Page 48 of Temptation

“No matter that he was forcing me to keep our date a secret from everyone, I couldn’t resist telling Keya and Raashi. Thank God, I did that, because they were dead set against it. They’d met him once at a common college fest we’d all attended, and they didn’t like him at all. They told me point blank that they didn’t want me to go with him. And so, I didn’t.”

“That’s good, right?” he asked.

She sniffed. “I texted him to tell him I wouldn’t be coming. That got him angry. He shouted at me and hung up. A few minutes later, he called again, but then I refused to take his call. To be honest, I wasn’t even mad at my friends for insisting that I didn’t go with Karan. The three of us continued to hang out, and watched the movie we’d decided for that night. Soon after, I got a call from another girl, Rohini, from my college group. She very excitedly told me that Karan had asked her out and she was going as his date for his house party. I suppose she wanted to gloat because she’d always had a crush on him. I think she simply wanted me to know that he’d chosen her over me. I was so annoyed with him. It was clear I wasn’t even important to him if he could simply take another girl out when I refused to go with him. Nonetheless, I told her not to go. That I thought he was a jerk. I didn’t tell her he’d asked me out before her. I didn’t want to hurt her. She hung up, but a minute later, she texted me three words,Come with me.I ignored her text because why would I want to go? Why would I want to see him with her? Keya, Raashi, and I cursed him, made fun of the whole thing and went to sleep. And that’s when she called me again.”

“Who?”

“Rohini. I got a call from her at three in the morning. I woke up to her scared and frantic voice, screaming,No, Karan, don’t do this. Someone help, help me. And then, the line went dead.” A shaky breath left her mouth, and more tears gathered in her eyes. “He was hurting her. He was…God. I tried calling her several times after that, but her phone was switched off. I couldn’t sleep after that. I didn’t have her parents’ numbers. We weren’t even that close for me to know where she lived. And for a tiny second, I even doubted what I had heard because why would Karan hurt her? None of it was making sense to me. I woke the girls up, and we kept trying her number. I even tried calling some of Karan’s friends, but no one picked up. At about five in the morning, one of his friends answered my call and told me that Rohini had fallen off the fifteenth-floor balcony of Karan’s building and died. The police had arrived and he couldn’t talk much. Over the next day, I learned how devastated her parents were. They hadn’t even known she was out of the house. That’s when I was certain that Karan had done something to her. He had made her sneak out exactly as he’d told me to. He’d told her, too, to tell no one that she was with him. That’s when I knew that it could have been me instead of her.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Sheena.”

She looked at him with wide, wet eyes. “Had I not listened to my friends, it could have been me. I’d always believed my instincts to be strong, but they failed me when I needed them the most. Had it not been for Keya and Raashi, I could have been his victim. That girl…she died instead of me.”

He shifted closer to her and pulled her in his arms. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s the truth, Rajiv. I know it. But it didn’t end there.” She snuggled against his chest, her tears wetting his t-shirt. “I followed the case, you see. I went to college and spoke to Karan’s friends, people I knew were there that night at the party. But none of them, not a single one, admitted that he had hurt her. Even her autopsy report came out as normal. It was concluded that she had fallen off the balcony. I was the only one who had reasons for suspecting foul play. I figured that mine was the last number she had dialled that night; she must have been trying desperately to call someone and frantically called whatever number she could, which happened to be mine. I was the only one who could bring her justice. And I couldn’t sit quiet.”

He breathed out. He knew what she was going to say next. He’d heard enough about her history by now to know how that had panned out. “So you went to the police and told them everything.”

“Yes. I told everything to my family first. My grandfather and Kabier were so mad at me. It scared them too that it could have been me. But they stood by me through it all.” She looked at him. “Things became so fucking ugly, so quickly. Karan was arrested after I gave my statement to the police. His family became vile and vicious and spread sick rumors about me. That he’d jilted me, and that’s why I was doing this, to take revenge on him. His friends boycotted me, called me names, and spoke utter lies to the media about me. And the media lapped it all up. Multiple stories were written about me everywhere, some true, most of it lies. I was portrayed to be this rich, spoilt girl out to take revenge. Only a few applauded my courage. It was so damn scary. The case was sensational. I had proof of her calls before and after. I showed the court his messages, asking me to go out with him and his angry replies when I had refused. Karan begged me to retract my statements, and then he threatened to take revenge. My family, Keya and Raashi surrounded me, protected me, and kept me safe. But it was all horrific. Eventually, one of his friends also had a change of heart and admitted that he saw Karan taking Rohini to the bedroom. It was proven that she had jumped to save herself from him. He was indicted for abetting her death. He’s been imprisoned since over a decade now.”

Sheena shifted away from Rajiv. “His mom and sister, they’d made my life miserable by then. But that day in the courtroom, when he was charged, they cursed me to hell and back. Even now, their words ring in my ears. Thanks to them, my name was ruined in Mumbai society. They continued harassing me and speaking ill of me until my grandfather put an end to it. It’s because of him, Kabier, and my mom that the Sachdeva family had to leave Mumbai. My family is powerful, and they took a stand, ensuring their friends and business acquaintances also took a stand against the Sachdevas. Overnight, that family became social outcasts, and they blame it all on me till date. They refuse to believe Karan was a dreadful human and that a girl had died because of him. They left Mumbai, and I didn’t know they were living here in Dubai until I saw them in your house that night. That night, I was hiding in your study because I knew they’d create a scene if they saw me. They left Mumbai a decade ago, but the damage had already been done. Till date, people have a mixed opinion on whether I spoke the truth about that night.”

