Chapter 36
Reyansh
“What the hell?” I groan, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through my head. Blinking my eyes open, my hands instinctively press against my forehead, feeling as though it’s been split wide open.
“Thank God, you’re awake!” Mom cries, bending over to hug me, her body shaking with sobs. “Your dad and I were worried sick.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I assure her , though my head is still pounding .
“Honey, do I get to see my son now?” Dad jokes, standing beside Mom, his eyes full of concern.
She looks at me again, her eyes still brimming with tears, but she takes a step aside to let Dad move closer.
“How you feeling, son?” he asks, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder and gazing down at me with red-rimmed eyes and dishevelled hair.
“My head hurts like hell,” I say, breathing through the pain.
“That’s understandable, considering the hit to your head,” Dad says with a small nod , and then squints at me. “How many times have I told you to keep the speed limit in check? But you never seem to listen.”
“These discussions can wait. Can’t you see our baby is in the hospital? We need to focus on that,” Mom scolds Dad.
Dad nods solemnly, “Honey, I am just as worried as you are.”
“Dad, to answer your question, I was within the speed limit,” I frown, sitting up slowly and looking around the hospital room until my eyes land on the ring, and I freeze.
“Kavya?” I ask, turning back to look at Mom.
“She was here yesterday and said she’d come again. She seemed really shaken to see you like this,” she says softly.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Damn, she must have been terrified. I can imagine the hell she would have gone through on hearing about the car accident.
“How long was I out?” I ask, opening my eyes.
“It’s been twenty-four hours, son,” Dad answers.
“Twenty-four hours?” I repeat. Shit. I need to go to Kavya. I need to tell her I’m fine.
“I have to go,” I say, trying to get up from the bed, but Mom’s firm hand on my shoulder holds me back.
“You’re not going anywhere until the doctor checks on you and gives you the all-clear for discharge.”
“Mom, you don’t understand. I — ” I begin, but Dad cuts me off before I can finish.
“Young man, you’re not going to argue with your mom on that,” Dad asserts as he presses the buzzer to call the nurse.
Mom sighs softly. “ We won’t force you to stay if the doctor says you can go home .”
“Fine,” I groan, nodding reluctantly. “But I’m not staying a minute longer once I get the green signal from the doctor.” For now, I go along with my parents, trying to keep them calm. Whether the doctor agrees or not, my mind is made up—I’m getting out of here.
The next few minutes drag by painfully as the doctor comes and checks me. Fortunately, he gives me the go-ahead, saying there’s no reason to keep me in the hospital and instructs the nurse to start the discharge process.
As soon as the doctor steps out with the nurse, Sidharth enters the room and greets my parents. He then turns his attention to me with a look that says he has important news that can’t be shared in the presence of my parents. Giving him a slight nod, I urge my parents to go grab a coffee and possibly handle the discharge formalities.
Once they’re out of the room, Sidharth pulls up a chair next to my bed. “It’s good to see you’re doing well, man,” he says, his voice low. “The news of your accident sure did a number on everyone.”
“Was it really just an accident?” I raise my eyebrows at him, and his jaw clenches.
“No,” he growls, his gaze turning away briefly. “ It’s that bastard. He figured hurting you was the best way to get to Kavya .” He shakes his head, and then he meets my eyes again.
“Kavya must be scared out of her mind. I hate that I’m stuck here, unable to get to her sooner,” I admit, running my hand down my face.
“Well, I totally get what you’re going through, man. Kavya was completely devastated when she heard the news. I didn’t see it myself, but Karan told me,” he says quietly.
I pick up the ring from the table, gripping it tightly in my fist . “I fucking hate that she had to go through that without me.”
He gulps hard. “That’s not the only thing she had to face. There’s something more that happened,”
My body tenses. I can tell from his tone that whatever he has to say will hit me hard. Still, I’d rather he rip off the bandage than keep me in the dark.
“Just tell me, Sidharth,” I growl.
“Suman’s body was found near an old mill factory.” My eyes widen at his words, and I stare at him, drawing in a tight breath as he continues. “The coroner is performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but from the look of it, she was beaten to death. A clear case of murder,” he states grimly.
“Tell me you didn’t tell Kavya about this!” I demand angrily. My insides churn at the thought of Kavya’s pain, knowing this news would only worsen it. The damage it could cause... Worst of all, I’m not there to hold her and comfort her through this. It fucking hurts to think of her going through this by herself, especially with her being pregnant. I need to be there for her. I have to protect her and our child.
“She overhead Karan talking to me,” he says regretfully.
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath , feeling my gut twist as I clutch the ring tighter in my hands.
“There’s more,” he says hesitantly.
“What?” I bark, my patience wearing thin. All I want is to get out of here and be with my woman, but I know I need to get through this conversation first.
