CHAPTER 6 （Got You）
TRISHA
I awoke with a gasp, my eyes flying open. For a moment, panic gripped me as I tried to get my bearings. The sterile white hospital room, the IV in my arm... then it came back in a rush. Max, the ambush, getting shot by his men at the club, and still alive.
As I struggled to sit up, the ache in my bandaged shoulder jolted me.
I had survived, but only narrowly. Although the bullet that struck my shoulder hadn’t penetrated the skin, the throbbing ache persisted.
Touching the wound gingerly, I exhaled in relief.
It could have been so much worse. I was lucky.
Reaching for the cup of water on the bedside table, I paused. There was a hand holding it out to me already. My eyes followed up the arm to the face I knew so well. Krish.
I froze, the cup halfway to my lips. What was he doing here? How did he even know what happened? Confusion swirled in my foggy brain.
“What are you doing here?” I asked hoarsely once I found my voice again.
Krish’s expression was tight with emotion. “What do you think I’m doing here?”
My mind raced. Had he dropped everything and come when he heard I was shot? Despite me walking away from him without a word months ago? It made no sense.
“You shouldn’t be here, Krish,” I murmured. “Not after...” Not after his father had forbidden us from getting close. I completed that statement in my head instead of voicing it out. “You should leave.”
Krish’s jaw clenched at the unsaid reminder.
“I heard you didn’t seem to want that when you were first brought in,” he said quietly. “You kept saying my name repeatedly... even in your unconscious state.”
I inhaled sharply. Even when barely conscious, some part of me had longed for Krish, needed him by my side. As much as I tried to deny it when awake, this was the truth. But I didn’t want Krish to know that.
“Who… who told you that? The team? The doctors?” I asked in a panic.
I didn’t want my colleagues to know that I harboured a soft spot for Krish. Honestly, I hadn’t even admitted it to myself until now.
Seeing the conflict in my eyes, Krish sighed. “Drink some water first,” he insisted.
I let him help me in holding the glass as I quickly drank the water. The next second, I coughed and sputtered as the water hit my parched throat. Krish was instantly at my side, stroking my back soothingly as I caught my breath.
“Easy,” he murmured. His fingers lightly grazed my bare shoulder, and I shivered, the thin hospital gown leaving me exposed. Krish seemed oblivious, just focused on my coughing fit.
When I finally calmed down, he put the glass away with a look of relief.
“The team shouldn’t know you’re here,” I said quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters.
“They know already.” His expression darkened.
They know? What did they know?
“Your team knows I am here. They just don’t know I’m here for personal reasons more than professional.”
I swallowed nervously as Krish pulled a chair and sat next to my bed, leaning forward intently.
“Let’s get to the main topic before we discuss the failed mission, Agent Trisha Choudhary.”
For the first time, Krish addressed me by my last name. Unfortunately, the mission I had been dedicated to for the past few months with GLEN hadn’t gone as planned. But it seemed like Krish had other personal matters to discuss before delving into the professional setbacks.
“You abandoned me, Trisha. The way you left, without a word… it tore me up.”
“You know why I left,” I argued. “We had an intel on Max and…”
“Was that the only reason you left?” he inquired.
I looked away, unable to respond.
“Look, Trisha, I respect your dedication to the work, I do. But I can’t keep pretending there’s nothing between us. No matter what my father demands.”
He reached for my hand tentatively, but I pulled away.
“Your father didn’t demand anything unreasonable, Krish. He just wanted us to draw boundaries, and as the president of GLEN, he has the authority to make such requests. We’ve committed ourselves, even our lives, to this organisation.”
“I’m willing to sacrifice my life for GLEN, but they don’t have the right to dictate when and to whom I give my heart.”
His reply made my heart skip a beat.
“We need to discuss us, Trisha.”
I looked away again, feigning confusion. “There is no ‘us’.”
“Don’t,” Krish said sharply. “You can lie to yourself but not to me. Even in this state, you were calling out for me, Trisha. Why?”
I paled, humiliation washing over me.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I argued weakly. “I was not in the right mindset.”
Krish grasped my hand firmly before I could pull away. “It means you still care, no matter how hard you pretend otherwise. I know you feel this too, Trisha.”
Panic clawed at my throat. I couldn’t let him break through my defences.
“What exactly is ‘this’ you’re referring to?
” I asked Krish pointedly. “Define it clearly because, as far as I’m concerned, love has no place in my life right now.
Yes, I was engaged once, but that was under my grandmother’s pressure, and you clearly know how bad that decision was.
It was a mistake—one that clouded my judgement and went against my career. ”
I held his gaze unflinchingly.
“Your father warned us for a good reason. Relationships make us weak, Krish. They undermine our ability to make objective decisions for the sake of the mission and the greater good.”
Krish started to protest, but I spoke over him. “I learned the hard way how selfish love can become. How it twists your priorities and makes you lose sight of your duty.”
Shaking my head, I concluded, “I won’t ignore those lessons and make the same errors again. You need to understand that I don’t crave or require that kind of bond right now. My dedication is to my work and work alone.”
My heart splintered, but I held firm.
“I can’t, Krish. I’m sorry.” The words felt like tearing off a limb.
Krish dropped my hand, looking utterly defeated, but the frustration on his face said that he wouldn’t give up on this conversation yet.
“I’ve missed you every day you’ve been away,” Krish replied.
“I don’t know if this is love yet. What I do know is that I care for you deeply.
Being with you makes me happy in a way I’ve never felt before.
These past months apart have been agonising.
I missed your smile, your laugh, and your companionship every single day.