Anger on her behalf threatened to overwhelm him. He decided then and there that the Sachdeva family would never be welcomed in his home again. In fact, he’d go a step further and check where that bastard Karan was imprisoned. Ten years had passed, and Rajiv didn’t want him ever getting released without him learning about it first. He’d ensure Sheena was protected always.

Sheena exhaled. “My brother, he’s been my rock. He keeps encouraging me always. He was the one who insisted I take self-defence classes. He insisted on having my location on at all times on my phone. He’s connected my location to his phone so he can always keep a watch on me. They’ve never told me, but I know Mom and he were frightened out of their minds by the thought that it could have been me. To be honest, the fact that Kabier always knows where I am makes me sleep better at night. It finally gave me a little confidence to step out into the world and do what I wanted to. But even that wasn’t enough for a long time.”

Rajiv nodded. He understood so much now.

“You know, I never forget her words,” Sheena looked in the distance, “I keep thinking… What if I had heeded Rohini’s text and gone with her to the party? What if I had told her Karan had asked me out before her? Maybe she’d be alive then. God! I regret that night so much. It changed me as a person. That incident broke a lot inside me. It broke my confidence. I felt that I couldn’t rely on myself or my gut ever again. The backlash of this case was so terrible. I was being judged everywhere I went. I lost my focus in life. I lost my faith in people, and that’s why I don’t have too many friends. I stopped believing in men. I stayed away from relationships, casual or otherwise. I lost my sense of direction and purpose. I kept studying, but I couldn’t make any practical use of my education. I didn’t have the confidence to get a job and to work. I was always worried of being judged and that I’d be found lacking. I wanted to be a psychologist, to work in HR. But how could I, when my own instincts had failed me? How could I help others? But here in Poseidon, I am finally beginning to find myself again. I love working with Professor Shetty and your HR team. Living alone in Dubai has made me stronger. And…it’s thanks to you that I am becoming a bit more like my old self.”

He lifted her jaw. “You mean wild, crazy, stubborn, and fiery?”

She gave him a soft smile. Like always, it struck him in the center of his chest.

“I always knew you were brave,” he told her. “But tonight, I finally know how truly valiant, noble, and glorious you are. It takes courage to stand up for someone, especially someone who isn’t even really your friend. You stood up for the truth. You suffered because of it. You fought for it and you won. Karan is in jail. He will never hurt you again. I promise that his family will never come near you again. You just continue being the bold and fearless woman that you are.”

A small smile formed on her lips.

“You know, Sheena, you keep saying that your instinct failed you. But you’re wrong. It saved you. Karan told you not to tell anyone you were going out with him, but you told your friends. You could have cancelled your girls’ night and snuck out with him, but you didn’t. Your friends asked you not to go, and you listened. All of that was your gut warning you that he wasn’t safe. Isn’t that why you continued having a good time with your friends even after you cancelled on him? Isn’t that why you rejected all his advances in the past as well? You even warned that girl to not go. Your instinct has always been intact. You have stopped believing in it and, thus, in yourself. You ought to take a chance on yourself, and I know that you will achieve whatever you set your mind on. All it takes is a little faith.”

Her lips parted in shock. But he knew what he said was true. He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. She was a true warrior, a fighter, a lioness, and he was so amazed by her and what she’d done at such a young age.

“I mean it, Sheena. You have to stop being afraid, and you have to stop allowing the judgement of others to prevent you from doing what you want in life. You were so brave for that girl, and yet you suffered for ten years because of your own insecurities. Isn’t it time to let go and live for yourself now?”

“Yes.” She threw herself at him, holding him close. “I’m so sorry for what I said earlier. I’m so sorry for judging you based on what I read online. I shouldn’t have. Knowing the amount of crap that’s been written about me, I should have trusted my heart when it comes to you. But the truth is that I am falling for you, and I just used what was written about you as an excuse to push you away.”

Shock rendered him speechless. She was falling for him? Oh God. Before he could say anything, she straddled him, plastering her mouth to his. Her kiss was wild, feral, demanding, and giving him no time to think or to even process her words. Her teeth tugged on his lower lip, and desire pooled in his belly. But he fought it. He had to.

“Sheena, wait, stop,” he tried pulling back, but her lips followed his mouth. “We need to talk.”

“No more stopping, no more waiting, and no more talking. I’ve had a shitty night, and I want to lose myself in you.”

She lifted her t-shirt over her head and threw it behind her. Fuck. He stared at her. Her perfect breasts were straining out of her nude lacy bra, her nipples pebbled as if waiting for him to take control. She reached back and unhooked her bra, and tossed it to the side.

His body hardened as he stared at her. She was… He gulped. She was exquisite. Her breasts were the perfect size to fit in his palms, and his mouth watered to taste those hardened, rosy nipples.

“Still want to wait?” she asked, giving him a soft smile.

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