“Kavya has asked and practically forced Officer Viraj and me to shut down the case. She even insisted on pulling Karan back from guarding her. It seemed irrational on her part, but we had to respect her decision. S he was scared that the investigation was putting her sister and everyone else in danger . She begged for us to let it go, for now,” he explains, his tone defensive.
I glare at him, but he lifts his hands in defence. “Before you lose your shit, let me tell you, we haven’t withdrawn our involvement from the case completely. We’re still working on it without her knowledge. The only thing we asked Karan to do was to pull back , but we’ve got cameras set up at her place to keep an eye on her ,” he adds, trying to reassure me, but it fucking makes my blood boil.
“Are you kidding me?” I snap, slipping the ring into my pocket. “You asked Karan to stop guarding her?”
He takes a breath. “Reyansh, she needed a little space to breathe and feel at ease. Plus, this is a part of our plan. Whoever this jerk is, I am sure he’s worried about his secret getting out and being caught. That’s why he’s trying to scare Kavya into keeping quiet by targeting her loved ones. With that in mind, we’ve changed our game plan without Kavya’s knowledge. We’ve spread the word that Kavya has found proof that will expose the culprit, and soon she will be revealing it. This should lure the perpetrator out. This way, we can catch him when he tries to attack her, without the presence of Karan scaring him off.”
That’s it. I yank the IV out of my arm, swing my legs off the bed, and grab him by the collar, lifting him right out of the chair . Confusion creases his brow as I pin him with a scorching glare. “Have you lost your bloody mind? Kavya is pregnant with my child, and you’ve put her out there as bait.”
His eyes widen even more. “Pregnant?”
“Yes, pregnant. She’s carrying my child. My child. And you’ve the nerve to put both her life and my child’s at risk,” I growl angrily.
He shakes his head. “I am sorry, man. I didn’t know.”
“If anything happens to her or my child, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
“Nothing will happen to either of them. I’ll have Karan back on duty to guard her.”
“You’d better take care of that right now,” I mutter darkly. “I want her SAFE.”
He nods, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I’ll leave now and ensure we rework our plan. I’ll also ask Karan to resume guarding her.” Then, without another word, he turns and rushes out, leaving me seething.
“Kavya’s pregnancy is a secret I don’t want anyone to know just yet,” I say as he reaches the door.
“Got it. My lips are sealed.” He looks back over his shoulder at me.
I lift my chin. “Thanks.”
He throws a smile my way before walking out and closing the door behind him. I take a few minutes to compose myself when the door swings open again, and my parents walk back in, holding a file.
“We’ve got the discharge papers and all the formalities sorted. We’re free to go,” Mom announces, standing in front of me.
Dad’s eyes flick down to my hand before meeting mine. “Can’t you show some damn patience for once? The nurse would have been here to remove the IV tube. You didn’t have to do it yourself,” he scolds, shaking his head.
“I have to go, Dad,” I say, ignoring his comment. I am about to walk past them when Mom grips my arm.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re coming home with us,” Mom orders firmly.
I shake my head. “I can’t, Mom.”
“Fine, then I am coming with you to your house. Either way, I am going to take care of you for the next few days,” Mom insists, crossing her arms and looking every bit determined.
“Mom, please understand. I need to go to Kavya and make sure she’s okay. I promise after that I will come home and stay with you two for the next few days.”
Mom sighs and raises her eyebrows at me. “Promise me you will come home?”
“I promise,” I say, kissing her forehead.
“Fine, but you’re taking the cab and not driving.”
“Okay, Mom, cab it is,” I agree with a nod.
After kissing her on the cheek and hugging Dad, I step out of the hospital and book a cab to take me straight to Kavya
???
Sitting on Kavya’s bed with my elbows on my knees, my blood begins to boil as I stare at the clock. It’s already ten at night, and she still hasn’t come home . My frustration bubbles up, but I’m more than willing to play the waiting game , no matter how long it takes. My gut tells me she’ll eventually come back to her sister and Aunty. That’s why I’m here, biding my time patiently.
After leaving the hospital, I drove straight to her house. Sunita Aunty was visibly concerned when she saw the bandage on my head, but I quickly brushed it off and asked about Kavya . She said Kavya had supposedly gone out of the city for some office work , but something about that didn’t sit right. I immediately called Akash and found out Kavya hadn’t been to the office, and there was no out-of-town assignment. The entire day, I called her phone non-stop, but every call went straight to voicemail. I searched everywhere I could think of, but there was no sign of her.
I was on the verge of losing it completely when I received a call from Karan. He told me that he had found Kavya sitting alone in a coffee shop. I demanded the address immediately, and although he gave it to me, he requested me not to come right away. He felt Kavya needed some space and that my showing up might not help . He also assured me that he was keeping a discreet watch on her from a distance , making sure she was safe.