I understand your reservations, but I can’t simply ignore what’s between us only because my primary focus now should be on my role in GLEN.
If relationships hindered GLEN’s success, only single and divorced individuals would be working for the organisation.
GLEN is successful because we all know where to draw the boundaries between our personal and professional lives.
A prime example is my father, the President of GLEN.
He was married when he started GLEN, and his relationship with my mother never affected his commitment or responsibilities towards law enforcement. ”
The door swung open and Dr. Bhat entered, followed by my team leader, Sudesh, interrupting our charged moment.
I saw Krish straighten from the corner of my eye, stepping back from my bedside. His facade of professionalism slid back into place flawlessly.
“How are you feeling, Agent Choudhary?” Sudesh inquired.
“Much better. Thank you for rescuing me on time,” I replied evenly.
Dr. Bhat examined my bandages and vitals.
Seeing Dr. Bhat, I realised that I was in a hospital located within one of GLEN’s facilities in Singapore.
My team got me to Singapore from Malaysia, safely out of Max’s reach.
Otherwise, they would have got me treated in Malaysia as nearly every country in alliance with our organisation, dedicated to combating severe crimes, had infrastructures such as training centres, hospitals, safe houses, and more, specifically designed for agents like us.
Dr. Bhat played a crucial role in GLEN’s medical team, overseeing the physical and psychological preparedness of agents for their missions, but he only practiced at the Singapore headquarters.
“You’ve been very lucky, Trisha,” he said. “The wound should heal in a few weeks.”
Krish cleared his throat. “Doctor, could you give us a moment? I need to discuss the mission with Agent Trisha and Sudesh.”
Dr. Bhat nodded and exited. As soon as he left, Krish rounded on Sudesh. “I want a full report detailing exactly how this mission went wrong on my desk in 48 hours.”
Sudesh paled slightly. “Yes, Sir, of course.” He turned to me almost pleadingly. “Trisha, can you walk me through your cover being compromised? Did Max or his men say anything indicating how they discovered your identity?”
I shook my head. “It all happened so fast... One minute everything seemed normal, and the next they were ready to kill me.”
Sudesh sighed heavily. “Clearly, there was a leak of information somewhere. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“I’ll assist you once I’m out of here,” I said to Sudesh, but Krish shut me down coldly.
“You are barred from field work for two weeks, effective immediately, until medically cleared.”
I bristled at Krish overruling me but held my tongue.
Sudesh awkwardly tried to smooth things over.
“The, uh, standard recovery protocols make sense here. Your identity being compromised makes you the target of not just Max but his brother—the drug cartel kingpin we are after. Until we have a next plan of action, why don’t you take this time to lay low? ”
Ignoring him, Krish continued. “She’ll stay at the GLEN safe house here in Singapore. Make the necessary arrangements, Sudesh.”
“Sir, the safe house is already occupied by you and—”
“And Agent Trisha will share it with me until she’s fit to rejoin.”
Sudesh agreed easily, oblivious to Krish’s underlying motives. I realised what Krish was doing—manoeuvering to get me alone and off duty, cleverly abusing his power to force us to confront this tension between us.
“You can’t bench me like that. The mission failure was my responsibility as well. I must collaborate with my team to get to the roots of this.”
Krish crossed his arms, his eyes glinted dangerously.
“These are my directives, Agent Trisha. No one challenges a Director’s orders unless they wish to be permanently removed from this mission.
I could easily assign someone else in your stead, not due to incompetence, but because you failed to adhere to the standard protocols of maintaining a low profile when compromised. Do you want that?”
Sensing the tension, Sudesh cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, go start safehouse preparations then.” He couldn’t wait to get out fast enough.
The moment we were alone, I faced off with Krish. “You can’t threaten me like that, Krish.”
Krish was unmoved. “I decide when my agents are fit for duty. And trust me, you’ll thank me for this.”
I wanted to rage at his patronising power play but knew it was futile. For now, Krish held all the cards.
“I believe you’ve had enough changes for one day to adapt to. I’m sending your meal after consulting with Dr. Bhat. Finish it before I return for Round 2 of our chit-chat.”
My jaw dropped at his request. He had reverted to the Krish who
enjoyed teasing and testing me. I fumed internally, then realised my hospital gown had slipped down, leaving me exposed. Clutching the fabric to my chest, I struggled awkwardly with my injured shoulder. I should have called the nurse, but before I could, Krish reached me to help.
“Here, let me.” Ignoring my protests, he gently held the strings and stepped closer to tie them properly.
His knuckles grazing my bare skin sent shivers through me. I froze, heart pounding wildly as he secured the gown, his face inches from mine.
The intimacy of the gesture and the nearness of his body overwhelmed me.
I knew my feelings were laid bare in that moment, my flustered state impossible to hide.
Krish’s knowing look as he pulled away confirmed it.
I had revealed too much. Shown vulnerability I hadn’t even fully admitted to myself.
Now he saw the effect he had on me. My carefully built walls were crumbling, defences weakened by fatigue and emotion.
I broke eye contact, trying to steady my breathing as Krish walked out.
How could I stay firm when he could unravel me so easily?
This was dangerous—being alone together, barriers lowered.
Feelings I had forcefully buried were bubbling back up.
Feelings that could cloud my judgment again if I let them.
I had to be stronger. Remind myself of the heartbreak that came with loving someone in this life.
I would not lose myself that way again. But Krish had seen the cracks in my armour.
Sensed the power he still held over me. And soon, we would be completely isolated.
Apprehension gripped me at what more might happen between us then. Could I trust myself to resist? Or would I fall back into his orbit, despite the cost?