Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Three weeks later
“ A lright, Mihir,” Armaan said. “Show us. Vedant, are you ready?”
He, Mihir and Navya were seated in their study, and Vedant was connected to the TV screen via a conference call. Armaan was finally ready to see Karina’s picture. Navya had convinced him to let go of his guilt and anxiety and move forward.
“Yes, I’m finally okay with doing this as well,” Vedant said. Armaan studied Vedant carefully. His brother looked better, though he still hadn’t gained full use of his injured arm and leg. But Reina had assured Armaan just the previous night, during her daily phone call with Navya, that Vedant would recover.
Mihir clicked a button on his iPad, and the screen split into two. Vedant was on one side and an old photograph rendered on the other. Armaan gasped.
“This is the picture of her that Mrs. Braganza sent me,” Mihir explained.
Armaan stared at the image of a young Karina. She looked to be ten or twelve. His heart lurched. It had been years since he’d seen even a picture of her. Even though he had so many memories of her, of her laughter, of her smiles, of her playfulness, her teasing, her caring for them, they had become hazy over time. But this image reminded him of so much. They’d had so little then, and now, with God’s grace and the kindness of a wonderful man, they had been given a legacy—one they’d fight hard to keep. And through this benevolence granted upon them, they’d find her one day.
Navya wiped a tear from his eye. “Are you okay?”
He sniffed. “I’m fine.”
“Vedant, are you good, brother?” Mihir asked.
Vedant cleared his throat, clearly overcome with emotion, just like Armaan was.
“This next one is the AI image I chose to search for her,” Mihir said. “I feel this resembles her the most.”
Mihir swiped on his iPad, and Armaan shot to his feet. The next picture was… it was… He had no words.
“This is… this is simply wow,” Armaan expressed. “It is such an amazing resemblance. I’m sure she looks like this now.”
“She’s so pretty,” Navya exclaimed, rising to stand beside Armaan. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You will, one day soon,” Mihir replied. “I have people searching the whole of India for her. Our team is going through databases, passport records, Aadhar card images, PAN card images, etc. There is a load of data to sift through, but we will find her.”
“Vedant, are you there?” Mihir asked. Vedant had moved from the screen.
Vedant returned. “Sorry, guys. I was a bit emotional for a moment. But Mihir, this is fabulous.”
“Yes, it is. But guys, all of us need to keep very quiet on the hunt for Karina. We cannot trust anyone with this knowledge.”
“Absolutely,” Vedant concurred.
“Yes,” Armaan accepted. When Mihir faced Navya, she gave him a nod.
“Is there an update on Ivan?” Vedant asked.
“Our team wasn’t able to locate him in Poland,” Mihir said. “We combed through his possible whereabouts, the ones that we got from Vasily’s phone, but it was of no use. He’s vanished again. The two men in charge of attacking you and Armaan have also disappeared along with him.”
“They’ll all show up,” Armaan said. “Ivan will resurface with another plan, I’m sure.”
“We will be prepared this time,” Mihir said.
Vedant’s face hardened. “Yes, we will.”
Armaan looked at Navya. “We have more to protect now, da ?”
“Yes, we do,” Vedant smiled. He addressed Navya. “How are you doing? Is Armaan treating you well?”
“Of course, I am,” Armaan replied. “What sort of a stupid question is that?”
Navya laughed. “Stop teasing him, Vedant. You know how touchy he gets when it comes to me.”
“Tell me about it,” Mihir said. “He’s become so possessive that he doesn’t let her go for a walk on the beach alone; can you believe that?”
“I never thought Armaan would be the first one to get tied down,” Vedant said. “It’s good seeing you in love, brother. You look happy, and that makes me happy.”
Armaan kissed Navya’s forehead. “I am.”
“So, when’s the big day, Navya?” Vedant asked. “Have you guys decided?”
