Chapter 17
17
A rmaan woke up to an empty bed. He checked the time on his watch. It had been more than two hours since he’d brought Navya on the yacht, since he’d made love to her, since he’d had the most fulfilling experience of his life. He inhaled, breathing in her soft scent—it was on him, on his sheets, and in the air around him. Oh, how he loved it. But where was she? He needed her. He wanted to check on her, to see if she was fine, if she was as shaken up as he was after their encounter. To see in her eyes that it had been more for her too.
Hearing no sounds from anywhere, he climbed out of the bed and wore a pair of shorts. He opened the door of the ensuite. It was empty. He scanned the room. Even her clothes weren’t to be seen. He stepped out of his room. Where was she? Even the den was empty. He climbed the deck, and that was empty too. A chilly sensation washed over him followed by utter despair.
A muffled noise from the front of the deck took his feet forward. His heart released a happy sigh when he saw Navya sprawled on a lounger, dressed in his grey shirt, staring at the rolling waves, an open tub of chocolate ice cream on her lap.
Sensing him, she turned. Her gaze ran over him, down his bare torso to the cotton shorts he’d worn in a hurry and then reversed back up until she met his eyes again.
She gave him a soft smile. “Hey, you’re up.”
“Yes.”
He assessed her. Dressed only in his grey shirt, her legs and feet bare, and not a spot of makeup on her face, she looked stunning.
Still, he had to ask. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Her brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
He arched a brow. “It was your first time.”
“Oh. You mean that.” She gave him a shy smile. “I am more than okay then.”
He sat next to her feet. “When I woke up and didn’t find you in the room, I thought you’d left.”
She looked in the front, beyond him. “For a second, I’d considered it.”
He pressed her knee, forcing her to look at him. “Why?”
“I owed you a debt, and I paid it today. You hadn’t put a time stamp on our situation . The sensible thing would have been to leave and to end it.”
Her words made his chest feel heavy. “Then why did you stay?”
She exhaled. “I think my sensibility flew out of the window the first time I kissed you.”
“What are you saying exactly?”
She didn’t reply for a moment as she stared at him. “To be honest, I am so conflicted, and it’s not about you. It’s me. I am scared to be in a relationship. Meeting you during our training sessions, chatting with you, missing you when you’re not around, all of that was easier. But now that we have slept together, it feels like I’ve taken a gigantic step forward. It was one thing to dream of making love to you. To crave it and you. The reality, however, is so much more poignant. I don’t know what to do next and how to behave. I don’t know how to proceed, and I’m so damn scared of it all.” She sighed. “I thought about leaving, but in the end, I couldn’t because the truth is that I didn’t want to leave you. And that bloody scares me even more.”
His heart clenched. She looked so damn innocent and vulnerable sitting here worrying about their future when that ought to be the least of her concerns. God, she was adorable, and he loved her so much.
His heart stopped before it began to beat with renewed vigor. A new kind of euphoria filled him, taking over every corner of his heart and filling his soul with delight.
He was in love.
He, Armaan Oshnov, had fallen in love with this sweet, innocent girl, who he was certain wasn’t yet ready to hear these words from him.
“So, you like chocolate ice cream, da ?” he asked instead.
Her brows creased. “Um, yeah, doesn’t everyone?”
“Chocolate’s great, but I prefer vanilla.”
“Are you serious? Sorry, I’m not trying to be prejudiced, but I don’t know of a single guy who likes vanilla flavor ice cream.”
He shrugged. “In the orphanage, ice creams were a rarity. And the only ones we got to eat were those orange ice candies or vanilla, and vanilla it was for me. I had never even tasted chocolate ice cream until Alexander brought us to Russia.”
She dipped her spoon in her ice cream tub and held it for him. He allowed her to feed him.
“Heavenly, isn’t it?” she chirped.
“It is, but vanilla reminds me of childhood, of the cool winds of Rishikesh, of the holy waters of the Ganga, and of being free. We didn’t have much, but we had each other.”
He stretched her legs in his lap and began massaging her feet.
She shut her eyes. “Chocolate ice cream and a foot massage. I am in heaven.”
He pressed his thumb in the arch of her left foot. She moaned. The sound made him hard instantly. He breathed out, controlling himself.
