‘I’ll do it.’

‘Good girl,’ he said, his voice warm with approval. He brushed back the hair from her forehead and said, ‘It’s late now. Get some rest.’

Karthik stood and pulled the blanket over her as she settled back onto the bed.

Kashvi curled onto her side, clutching her teddy bear tight, her eyes still slightly wet. ‘I love you, Papa.’

‘Go to sleep,’ he said instead, turning away already.

His footsteps were soft against the floor as he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the door, watching the empty space where he had been, longing to hear those words back from him at least once.

She shifted onto her back, looking up at the glowing stars on her ceiling. She would be brave, keep them all together, and follow his instructions. Maybe then it would earn her those words. Maybe then he would finally love her.

Kashvi closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come because the echoes of her mother’s cries refused to fade from her memory.

Chapter 1

Present Day

‘Was it the same nightmare again?’ Maithili asked.

Despite the warm sunlight filtering through the half-open blinds, Kashvi felt her blood run cold.

She sat curled up in the plush armchair with her knees drawn to her chest. Kashvi kept her eyes trained on the pigeon outside the window, watching it shuffle along the narrow ledge.

The muted sounds of Mumbai traffic drifted up from far below, and she clung to that small, ordinary distraction, anything to delay turning back to the question waiting for her.

‘Kashvi, you must talk through this, so I’ll wait as long as you need,’ Maithili prompted patiently.

She let out a soft sigh and turned back to face her psychiatrist. Maithili Nanda had become her anchor over the last few years, yet Kashvi still had not grown used to her uncanny perception and patience.

‘Yeah. The same dream, as always,’ she answered, curling her fingers tightly around the mug of green tea Maithili had handedher at the start of their session, hoping the warmth would bring back some sensation in her cold fingers.

Maithili tilted her head, a curl slipping loose from her bun. ‘Did you get any sleep at all?’ she asked, studying her closely.

Kashvi looked up, startled to be asked about sleep when she had spent half the night trying to claw her way out of it. Her voice came out hoarse. ‘Not really.’