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“No, he’s great.”
“Then what’s wrong? Are you being forced to sell to Dev Luthra? Is that what’s upsetting you?”
“I owed a debt to Dev’s dad. He helped me start this business, you know. Dev reminded me of it when he learned that Vihaan and you are together. He expectedKeyStoneto bid for my company. I couldn’t refuse him and Dev’s paying more than the market rate for it.” Her dad looked in the distance. “Did you know, Dev never wanted to marry you? I’d proposed the idea to him mere minutes before I’d seen you with Vihaan at that party and he’d rejected it outright.”
“I’m not sure Dev is a good man, Dad. He’s done things that can’t be redeemed or atoned for.”
“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know that I’ve done things that are irredeemable and possibly can’t be atoned for.”
“Dad, I don’t follow what you’re saying,” Tiya said, very confused by the switch in the conversation.
Her dad let out a heavy breath. “I may have done something in the past that may have affected the Rajpoots.”
“Their past?” Dread pooled in her stomach. “What did you do?”
“Has he told you everything?”
Her nerves stretched. “Dad, what did you do?”
“I made a mistake, Tiya, one I’m afraid you may just end up paying the price for.”
Her dad began to pace as he told her his version of the events of the past—Vihaan’s past. When he was done, Tiya pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. God! Vihaan and his siblings would probably never forgive her dad for the role he’d played in the destruction of their life.
Her phone beeped with a text. It was Vihaan.
“Miss you baby. Come soon.”
She rubbed her temples. She loved Vihaan so much, and just when she thought that he probably felt something for her too, that maybe she could make it work with him, her dad had dropped this bombshell that could destroy whatever future she’d hoped for with him.
How was she going to let go of him when keeping him was all that she wanted?
26
The days were passing in utter bliss. Vihaan couldn’t remember being happier in his life. After that first morning he’d made love to her, Tiya had returned to him, as promised, for lunch. They’d spent the whole day making love and when it was time to drop her home, he’d found it hard to do so.
They’d met again the next day and then the next until not seeing her had become a physical ache. They’d not spoken of the future, but just kept meeting day on day and now a sense of permanence had begun to set in between them. Two weeks had gone by like this.
Two wonderful weeks during which he’d forgotten the world outside and had lived in a bubble with her.
Tiya had been spending most of her evenings with him. They’d go to one of his restaurants for dinner or they’d stay at home and watch TV. They had the same taste in crime and fantasy shows, and simply waiting to watch the next episode with her became the highlight of his day for him. They spent so much time talking, about their day at work or even about the past. At times, they’d try to cook together. She was hardly any better at it than he was, but they made it work. Those moments spent with her at his home, doing mundane things like a normal, regular couple, were really the most precious.
He knew what he felt for Tiya and he was pretty sure of what she felt for him though they hadn’t said to each other the words that would make everything between them final. His bet with Dev still loomed on his head and now, he knew without a doubt that leaving Tiya would destroy him. And her as well.
He exhaled. The truth was that despite the words and despite his bet, they had become a couple. Tiya had become integral to him. She was the reason of his happiness and even the thought of giving her up drove a dagger through his chest. He looked forward to seeing her smiling face. Making love to her had become a need he couldn’t control. As promised, he’d made love to her on every surface of his house. She’d become an addiction he never wanted to break out of.
“Stop smiling, you fool,” Shaurya’s loud voice pulled him back from his dreaming.
It was late afternoon, and Aaryan and Shaurya were seated in his office. Shaurya had only just returned from Shimla and while Aaryan had been updating him with everything, Vihaan’s mind had wandered.
“Have you even heard a word of what we’ve spoken?” Aaryan asked.
“Sorry, I lost you both for a moment.”
His brothers shared an amused glance.
“We’ll get back to your distraction later,” Shaurya began. “First, let me get this straight. Jatin Sood is selling to Luthra?”
They’d deliberately not discussed business with Shaurya while he’d been away, thus allowing him and Myra to spend a stress-free holiday with her dad.