I didn’t want to admit it, but deep down, I knew Karan was right. As much as it frustrated me, I knew that she needed space . When he promised me that he’d keep an eye on her and make sure she got home safely, I reluctantly agreed, albeit half- heartedly. The only thing keeping me from going to her and bringing her back myself is knowing that she’s safe and that she simply needs some time.
Yet, with every passing minute, my anger and irritation keep mounting. My mind goes back to the ring she left in the hospital and the message she sent, saying it’s over between us before switching off her damn phone . I let out a small, humourless laugh. If she thinks she can cut ties with me over a mere text message and expect me to roll over, she’s got another thing coming. There’s no way it’s over between us—and it never will be. She’s mine, and any effort she makes to get away from me is in vain.
I drop my hands, my eyes fixed on the door as it creaks open. Slowly, she enters the room, her gaze glued to her phone. She drops her purse onto the nearby table before finally looking up. The moment her eyes meet mine, she lets out a startled shriek. Her phone slips from her hand and crashes onto the floor as she staggers backwards, pressing herself against the wall.
My heart warms on seeing her, but at the same time, my anger intensifies when I see her red eyes and pale face—a clear indication that she’s been crying and hurting herself, thinking that pushing me away is somehow for my own good . She couldn’t be more wrong. Pushing me away is the worst thing she could do, and I’m not having it.
“Why are you here?” she asks shakily.
I stand up but don’t move any closer, my gaze narrowing. “Why am I here? Seriously?”
“Reyansh, you... you promised me you would give me time to process things and not push me,” she reminds softly.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Sweetheart, I gave you time, not a choice. And I also made it clear that I won’t let anyone take away my happiness not even you,” I point out firmly.
“And I told you it’s over between us. There’s no reason for us to see each other anymore. I have nothing to give in this relationship,” she says, her chin trembling as she tries to sound firm .
“Nothing to give,” I mock, dropping my gaze to her stomach where our child is growing, then glaring back at her.
“No. It... it’s my child. My child alone,” she stutters, wrapping her hands around her stomach, perhaps fearing I might react like an asshole and try to take the child from her if she’s ending things between us.
“You’re on a roll tonight trying to piss me off—first breaking things off, and now thinking you can keep my child away from me,” I say, advancing towards her with measured steps , watching her flinch slightly . “Do you really believe I’ll just agree to it?”
“I can’t be with you, Reyansh. Please let go of me. Don’t make this harder than it already is ,” she pleads.
“I’m never letting you go. Get that through your thick head once and for all,” I hiss, pressing both my hands against the sides of her face and caging her against the wall with my body. “You’re mine, Kavya, mine.” I lower one hand to rest gently on her belly. “And my baby will never know what it’s like to grow up without a father. I’ll always be there for both of you,” I tell her, emphasising that each word of the last sentence is crystal clear.
She stares at me, blinking, and I too am lost in the moment, not realizing when her hands come to my chest and push me away. I stumble a few steps as she walks past me and stands near her bed with her back turned to me.
“Why are you being so stubborn, Reyansh? Why can’t you just understand? I... can’t be with you,” she tries again, her voice wavering.
Taking a few calming breaths, I stride over to her and grab her shoulder, forcing her to face me. “Talk to me, Kavya. Let it out,” I urge this time my tone turns gentle. I know her fears, but I need her to voice them, to confront and dispel them.
She studies my face as tears slip down her cheeks. She then lifts her hands to gently caress my bandaged forehead. “Being with me… it’s too dangerous for you,” she whispers, and my heart squeezes at the pain in her voice.
“Being without you is more painful for me,” I say, my grip on her tightening. “I’d rather die — ”
Before I can finish, her hand flies to my mouth, stopping me . “Please don’t complete that sentence.” Tears stream down her face.
I kiss her fingers softly before pulling her hand from my mouth and placing it over my heart. “Then don’t say things that make me say that. Stop shutting me out, Kavya. Not now. Not when we need each other the most.”
“You don’t understand! He… he killed… killed Suman.” her voice trembles as she continues, “And he tried to hurt you because of me. If something happens to you…” she shakes her head, crying.
“And if something happens to you, it will kill me. Do you hear me? Kill me.”
“But Reyansh — ” she tries again but I cut her off.
“No buts. You and this baby are my life now. I don’t care what danger we’re in. I won’t leave you, not as long as I’m still breathing.”
“I’m trying to protect you, Reyansh!” Her frustration boils over, her voice rising .
“And I’m trying to protect you. Also, I can’t do that if you keep pushing me away!” I yell back, my voice matching her intensity. “Please understand, Kavya. You’re pregnant.”
