CHAPTER 62! YOU ARE MINE
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?The late afternoon heat had settled over the Singhania estate in a heavy, suffocating blanket.
Out across the manicured yard, the brutal sunlight struck the surface of the pool, fracturing into restless ribbons of light that danced across the dark blue tiles.
?In the deep end, Reyansh, Arjun, and Arush had long since abandoned any pretense of being responsible adults.
Water sprayed across the stone deck as they splashed each other wildly, their voices echoing off the tall garden walls in a heated argument over something trivial that seemed to change every three minutes.
?A few yards away, beneath the dark canvas canopy of the patio, Myra and Tara were stretched out on low loungers.
Both wore dark sunglasses, their heads tilted back as their lazy conversation drifted through the humid air, barely competing with the chaotic noise from the pool.
?Aadhira sat near them in a deep, cushioned wicker armchair.
?She was quiet, content to let the low hum of the afternoon wash over her. She had made a firm promise to stay out of the water today; her body was still carrying the dull, lingering remnants of the ache from the night before.
Though she felt significantly better, she knew better than to push her luck. Leaning back, she adjusted her weight against the soft cushions, searching for a angle that didn't strain her lower back.
?Movement along the tiled walkway caught her eye.
?Aryav.
?He walked with that quiet, deliberate grace that seemed innate to him. Even on a sweltering afternoon, dressed in a dark, tailored shirt and crisp trousers, he looked entirely out of place in a poolside setting.
He looked as if he had stepped straight out of an executive boardroom and simply forgotten to adjust to the real world.
?Myra slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, squinting up at him as he stepped under the shade. "Aren't you supposed to be at the office?"
?Aryav didn't slow his stride. He didn't even look at her. "Not today."
?That was the full extent of his answer.
?Reaching out, he dragged a heavy teak chair deeper into the shadow of the canvas umbrella, sat down, opened his laptop, and was immediately swallowed by his work-as if three grown men weren't currently screaming and hurling water at each other ten feet in front of him.
?Aadhira watched him from the shadow of her eyelashes.
?Of course.
?He wasn't at the office because he was keeping watch over her. She was beginning to decipher his patterns.
Aryav wasn't the kind of man to hover, fuss, or repeatedly ask if she needed medication or rest.
He didn't do dramatic displays of care. He simply made himself an immovable presence in her space and stayed there.
?Her gaze lingered on him longer than she intended. He had rolled his dark sleeves up to his elbows, exposing the lean muscle of his forearms, his long fingers flying across the keyboard in a sharp, rhythmic cadence.
?By her count, she had looked over at him fifteen times in the span of five minutes.
?Beside her, Tara hadn't missed a single glance.
?Tara didn't say anything immediately. She simply nudged Myra's foot with her toe and cleared her throat with deliberate, exaggerated softness.
?"I think we should probably head inside, Myra," Tara said, her voice dripping with artificial innocence.
?Myra didn't even bother taking off her sunglasses. "Why? I'm completely comfortable."
?"Because I have work to do," Tara insisted smoothly.
?Myra frowned, glancing down at her light cotton dress. "If you have work to do, why do I have to go inside?"
?Tara rubbed her temples, looking at Myra with exasperated fondness. "Because I am telling you to."
?"And since when do I listen to you?" Myra countered.
?Under the cover of the lounger cushions, Tara delivered a sharp kick to Myra's leg, her eyes flicking pointedly toward Aadhira, then back to Myra.
?Myra followed the signal. Slowly, a knowing, amused smile curled the corner of her lips. "Oh."
?"Right," Myra added instantly, grabbing her phone from the small glass side table. "Actually, I forgot-I need to grab something from my room anyway."
?Aadhira looked between the two of them, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Both of you were completely fine two seconds ago."
?"Well, now we're not," Myra declared cheerfully.
?"We'll be right back," Tara said softly, already sliding off her lounger and heading toward the estate doors.
?"Sure," Aadhira muttered under her breath.
?She watched the sliding glass doors glide shut behind them, the glare of the sun reflecting off the tinted glass.
Slowly, Aadhira turned her head back toward Aryav.
?He hadn't looked up from his screen once. His fingers kept up their steady, effortless beat.
?She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning forward slightly. "That was a terrible excuse."
?"For what?" he asked smoothly, his tone even and unbothered, easily cutting through the click of the keys.
?"They left because they think we need to be alone."
?His fingers paused over the keyboard for half a second-a blip so fast. Then he resumed typing.
