Rekindled | ✓

Chapter 32. Scandal

🎶 Sea of lovers

Published on 29.01.2023

❝ i wait for light like water from the sky,
and im lost again,
in the sea of lovers without ships. ❞

🥀

The next day, in the evening, Inaaya found Ayansh at her doorstep.

"Returning you your hoodie, washed by my own hands," he smiles at her and she narrows her eyes into slits.

It was then when she realised something, something that she should've realised earlier itself. "How did you know my address?"

The hoodie almost drops from his hands dramatically but he manages to not let it hit the ground. Ayansh blinks as her forehead creases. "Uh... from the office file. I'm the boss remember?" He chuckles and that makes her look at him strangely.

"Not you again," a voice interrupts as the person groans and heaves a breath.

Ayansh mentally thanks Akira for saving him. Yet again. He couldn't tell Inaaya that he had been here years back after stalking her address and he couldn't lie that Maya gave him the address. He would've been caught easily. But the annoyed reaction of Akira made it easy for his gratefulness to evaporate and be replaced by a mild feeling of abhorrence.

"What are you doing here?" He asks pointedly.

Inaaya sensing the bubbling tension around her decided to intervene. "She's here to pick Khushi up who's being helped by Maya in studies."

"And who are you to ask about what I'm doing?" Akira shoots her question at Ayansh.

He shrugs nonchalantly. "I always find you here."

"So do I."

He scowls. "Don't you've a home to stay?"

"Don't you've a business to mind?" She snaps back.

"Ayansh," Inaaya calls him out before he could speaks, looking at him disapprovingly. "You should leave. You're my boss. You can't keep showing up outside my door every second day," she adds, her tone changing suddenly.

Ayansh frowns at her, slightly hurt by that attitude. "Right. Sometimes I'm your friend, sometimes I'm your boss and during the rest of the time, I'm some random stranger to you." There was a bite in his voice and it makes Inaaya wince. He forwards his hand. "Anyways, your hoodie."

Inaaya glances at Akira who had her arms crossed and was looking at the two unimpressed. Sighing, she took the hoodie from Ayansh. "Thank- "

"Good night." He mutters and strides away without sparing another glance at either Inaaya or Akira.

"Woah, that escalated fast." Akira comments thoughtlessly.

Inaaya shakes her head in disappointment. "All because I sided with you and asked him to leave," she says in a small voice.

"Not my fault," Akira pronounces, making her way inside. "What did he expect? Small talks over a cup of coffee? And let me remind you that it's been two days and my daughter is still obsessed with some random badminton player and the only progress that has been is me buying a box of shuttlecocks and a pair of rackets." She huffs.