CHAPTER 18 （A new chapter）
KRISH
I woke up to the sound of Ayaan entering the small kitchenette, his footsteps crossing the two-seater sofa where Trisha and I had spent the night cuddled in each other’s arms. To make matters worse, Ayaan had also noticed the remnants of Trisha’s lipstick on my cheek, raising his suspicions and teasing me about mine and Trisha’s newfound closeness.
As my friend since school, part of me wanted to confide in Ayaan about my love for Trisha.
However, given the risky situation with the looming threats from the Bat gang that Ayaan was coping with, I decided to keep this revelation to myself for the time being, at least until the mess was sorted out.
We had finally returned to the Shergill Mansion from the safe house now that it was deemed secure once again.
Now, it was time to have an open conversation with my father about Trisha.
What she had revealed to me last night about his role in our separation two years ago needed to be addressed.
He was the one responsible for the pain and heartache we had endured, and I owed it to both Trisha and myself to get to the bottom of his actions.
With a deep breath, I initiated a video call to my father, who was currently in Austria.
“Hello, Dad,” I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Good to see you, Krish,” Dad replied, his tone cordial but tinged with formality. “How is everything going there? I heard you hired Trisha as Meher’s bodyguard.”
I couldn’t help but smirk, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. “I didn’t hire her. Ayaan did,” I corrected him. “And she was his first choice because he believes in Trisha’s abilities more than you do.”
My father fell silent, waiting for me to finish.
“Now, don’t act so innocent, Dad, that you have no idea what I’m talking about,” I continued with bitterness in my voice.
“I don’t need to act innocent,” he replied evenly. “I just needed to act practical that day, and I did. It looks like Trisha has told you about the last conversation she and I had two years ago.”
“Yes, she did,” I confirmed, my jaw clenching. “And I’m shocked that my father could do something like this to me.”
His expression remained impassive.
“I did all that as the president of GLEN, not your father. I see so much potential in you, Krish. I don’t want you to let me down.”
I felt my anger flare at his words. “So, for your dreams of seeing me in your position one day in the future, you are crushing my dreams of having a happily ever after with the woman I love?”
For the first time, I saw a flicker of remorse cross Dad’s face as he tried to reason with me.
“Love is not enough, Krish. With love comes the responsibility to hold on to that love, and somehow it comes in our path of duty. Your mother and I had a love marriage too. But soon, she thought I was falling out of love, ever since I had to take up more responsibility at GLEN. But that was not true. I loved your mom deeply, she is the only woman I have ever loved and cared for.”
He paused, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Yes, I couldn’t give her much of my time because of my duty.
She was a housewife and kept waiting for me.
.. days on end when I was away, handling and controlling these missions.
She died... waiting for me, Krish. And you have no idea how I felt when she took her last breath, hoping I would come to see her before she died.
And I... I tried, but I couldn’t reach her on time. ”
Dad’s words hit me hard, and I felt my own eyes moisten as I listened to the pain in his voice. He rarely spoke of Mom’s passing, and the raw emotion he displayed now was a stark reminder of the sacrifices he had made for his duty.
After a moment, he composed himself and continued. “In your case, Trisha and you are both agents, and I don’t want you two to fall out of love and keep waiting for each other like your mom waited for me.”
I shook my head, “That’s our choice, Dad, and our responsibility to see how we can find time to each other despite being away on missions. You didn’t even give us a chance to reach that point in our lives where we can openly say to the world that we love each other. And I don’t appreciate that.”
Dad nodded, his expression painted with guilt. “I’m sorry, Krish. I did what I thought was best for you.”
“Trisha is the best life partner for me, Dad,” I countered, my voice thick with emotion.
“If I’m with her, I’ll have one less thing to worry about, one less regret about not having the person I love, one thing to feel motivated to succeed in life and in my duties too.
You have to trust me, Dad. Trisha is my strength when she’s with me.
She’ll be my weakness if you keep playing tricks like this to keep us apart. ”
Silence hung heavy between us as Dad absorbed my words. Then, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t hate me, son.”
“That’s your problem, Dad,” I sighed, shaking my head. “You always presume. I can never hate you.” A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I’m getting Trisha to Austria once the mission here is over. For your blessings, Dad. I hope I’m not expecting too much.”
Relief washed over his features, and he nodded slowly. “I’ll wait for you two.”
Finally, after years of turmoil and heartache, my father accepted our relationship.
I thanked him, and we spoke for a while longer before ending the call.
As I sat back, I couldn’t help but imagine the joy on Trisha’s face when I would tell her the news—that my father had finally realised she was the one for me.
A weight lifted from my shoulders, a burden I had carried for far too long.
No longer would we have to hide our love or fear the consequences of our choices.
We were free to embrace our future together, side by side, partners in every sense of the word.
Trisha was my everything, my reason for pushing forward, for striving to be the best version of myself.
And with Dad’s blessing, our love could finally take root and blossom.
I made my way to find Trisha in the living room.
Tomorrow, Meher had to attend a family function of some of her extended relatives in South Bombay.
Trisha was checking with the guards, instructing them of their duties and agenda for tomorrow to ensure Meher’s safety.
As I caught sight of her, radiant and beautiful, a smile graced my lips.
In work mode, Trisha was nothing short of amazing.