Chapter 29
29
M ihir checked the time. It had been twenty minutes since Anna had rushed inside the restroom, looking white as a sheet. His fingers drummed against the table incessantly, and his eyes kept glancing in the direction of the washroom. Was she okay? Was she unwell? What was wrong with her? The not knowing was driving him insane. Armaan had returned the food back to the kitchen. They were all waiting for the girls to return to eat together.
The situation between Anna and him was stilted now. She was too cold, refusing to look at him or even talk to him directly. He breathed heavily. He’d spent most of the last seven years hating her and blaming her for wronging him. It was only after she’d left him, after she’d ended it all, that he’d started rethinking everything.
His phone beeped with a message. He frowned as he read it. He typed a quick reply and looked up.
“Chekov just texted,” Mihir told his brothers. “Andres wants to meet me in Tallinn.”
“Why?” Armaan asked.
“Apparently, he has some information about Ivan’s whereabouts.”
Vedant pushed his glasses up his nose. “Does he think we have nothing better to do than jump when he asks us to?”
“Exactly. That’s why I’ve asked him for proof. He said he will revert,” Mihir said. “We’re not taking any unnecessary risks at this point.”
“Do we know anything more about Ivan?” Armaan asked. “Have our guys found out where he went off to after the party in Moscow?”
His brothers had already been updated on the situation with Ivan. That Anna had asked Anton to get someone to tail Ivan.
“Not yet, but we’ll know soon enough.” Mihir looked at Vedant. “Did you manage to speak to Mrs. Braganza’s daughter?”
He and his brothers had been trying to reach Sheila, Mrs. Braganza’s daughter, for weeks, but she refused to take any calls. Their men in India had confirmed that she was devastated and hadn’t been staying in her own house.
“About that,” Vedant said. “Yes, I finally spoke to Sheila. She’s shattered, obviously. She confirmed the same things our guys told us. The police have concluded that it was a failed robbery attempt.”
“That’s such bullshit,” Armaan said. “Mrs. Braganza wasn’t rolling in money. The thieves in her neighborhood would most likely be small-time opportunists. I doubt they’d even have a gun.”
“Exactly,” Mihir concurred. “I spoke to some of the old caretakers from the orphanage—people who knew she was close to us. None of them reported meeting any new people asking about Mrs. Braganza or us. Hence, how did Ivan get her name?”
“We’ll find out,” Armaan said. “Let’s talk to everyone from that time. I’m pretty sure someone has spoken about us and our closeness to her to one of Ivan’s men. I can’t imagine how else Ivan knew that Mrs. Braganza was important to us.”
Vedant continued, “Sheila is unable to even return home to the site where her mother was shot. I’ve told her that she can choose any property she wants, and we can buy it for her. She refused. Sheila’s young, barely in her twenties, but she has strong principles like her mother.”
“Ask her if she would like to come work for us,” Mihir suggested. “That way, we’ll surely look after her.”
“I’ll propose that,” Vedant said.
They would find some way to compensate their old matron’s family. Her death would be avenged.
Armaan studied Mihir. “You haven’t told us how things are between Ananya and you.”
“I landed a few hours ago and came straight here, Armaan,” Mihir said. “Where was the time?”
“We’ve spoken often enough in the last few weeks,” Vedant said. “You’ve deliberately avoided or deflected all our questions concerning the two of you.”
“Do you still suspect her of telling Ivan about Mrs. Braganza?” Armaan asked.
“No,” he sighed, “I don’t.”
And therein lay the crux of the problem. He hadn’t been able to speak about her to his brothers because he hadn’t been sure what to tell them.
Her adamant refusal to accept her fault in the events of the past still stung. At the same time, his heart refused to accept that the Anna he’d been with during those days in Moscow was capable of hurting anyone, much less him. He was confused, angry, and now was doubting everything he had believed for years.
A constant ache burned in his chest. It was his heart yearning for her. His house in Moscow had been empty without her. Like an absolute fool, he’d continued to sleep in her room, on the bed she’d slept in, and with the pillows she’d used, just so he could sleep with her scent on him.
He’d busied himself with work and the upcoming board meeting he was due to attend, but every so often, his heart would remind him of her and how much it craved her.
