Chapter 4
4
H is bodyguards appeared from the side, flanking him the second he made his way outside to the stationary cars. The doors of all the cars swung open, and eight people stepped outside, their arms raised with guns. His own bodyguards lifted their weapons in defense.
The leader of the group, Andres Samson, a bald, tattooed man, approached him, his men standing in a semi-circle around him.
“I see you’ve brought your full cavalry, Andres,” Mihir addressed the man. “I didn’t know you feared me that much.”
“It’s a little hard to fear someone who has only three guards accompanying him,” Andres replied smugly. “Maybe I can kill you right here and get a reward from your cousin.”
Mihir casually flicked a piece of lint from his jacket. “Sure, that is if any of you stay alive long enough.” He tilted his head back slightly. “What makes you think I don’t have this place surrounded by my men? What makes you think any of you will walk out of here alive? Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t take risks. Go ahead, shoot me, then see what happens next. Oh, and be warned, if anything happens to me, my brothers will come after every family member of every man standing with you here. You all may die tonight as a result of trying to harm me, but in doing so, you will also be putting a death sentence on every person you have ever loved.” He paused a beat. “So, shall we begin again?”
Silence reigned between them for a few minutes, until Andres raised a hand and his men lowered their guns. Mihir gave no such order to his own men.
He exhaled slowly. He and his brothers had been trained in all sorts of self-defense; their father had insisted on it. Till date, the three of them trained regularly and were very much capable for a face off in hand-to-hand combat. However, weapons always changed the status quo. And in moments like these, he remembered a very valuable lesson taught by his adopted father—to never show any weakness in front of anyone, and to bluff if faced with a difficult situation. Looked like his bluff had worked with Andres.
“Now that we have this sorted,” Mihir began, “why are you here, when I specifically canceled the meeting?”
“We were close by when we got Chekov’s message,” Andres said. “We had to take a U-turn to go back. Imagine our surprise when we saw your car parked here. So we decided to drop by and say hello.”
“And see if you can attack me, is it?” Mihir spat out. “Do you really want to be my enemy?”
Andres raised his hands up in surrender. “You called this meeting, Oshnov. I flew in from Tallinn only to meet you. I saw your car parked here and decided to check if we could meet before I return. I apologize for threatening you, but it was a chance I had to take. Do you know that your cousin has a bounty on your head? Five million dollars for anyone who manages to kill you.”
Mihir let out a quiet breath, masking his shock. So, this was what Ivan had been up to. Fucking bastard.
“Do you know that Ivan has no money?” Mihir spoke calmly. “All his bank accounts have been frozen by us. Killing me will be an absolute waste. No one will see a penny ever, and like I said, my brothers won’t sit quietly. They’d burn the world if I died. Be sure to tell that to anyone willing to listen.”
Andres, it turned out, didn’t have as strong a hold on his reactions as Mihir. The man was visibly aghast at the revelation. He stepped forward. “I don’t want any trouble. Like I already told you on the phone, I don’t know where Paul is. So, what is it that you want from me?”
“Your cousin, Paul, tried to hurt my brother,” Mihir said, his tone sharp. “I don’t forgive anyone who tries to hurt my family or me. Someone has to pay the price for this.”
“But we had nothing to do with any of this,” Andres said, looking anxious. “We didn’t know Paul was working for your cousin. I?—”
Mihir raised a hand, cutting him off. “I don’t care. Someone from your family hurt mine, so now someone from your family has to pay the price. It could be you or your retired brother, Piri, or your nephew, Toomas. He’s studying in Manchester, right? As of now, I have men following both of them. Don’t worry. I will allow you to choose which of them should pay the price for Paul’s actions.”
Andres’ expression turned stormy. Mihir knew how much the man adored his brother and his nephew. Not that Mihir had any intention of hurting either of them, nor did he have his men following them. This was just another bluff.
“I will help you find Paul,” Andres finally said. “None of my family ought to pay a price for that defector. He left us and joined hands with Ivan Oshnov for money. He has no loyalty to us, and so we ought to have none to him. I will find Paul for you. Please, just leave my brother and nephew alone.”
Mihir pretended to consider. The terror on Andres’ face deepened with every second that ticked.
