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“No, I don’t get that, nor will anyone believe it until you have some evidence to back up your accusation, Ayaan.”
My anger intensifies as Meher continues to whitewash her father’s actions.
“And what proof do you have that your father hasn’t done this?” I cross-question her.
“Ayaan, he is my father, and I know him. He may resort to unethical methods, but he would never attempt to take someone’s life. Please stop blaming him for this accident.”
“Have you seen my father’s condition?” I sneer. “He is in an indefinite coma, battling for his life, and you expect me to leave the person responsible for his condition?” I snarl. “Never!”
Meher shakes her head in disapproval.
“I’m sorry to hear about Uncle. But trust me, you are accusing the wrong person.”
The commotion of the people behind this wall continues as the shrill sound of the fire alarm keeps echoing in the background. Soon the distant sirens of the approaching fire brigade pierce the air, signalling their entry into the premises.
“You did this, didn’t you?” she asks, connecting the dots on how a mishap like this occurred in a secure place like her father’s party office precisely on the day her father was supposed to address the media. “This is a deliberate false alarm, isn’t it?”
I smirk. She surely knows me well enough that I am capable of doing that.
“Why, Ayaan? Why?” Meher curls her fists and hits my chest in anger. “Dad was about to present his side to the nation today so people would know he’s not responsible for your father’s accident.”
“He wasn’t going to present his side,” I mutter. “He was going to weave his concocted lies to the nation, seeking public sympathy and support. I won’t let that happen. He has fooled everyone for far too long. Now, he has to face the consequences. I… I will make him pay in the worst possible way. I promise.”
“You are obsessed with punishing my dad,” Meher sighs, holding back her tears. “He didn’t do this. Please believe me.”
“Believe you?” I repeat sarcastically and laugh aloud. “You must be joking, Meher Walia, if you think I would ever believe you again.”
“Meher ma’am,” the urgent voice of Meher’s security personnel approaching, frantically searching for her, distracts her attention from me.
Her guards can spot us at any moment.
“Fine,” Meher turns to me again, taking a deep breath and composing herself. “Go ahead with your madness. But remember one thing, Ayaan. I will always choose my father’s dignity over your obsession because I believe in his innocence.”
Her stance is loud and clear through this statement, and though it hurts me, somehow, I knew it was coming. Meher’s actions in Dalhousie and thereafter have already provided me with enough surprises that nothing she does or says can shock me anymore. Meher is on the verge of leaving, aware that her guards may come searching for her at any moment, but I quickly grab her shoulders and press her against the wall once again.
“Who said I’m giving you a choice between him and me?” I sneer. “Walking away from me was never an option, Meher. Remember the warning I gave you in Alibaug?”
She stares at me in confusion as I remind her of those exact words I’d told her once.
“Once you promise to be my forever, the only thing that can separate us is death. I’m never letting you go, even if you change your mind or don’t want me anymore. Because that’s how Ayaan Shergill loves his woman. Until his last breath!” I say.
Meher gasps, and her lips part in shock as she continues to look at me. Every cell in my body wants to hold her in my arms again, show her how much I missed her and make love to her, but I keep reminding myself that it can never happen as long as she is standing on the opposing side, supporting the man I despise with all my heart.
Pulling a phone from my jeans pocket, I force it into Meher’s hands.
“I don’t know where your bloody phone is. So, I’m going to call you onthistomorrow, and you are going to answer. Am I clear?”
Meher’s eyes widen in surprise as she glances at the phone and then back at me. Before she can utter a word, the approaching guards draw closer to the wall, making her act swiftly. Not wanting them to find us here together, Meher shoves me away, hides the phone in her dupatta and scurries away. It is at that instant that I notice my black beaded bracelet still adorning Meher’s wrist. If she didn’t love me, she would have taken it off her body much before. That’s a sign she still wants me in her life. A sign that she still loves me, no matter what the future holds for us.
CHAPTER 4
AYAAN
I had expected to find out so much more from Meher today—about us, her sudden disappearance after the night we spent together and the things Vishnu and Aksh had fed me about her deceiving me. But Meher just left, giving me mixed signals and confusing me even more. Where do we stand in each other’s lives now? The mere uncertainty of our relationship is killing me from the inside.
“I can’t believe this,” Krish’s voice breaks my trance as I enter the Shergill Mansion.
He storms towards me from the living room, mutes the TV telecasting the breaking news of the fire alarm at the NEP party office and looks at me sternly. Oh boy! He looks pissed off.
