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Finally, she looked up and touched the corner of his eye. “Thank God, you’re back. For a moment, I thought I’d lost you to a raging storm.”
“For a moment, you had…” Vihaan sighed. “Thank you...forthat.”
She nodded.
He exhaled and her special scent washed over him, reminding him that she had calmed the rage in his mind. He was at ease now. He inhaled again, trying to identify her delicious, mouthwatering scent, but he couldn’t quite place it.
He looked up and Dev was right next to them, staring at Tiya and him. From the corner of his eye, Vihaan noted the shocked expressions on Tiya’s parents’ faces, who were standing a little distance behind Dev.
“Tiya, come here,” her dad said aloud.
“Fuck my luck,” Tiya grumbled, moving away from him. “Now I’m in trouble. I’ll go see what they want. From the look of it, I’m going to get a verbal bashing.”
He gave her a quick nod, his attention back on the man whose actions had ravaged his family. The urge to end Dev Luthra’s life lingered on the periphery of his mind. The compulsion, however, was not as strong as it had been mere moments back. Tiya had correctly read the disaster and the havoc playing on his mind, and brought him back to reality, before he could act on his impulses and destroy the man now standing right in front of him.
“Vihaan Rajpoot, in the flesh. It took me a while to recognize you because of all that long hair,” Dev drawled. “It’s been a while,old friend.”
Anger shot through Vihaan. “I’m not yourfriend. And yes, it’s been a while. Twelve long years sinceyouruined my family.”
A strange expression crossed over Dev’s face. It was so fleeting that Vihaan assumed he’d imagined it. Dev stared at him for a long moment, as if memorizing every inch of his face. Vihaan too took his time assessing him.
Stepping away from the potted palms, he angled his head to study his one-time friend, now their biggest foe. The years had been kind to Dev. Just like Vihaan and Aaryan, he was in his early thirties and he looked great. His body, encased in a black Armani suit, showed the effects of long hours spent working out. His hair was cut short and swept back on his high forehead. Confidence oozed out of his pores. But his eyes looked haunted. Dark. He continued to assess Vihaan, showing no expression whatsoever.
“Are you done staring at my pretty face?” Vihaan queried, done with all the silence.
Dev lifted his nose in the air. “I’m just wondering why you finally decided to show yourself to me. Has Aaryan agreed to this?”
Vihaan’s jaw flexed. “Don’t talk about my brother.”
“Hmm. So, Aaryan doesn’t know you’re here. What about your lapdog, Shaurya? Does he know you decided to face me by yourself?”
“Shaurya is my brother.” Vihaan took an irate step forward. “Insult him again and my fist will meet your face. Go on, try me.”
“You’re still rebellious and reckless as ever?! Of course, by now you must know that Jatin Sood invites me to his events. He is rather fond of me. And yet you came here.”
“I didn’t come here for you.” Vihaan tilted his head in Tiya’s direction. “I came here forher.”
Vihaan sneaked a glance at Tiya. Her head was bent down while she quietly listened to her parents rant at her, no doubt about her publicly kissing him like she had. Her mom soon left them to attend to the guests, while Tiya stood with her father.
“Does she know that you’ll eventually break her heart?”
He snapped his focus back on Dev. “What makes you think I’ll break her heart?”
“You were always the heartbreaker amongst us. I still remember how the girls could never get enough of you and you never seemed to want just one. I doubt that has changed much now.”
“Don’t pretend you know me,” Vihaan growled. “The boy I was then is far different from the man standing in front of you—no thanks to you.”
“Time carved a different path for us all. You all survived and now, after years of searching for you all, you’re here in front of me. Soon, Aaryan will be too and Avi—”
“Don’t fucking say her name,” Vihaan spat out.
Dev lifted his nose in the air, staring him down.
Vihaan had known the stakes when he’d decided to come here tonight. He was almost certain Dev would be in attendance and yet he’d rebelled against every rule laid down by his brother and come to meet him face to face. But it had to be done.
“I want your people to stop following Myra and Shaurya,” Vihaan said. “They deserve to live in peace and they don’t need to be involved in our battle.”
Dev splayed a hand out lazily. “Okay.”
