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“You didn’t deserve to live with that memory. I was thankful you’d forgotten it. I never wanted you to be emotionally scarred from the events of that time. So, I protected you in the only way I knew how. I wanted you to live a happy life.”
“And I did. Only, I lived it at the cost of your own happiness.” His sister held his face in her hands. “How much have you kept inside for so long? How much have you sacrificed to see me safe?”
“I did what I could to keep you away from him and his men, Sanjana. I know you were injured at that time. I know you’d developed a fear of water after that incident. But I had made an agreement with Dad to send you to Switzerland to study. I promised him that I’d do what he said, be what he wanted me to be as long as you were safe and that he never asked you to return home to Shimla. He even agreed to stick to my story that you cut your hand and slipped in the pool.”
“Oh God!” Sanjana pressed a palm to her chest. “You ensured I never saw him again after that time. Now I understand why you never allowed me to return.”
“I had to protect you. I was the only one who could.”
Before she could reply, Vihaan said, “So you chose your sister over ours.”
“Vihaan!” Avantika rasped. “He’s not finished yet.”
“Fuck, Vihaan!” Sanjana cursed. “He sacrificed so much for me. Can’t you see it?”
“All Isee,” Vihaan began, “is that he was selfish in protecting you.”
“I didn’t only choose Sanjana,” Dev said. “I chose you all as well.”
“Really?” Vihaan scoffed. “Please explain how you chose us.”
Once again Dev allowed the past to take over.
He hadn’t had a moment to be alone these last days. Every avenue of sending a message to the Rajpoots had been blocked. His father had placed armed men inside the house and its surroundings. Even Ajay ji was being watched, his outings forbidden, and his phone seized. Dev was stuck. He knew that any obvious move he made would have an adverse effect on Sanjana. Going to the police was also not an option as he’d seen his dad pay them off in his study. It was clear that the police were also with his father in this.
Fuck! He was going crazy. He’d spent the last two days planning Sanjana’s exit from Shimla and listening to his father’s plans to destroy the Rajpoots. He’d even added some suggestions, which he hoped would help him save that precious family. God! He hoped he could save them all.
His father had known how close he was to the twins; hence, he’d forced him to call them in his presence and make an excuse as to why he wasn’t able to meet them. Pritam Luthra had known that Aaryan and Vihaan would have come looking for him if he hadn’t made that call. He wasn’t entirely certain if his father knew that Dev felt something for Avantika. He and his dad had never been close enough to share confidences, and somehow his gut had warned Dev to stay quiet about her. He was so glad he’d never told his father how much he loved Avantika. God! Avantika… What must she be thinking? He’d been out of touch for too long now.
He was sure she would be worried about him, wondering why he was behaving differently. Little did she know... He only had his own instincts guiding him to keep her safe. He only hoped he could protect her and her family.
His father’s phone rang. He handed it over to Dev. Dev spoke softly to Sanjana for a few seconds before handing the phone back to his father. Sanjana was safe. Thank God! He was waiting to hear that she’d reached safely in Switzerland, and she had.
“I’ve fulfilled my end of the deal,” Pritam Luthra said. “Sanjana is out of the country, but know that I have my men watching her. One wrong move from you tonight, and she will disappear. You will never see her again.”
Dev lifted his chin up. “I will hold my end of the bargain if you do exactly as we’ve planned.”
His father nodded. “We leave now.”
Dev climbed into the car behind his father’s henchmen, knowing he was the only one standing between Pritam Luthra and the Rajpoots. He only prayed his father didn’t deviate from the plan.
But he should’ve known better.Horror struck through his chest as he saw the dead bodies of Rushabh and Shaira Rajpoot. His heart broke as he saw the violence and hate on the faces of his best friends. Aaryan and Vihaan were held down by his father’s men, their eyes filled with pain and hate as they looked at him. And Avantika—he couldn’t even look at her. No matter what he did henceforth, she’d never forgive him. None of them would. Something broke inside him. God!
Aaryan and Vihaan would blame him forever for this. He’d stood silent while his father had shot their parents. It wasn’t supposed to have gone down like that. His father had settled on the plan that they would leave all the Rajpoots in their basement and set fire to their house, thus giving Dev an opportunity to help save them.
Much to Dev’s shock, his father had gone off track. He’d ordered his lackeys to shoot Uncle Rushabh and Aunty Shaira. His father was a mad man. Uncle Rushabh and Aunty Shaira had been his friends, and if he’d killed them so cold-bloodedly, then there was nothing stopping him from killing Aaryan, Vihaan and Avantika as well. Fear trickled down Dev’s spine. His mind spun as he desperately thought of ways to save Avantika and her brothers.
Vihaan and Aaryan suddenly escaped their captors and started fighting them. Shit! Dev knew they weren’t trained to fight, and knowing his father, he was sure he’d hurt them worse for rebelling. Dev looked around. He had to do something to make them stop before they got themselves killed.
Vihaan found a gun, and he pointed it at Dev’s father. Vihaan fired once, twice, but his shots were way off the mark. Two men stepped in front of his father, acting as a shield.
His father laughed at Vihaan’s failed attempts, and Dev’s spirits sank. Shit! Shit! Dev had to stop Vihaan and Aaryan. He didn’t want them hurt or killed. As if on cue, Pritam Luthra signalled to one of his men. The man raised a gun in Aaryan’s direction. His heart sank.
Dev quickly grabbed a gun from the man standing next to him and rushed to Avantika. He just wanted his father to do as planned. After that, Dev would ensure they were safe. But first, he had to get them get out of there. So he did the unthinkable and the unspeakable. He pointed the gun at Avantika’s head. Her shocked gaze met his. Dev looked away from her. He couldn’t look at her. His chest was heavy; his mind was screaming in warning that she’d never trust him after this. But he had no option. Saving them was a priority.
“Drop the gun, Vihaan,” Dev ordered. “And, Aaryan, back off from my men.”
Appreciation lit on his father’s face. Dev wanted to throw up. But he held still.
