Chapter 20
20
A nanya waited at the foot of the stairs for Mihir to come. Mihir’s house was very warm and toasty, but now she’d added a thermal and a thicker sweater to her attire. She’d worn a beanie, gloves, and knotted her trench coat over herself. Dmitri approached her.
“Are you comfortable here?” the older man asked in accented English.
“Thank you. Yes, I am.”
He paused before he said. “He’s all prickly from the outside, but he’s a nice guy underneath.”
She frowned. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because he’s easily misunderstood. And since you’re here to interview him, I thought you ought to know this about him. The world needs to know that he’s this amazing, selfless human being. I hope you can tell his story that way.”
“I will…” She smiled. “I admit I do enjoy poking him a little. It’s the only way to make him react. So, don’t worry if you see him become irritable. Just know it’s my handiwork.”
She gave him a naughty wink.
Dmitri laughed.
“Her, you like?” Mihir’s surprised voice made her turn. He was looking very amused. Mihir continued speaking in English as he addressed his butler, “Me, you’re always annoyed with.”
Dmitri’s expression sobered. “Then don’t do and say things that annoy me.”
She chuckled, liking the bond Mihir shared with the man.
Muttering something in Russian, Dmitri turned and left.
“I like him,” Ananya said.
“Looks like he likes you too.”
“What’s not to like about me?” Ananya spread her hands out. “I’m perfect. You seem to have forgotten that fact.”
A corner of his mouth lifted up a notch. She was glad that he was smiling again. Mihir assessed her, his eyes running over her. Shaking his head, he unwound the dark red muffler from his neck and wrapped it around hers, tucking it against her chest and inside her coat. Her heart rate accelerated as his delicious scent washed over her. Leather and musk… So good. So him.
“It’s three degrees outside,” he explained. “You need to cover up as much as possible.”
She frowned. “What about you then?”
“I’m quite used to Russia’s harsh winters. We’ll make it a short walk.”
He led her outside the house through a back entrance and into the lawns. It was all beautifully white. The bright sun shimmered over everything, its rays shedding a golden light wherever they touched. The air was fresh, pure oxygen, just like he’d said.
“So, where were we?” She tucked her hands into her pockets. It was cold, her breath forming little white puffs as she exhaled. “You were telling me about your childhood.”
He looked at her sideways. “You don’t need to record this?”
“I have a good memory, so please, go on. I’m excited to know more.”
And she was. She was more than eager to listen to his story. It had come as a complete shock to know that he was willing to reveal the hitherto well-hidden parts of his life to her. It was going to be the mother of all scoops, but it still didn’t make sense why after years of keeping silent about their private lives, Mihir was suddenly willing to divulge it all to her to share with the world. However, she’d patiently wait for him to reveal the reason behind it.
“Meeting Alexander was just so random, you know,” he began as he led her down a path lined with birch trees. “I had enough clout with the orphanage management that they allowed me to take up odd jobs outside. I used to work with an agency that helped clean the Ganga riverbed. One late evening, I was walking back down a street, when I saw a gang of older boys circling a lone foreigner. I was close enough to hear them threatening him. He looked big, but they were like six of them, armed with knives, and he was old. One of the boys tried to attack him, and he thwarted it, but then the others started coming at him. I simply couldn’t stand there and allow an innocent man to be hurt, so I jumped into the foray, and together we fought them off.” He smiled. “Well, as per Papa’s narration of the tale, I did most of the fighting, but I know he contributed as well. He was old, but he knew how to fight.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
“What?” She blanched. “Fourteen? And you fought those men for a complete stranger?”
“What was I supposed to do? Allow them to hurt him?” He clucked his tongue. “And you have to understand that I grew up in an orphanage. We knew how to fight since we were little. I’d dealt with enough bullies in my life by then.”
She shook her head. “I can’t even… I really don’t know what to say, except that it was very brave of you.”
“That one act changed my life, you know. Not that I knew it at that time. I’d just done my duty and helped someone in need.”
“And then what happened?”
“After that gang ran away, I took Alexander to a nearby clinic, where he called someone. Ten minutes later, three huge foreigners armed with guns entered the clinic. For a second, I was terrified that people had come to harm us, but Alexander told me they were his bodyguards. Imagine my surprise on learning that Alexander was a massively rich man from Russia.”
“And where were these bodyguards when those ruffians were bothering him?” she asked, as they walked further away from the house.
“Alexander had come to Rishikesh for the first time. He was visiting an ashram to meet a guru he followed. The ashram was close to the orphanage. That night, Alexander had landed up by the river to watch the Ganga Aarti . Some VIP was in attendance, so the place was too crowded, more than usual. In the mayhem, he’d gotten separated from his bodyguards.”
“Then what happened?”
He stopped to stare at her. “You really are so curious.”
