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“I…I h…have to get away from him.”
Rajiv put his arms around her, cradling her against his chest, hiding her from everyone’s view. “Hey, you’re safe with me, okay? I’ll get you out.”
She heard him make a call on his phone, and immediately some men surrounded them. He escorted her up a staircase to the first level of the club, and then he took her out through a private exit. She could breathe only once he had driven away. Rajiv was silent as he drove her home. He’d have questions. So many. She’d figure out what to tell him once she was home. Right now, she was too busy processing that the worst of her nightmares may be out of jail and living in the same city as her. Which meant she couldn’t stay here anymore. She’d have to move back to Mumbai, where she’d be safe with her family protecting her.
17
Sheena had been silent for too long. Rajiv studied her as she opened the door to her apartment and walked inside. She turned to face him, running a shaking hand through her hair. He was still worried about her. He’d asked security to take the man she’d pointed at aside and to check his ID. He needed to find out who he was and why Sheena was so afraid of him. Seeing the paralyzed look of fear on her face had literally stopped his heart.
She still looked too pale, and that panic hadn’t left her eyes. He went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Pulling out a bottle of water, he handed it to her.
She took a few long gulps, emptying half of it in one go.
“Hey,” he spoke gently, “Why don’t you take a shower? You’ll feel better. I’ll wait out here for you.”
Her eyes widened. “Your sisters... They must be wondering where I am?”
“I already told the security to inform Ananya that you weren’t feeling well and had to go home.”
Nodding, she went to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. He settled down on the sofa in her living room. Her apartment was neat, tidy, and minimalistic. The building was new, and the security system was also top class. At least, that was a relief. She’d be safe here. He began to make some calls. When she returned outside some fifteen minutes later, the color had returned to her cheeks. Her hair was damp, and she was dressed in plain black yoga pants and a simple white tee-shirt.
She came and sat next to him, rubbing a palm over her face.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what caused my panic attack?” she asked tiredly. “Or has your security found out everything?”
“I’m not in the habit of invading people’s privacy, Sheena.”
She flinched.
While he was worried about her, it didn’t take away the fact that he was so mad at her for believing the worst about him when everything he had done so far had been the opposite of all that she’d read about him. She’d chosen to believe her brother over him, and that was too hurtful. Perhaps, this was the eye opener he needed to actually walk away from her. And tonight, he’d do just that, albeit after he’d eased her fears first.
“That guy you were pointing at earlier is Atharva Sachdeva. Karina Sachdeva’s younger brother. My security team has confirmed his identity.”
This time, she exhaled a visible sigh of relief.
He continued, “I thought I recognized him when I saw him tonight. Over the years, he’s attended some of my mother’s events with his mother and sister. But the lights were dim in the club, and I wasn’t sure. He, apparently, recognized you, too. All he told my security was that his brother was in prison because of you, but he wasn’t there to cause you any harm. He didn’t even know you’d be at the nightclub. They’ve let him go because he hasn’t done anything wrong. But they will ensure he never steps foot in the club again. I’ve instructed that no one in his family is permitted inside. You will always be safe if and when you decide to visit Club Poseidon again.”
“He looked so similar to…” She swallowed. “Thank you for getting to the bottom of it.”
He stood to leave. “If you’re okay, then I’ll get going.”
He headed to the door. Just as he put a hand on the handle, she said, “Karan Sachdeva. That is the name of the man who’s in prison because of me.”
He turned, watching her. She had put her knees up on the sofa and wrapped her arms around them, her eyes glassy.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” he said gently.
“He was my senior in college,” she continued as if she hadn’t even heard him. He returned to her and took a seat by her side. But she didn’t look at him. She continued to gaze in the distance, as if lost in her memories.
“You see, I had studied in Dehradun for a long time. And my family is quite well known and very obviously rich. I had friends, or so I thought, but it was only after Keya and Raashi joined school that I learned what true friendship is.” She smiled. “They became—they are—my anchors. I was the wildest one in our trio. I forced them to get into so much mischief in school, it’s not funny. But I had an uncanny sense of knowing when we’d get into trouble, and hence, we never got caught. My intuition was always so strong that I prided myself on it. However, school wasn’t forever. We grew up and returned to Mumbai, and we all chose different careers. I wanted to be a psychologist and help people, and Keya and Raashi had their own paths to follow. For the first time, in a very long time, we all were studying in different institutions.”
She clasped her knees tighter. “I met Karan through some common friends in my college. He was extremely popular, and very good-looking. Every girl was in awe of him, and he dated so many, but he never paid any of them too much attention. Then, one day, I caught his eye. He tried for days to get me to go out with him, but for some unexplainable reason, I kept refusing. We met at common parties and outings, and, to be honest, I was loving the attention he was lavishing upon me. One night, finally, he broke through my resistance and convinced me to be his date for his house party. But he asked me to not tell anyone that I was going out with him. He even insisted on picking me up from the corner around my house. And the fool that I was, I readily agreed to everything he said. I didn’t even think. I was so naïve.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. She swiped at it angrily.
His heart thundered as his mind conjured horrible scenarios of what must have transpired with her.
“What happened then?” he asked gently.
