She was warm, cozy, and comfortable. A pair of powerful arms wrapped around her, hugging her close. Every time the cab jerked, their protective grip tightened, plastering her to a hard body that felt like a pillar of strength.
It was a familiar touch, a familiar body. A familiar masculine scent, though wet and travel-worn this time. As usual, it threatened to take over her brain, but luckily, she had enough wits left to pull away in time.
Her days of leaning on him were over, she reminded herself as she stared out of the window wordlessly. Why he was even here, she did not know.
Maybe things did not work with Ananya, which was unlikely considering his ceaseless devotion to her. Another possibility was that he came to know about the baby and was forced to leave Ananya for the child’s sake. She could see him doing that, doing the right thing and taking responsibility for his unborn child despite having no love for its mother. This was why she had warned her friends to keep quiet. Her baby did not need charity, nor could she condemn Darsh to a loveless marriage. He was welcome to Ananya while she had already accepted her lot and moved on. Her hard-earned tranquility was not worth losing over the whims of this man.
They reached her apartment, and she rushed in to freshen up. She needed a warm shower, dry clothes, and some alone time to get her thoughts together. The enormity of the events had just begun to sink in. Ajay Parmar was dead, reduced to a mere pulp of flesh and bone on the streets of Dallas. This was not how she’d envisaged his end. Come to think of it, she didn’t even know how she wanted to punish him.
She changed into her comfy pajamas and came out. Darsh was standing in front of the TV. A local news channel was on. A frantic reporter was announcing the latest tragic incident that took place on a busy Dallas street.
“Dallas traffic claims another young life,” the subtitles read. “A very promising Indian student, an asset to his parents and nation, has been tragically taken away.”
“Bullshit!” Darsh scoffed and turned it off. His face was grim; the worry lines on his forehead were unusually prominent. “Don’t think about it, Aditi. He got what he deserved.”
She shook her head and turned away. The vision of Ajay’s lifeless body still hovered in her mind. Her head hurt and her stomach was queasy.
“I did not mean it to happen this way.”
He signed. “Then what did you have in mind?”
She was clueless. Maybe she wanted to stalk Ajay, beat him, bring him to his knees, begging her for mercy. She definitely wanted him to apologize and suffer till death for her forgiveness. But this... this she had never imagined.
“I say don’t worry about it. It was an accident. His time had come. Nobody could stop that.”
But was it? An accident? She bit her lip and turned to the kitchen. He rushed ahead of her to the oven and she noticed the toasty aroma of cheddar wafting from it.
“A few more minutes. It would be ready soon.” He said, checking the timer. She shook her head determinedly.
“Thanks, but I’ve gone off the pasta.”
He raised his brow. “You need to eat. You look white as a sheet...”
She shirked him off. Food was not on her mind at the moment. Her brain whirred with possibilities. Doubts and fear. Now that the dust had settled, she could see a clearer picture.
“What if... someone saw me?” Her brain started in another direction. Darsh took a seat in front of her.
“No one did. No one had time except for me. There were no CCTV cameras nearby, and Pete confirmed you three were the only people in that alleyway. “
“Pete?”
“The drunk man behind you.” He threw her a shifty glance. “Pete is our witness that it was not your fault if it comes to that. He will testify Ajay chased you and ran into the red light with no help from either of us.”
“Oh.” It took her a few moments to put two and two together. So ‘Pete’ was Darsh’s man and was probably trailing her all along while she wandered around that night. He must have bumped into her intentionally, so she would run into that alley. Maybe he already knew Ajay was in there. Maybe Darsh already knew what was going to happen. This time, he had used her as bait, and she did not even know it. Wrapping her arms around her belly, she apologized to the baby. It was her fault. It was all her fault that she’d gone there and put herself in danger.
A penny dropped as her brain cleared of its fog. Her temperature started rising. It was a plan - an elegant, well-thought-out, and perfectly executed plan. And here she was thinking she was a free bird taking her own decisions, taking revenge at her own leisure.
“It was my revenge. Ajay was my culprit. You had no right to interfere.”
“He was my culprit too,” Darsh declared calmly, meeting her eye. Suddenly, he did not look anxious anymore. He looked like a man set on a purpose, who had made some hard decisions and was about to carry them out.
“Ajay was my culprit, too. It’s my brother who’s lying half-dead in the hospital.” Darsh snapped. “And you are my responsibility. I promised Dadaji. What kind of man would I be if I let you go on your revenge trip all by yourself?”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
“You were absolved of my responsibility when we signed the annulment. Remember the day you kicked me out?” Her voice was honey-sweet, yet her eyes were icy shards. His jaw clenched.
“I did not kick you out. I let you go.”
“Without my consent so it's the same difference. And why come back when once you let me go? You are not needed here.”
*****
“You are not needed here!” She kept chanting as she prowled the living room listlessly. Darsh watched her grimly, his hands balled and stuffed in his pockets. He had tried to soothe her, hold her close, and offer her some food, but nothing worked. Neither did she touch the food, nor did she let him touch her again. Her mind was made up. A line was drawn from the day they signed the blasted annulment. Before it, she was his wife. He had every right. Now he was a nobody.
“You need to leave.” She stopped suddenly and declared. “I don’t share my apartment with strangers.”
“Good thing I am not a stranger then,” he shot back.
“Ex-husband, then.” She curled her lip. “But wait, you are not even my ex-husband, considering we were never even married.” She gave a chilling laugh that made the hair on his neck stand stiff. His heart twisted in his cage as he swallowed an uneasy lump.
“Aditi, please. Calm down. You need to stop working yourself in this frenzy. Sit down and relax, let me get you some drink...”