“Part of my job description. And of course, I’m curious. You never told me any of this in the past.”
His expression tightened, and he looked ahead in the distance. His voice was stilted when he spoke next. “Alexander offered me money, of course, as a reward for helping him. But I refused.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Because while sitting there with him in the clinic, I realized I could barely communicate with him. He spoke such fluent English. We all went to a local school that offered basic courses, but it wasn’t enough. Now, here was this man, willing to do anything for me to reward me for my bravery. So I used that opportunity to save the lives of my brothers and me, and…” He paused, shook his head, and then continued, “I asked Alexander to sponsor English classes for us. We had four years remaining at the orphanage before we were let out into the world, and I was determined that we all had to succeed. But to do that, we needed to learn English first. He couldn’t believe that instead of money, I was asking for this. While dropping me back to the orphanage, he asked me to bring my family to meet him the next day at the ashram .”
He walked ahead, and she went with him. She hated how cold his voice had become, how he refused to look at her. She hated that the past was ruining whatever little harmony she’d found with him.
“Well,” Mihir continued, “I returned to the orphanage and told the others what happened. The next day, I took all of them to meet him. Alexander was so impressed by my determination to chart a better path for my little family that he not only sponsored our English lessons but also got us unlimited access to a library. That was the first day our lives began to change.”
Mihir sighed. “It’s so funny when you think about it. Alexander had lost his wife and only child during childbirth many years ago. He’d never remarried and had been feeling lost for too long, like he had no purpose in life. Someone 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. Soon, he became a friend and a mentor. Those two months when he was there that year, we used to wait to finish school just so we could go meet him. He’d tell us stories about his life in Russia, show us pictures on his laptop of a land so different from ours, and we used to listen enraptured.”
He looked into the distance. “Dmitri was Alexander’s Head of Security then. Alexander trusted him, and Dmitri was always with him. Dmitri took the incident of Alexander getting lost and being assaulted very personally. I’d gained his appreciation for rescuing Alexander. Thus, along with Alexander, I gained a friend in him too.”
Now, her earlier conversation with the butler made more sense. He was quite protective of Mihir, indeed.
“How did he get his limp?” she asked.
“He’s got osteoarthritis, and that makes him limp, especially when the pain in his joints aggravates, which it certainly does in the winters. I always tell him not to come to Moscow with me, especially at this time of the year, but he never listens.”
“He’s quite loyal to you.”
“He is.”
“Alright, continue with your story now.”
Mihir shook his head. “God, you’re so bossy!”
She gave him a pointed look.
“After Alexander left that year, we never imagined he’d return. But he did, every year for four years. During these visits, he not only introduced us to the internet but also sponsored our education in advanced English, computers, Microsoft Office… and forced us to learn basic finance and accounting. He also instilled in us the importance of proper behavior and comportment, aiming to refine us, to be better. To fit into the world better.”
Mihir turned and faced his home. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I’d be living here one day. That I’d actually get to visit the places he spoke of so ardently. That I’d also love the places he loved. I miss him so much, every single day.”
She turned to face the house. Set over three levels, the house was made of white stone, with several pillars, all topped by triangular pediments and several glass windows. The lawns at the front and the back of it were huge and surrounded by birch, ash, and maple trees, their branches all bare in this weather. But in the summer, with all the colors in full bloom, she guessed it would be spectacular. This property was old, beautiful, and fit for royalty. Looking at it, she felt excited for the little boy who didn’t know that one day he would inherit all this.
“This house is truly spectacular,” she exclaimed. “My room is beautiful too. Thank you for that.”
He glanced at her. “You’re welcome. It used to be my room at one time. After Alexander passed, I shifted to his suite. It’s what he wanted.”
Mihir had let her have what was once his room. Why? Her stomach was swooping and twirling with all these confusing signals she constantly got from him.
“Alexander was extremely fond of all of us, and we, of him,” Mihir said, looking back at the house. “He treated all of us equally, but he and I… we shared a bond. It was special. He discussed things with me before he told the others. He always took my opinion first. He told me once that he missed his son, but when he was with me, his heart felt like I was his. That I was his son. All too soon, I also started treating him like a father figure. He was just so wonderful. So encouraging and so giving.”
His eyes shone with tears when he looked at her. “That second year, when he came to Rishikesh, he’d started talking to me about the possibility of taking me to Russia with him. That he wanted me to stay with him. That he’d give me a great life. I knew what he was offering would change everything for me, but I couldn’t leave my siblings behind. They came first for me. Alexander couldn’t believe that I was rejecting his offer simply because I didn’t want to part with my siblings. My fierce rejection of leaving them behind changed his mind. He promised me that he’d take all four of us with him. You see, the adoption process in India is far too long—longer still for a foreigner. So, I told him to wait until we all were eighteen, because then we’d have to leave the orphanage anyway and fend for ourselves. We could decide for ourselves if we wanted to go to Russia with him. It would all be so much simpler.”