“Alright,” Mihir finally said. “Find Paul and you no longer owe me a debt. And tell everyone you know that I’m looking for Ivan. Whoever comes to me with credible information on Ivan will be paid ten million dollars. Unlike Ivan, I have the fucking money. Now, leave before I change my mind.”
The men returned to their cars. Mihir stood in place, watching them as they disappeared down the road. He quickly instructed Chekov to keep a tab on Andres and returned to the warehouse—and to her .
All through his discussion with the Estonians, he’d prayed hard that Anna would remain hidden. Thankfully, she had. The last thing he wanted was for those men to know she was here. He never wanted anyone to think of her as a weakness—a tool to get to him. He hurried through the crates to the place he had left her last. She wasn’t there. Bloody hell.
Fear exploded in his chest. So many worst-case scenarios filled his mind. He quickly called Anton, hoping the security guard was following her.
“Where is she?” Mihir barked.
“She left five minutes back. I’m following her, sir,” the man replied. “We are on the highway, heading back to Dubai.”
Relief flooded his chest. “Ensure she reaches safely and message me when she’s home.”
Mihir disconnected the call and pocketed his phone, his mind all over the place. He started his car and took off for his own home, his mind still on her.
Wild, tempestuous, and passionate, Ananya Mehra had always been a force to reckon with. Why had he expected that time would have mellowed her down? It hadn’t. In fact, she was bolder, braver, and more daring than ever. She was also still very beautiful and so damn graceful in the way she talked and moved. However, she still had no sense of self-preservation whatsoever. He had warned her to stay put, that these people he was meeting with were dangerous, but as always, she cared nothing about danger. She had gone and left without a concern for her own well-being.
He rubbed the scar on his face. Seven years ago, Anna had been super aware of who she was and of her place and station in life. Now, she exuded even greater confidence. Like she owned the world and everyone and everything in it. Her arrogance and haughtiness irritated him the most now. She’d never shown any remorse for her actions from the past. In fact, she pretended to be clueless. As if she hadn’t sent him to his death. As if she hadn’t chosen others over him.
He clutched the steering wheel tighter. That night, four years ago, when he’d seen her on board his yacht for the first time in years, it had felt like a punch to his gut. Like time had stood still and he was seeing her for the first time. His dead heart had started beating again. His body had woken up from its self-imposed, emotionless exile, and he’d started to feel, to crave, to need, and to want a woman again. Not just any woman. Her . Anna.
His wife .
He’d married her all those years ago on a whim, on an instinct that she was the one for him. That she was his forever. His one and only. But she’d turned out to be this two-faced, awful woman who had never loved him. Who hadn’t chosen him when it had mattered the most. Instead, she’d…
He swallowed against the knot in his throat. Knowing all this, he had no business reacting to her nearness the way he had in the warehouse. Fuck, he was such an idiot.
He pressed his foot down on the accelerator. His beautiful car responded to his sullen mood, flying down the highway. His heart sped along with it.
Even now, the memory of how her body had been pressed against his sent a jolt of arousal through him. He didn’t even like her. He’d told himself that he hated her, and yet his body had refused to concur with that dictate. Her provocative words had only added to his intense reaction to her.
I remember all the ways to make you tremble. I remember all the ways to make you…beg.
Fuck. He did remember each and every way she had made him beg at one time. That box of old memories he usually kept tightly locked had burst open at those words. His mind had been stormed with images of him and her tangled together in bed, against the wall, in his shower... Anna on her knees.
He breathed hard, controlling his raging emotions. Ananya Mehra was dangerous, and he ought to stay far away from her. He ought to simply give her the divorce she wanted and get her out of his life once and for all. His brothers were in love with her sisters. Her elder brother was now one of his closest friends. Knowing Anna, she would probably go to town announcing their marriage to all, just to prove a point to him. And that would be a disaster of epic proportions. Although, why she hadn’t done it yet was still a mystery.