"No!" she shrieked and swatted his hand away. Her face was blotchy red. Her eyes were blurred, but no tears fell out. "I said you need to leave. Go back to Ananya. You need not waste time here. I don't need anyone. I have moved on."
"Moved on with whom?" he dared to ask. "The last I knew you were still roaming around with your escort."
Steve, his name was Steve. He himself had arranged for him to keep an eye on her, but that fact too needed to stay hidden if he wanted to get out of there alive. She gave him a scathing look.
"I can go out with whoever I like. And I don't need another man to move on. I have moved on from you, that is enough for me."
Half an hour later, she was still going strong. Only the whole place was in shambles. The cushions were thrown around, and the soft throws from the sofas were lying on the floor. Ornaments went flying, some inadvertently finding their way to him. Luckily, her aim was not good or he would have needed a doctor. Water dripped down the table when she’d toppled a half-filled glass after drinking haphazardly. She growled like a beast restless for food, only nothing could satisfy her hunger. There was only one way he knew of, but he was not sure it was a wise move just then.
“Leave! Or I’ll call security!” she roared, swiping a hand at a flower vase that promptly crashed to the ground. Blood dripped onto the floor as a deep red welt appeared on her hand. He watched, stricken, then shot forward. He had had enough.
“Stop this now!” Darsh thundered as he grabbed her, pinning her tight in his embrace. She was unable to move, yet shook like a leaf.
“How dare you! Let me go!”
“Listen, Aditi! I am not with Ananya anymore, do you hear that? I am not with Ananya. She came and left, and nothing changed. I wanted you. All along, I wanted only you!”
*****
All along, he wanted only Aditi, but he was too stupid to realize that. As always, and as with everyone else, he had messed up this too.
“So here I am, and finally your wait is over!” Ananya had declared as she strolled through his front door breezily. The look on her face was pompous as if he was some beggar waiting for alms. Frowning, he tried to place her. This was not the Ananya he remembered. The close-cut hair, the stark business clothes, and the reedy figure made her look unbearably harsh.
“Ummm ...I was actually waiting for my wife.” He heard himself say. To his surprise, he found it was true.
“It was your wife, err, your ex-wife, who sent me here.” Ananya didn’t miss a beat. “She called me a few weeks ago to explain your situation. I wasn’t sure at first, but Dad encouraged me. He said it must be fate that we both are single again at the same time. He has finally relented and given us his blessings.”
Darsh stared. Ananya - forever the Daddy’s girl! How she danced to her father’s tunes and that too willingly. Moreover, the day KD gave him his blessings, he wouldn’t need curses. The man was a snake. He would not let his precious daughter go unless there was something significant in it for him.
“Your father is happy for us?”
“Yes!” Ananya declared chirpily. “Well, he wasn’t at first, but when he realized you now are the whole and sole of the Sharma fortune, he gave his permission.”
A chill settled in his heart as he listened to her prattling. She had waited for three weeks to come here, and in that time, KD had uncovered what he needed.
This was the woman he’d pined after for six years, this cold, callous, greedy woman. Maybe he hadn’t realized it as he himself was cut from the same cloth. But luckily, times had changed. Now he knew better. He had seen much better.
“Oh, Darsh! Why did you wait for so long? You should have come to me earlier...” She came closer to wrap her bony arms around his shoulders, and his body gave a violent shudder. Repulsed, he took a few steps back. This woman had no right to touch him. Apart from his princess, no other woman had any right to touch him.
“I think there’s been some misunderstanding,” he smiled sympathetically. Ananya stared. “You see, I am not single. My wife has a very peculiar sense of humor. She loves to play these little pranks. She must have thought it funny to play this one, but rest assured I’ll have a chat with her. I do apologize on her behalf.”
He wished her luck and closed the door in her face, but not before thanking KD for his change of mind. He was very grateful for the blessings, but unfortunately, he did not need them anymore. He was already amply blessed.
Ananya fumed and cursed before stalking away without a backward glance. Sighing, he slumped against the door. How light it felt! The jinx was lifted and he was finally free. Free to move forward without holding himself back.
*****
It was two in the morning. The literal storm had passed. Aditi sat on her bed, swinging on her buttocks, hugging her knees to her chest. In front of her was Darsh, who had spent the last hour clearing up her mess. His eyes strained from jetlag, yet he was holding up admirably. Though she knew he was ready to drop any second.
“So, KD knows about the annulment.” She said in the way of conversation.
“Yes.”
“And you sent Ananya back.”
“Yes.”
“Which means he might retaliate and use this against us.”
“Yes. He will spread the news, and it will reach Dadaji. We must stop that.”
And to stop that, they must get together, he wanted to add but refrained. The way she looked at him, like a predator to its prey, it was wiser to stay quiet. At least her torture was over. All he wanted now was to relax, get into bed with her and drop dead on her bosom, but he reined in his fantasy.
“And is that why you came here? To stop the news from reaching Dadaji?”
Ahem! He had to be careful here. “Yes. And for other things, of course.”
“Like?”
“Like… for you, for us. To see if we can still make this work.”
“I see.” She gave him a suspicious look. He stood like a good boy, with a straight face, crossing his hands in front of him. Moments passed. She thought for some time, then swung on her shapely butt, then thought some more. If he was being honest, she looked like a hot potato rolling in a pan wearing those fluffy teddy pajamas, but he kept that observation to himself.
"Get in bed." She looked tired when she told him finally. His face brightened but fell the next instant as she shuffled to the far side. "Stay on that side and don't try to act smart. We'll talk about this later when we are back home."
***** *****