Just as the words leave my mouth, the door creaks open. We both freeze, and my hands drop from her as I turn to see Sunita Aunty enter the room, her face filled with shock and hurt.
“Pregnant?” she asks, glancing between Kavya and me , tears glistening in her eyes.
“Aunty...” Kavya takes a hesitant step toward her, but Sunita Aunty raises her hands, halting Kavya in her tracks.
“Aunty, I’m sorry, but — ” I start, but Aunty cuts me off.
“Sorry? You are sorry? You’re not even married yet! How could you two be so careless?” Aunty’s voice rises, filled with anger and disappointment.
“Aunty, please try to understand...” Kavya quivers, her body visibly shaken.
Aunty shakes her head. “Understand what, Kavya? That you’ve not only disappointed me, but put your future at risk as well ?”
I wrap my arms around Kavya and look into Aunty’s eyes. “I love Kavya, Aunty.”
“Love isn’t enough to raise a child!” Aunty retorts, glaring at me.
I’m about to say more, to assure her that I’m committed and want to marry Kavya, but before I can, Kavya speaks up, her voice trembling . “Aunty, please... We didn’t mean for this to happen,” her voice pleading and tearful.
“ Aunty looks at us for a moment, then shakes her head again, this time more to herself. “I need time to think. I can’t… I just can’t…” She turns abruptly and walks out, the door slamming behind her.
As soon as we’re alone, Kavya buries her face in my chest and starts sobbing.
“Shhh, please don’t cry, sweetheart,” I whisper, holding her tighter, but she sobs harder.
I slowly guide her to the bed and sit on the edge, pulling her onto my lap. Cupping her face in my hands, I lift her gaze to meet mine. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I never wanted Aunty to find out like this.”
She closes her eyes and rests her forehead on my chest. “I’ve never seen Aunty so mad at me. I’ve really let her down.”
“No, you haven’t. She’s just upset right now, but she loves you. She’ll come around, I promise .” My voice is soft and low, trying to soothe her.
“I hope you’re right. It just feels like I’ve disappointed her so much.”
“Trust me, sweetheart, you haven’t upset her beyond repair,” I whisper, but this time, she doesn’t reply, her crying making it impossible for her to speak.
“Please don’t cry, sweetheart,” I say softly, my hand gently gliding up and down her back. “I’ll speak to Aunty and tell her that I want to marry you. Once she knows my intentions, she’ll accept our relationship wholeheartedly.” I hold her close, feeling her body relax against mine, silently hoping she doesn’t fight me anymore and understands that we are inseparable.
A few minutes pass in silence, and then she lifts her head to meet my eyes, fear evident in hers. “Reyansh, marriage isn’t a good idea. I’m scared. I can’t bear to lose you.”
I gently place my hands at the back of her neck, brushing my thumb against her soft skin . “You won’t lose me. We’re getting married. And we’re going to do it not only for our happiness but also because it’s what’s best for our little one. He will not come into this world without bearing his father’s name.”
Kavya eyes search mine before nodding slowly. “We’re getting married,” she whispers, tears spilling over.
I exhale deeply, feeling relieved. I gently wipe the tears from her cheek. “That’s right, sweetheart. We’re getting married. I love you, Kavya. More than anything.”
“I love you too, Reyansh,” she murmurs, burying her face in my neck and wrapping her arms around my neck.
“We can go and talk to Aunty together now,” I whisper softly.
She shakes her head slightly, her face still buried in my neck. “No, I want to do this on my own.”
“Kavya...” I begin, but she puts her finger on my lips and gently cradles my face in her hands.
“Reyansh, I really need to do this alone. It’s important to me. But tomorrow, you can come and talk to Aunty .”
I sigh, not entirely happy with the idea. “I don’t like it, but if that’s what you want. Let me warn you though, tomorrow I won’t be coming alone. It will be me and my parents fixing our wedding dates. I’m done waiting,” I state, make no room for debate.
Her face turns beet red, a smile spreading across her lips. “Okay.”
“That’s my girl,” I say, leaning in for a kiss, but she again places her fingers on my lips to stop me, causing me to groan.
She giggles and says, “This can wait until tomorrow. Right now, you need to leave so I can talk to Aunty.”
“I’ll leave now, but remember this; I’m never letting you go, Kavya,” I say, pulling her into my arms.
I close my eyes and press a kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent. I should be happy and relaxed now that she has said yes to marry me. I’ve desperately longed to hear that from her. Yet, for some unknown reason, there’s this odd tightness in my chest, this feeling of unease that refuses to subside . It’s l ike something dark and heavy is looming over us, threatening to take her away from me . I shake off the ominous thoughts and hold Kavya tighter, reassuring myself that she’s right here, and that she’ll never leave me.