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“Are you safe though?” Avi asked. “You’ve just gone and put yourself into the center of this war.”
“I had no choice and you know it.”
“There is always a choice, brother,” Shaurya put forth. “And I became that choice the moment you accepted me into this family. Myra knew the risks when she married me and she’s okay with that too.”
Vihaan arched a brow. “Do you still disagree with me despite your news?”
Shaurya stiffened.
“Have you told them?”
“Told them what?” Avi asked, looking from Shaurya to Vihaan.
“You need to tell them, brother,” Vihaan pressed.
“What is going on?” Aaryan asked.
“Myra is pregnant…” Shaurya sighed. “We found out just this morning.”
“Oh my God,” Avi gasped.
Vihaan stared at Aaryan. His twin said not a word. He only stared at Shaurya and Myra as Avi hugged them each. But Vihaan knew what he was thinking. It was exactly what Vihaan had been thinking since he’d heard the news. What the fuck were they all going to do now? Their life was already a mess and now there’d be a new baby in the midst of that chaos.
“That’s great news,” Avi gushed.
“Is it?” Myra asked in a small voice. “I mean we all live in constant fear of Dev Luthra. Of him finding you all through Shaurya and me. And now there’s a baby in the mix. How are we going to bring up a baby with our enemy circling us? How do we protect our baby from him?”
“Fate doesn’t give us choices, Myra,” Aaryan said in a low voice, barely audible. “It has a plan of its own. Your baby will be loved and treasured. We are a family and we protect ours. We will protect your child, with our lives if we have to.”
Myra rose and faced them all. “I know you all will do anything to protect our child. I just fear that this baby could become another bargaining chip for Dev Luthra to use against us. Shaurya and I are already in the public eye. What if he uses my baby to get to you all?”
“We will never allow that to happen,” Vihaan stressed. “We’ve protected Neil so far and we will protect this new addition to our family too. Now, come and give us all a hug. You’ve made us all very happy.”
“Yeah, wait till Neil finds out. He’s going to be delighted,” Avi quipped.
And while the rest of his family cheered with Shaurya and Myra, Vihaan watched them all, plotting his next move. Too much was at stake now, and he had to be very careful. Vihaan had to ensure that they all remained safe while he finally stepped out of the shadows and into the world to deal with their enemy.
11
That night, Vihaan lay in his bed unable to fall asleep. Too many things ran through his mind. Shaurya’s news of his baby stood out, though, amongst all the chaos reigning in his head. Despite Aaryan and Vihaan’s reassurance, Shaurya seemed stressed by it, when it ought to be the happiest time in his life.
Vihaan sighed.
Vihaan would do anything to keep Shaurya’s baby safe. And then there was Tiya. Dev had deliberately sought her out, hinted that he’d use her in this war with Vihaan. How was Vihaan going to keep her safe when staying away from her was not an option anymore? He’d agreed to give this fake relationship a chance and yet, he now felt guilty for involving her in his life, when he couldn’t even answer her questions. It really wasn’t fair to her.
What was worse was the attraction that had unexpectedly sprung up between them. She just had to touch him and every rational thought he had flew out of the window. Being with her was soul consuming. What had happened between them was forbidden. It shouldn’t have taken place, but he seemed to have no control when it came to her. And after what had occurred between them earlier, he couldn’t stop thinking about her either.
She was vibrant and full of life and he enjoyed being with her. He truly wanted to get to know her more. What color did she like? What was her favorite food? Did she like watching TV shows or movies? What kind of music she liked? And he wanted to know more personal stuff as well. Had she ever had a serious boyfriend? Who was he? Why had it ended?
He imagined her with a nameless, faceless man and even the thought of this left a sour taste in his mouth. God! He was going insane. It didn’t matter who she’d been with before just as it never ought to matter who she’d be with after this ended between them. She was not for him and that’s why he never needed to learn more about her, despite his curiosity. He had to maintain as minimum contact with her as possible. And the rules…they were for a reason. Tiya had already invaded his mind, taken up residence in his thoughts and if he continued down this road then he was worried she’d seep into his heart as well. Henceforth, he better follow the rules laid down by her. That was the only way moving forward.
He shifted to his side, punching his pillow, but the minute he shut his eyes, he saw her face, once again, as she’d come apart in his arms.
Cursing aloud, he forced himself to think of something else. Just when he was drifting off to sleep, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Tiya. He sat up straight.
“Are you sleeping?”
“Now I’m not.”