For years, he’d lived in the hope that one day, he’d make her pay for what she’d done to him. He’d come out of that incident scarred and changed. Till date, he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror because of that hateful scar. Thanks to the fire he’d been engulfed in, he couldn’t take very hot showers. Hell, he couldn’t even look into the flames of a fireplace for too long. He’d lost all his innocence that night and became a cold, ruthless man, whose only mission in life had been to succeed, and at some point, take revenge from her.
Meeting Anna on the yacht that night had been a disaster. He had reacted badly to seeing her. He hadn’t wanted to let her go. The urge to keep her, to lock her away until she accepted what she had done to him had stormed through him. He’d wanted to see her tears. He’d wanted to break her confidence. He’d wanted to see her beg for his forgiveness.
Yet, in complete contrast to that, had been his need to claim her as his own once again. To prove to himself that he could make her want him and only him. If she hadn’t run away that night…
He blinked, focusing on the road ahead. He’d held Navya and Sheena back that night, hoping she’d return. If he was being rational, though, it was a good thing she hadn’t. His reaction to her that night had been wrong. Him wanting to keep her had been wrong. But he’d learnt his lesson. Unable to trust himself around her, he’d never sought her out and had left her alone since then.
After their families had gotten close, he’d decided that the best revenge would be to stay married to her, to never let her be free of him. When he had not been able to move on, why should she? In the ensuing years, he hadn’t seen her go out with anyone or have a relationship to actually threaten her with their marriage vows. Hence, their sham of a marriage had continued without either of them addressing it. And while he still wanted revenge from her, she was right—he couldn’t do it at the cost of all the people they both cared for.
Mihir had never really had friends before. His brothers and he only ever had each other to count on. But now, thanks to Rajiv, he had someone else he could depend on. Hence, he would never ruin that friendship, which had become his strength in more ways than one.
Rajiv Mehra was a year older than him, and Mihir respected him a whole lot. Not only was Rajiv a successful businessman, he was wise, sensible, considerate, loyal—and like Mihir, he put his family first always. Mihir treasured their relationship. All of this further complicated everything between Anna and him. And if she decided to finally announce the marriage… Rajiv would never react favorably to that news. He would feel betrayed. Mihir’s brothers would feel betrayed, as would Navya and Reina.
Which meant he had to let her go, quietly, without getting their families involved. Fuck. He had to let go of all his plans for revenge and live his life away from her.
But how did one let go of someone who had been such an intrinsic and disastrous part of their past? Memories rushed through him, memories he had tried to suppress for the longest, but now he no longer could hold them back.
* * *
The past
London
Seven years ago
“Why the hell is Surya here? Oh my God, he’s following me.”
Mihir looked up from his laptop at the sound of that agitated voice. He’d spotted her the second she’d entered the café.
Ananya Mehra—the woman who’d been haunting his dreams for months now.
The coffee shop next to London Business School was always busy this time of the evening. She was seated on a table to his right with two of her friends, her expression thunderous as she stared at a man two tables in front of her. The café was small, and the tables were placed very close to each other. Add to that, Ananya’s group was loud enough for him to hear their conversation.
“Just ignore him,” a girl with pixie-cut hair said from next to her.
“I’ve tried, but he doesn’t get the message,” Ananya replied through gritted teeth.
“Well, can’t help that he’s infatuated with you,” their third friend said, a girl with blonde streaks in her hair.
Ananya rolled her eyes before she looked at her phone. Mihir studied her. Dressed in a navy-blue fitted knit dress, black knee-high boots, her face clear of makeup, and her fair skin glowing, Ananya Mehra was gorgeous. She was a classic beauty, her striking eyes framed by long, dark lashes, high cheekbones, full rosy lips, and that long lustrous pitch-black hair.
While growing up in the orphanage, the matron, Mrs. Braganza, had narrated stories of a beautiful princess in a faraway land. He hadn’t believed those tales until a month ago, when he had seen Ananya for the first time. Ananya Mehra was stunningly beautiful, graceful, and had a regal air about her. Her entire demeanor screamed wealth and privilege. She was pursuing an MBA at the same college as him and was his classmate in the Global Business class. He’d noticed her on the first day of classes this semester. But he doubted she even knew he existed.