?"You knew exactly what they were doing," she pressed, her gaze tracing the sharp, unyielding line of his jaw.
?"They're smart."
?Aadhira scoffed softly, shaking her head. "Seriously, Aryav?"
?Before she could say another word, Aryav partially closed his laptop. He didn't even bother turning toward the pool.
?He simply raised two fingers into the air and gave a single, firm nod toward the main house. "You guys should come out now."
?Arush paused mid-splash, wiping water from his eyes. "Why, Bhai?"
?Reyansh froze in the water, staring at him. "Bhai?"
?Aryav remained silent.
?"We've only been in the water for twenty minutes!" Reyansh protested.
?"Thirty-seven," Aryav corrected without looking up.
?Arush let out a dramatic sigh, throwing his hands in the air. "This family has a severe authoritarian problem."
?Aadhira pressed her lips together, covering a sudden smile.
?The chaos in the pool dissolved instantly. It was almost comical-Reyansh climbed out onto the wet stone deck, followed closely by Arjun and Arush. None of them argued further.
?"I was getting freezing anyway," Arush announced to the empty air, snatching a white towel off a lounge chair while carefully avoiding Aryav's line of sight.
?"Yeah, we should probably change," Arjun added quickly, tossing a towel over his shoulder and edging toward the house.
?Arush glanced over at Aadhira, shaking his head. "You see what we've had to deal with since childhood?"
?Aadhira struggled to maintain a neutral expression. "You have my deepest sympathies."
?Reyansh pointed a dramatic finger at her. "Don't encourage him, Aadhira. That's how his ego feeds."
?Aryav finally lifted his head, his eyes fixing on his younger brother.
?"I'm going, I'm going!" Reyansh said quickly.
?"You're still standing there."
?"Because I was saying goodbye!"
?"To whom?"
?Reyansh looked pointedly at Aadhira, a cheeky grin breaking across his face. "To my lovely Bhabhi, obviously."
?With that, all three of them practically jogged toward the side entrance of the villa, scrambling inside as if fleeing a thunderstorm.
?Aadhira stared after them, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. Once the side door clicked shut, she turned back to Aryav, her brows drawn together.
"Why did you threaten them?"
?"Do you think I have to threaten my own brothers to get them to listen?" Aryav asked calmly, reopening his laptop screen.
?"You just did."
?A faint, almost imperceptible twitch touched the corner of his lips.
"They've known me too long to be afraid of simple threats, Aadhira."
?She frowned, studying the quiet authority in his profile. "Then what do they actually respond to?"
?"Money."
?She stared at him, blankly. "You paid them?"
?"It's the only way they always listen."
?A small, reluctant laugh escaped her chest before she could catch it. She clapped a hand over her mouth, but the sound was already out.
Aryav went back to his work, and a long, comfortable quiet settled over the patio.
?Aadhira glanced at the screen resting on his knees. "Are you actually working?"
?"That is generally what a laptop is used for."
?"Then why did you send them inside?"
?Aryav paused, turning his dark gaze onto her. "Why do you think I sent them inside?"
?The unspoken answer flashed instantly through her mind: Because you wanted to spend time with me alone.
?The sheer boldness of the thought sent a sudden jolt through her pulse. Flushing, she quickly looked away toward the garden, remaining tight-lipped.
?For the first time all afternoon, the noise had completely evaporated. There was no crowd, no teasing comments, no servants bustling back and forth with trays.
Just the rhythmic lapping of the pool water against the tiles and the warm breeze rustling the palm fronds.
?Then, on the low table beside Aryav, his phone vibrated.
?It wasn't a loud ring, just a short, sharp buzz against the dark glass top.
?Aryav glanced down-and Aadhira watched his face closely enough to see the immediate shift.
Something in his expression went entirely, cold. It wasn't anger; anger was loud and volatile.
This was absolute, razor-sharp focus. Whatever quiet warmth had lingered in his features a moment ago vanished completely.
?One notification. One name on a screen.
?He didn't open the message. He simply picked up the phone, flipped it face down on the table, and returned his hands to his keyboard as if nothing had happened.
?Aadhira leaned forward, her light mood evaporating. "What was that?"
?"Vivaan," he replied smoothly. "Just sending something about work."
?The answer was too polished. Too controlled.
?She kept her eyes on him, feeling the sudden, familiar chill of the complex world he inhabited outside these estate walls.
He was sitting here in the shade beside her, but he was always tethered to unseen shadows.