He needed to show her more of himself, those hidden parts of him that even the world didn’t know of. He had to expose his own vulnerabilities to show her that she was not the only one scared of this evolving situation between them. That he was scared, too, of loving her and losing her. That he wanted a chance, one chance to prove to her how happy he could and would make her. But for that, he had to tell her everything, things which he hadn’t discussed with anyone other than his siblings. Details the media were dying to find out but had never been told. If any of this came out, then it would create a frenzy and violate Karina’s safety, whom they were still searching for. But he had to trust Navya for her to be able to trust him back.
“Mihir met Alexander a few years before he adopted us…” Armaan began. Navya’s eyes popped open.
He continued to massage her feet. “Alexander used to visit an ashram to meet a guru he followed in Rishikesh. The ashram was close to the orphanage. The first year he came, Mihir saved him from being mugged by a gang. Mihir was only fourteen at the time. Alexander offered him money, but he refused. Instead, Mihir asked him to sponsor an English class for the four of us. At a very young age, Mihir was very determined that we all had to succeed, and to do that, we needed to learn English. We were enrolled at a local school, but it wasn’t sufficient. Alexander was so impressed by him that he not only sponsored our English lessons, but he also sponsored unlimited access to a library. That was the first day of our lives beginning to change.”
“Alexander was a massively rich oligarch, if I am not wrong,” Navya said. “How was he without his bodyguards? I mean, how did he even get mugged…”
“When we think of it now, it was so damn random, you know. Like one of those things that was destined…” Armaan exhaled. “He had bodyguards, yes. But that night, Alexander had landed up by the river to watch the Ganga Aarti . Some VIP was in attendance, and it was too crowded, more so than usual. Apparently, he got separated from his bodyguards, and that’s when he was attacked and saved by Mihir.”
“That is so random, indeed.”
“Anyway, Alexander had lost his wife and only child during childbirth many years ago. He’d never remarried and had been feeling lost, like he had no purpose, for a long time. Someone he knew had recommended this guru in Rishikesh as a means to finding mental peace and well-being. He came to India to find a sense of purpose, and what he found was us instead.”
Armaan smiled. “Mihir took all of us to meet Alexander the next day, and soon, he became a friend and a mentor. That first year, he stayed for two months. He’d tell us stories about his life in Russia, he showed us pictures on his laptop of a land so different from ours, and we used to listen enraptured. When he left that year, we never expected him to return, but he did so every year for four more years. He taught us about the internet and sponsored more education for us, like advanced English, computers, Microsoft Office, and basic finance and accounts. We were raw, untamed, and wild when we met him. Hence, he forced behavior and comportment classes on us as well. We always knew that Mihir was special to him, but he treated us all equally. He was extremely fond of us, and we, of him. What we didn’t know at the time was that he’d been talking to Mihir to take us with him back to Russia. That’s why he’d been preparing us for a life there.”
Armaan looked into the distance and smiled. “Initially, Alexander wanted to take Mihir only. They’d always been close and shared a special bond because Mihir had helped him out. I think he saw his late son in him. But Mihir refused to leave us behind. Alexander couldn’t believe that he was offering a better life to Mihir, and that he was rejecting it simply because he didn’t want to part with us. Mihir’s loyalty to us further cemented Alexander’s belief in him, and he promised him that he’d take all four of us with him. You see, the adoption process in India is far too long, and for a foreigner, there are even more steps to get through. Hence, Mihir told him to wait until we all were eighteen because then we’d be sent out into the world by the orphanage, and we could decide for ourselves if we wanted to go to Russia with him.”
Her eyes widened. “And you went, right?”
“We did, but it was too late. You see, that year, we had all turned eighteen, except for our sister. Mihir was waiting for her birthday to tell her the plan. There was this boy at the orphanage who was vile and awful. He never liked us and hated the bond we all shared. But Karina had a soft corner for him. No matter what we told her, she remained friends with him, and we didn’t want him to learn of the plan before it was time. We didn’t want that boy to stop her from coming with us or to make her think that it was a foul plan.”
“Because who would believe that a random Russian guy wanted to adopt four Indian orphans…” Navya guessed, understanding easily. “As a girl, I would have been skeptical as well. There are so many terrible things you hear happening to poor orphaned children once they are taken away to an unknown destination.”