So many women had tried to approach him in college. Mihir had ignored all of them. He had been resolute to focus only on his studies and not women. He had six months left before he could return to Moscow and start working again at O-Corp. He and his brothers had been given a golden opportunity, one that only a rare few got in life. He wasn’t going to squander that by losing focus.
However, Ananya Mehra seemed like a woman one could lose themselves to, and that’s why he hadn’t approached her ever.
A waitress put a glass of chilled latte in front of her. She took a sip, and her eyes rolled shut. “This is so good.”
Her blonde friend laughed. “You have an unhealthy addiction to chilled lattes, girl.”
Ananya smiled, and then her lips fell. “Oh God, Surya hasn’t stopped staring at me. It’s bugging me now. Why can’t he understand that I am not interested in him?”
“He’s crazy about you. Why don’t you take pity on him and put him out of his misery?” the short-haired one said. “I’d totally do him.”
“Honestly, Ananya, he has a lot going for him. He is super rich. Maybe you should go on one date with him,” the blonde one said sagely.
“Absolutely not. I don’t care about his money.” Ananya squinted. “What the hell is he doing? Ugh.”
Mihir finally looked at the man the girls were talking about. He was making a heart sign with his fingers at her. Mihir chuckled, looking at his laptop screen again. He’d seen this guy around their college campus before, mostly hanging around Ananya and her group of friends like a puppy.
Ananya tossed her dark hair over her shoulders. “Please, for the love of God, someone make him go away.”
The girl next to Ananya looked sheepish. “Him being here and everything he’s doing maybe a bit of our fault...”
Ananya glared at her friends. “What did you do?”
“Actually—” the blonde one began, but she was cut off by the short-haired one.
“—we may have told him that the way to your heart is through a lot of cheesy romance.”
“What?” Ananya glared at them. “Did you both tell him that we were coming here?”
“Umm, actually — ” her friend began, but paused when a waitress appeared with their donuts.
“Yes, we did,” the pixie-haired girl said after the waitress left.
Ananya sipped her coffee. “No wonder he’s sitting in a corner, doing ridiculous things to get my attention instead of approaching us like a normal person and sitting at our table. It’s not like he doesn’t hang around us all the time. Let’s ignore him. Maybe he will go away.”
One of them changed the topic, and they began talking about some TV drama.
Mihir returned to rereading his assignment. He had to submit it next week, but he’d already completed it. Several minutes later, his phone buzzed with a text. It was Armaan.
Reaching in ten, brother. We want two espressos and one lime soda.
Mihir smiled. They were finally coming. Their flight had been delayed, and Mihir had been passing his time reviewing his assignment, so he’d be absolutely free to be with them the next few days.
His concentration was broken again when the guy, Surya, approached Ananya’s table with a plate in hand. He dropped the plate with chocolate pastry in front of Ananya.
“For the girl who has stolen my heart,” he proclaimed.
Ananya looked at the man and then at the cake in disgust. Her friends giggled.
Ananya stood up. “Surya, come with me.”
Mihir packed his laptop and flung his bag across his chest as he went to the counter to place the order for his brothers.
He looked to the side as he waited in the queue and found Ananya sitting at Surya’s table. They were seated right beside where he stood in the queue. Something pricked at his heart to see her with him.
“Look, Surya,” he heard her say. “You and I, it’s never going to work. Trust me, I’m not the one for you.”
Mihir felt his lips curve. He’d been eavesdropping on her whole conversation this evening, forcibly, of course.
“Don’t say that, Ananya,” Surya begged. “You haven’t even given me a chance.”
“Listen—” Her gaze moved past Surya and latched on Mihir. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted.
Something unfurled in Mihir’s chest as his gaze clashed with hers. It was like the world stilled. Sounds disappeared, people vanished, and it was just him and her. That feeling in his chest deepened.
“Ananya…. Ananya,” a voice said.
She blinked and looked away from him. Mihir exhaled and moved ahead in the queue, his eyes and ears still focused on the conversation happening right next to him.
“You’re a nice guy, Surya,” Ananya continued. Her eyes strayed to Mihir. “And I’m anything but nice. I’m bossy, temperamental, hard to please, and very high-maintenance.”