She nodded, and then her eyes flew to his. “Wait. You said four, Mihir. But it’s just the three of you.”
Mihir looked at her, not saying anything.
“Mihir?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “This is the reason I wanted you to conduct the interview, Anna. Armaan, Vedant, and I are finally ready to tell the world that it’s not just the three of us. We also have a sister.
She jolted a step back. “A sister?”
“Yes, we have a sister, Karina. She’s the fourth one in our quartet. However, she’s missing, and despite all our money and efforts to search for her, we haven’t been able to find her. We are hoping that once this interview goes live and the world learns we have a sister, the news will spread far and wide, and she will read it too. We’re hoping she comes looking for us.”
Ananya held her hands up. “Whoa. Wait. Let’s return to the beginning. You have a sister?”
“Yes.”
“Who all know of this, apart from the three of you?”
“Only your sisters. I still haven’t told Rajiv.”
Her throat knotted. It sucked that Mihir had never confided in her about his sister, while both his brothers had told Navya and Reina everything.
“Armaan, Vedant, Karina, and I—we were a family in the orphanage. It had always been us against the others there. That year, when we were to leave with Alexander, we had all turned eighteen, except for Karina. My brothers knew about the plan and were extremely excited. I was waiting for Karina’s birthday to tell her everything. However, you see, there was this boy at the orphanage, Dorab. He was pure evil. He’d always hated us and was envious of the bond we all shared. But Karina had a soft corner for him. She remained friends with him, despite what we told her. We didn’t want him to learn about the plan before it was time. We thought he would stop her from coming with us or make her believe that there was something foul at play. After all, a random man from Russia wanting to adopt four Indian orphans would make anyone skeptical.”
“I agree.”
“I knew it was a gamble. But I trusted Alexander and believed that he wouldn’t betray us. I wanted to go with him. He was giving us an opportunity to better our lives, and I wanted to take it. My brothers agreed. But when the time came to tell Karina, we couldn’t find her anywhere. We finally discovered that she’d run away with Dorab. We found a note addressed to us, informing us not to look for her and that she was never returning. Her betrayal destroyed us. We were so hurt. Even Alexander, with all his resources, couldn’t locate her. Still, we waited for weeks, hoping she’d miss us and return. When she didn’t, we finally gave up and went to Russia with Alexander. However, we did leave a number with Mrs. Braganza to contact us if she ever got news about our sister. It was only recently that we found new evidence that proved that Dorab may have sold her off or that she ran away from him and is now either hiding or living in fear of him and the man he’d tried to sell her to. But we will find her soon and be reunited with her one way or the other.”
She grabbed his arm. “Oh my God, that’s just awful.”
He lowered his chin.
“Mihir, I have to ask this, but are you sure she’s alive?”
“I wasn’t for the longest. But recently, I got her old picture from Mrs. Braganza, and using some very intelligent AI tools, I got an image of how she might probably look like today. Plus, Mrs. Braganza was at a mall in Mumbai recently, where she spotted Karina. But Karina ran away from her. I sent Mrs. Braganza the AI image of Karina, and she confirmed it was indeed her.”
Joy lit his face as he spoke. “She’s alive, Anna. Can you believe it? We have men searching for her, but I truly hope that when your article is published, she comes to us on her own. Ivan knows about her, and we’ve learned from the men who attacked you that he is looking for her too. We have to find her before he does.”
She caught his hand. “I hope you find her, and I hope she’s safe.”
He squeezed her fingers with his. “Thanks.”
Releasing her hand, he began to walk ahead.
“Mihir,” she called out. When he turned, she asked, “In London, you only told me about your brothers. You never once mentioned Karina. You never told me about your adoption either. Did you not trust me?”
A shutter fell over his face. His eyes were icy when they landed on her again. “I am glad I didn’t, given how things panned out.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What things? What panned out?”
“I hate it when you pretend ignorance,” Mihir barked. “You look so innocent standing here as if you don’t know anything.”
“That’s because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mihir threw his hands in the air. “Let’s go back. We can continue later.”
He spun around, striding in the direction of the house. She stared at him, feeling absolutely and utterly confused. What did he think she had done? Why was he so hesitant to tell her? This guessing game had gone on for too long, and she was done waiting to get her answers.
She took a hurried step forward, but her foot slipped on the wet snow. One second, she was upright, and the next, she was flat on her back on the ground.
“Anna!”
She heard Mihir’s stiff voice and opened her tightly squeezed eyes to look at him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, running his gaze up and down her prone form. “Are you hurt?”
She assessed herself for any injuries but didn’t feel any pain.
“I’m fine, I think,” she said.