“Exactly,” Armaan said. “But we trusted Alexander and believed that he wouldn’t betray us. It was a gamble, yes, but it could also be an opportunity, and Mihir took it for us, insisted upon it, actually. Anyway, when the time came to tell her, she was nowhere to be found. We discovered that she’d run away with that boy. She’d even left us a note telling us not to look for her and that she was never returning. We were all so hurt by her betrayal. We waited days, weeks for her, hoping she’d miss us and return, but she didn’t. And so, we went to Russia with Alexander. But we did leave a number with our old matron to contact us if they ever got news about her. Only recently, we realised how wrong we’d been about her.”
Navya touched his hand. “You told me you all were looking for her. Have you found her?”
“Not yet. But we will. We have men on the job as we speak.”
“I’m sure you will find her soon.”
“Thanks.”
“Tell me what happened when you reached Russia. It must have been so different, right?”
He sighed. “Different is an understatement. It was scary as hell. We knew Alexander was rich but just how rich, we realized when we entered the gates of his house. God, it wasn’t a house; it was a palace to us. And we were given separate rooms, with wardrobes filled with clothes, shoes, and accessories from brands we didn’t even know existed then. That first night after dinner, I was scared to sleep alone at night. Can you believe it? I was eighteen, and I was petrified to sleep in a massive room in a heavily guarded palatial house because I had never slept without my brothers, ever. I ran to Mihir’s room, only to find Vedant already there. We slept in the same room for many nights; Mihir and Vedant on the bed and me on the couch, until Alexander learned what we were doing. That’s when he decided to separate us.”
“What?” she gasped, shifting her foot out of his hand. “He separated you? Why?”
“Because he was so damn clever. He was old, and without informing us, he had decided to make us his heirs. That’s why he adopted us as soon as we landed and gave us his name. But he didn’t announce it to the world. He waited. To take on his massive empire, we needed to be more prepared. We didn’t realize it then, but sending us away from each other was the best thing to happen to us. He sat with each of us individually, learned our strengths and weaknesses, suggested which courses we each ought to take and then sent us to colleges across the world. He sent Mihir to London to study chemical engineering. I went to Michigan to study mining, followed by a course in gemmology, and Vedant stayed in Russia to study mechanical engineering. In addition, he insisted we all do a master’s in business management. Initially, we hated to be parted, but that is what taught us to survive, to live, to learn and be fucking independent. The two things he made mandatory were that each of us learn Russian and that we learn to fight. And we did all that he wanted us to do. We worked hard, we studied, we learned to interact with people from everywhere, and our lives began to change. We began to change. Our thoughts, our dreams, our hopes, and our expectations—for the first time in life, we had the ability and backing to achieve anything, to do anything. Over time, we each came into our own and became the individuals we are now. And it was all thanks to the brilliance and foresight of one kind and generous man who did not just give us a place in his life, but also made space for us in his heart.”
He breathed out through the tears threatening to fall. This was his story, the fabulous and extremely personal journey of him and his brothers and how they got to where they had. Of course, they were lucky. Not everyone got such an opportunity. And they hadn’t wasted it away. They had taken the chance presented to them and ran with it. O-Corp continued to be a success because of their sleepless nights and hard work. And they would ensure it remained successful always.
Seeing Navya watching him brought him out of his thoughts. “We returned to Russia ready to take on the world,” he continued. “Alexander finally announced to everyone that he had adopted us, and then our lives changed even more. The news outlets went crazy. Overnight, we became the most sought-after men in Moscow, if not the whole of Russia. Reporters followed us the second we stepped out, me especially. They painted me as a rich, wild, reckless, and ruthless womanizer. And the world lapped it up.”
She frowned. “So, was it all fake?”
He made a face. “Unfortunately, not. You see, Mihir had an accident in London…”
“…the one that involved Ananya?”
“Yes.” He put a hand up when he saw she wanted to speak. “And no, I don’t know all the details because he refuses to talk about it, and as you and I both know, he holds a grudge against her for it. But the fact is that he came back changed after that incident. He didn’t want any media attention on him, and so Vedant and I stepped into the limelight to reduce the pressure on him. Vedant hated it immensely. So, I became the image of the Oshnov brothers, as we were soon nicknamed. It didn’t hurt that I enjoyed all the attention and the women—they loved me, and I loved them. It was fun for a while.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened. “Such a playboy you are.”
“Was, baby. I was a playboy. I swear I haven’t even looked at another woman since I met you in London.” He gave her a naughty grin. “You’ve spoilt me for every woman out there. Now, all I can think about is you.”
“Good. That’s the way it ought to be.” She smiled wide. “Earlier, you mentioned that Alexander forced you to learn to fight. Why?”