Mihir’s lips curved, hearing her berate herself. And seeing the other man’s face fall, he understood exactly what she was doing. Ananya’s dark gaze clashed with Mihir’s again. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. She knew he was listening in and that he had figured out her intent.
She looked at Surya again. “If you truly want to fall in love, then go be with Mira Kanak from our Finance class. She’s crazy about you.”
“She is?” Surya sounded excited. “Oh, thank you, Ananya, and sorry for today.”
Mihir’s jaw dropped. This Surya guy was just too much. He was such an attention whore. Clearly, any woman who paid him the slightest notice would catch his eye. Mihir couldn’t believe how quickly he’d dismissed Ananya and was moving on to another woman. Fuck. Such an idiot.
“Don’t worry about that, Surya,” Ananya said. “My friends were wrong to lead you on the way they did. I apologize for that. Anyway, go on. Mira must have finished class by now. She usually hangs out by the college fountain at this time.”
Surya rushed like he couldn’t wait. Ananya stood and her eyes met Mihir’s gaze once again.
“Did you hear everything?” she asked him.
“You weren’t exactly very quiet,” Mihir replied.
“I was very agitated, I guess.”
“It was nice what you did back there; he left a happy man.”
“He’s sweet, but not the smartest person in the room.” She studied him for a moment. “I have never seen you before. Do you study here at LBS?”
“Yes, I’m in my final semester of MBA.”
“Oh, same here!” Her eyes brightened. “I’m Ana ? —”
Her phone rang. She looked at it and then at her friends. The short-haired girl was beckoning her.
Mihir held his hand out. “Mihir Oshnov.”
“I’m Ana—” Her phone rang again before she could take his hand.
She whirled to her friends, hands up in the air. “For God’s sake, I’m right here.”
She looked at him distractedly. “Sorry, I have to go see why they’re calling me so urgently. Bye, Mihir.”
“Bye, Anna.”
She frowned, and then her eyes moved past him to her friends, who were still frantically gesturing to her to come over. She quickly returned to her table. He liked how calmly she had handled the situation with Surya. Despite being annoyed with the guy, she’d been kind to him. In fact, she’d easily pushed him in the direction of another woman without creating a scene. Her confidence and daring further piqued his interest.
He had just about finished placing his order when the door to the coffee shop opened. His face split into a wide smile as Armaan and Vedant walked inside.
“Hello, brother,” Armaan said cheerfully. “Have you missed us?”
Mihir laughed. He hauled Armaan to him. His middle brother was an absolute goofball.
Vedant came next. He studied him from top to toe.
“You look good. London agrees with you, as always,” Vedant remarked quietly. Mihir pulled him in a hug as well.
Armaan looked behind Mihir before he said, “We brought a surprise for you.”
Before Mihir could question him, a hand touched his shoulder. Mihir turned and looked into the kind face of his adopted father, Alexander Oshnov.
“ Moy syn ,” Alexander Oshnov said affectionately.
Moy syn—My son. Till date, his heart warmed each time his father uttered those words to him.
“Papa,” Mihir said in Russian. “You’re here! I thought you had an important meeting in Dubai.”
“I did. But these two boys were taking the jet anyway, so I canceled it to meet you instead. I was missing you too.”
Mihir gave him a hug, his heart settling as Alexander wrapped his arms around him. Alexander helmed O-Corp—his massive business empire. He was always busy, yet he took time out to be with his sons. Mihir breathed in his warm scent. This man had given them so much. He had made the three of them a part of his family and had asked for nothing in return except that they study and work hard.
“Come, let’s all sit,” Mihir spoke in Russian. It was an unwritten rule in his family that the three of them had to speak in Russian to one another and with their father.
Seeing his previous table occupied, Mihir led them to another table on the side, opposite from where Ananya was seated.
His gaze searched for her. She was once again back with her friends.
“This place is nice,” Vedant said, distracting him.
“Very good crowd!” Armaan’s eyes zeroed on Ananya’s table. His lips curved into a naughty smile. “Beautiful women too.”