His heart and mind had been battling for a while now. His heart wanted him to reconcile with her and figure out a way forward with her. His mind, however, continued to warn him that she had hurt him once and could do so again. But then, his heart further rejected that, assuring him that she wouldn’t hurt him. That she wasn’t capable of hurting him.
Thus, he’d returned to Dubai, restless and troubled, not knowing what to do about her and everything he felt for her. But the second he spotted her standing at the entrance of the restaurant today, all his doubts had vanished. Their eyes had met across the distance, and his whole being had come alive.
She’d looked so good, dressed in a simple brown, short flowing skirt and a beige sleeveless top, with matching brown knee-length boots. Her hair flowed down her back, and the only makeup on her face had been the kohl lining her eyes and the bold shade of red on her lips. She was beautiful.
His entire focus had been on her ever since she’d sat next to him. Her voice, her scent… Everything about her called to that deep, integral part of him, stirring a longing that he could no longer deny. He’d been so damn lonely, his heart bereft, ever since she’d left Moscow. But now, suddenly, he felt whole again. He knew now, without a doubt, that Anna was the missing piece needed to complete him.
In the many years of being away from her, he’d never been really, truly, happy. He’d missed that spark of delight that came from being totally content with your life. But he’d felt all that once again in those few days he’d spent with her. Being with her, showing her around Moscow, introducing her to the food he liked, taking her to his father’s grave, having her by his side at the gala, dancing with her, making love to her, holding her in his arms when she slept, just simply watching her—all that had made him so happy. And he wanted to be happy again.
Thus, if the cost of his happiness came with knowing that maybe she’d tried to hurt him in the past for the sake of her sisters, then he was finally ready to accept that as well. What he couldn’t accept was living without her.
But there was something he needed to clarify with his brothers. Something that had been niggling at him for a while now.
“I have to ask you both something,” Mihir said. “It’s about Navya and Reina.”
Vedant and Armaan exchanged a look.
“What about them?” Armaan asked, taking a sip of his wine.
“Have either of them ever told you that they were once kidnapped? Around the same time I was attacked?”
Armaan and Vedant looked at each other again, clearly not sure what this meant.
“Why do you ask?” Armaan queried.
“I’ll explain, but first, can you please answer the question.”
Vedant frowned. “No, Reina’s never mentioned it.”
“Neither has Navya…” Armaan frowned. “I don’t think this is true. If it were, then Navya would have told me. We have no secrets.”
“Same,” Vedant agreed. “Reina’s shared everything with me, and if she hasn’t mentioned this, then it is not true. If she could tell me about being…”
Vedant clamped his mouth shut. Even Armaan looked into his glass, not meeting Mihir’s eyes.
Mihir clucked his tongue. “You can finish the sentence. I know they’re both adopted by the Mehras.”
“What?” Armaan choked. “How do you know?”
“I’ve always known, Armaan. You forget that seven years ago, I was in a very serious relationship with Anna. While I hadn’t confided much about my life to her, she told me everything about herself.”
“You never told us,” Vedant said.
“It was not my secret to tell,” Mihir said. “Besides, I knew that it wouldn’t have mattered to either of you, and also that the girls would confide in you eventually.”
Armaan shook his head. “You really knew?”
Mihir looked heavenward. “Yes. Now, get back to my question. Do you think the girls were ever kidnapped or held hostage?”
Vedant shook his head. “If that had been true, then Reina wouldn’t have reacted the way she did when you held her hostage to care for me. She was mostly calm, except when she was mad at me. She didn’t come across as someone being traumatized because such a situation was being repeated in her life.”
Mihir thought through his brother’s words. They made sense. Neither Navya nor Reina came across as women who had dealt with a trauma like that in the past. Even when Vedant had been shot, and Mihir had forcefully brought Reina and her team from the hospital to stay with them, Reina had been the only one in the team to confidently and fiercely object to that situation. In the end, she had agreed to remain only because her team was enticed by the money that he was offering them.
He addressed his brothers. “For my sake, can you ask them once?”
“We will. But first, you need to tell us why,” Armaan said.
“The day of my attack, I’d actually asked you both to come to London because I wanted to introduce you to Anna. She’d told her sisters about me, and they were to meet us for lunch the next afternoon.”
A look of hurt crossed Vedant’s face. “You’d never told us. Armaan and I had suspected you were in a relationship, but we were waiting for you to tell us. We assumed it was that woman from the café you seemed so besotted with.”