“Do you need help getting up?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.
At her nod, he helped her up. She assessed herself again. Convinced she was okay, she started walking forward. Mihir walked beside her, watching her for a long moment, and then he looked ahead, his eyes icy again.
She halted, glaring at his departing back. She’d seen the concern in his eyes for her just now. He’d been worried about her. Even this morning, he’d been upset that she’d been attacked. But now, once again, he was pretending indifference, as if she didn’t matter in the least. She was so annoyed with him and the ease with which he switched on and off his emotions around her. She stayed in place, and he didn’t even turn once to see if she was following him or not.
Frustrated, she grabbed a fistful of snow in her hands and tossed it at him. It hit him smack on his nape.
He swiveled; his eyes laden with shock. She gathered another fistful of snow and threw it at him. This one landed on his nose.
He exhaled and stormed toward her. “What are you doing?”
In answer, she rained more snowballs at him. “I hate your cold indifference. I hate your ignorance. If you care about me, then show it, you asshole. Stop playing hot and cold with me. Stop pretending that you don’t care when I know you do.”
He stared at her, stunned. She tossed another snowball at him, and it hit the center of his face. Laughter bubbled out of her chest as her aim rang true and his face was powdered with white. Shaking his head, he wiped his face with one hand.
His eyes glinted with danger as he began to approach her. Fuck. She scrambled backwards and began to run, uncaring that she’d just slipped and fallen. She turned, running through the deep snowbanks on the side. Her boots sank with each step, the soft snow slowing her progress. She could hear Mihir’s footsteps behind her as he chased her.
A large hand clamped on her shoulder. Mihir spun her around and rained snow on the top of her head. Shrugging him off, she scooped more snow into her hands and tossed it at him, while he continued to rain snow on her. A smile played on his mouth, his gaze warmer now. Her heart fluttered. He grabbed her elbow. His foot slipped, and she began to fall with him. Mihir caught her waist, spinning them so she landed on top of his chest.
She gazed into his eyes and rubbed his face with more snow. His hand tightened on her waist, and he began to laugh, the sound echoing through the silence. Her lips tipped into a smile, and soon, she was laughing with him. Several moments later, she lifted her face to study him. His lips were still curved in a smile. He returned her stare for a long moment. Lifting his hand, he brushed a snowflake from her hair. Her breath hitched as his gloved finger caressed the apple of her cheek. A fire lit beneath her skin. She licked her lips, and his gaze darkened; the molten brown swirled with gold. His gloved finger immediately dropped to her mouth, tracing a pattern over her lips.
Lust slammed through her. Without thinking, she dropped her mouth to his. His hand sank into her nape, and he held her to him as she took his mouth in a hungry kiss. She devoured his mouth over and over, kissing, licking, and playing with his tongue.
“Anna…” Mihir said between kisses. “I’m getting cold now. My clothes are wet.”
She immediately rose off him. He stood up and dusted the snow off his clothes. He looked toward the sky. The sun was no longer visible.
“Come on, let’s head back,” he said, hurrying her back to the house.
She preceded him inside. She turned when she didn’t hear him following her. She found him waiting at the door, watching her.
She arched a brow. “What?”
“I do care, Anna,” he said, his tone resigned. “How can I not? But at the same time, it scares me to care about you. You’ve hurt me once, terribly, and I’m not willing to put myself through the trauma that again. So, this, us… is only for now. It’s temporary. I will not allow it to become more. It ends when you leave. I won’t come after you. I won’t pursue you, and I will never fall in love with you again.”
She exhaled, her heart feeling heavy. “Things between us have gotten so complex that I don’t know what to think and what to believe anymore. I don’t even know what I’ve done for you to feel the way you do about me. But I need you to tell me. I need answers before I leave. Only then can we be done once and for all.”
“Then ask what you want, and I will tell you.”
She neared him. “I will. Not right now, though. First, I need you to finish your story.”
His throat bobbed. “Alright.”
“I’ll see you back on the patio, like earlier?”
He checked the time on his watch, shaking his head. “I have to be somewhere right now.”
Disappointment washed over her. “Okay, then let us continue tomorrow.”
She turned.
“Come with me,” he said softly.
She whirled around. “What?”
“Come with me.”
“Where are we going? Do I need to change?”
He shook his head. “You’re perf… You’re fine the way you are. Wait for me. I’ll quickly change and meet you here in ten.”
She watched him cross her and hurry up the stairs. She wondered where he was taking her, and why he wanted her to come with him.
She thought about the kiss they’d just shared. When they were all alone and he was laughing with her, it felt like time had stopped and they were still the same Mihir and Anna from seven years ago, a young couple crazy in love. Her heart hammered inside her chest.
She was fooling herself. Mihir and she were not the same anymore, and she better remember that at all times.