“Being as rich as Alexander was, he had enemies, and with everything else, we’d inherited them too. So, he taught us how to deal with them, to eliminate them, and ensure we always survived.”
Her mouth opened and closed. She finally shook her head. “I’m not sure if I want to know about that part of your life.”
He chuckled. “Our businesses are all legitimate, baby. We don’t deal in drugs, trafficking, or weapons. But yes, I have hurt people—bad people who meant harm to my family.”
“Have you killed anyone?” This was the second time she had asked him that. This time, he chose to reply.
“I haven’t. But…”
“…you have people who would kill for you if needed.” She exhaled a breath as if relieved to know that he wasn’t a killer.
“That is the way of the world I live in,” he replied.
“And your brothers? Have they killed someone?”
“I won’t speak for them. Whether they have or haven’t is not something I am at liberty to share with anyone ever.”
She nodded.
“Anyway, we began working under Alexander in our various businesses. He started us down from the grassroots and encouraged us to work our way up. Even then, we never expected to inherit his wealth. It was only when he died, and his will was read that we realized he’d left it all to us. God. It was fucking unbelievable. Three poor boys from a small city in India became the richest men on the planet. The news of Alexander Oshnov willing everything to his adopted sons shook Russia like a fucking storm.”
“Wow. I don’t even know what to say,” she said. “Your story is incredible and a pure example of the saying that fate has a special plan for everyone.”
“But wait,” her brow furrowed as she continued, “Why did you move your base to Dubai from Russia?”
“After we inherited everything, a circle of vultures swooped upon us—media, businessmen, politicians, government officials, mafia, women. Everyone thought we were na?ve and they could gain something from us either by winning favors or by intimidation. None of it worked. You see, Alexander had prepared us for this. He’d taught us to navigate through it all. We befriended the mafia, won over the important politicians and government officials, and ran roughshod over those who stood in our way. But it was taxing and taking away our focus from work. So, Mihir suggested we move to Dubai. It was close enough to Moscow to keep visiting, is a tax haven, and it also suited our luxurious lifestyle. We moved here, and immediately, the pressure on us reduced. We could concentrate more on work and ourselves. And I got to meet you. Hence, best decision ever.”
Navya smiled.
He took her hand in his. “The reason I told you this story, something which no one other than my brothers know, is that while the world paints me to be this ruthless, frivolous billionaire, I am, at my heart, a simple boy from a small town who is right now sitting in front of a girl who he feels so much for and is asking her to give him a chance to bring heaven to her.”
She stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she squeezed his fingers.
“I think you’ve already brought heaven to me today, twice,” she whispered, her eyes glimmering.
He grinned. “I suppose I proved it—good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring heaven to you.”
“God, you’re too much.” She threw herself into his arms. “I am willing to give us a try. But I am scared.”
He kissed the top of her head. “So am I, moya tigritsa, so am I. But we can make this work together, da ?”
“Yes, and Armaan…” she said softly. “I do like you.”
Happiness lit up his heart. “I know that, baby. I was only waiting to hear you admit it.”
Standing, he tossed her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Making love to the girl who fucking finally accepted that she likes me.”
She giggled, tracing her hand along the tattoo that ran down his spine.
“Behave,” he warned her, caressing her bare thigh, deliberately moving his hand up her skin, making her squirm.
A maid appeared in front of him and was shocked at the sight of them.
“Don’t disturb us. And tell the captain to take the boat out to sea,” he said in Russian.
She nodded, hurrying away.
The engines started the second he’d dropped Navya on the bed and crawled on top of her. Navya flipped him, turning him on his stomach and climbed on him, staring at his back.
Her hands skimmed down his tattoo.
“I have waited for days to see your ink.” Swooping down, she traced his skin with her mouth. His fingers clenched against the sheets, his body hardening under her touch. She went lower and lower, her tongue swirling at the base of his spine.
He turned, shifting her under him. He dug his nose into the side of her throat, inhaling her scent—one that always drove him mad with desire. He opened her shirt buttons, one at a time, his body tightening further as he found her completely bared to him.
Her hands reached for his shorts, and he helped her pull them off of him. She palmed his erection, and desire slammed through him. He needed her. Quickly wearing protection, he entered her in one stroke. His heart lurched. She was heaven. She made him hope for a forever and dream of a future, and as he reached his peak with her, one thing rose foremost on his mind.
Navya was his, and he was never letting her go.