So typical of Armaan to first scan the crowd for good-looking women. His brothers had taken to their new station in life immediately. Over the last couple of years, Armaan had developed a reputation as a playboy. He loved women, and they loved him. Vedant, on the other hand, was the calm and quiet one in their trio. He, too, attracted attention from the women, but like Mihir, he was quite discreet in his affairs. All of them never dated the same woman twice, their focus clear on working hard and being successful. None of them needed the distraction of a relationship.
Armaan tipped his head at Ananya’s table. “The dark-haired girl in the center of that group is gorgeous. She looks Indian. Do you know who she is?”
Irritation buzzed through Mihir. He didn’t like Armaan looking at her. He didn’t like Armaan even talking about her.
“So, Mihir, do you know her?” Armaan probed. “I definitely don’t mind getting to know her. In fact, let me go say hello.”
“Armaan, not her,” Mihir said, his tone dead serious.
Armaan’s brows shot up. He shared a surprised look with Vedant.
“But…” Armaan began, but their father put a hand on Armaan’s shoulder.
“Not her,” Alexander repeated.
His family wouldn’t prod. They knew him well enough to know that he would share with them only when he was ready to. And right now, there was nothing to share. It was just that he did not want Armaan hitting on Ananya. Twice, she’d tried to tell him her name, and both times, she’d only managed to say Ana before being interrupted. Anna in Russian meant grace, and Ananya Mehra was extremely graceful, so elegant. Anna—the name suited her perfectly.
“Oh!” Armaan leaned back in his chair. “It’s like that, huh?”
“Armaan, behave,” Alexander said.
Mihir gave his father a grateful nod. Alexander had always shared a special bond with him. His father knew what he was thinking even before he voiced it out loud. Mihir had met him when he was merely fourteen years of age. Alexander had adopted the boys four years later, changing their lives forever. Six years had passed since then. The six best years of his life. His only sadness was her… Karina, their sister, who had betrayed them. He shook his head, refusing to think of her.
“For how long are you all here?” Mihir asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“Just the weekend,” Alexander replied. “We all have to get back to work.”
“Why?” Mihir looked at his brothers. “I thought you both would stay longer and that we’d go to our country home.”
Alexander owned a massive estate in the countryside. It was like a medieval castle. Mihir and his brothers loved going there whenever they were together.
“We wanted to,” Vedant said. “But there is an important board meeting that Papa wants us to prepare for.”
After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, Mihir had taken a year off to work at O-Corp, before doing his MBA. On the other hand, both Armaan and Vedant had already completed their MBAs a year earlier, which meant they were now working full time at O-Corp. Post his MBA, he, too, would return to work at O-Corp.
“Tell me about college, Mihir,” Alexander said. “We all miss you. Home is not the same without you.”
Home was in Moscow. It still felt strange referring to Moscow as home. It was so far away and starkly different from Rishikesh and the orphanage where he and his brothers had lived in at one time.
“College is good. I really like the course,” Mihir said.
“And the women, it seems,” Armaan teased. “No, wait, a particular woman.”
“Can you behave for once?” Alexander said.
Vedant snorted. “He doesn’t know how to.”
Ignoring them, Mihir focused on Anna. She was lifting her purse from the floor. She stood. Her eyes met his, and then her lips tipped in a smile. His own lips curved in response.
With a last look at him, she left the café.
The present
Mihir’s phone beeped with a text, bringing him back to the present. It was Anton.
“She’s home, boss.”
Relief filtered through him. He stopped his car at a signal. So many years had passed since that moment in the coffee shop when Anna had first seen him. That evening, after she had left, he had spent time with his father and brothers. They’d left the café and gone to his apartment, where they drank vodka, ordered takeaway, and talked about everything under the sun. And while spending that awesome weekend with his family, he hadn’t realized how much his world was going to change.
He sighed. Ananya Mehra had swept into his life like a storm, and had gone on to destroy him. He should have cut her out of his life a long time ago. Yet, years later, by holding on to their marriage, he was holding on to her .
He ought to have moved on from her. But the desire to seek revenge from her had held him back all this time. However, life had dealt him a different set of cards, and he could no longer exact that revenge from her. In hurting her, he would only end up hurting the people dearest to him. So, he had to forget about his revenge and sever their connection once and for all. He had to forget her.
They said time healed all wounds, but his were still bleeding, thanks to her.