That night, after Navya had proposed to him, Armaan had brought her back here, and he’d shared their good news with both his brothers at the same time. Mihir and Vedant were delighted for them. They had accepted Navya easily and he was glad to see how both of them were trying to establish a relationship with her.
“I do hope it’s after I’ve been given the go ahead to travel by my doctor,” Vedant winked. “She’s a tough one, though.”
Navya made a face. “Um, we’ve not yet decided.”
“Don’t worry, Vedant,” Armaan looked at Mihir. “We will get married when every member of our families can make it. Right, Mihir?”
Mihir looked at his iPad, refusing to reply. Armaan sighed. This was one decision that both Navya and he were finding it hard to take, thanks to his pig-headed elder brother.
“What’s going on here?” Vedant looked from Armaan to Mihir and then back to Armaan.
Before Armaan could respond, the door to the study flung open, and Ananya walked inside.
Mihir stilled for a short second, and then his face twisted in anger. “Why the fuck is she here?”
“No hello, no hi, Mihir?” Ananya retorted.
“Who gave her the permission to enter our gates?” Mihir’s face had turned an angry shade of red now.
“She’s Navya’s sister, Mihir. Her name is on the list of approved visitors,” Armaan countered. “She’s welcome in our home any time she wants.”
“No, she’s not .”
“ She has a name,” Ananya spat out. “And you better get used to using it, again.”
She marched angrily towards Mihir. “Did you threaten Armaan that you wouldn’t attend his wedding if I did?”
“Shit. Who told you that?” Navya asked her.
Ananya gave her a sideways glance. “I’ve been so excited about the wedding for days. And today, Sheena finally told me to calm down because there was no wedding on the cards because of him .”
“Is this true?” Ananya asked Mihir.
“ Da .” Mihir didn’t even bat an eye as he accepted that. “I did tell Armaan to have the wedding without me.”
“That will never happen, brother,” Armaan rebuffed.
“Fine, then ask her not to come, and I’ll be there,” Mihir said.
“Fucking bastard,” Ananya fumed. “How dare you even assume that I won’t attend my own sister’s wedding?”
“Not sure what I am supposed to do or say here,” Mihir replied.
Her face fell. “Who are you, Mihir? I don’t recognise you anymore.”
“I am who I am because of your betrayal and your deception.”
Ananya stared at him for a long moment. She walked closer to Mihir who lifted his chin and looked down at her. Very casually, she pulled the gold chain from inside her t-shirt and dropped it down on her chest. Mihir’s eyes fell on the chain exactly as she’d intended and they widened.
Fuck. Armaan shut his eyes for a brief second. The situation had just gone from bad to a whole lot worse.
“How the fuck do you have this?” Mihir roared. He put a finger through the chain and tugged on it, ensuring he didn’t touch Ananya at all. “I want this ring back.”
Ananya flicked the chain from his fingers and stepped back, looking satisfied. “Sorry, since I have had this ring for more than what, seven years now, I think it belongs to me.”
“Anna,” Mihir began.
“You lost the right to call me that after you rejected me over and over again. My name is Ananya,” she hissed. “Address me as such or not at all.”
“You don’t get to dictate to me ever, Anna .”
“You asshole.”
Mihir took an irate step near her.
“Navya, look,” Armaan interjected. “Mihir and Ananya are in a room together, and they’re talking. Isn’t that what you stipulated as a precondition for dating me? See, I’ve fulfilled it.”
“What?” Ananya and Mihir both said at the same time.
Navya giggled. “They’re not talking; they’re biting each other’s head off.”
“Shut up, both of you,” Ananya snapped.
“I want my ring,” Mihir ordered.
“You will never have it.”
“I’ve been avoiding a war with you for years, Anna . Don’t give me a reason to fight with you. That ring is my legacy. I will destroy you for it.”
“Not if I destroy you first,” Ananya challenged him.
“Guys,” Armaan interrupted. “No one is destroying anyone, okay?”