“I’m sorry, guys. Now, in retrospect, I wish I could have done things differently and told you about Anna earlier. But it is what it is.” Mihir exhaled. “Anyway, a few days prior to your visit, Anna and I had rented a house in Kent for our…” He paused. He couldn’t yet bring himself to tell them that he had married her. So, he told them the whole episode, leaving out the details of their marriage and honeymoon. “But just before I reached there, she sent me these texts…” he concluded, turning his phone to show his brothers the snapshots of the messages exchanged between him and Anna on that fateful day.
Armaan looked up. “Fuck. Is that why you were suspecting that she knew Ivan from earlier?”
“Yes.”
Vedant shook his head. “But these messages don’t make sense, Mihir. If?—”
“—wait, Vedant,” Armaan said. He looked at Mihir. “You’ve had this with you for seven years now, right? So then, why are you only telling us now? Why did you not tell us earlier when we were getting involved with the girls?”
“Tell you what?” Mihir splayed a hand out. “That the girls you both were falling in love with were the reason for my attack. That their sister had chosen them over me? That she had left me to die so she could save her sisters?” He slammed his phone on the table. “This was my past, and I definitely wasn’t going to allow it to taint your lives. You both deserve every bit of happiness. And Navya and Reina were innocent, no matter what.”
His brothers kept silent.
Armaan cleared his throat. “Thank you. You’re always putting us first, you know. It means a lot.”
Vedant’s eyes turned moist. “Really, Mihir. I don’t think we thank you enough for everything you keep doing for us. You’re the best brother we could have ever asked for, and we’re so lucky that you are ours.”
Mihir’s heart warmed at their words. He would always do what was best for them.
“So, after reading those messages,” Armaan said, “you returned to Kent. Where you were attacked…”
Mihir nodded.
“Thank God, we found you when you did,” Vedant said. “At least now, we know the whole truth.”
Mihir looked in the direction of the washroom. Navya and Reina came out first, followed by Anna. He frowned when he saw her. She looked upset and stressed. Her eyes met his, and she immediately skirted her gaze away.
“Are you okay?” Armaan asked Anna when she reached them.
Facing everyone, she said. “Sorry, guys, I’m feeling a bit unwell. I just want to go home.”
“What happened, Anna?” Mihir asked.
“She will be fine,” Navya snapped.
“She’s fine,” Reina said at the same time.
His brows arched at their sharp tones. Anna gave her sisters a pleading look. Navya’s lips pursed, and she sat down next to Armaan. Reina continued to stand beside Anna. A look passed between them, and then Reina gave Anna a hug, whispering something in her ear. Strange. All their behavior was a tad bit strange.
Anna’s already somber expression saddened even more. Grabbing her purse, she left them. He watched her walk away, his heart a mess of emotions. There was something wrong with her.
Dropping his napkin, he rose. “I’ll just go see her out.”
“Absolutely not,” Navya said.
“Mihir, no,” Reina said at the same time.
Armaan and Vedant looked at the girls in confusion. Mihir didn’t even wait to ask them what was wrong. He was only concerned about Anna.
He rushed out of the restaurant, searching the parking lot. He found Adam first. Through him, he saw her nearing her car.
He ran to her. “Anna, wait.”
She turned. “Now what?”
Just standing close to her made his heart settle. His breathing eased, and all his worries evaporated. All because she was near him.
“What’s wrong, Anna?” he asked. “You don’t look well.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you care because?”
“You know I care, Anna.”
“It surely didn’t seem like it when you were accusing me of sending you to die. It surely didn’t feel like it when you blamed me for working with Ivan.” A weary sigh escaped her lips. “I’m not doing this again with you, Mihir. Go away and leave me alone. And stop calling me Anna. We’re no longer married. We’re no longer anything to each other.”
Before he could open his mouth to reply, someone called her name. She looked to the side and her face widened into a smile.
“Zeeshan, hi!” She greeted her old friend warmly, giving him a hug when he reached her.
Zeeshan looked at Mihir but didn’t acknowledge him. Which was good. Mihir didn’t want anything to do with him. Fucking loser.
“Isn’t it sweet that I keep running into you here, girl?” Zeeshan remarked.
“Lunch meeting?” Anna asked him.
“Yes.” Zeeshan smiled. “Are you coming in, or are you dipping already?”