Ignoring Armaan, she stepped closer to Mihir. “You want a war, Mihir, I’ll gladly give you one. I’ve wasted years of my life yearning for a selfish bastard like you. But now, I’m done. I’m done pining over you. I’m done hoping to have a decent conversation with you to clear the air. I don’t even care what you think of me anymore. You are an asshole, and you don’t deserve me. Ever since that yacht incident, I’ve been miserable, depressed, and upset because of you. I’ve even stopped looking after myself. But that stops today. I can’t get those tears and years back, but I will get retribution for the time I wasted on you.” She lifted her head higher. “From this day on, revenge has a new name for you, and it is Ananya Mehra.”
Mihir’s lips curved. “Fancy words, but then you always had a good play on language, da ?” He lowered his face to hers. “Bring it on. Let me see what you got, Anna .”
“Never even in my wildest dreams, I imagined I’d feel this for you, much less say it, but I truly hate you from the bottom of my heart,” Ananya seethed.
Mihir’s lips tightened. “Good, now you know what it feels like.”
They stared at each other for a hot, charged moment before Ananya walked away from him. Reaching the door, she looked sideways, “Don’t forget to read the next issue of Noir. It will be the beginning of your doom, Mihir Oshnov.”
With those parting words, Ananya stormed away. Mihir opened the terrace doors in the direction opposite her and left through them.
“Have they gone?” Vedant asked aloud.
“Fuck, yeah,” Armaan replied.
“Am I the only one here who thinks that that conversation was filled with sexual tension?” Vedant sounded extremely amused.
“So much so that I wanted to fan myself,” Navya murmured.
“Well, I think this war might just be good for them then,” Vedant said.
“Yes,” Armaan concurred. “They may just end up talking, and the rest of us can have some peace.”
“But until then,” Vedant said, “we all need to be prepared for lots of fireworks. Anyway, I have to go. I will talk to you both soon.”
After he disconnected the line, Navya put her head on Armaan’s chest. “Oh God. Can’t we just elope?”
“Would you be happy with that?”
“No. I never thought I’d ever get married. But now that I’ve found you, I want my whole family to be there on our special day,” Navya said and sighed.
They’d had this conversation multiple times. He wouldn’t get married without Mihir, and Navya wouldn’t without Ananya. Thanks to that status quo, they had no choice but to postpone their wedding until Mihir and Ananya calmed down enough to at least tolerate one another in the same room. That’s what they had hoped for, but after looking at them sparring as they had, Armaan didn’t think he’d be getting married anytime soon.
“I don’t know what to do with these two,” Navya cried. “They’re both being so adamant and, I have to say it, selfish also. They ought to get along for our sake at least.”
“They have a history, baby, one that needs to be sorted,” Armaan said.
Navya’s face turned serious. “Shit. I can’t believe both my sisters hate both your brothers. Reina already can’t stand Vedant. And now, Ananya and Mihir are going to be at war. Our lives are so damn complicated.”
“Breathe, baby.” Armaan held her closer. “I just want to focus on us for a while. Can we do that without our siblings bogging us down, da ?”
She nodded, clinging to him.
“This still feels so surreal,” Navya looked up at him, “Armaan, we are forever.”
“I know, my tigress, I know. I think I knew that from the first time I saw you. They say love at first sight doesn’t happen, but it did to me. I couldn’t forget you. I dreamt of you. I manifested you. And look, my dream came true. Manifestations happen to those who believe.”
“I love you so much!” Navya hugged him tighter. “I never thought I’d be this happy in life. But I am. You make me so happy.”
He stood like this with her for a long moment, enjoying breathing her in, his heart at ease, knowing she was in his arms where she belonged. The road ahead wasn’t easy. They still had plenty of battles to fight, but he knew he could achieve anything as long as Navya was by his side. Her love was a force that made him stronger. And he’d fight the world to keep this slice of heaven he’d found with her.
She was his everything.
THE END