Mihir glared at the man. Some people never changed. Who spoke in slang now that they were in their early thirties? Dipping? Ugh.
Something clicked in Mihir’s brain. His mind whirled. Suddenly, all the scattered fragments aligned together, completing the puzzle of his past. It was crazy, it was hard to fathom, but it made sense. His heart wrenched. If what he was thinking was true, then… he had made the biggest fucking mistake of his life.
Pulling out his phone, he texted Chekov.
Anna was still talking to Zeeshan when Chekov and Anton appeared behind them.
Anna looked from them to Mihir. “What is going on?”
“You need to come with us,” Chekov said.
Anna frowned, and then her eyes popped when she understood Chekov wasn’t talking to her; he was talking to Zeeshan.
Her frantic gaze rushed to Mihir. “Are you mad? What do you want with him?”
“Me? Why me?” Zeeshan stuttered, looking at the two huge men standing behind him.
Mihir’s lips flattened. Anger rushed through him. The more he thought of it, the more sense everything made. Now, he only had to confirm it. He nodded, and Chekov and Anton moved closer to Zeeshan.
“Mihir, what the fuck is going on?” Anna yelled.
Mihir studied Zeeshan. “I think you know why my men are here. It’s time you deal with the consequences of your betrayal from seven years ago.”
The man visibly paled.
“What?” Anna gasped. She looked between him and Zeeshan. Shaking her head, she addressed Mihir. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ll know soon.” To Zeeshan, he said, “You can do this quietly, or you can make a scene, in which case, cops will be called. Do you really want them involved at this point?”
Zeeshan held his hands up. “I’ll go with them.”
“What is going on?” she asked as Zeeshan lowered his face and went with Chekov.
Anna pushed against Mihir’s chest. “What the fuck was that? I know you don’t like him, but he’s not done anything to you ever.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked.
“Come with me,” he told her when she frowned.
“Are you mad?” she yelled. “I’m not coming anywhere with you.”
“Anna, please,” he begged. “If what I think is true, then he was the one who sent me those messages from your phone that… that day .”
“W…What?” she stuttered. “No… that can’t be.”
“Well, Anna, if you didn’t send those messages, then someone else surely did. It can’t be Asha because she was already married by then and was no longer living with you. Which means it was either him or that other friend of yours.”
“Zeeshan or Devina?” She shook her head. “This is crazy to even think about.”
“It really isn’t. He’s the only one who uses words like dipping . If you remember, one of those text messages said I’ll make up an excuse to them and dip to come to you. In my hurt and anger, I never noticed it before, even though God knows how many times I’ve reread those messages. I never even considered the possibility of someone else sending me those messages. But after I heard him talk like that today, I am quite certain of his involvement.”
He could see the wheels turning in her head as well. She was too smart not to join the dots. Her mouth opened and closed as she came to the same conclusion.
“Come with me. Let’s find out,” he told her gently.
He reached for her arm, but she slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch me. I’ll follow you in my car.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“No, you will not,” she said. “Every time I decide to give you a chance, you find a new way to disappoint me. So, don’t assume that whatever he says will change anything between you and me.”
“We will see about that,” he said.
She threw him a look filled with pure rage before spinning around and climbing into her car.
Of course, she would be furious. He’d never believed her. He hadn’t trusted her enough. In his defense, the proof he had made it difficult for him to think otherwise. However, even that hadn’t been able to change the fact that he loved her. He had always loved her. His hate all these years had only been a cover for the truth, which was that he still loved her, despite everything.
His phone beeped. It was his brothers on their group chat.
Armaan
Navya was never kidnapped seven years ago
Vedant
Neither was Reina. The only thing they remember from that time is that they had arrived late because Reina got delayed at med school. The next day they had waited at the restaurant where we all were to meet. But we never showed. And then, Ananya learned of your death
Armaan
There’s something missing. You really need to get to the bottom of this, Mihir
That was his plan. He needed to find out exactly how Anna’s friend had destroyed them, and why. If they could finally lay the past to rest, maybe they could finally move forward in life. Anna and he could talk again and sort everything out. It may not happen overnight, but they could at least start walking in the direction of a better future.
Hope flared in his chest. He would make it work with her. He had to, because even perceiving a future that didn’t involve her was impossible.
One small step at a time, he told himself.
First step: put the past behind them.