Chapter 28
Dev
“She’ll be home any minute.” Meera’s mom says again.
I stop pacing mid-step and turn towards her. She’s sitting at the dining table, cutting vegetables with composed ease, while my heart pounds, screaming that something isn’t right.
“She isn’t picking up her phone,” I say instead of voicing my fear.
Her mom’s face softens, and she gives me a look that’s almost maternal.
“You worry just like her dad,” she smiles at me.
I don’t blame the old man. I worry too much about Meera too.
Holding her gaze, I reply, “I can’t help it… She’s my everything.”
“That’s all a mother ever wants,” she says softly.
“Someone who loves her daughter the way she deserves to be loved.” She pauses, her eyes kind but knowing.
“Her dad may be stubborn at the moment, but he’ll soon come around.
He’ll accept you wholeheartedly when he sees what I already do.
” She holds my eyes with a quiet certainty, giving me hope that the stubborn man won’t hold a grudge against me for long.
“The way you care for her… the way you love her, it’s impossible to miss,” she adds.
I gulp, emotion tightening my throat. “Thank you.”
She smiles at me. “And don’t worry about Meera. She must’ve kept her phone on silent. You know her, always tossing it into her bag and forgetting about it.”
I nod, but her words still refuse to comfort me. I’ve lived long enough with dangerous situations breathing down my neck to recognise this feeling. It’s the same cold weight that settles in my gut before a deal goes bad. The same tightening in my chest I felt the day I lost my mom.
But I don’t tell her any of that. I don’t tell her what’s clawing at my chest. I don’t want to scare her, especially after the quiet understanding we just shared, not after seeing the peace on her face.
Forcing a neutral expression, I say, “I’ll just step out for a minute. Get some air.”
She nods and turns back to the vegetables.
The moment I step outside, my eyes instinctively search for Meera’s car to appear. But it’s nowhere in sight, and the unease in my chest tightens its grip.
I pull out my phone, ready to call her again, when the sound of an approaching car makes me look up. Relief flares for half a second, then dies instantly as Samarth steps out, my jaw tightening with instant irritation.
Fuck. I didn’t expect I’d run into him here, especially not when my nerves are already wound tight, ready to snap.
“Hey. I didn’t expect to see you here,” he says as he steps right in front of me.
I exhale, trying to keep my irritation in check. “This is my in-laws’ house. Naturally, I’d be here.”
“Fair enough.”
“What’s your reason?” I fold my arms over my chest, my eyes narrowing.
He shrugs casually. “I drop by sometimes to check on Meera’s parents. I consider them my own.”
I nod once. I don’t want to come off like an ass and tell him he has no business here, because I can’t deny that Meera and her parents do take Samarth as family, and I can’t ignore that connection, no matter how much it irritates me.
“You look tense,” he says, studying me instead of heading inside.
I glare at him. “You don’t have to bother yourself with my tension.”
He raises both hands. “Relax, man. I am just trying to be civil. Look, with us constantly running into each other, we can’t keep biting each other’s heads off. Meera and her parents don’t deserve to be caught up in our tiff.”
He’s got me there. I can’t keep making things difficult. I run a hand through my hair, setting my irritation aside as the unease in my chest resurfaces.
“Meera isn’t back from the grocery store,” I say.
His expression tightens instantly. “How long?”
“Too long,” I admit, my stomach knotting.
He glances down the empty road, then back at me. “You tried calling her?”
“Multiple times.”
God, why the hell didn’t I ask the bodyguard to follow her?
I curse silently. When we planned to stay at Meera’s parents’ house, I didn’t want my security to overwhelm anyone.
I wanted her parents to feel at ease. But I should’ve been smarter.
I should’ve told them to be discreet. I fucking should’ve known better.
Samarth reads the panic on my face. “Let’s go check the grocery store.”
I don’t think twice. I dash to my car, throw the door open, and slide behind the wheel, Samarth already settling into the passenger seat.
I kick-start the engine, and everything blurs around me. I don’t even know how I managed to drive, my mind racing, desperately hoping to find Meera safe. Lucky for me, the jerk kept his mouth shut the entire way.
I make it to the grocery store in no time, and the moment I spot Meera’s car parked there, with no sign of her, my heart drops straight into my stomach.
I tumble out of the car and rush to her vehicle. The door is unlocked and the grocery bag sits inside.
“Let’s go in and check,” Samarth says quietly at my side.
I nod, and we push into the store, our eyes sweeping every corner like madmen.
We approach the cashier and ask about Meera.
“She left about thirty minutes ago,” she says.
At her words, I bolt for the exit, every worst-case scenario running through my head. I scan the area again, but there’s still no sign of her. I press my hands to my face, panic clawing at me.
Meera… where are you?
Samarth’s hand lands on my shoulder, but I barely register it before his voice reaches me. “Dev… I know you’ll hate hearing this, but I think this has something to do with your brother.”
I whirl toward him, fury blazing through me. “Don’t you dare start that!”
“You need to hear me out.”
I want to lash out, to tell him that I don’t want to hear another word. But the thought that Meera might be in danger reminds me to take whatever information I can get.
“Talk,” I say tightly.
Samarth exhales slowly, choosing his words carefully. “We weren’t lying about the pregnancy. The baby was indeed Veer’s. And,” he continues carefully, “Veer did try to harm Sonia in the past. He’s capable of it, Dev. Capable of worse. Please… you have to believe me.”
My blood runs cold. I don’t know which is worse. Trusting Samarth, or ignoring him and realising too late that I may have put Meera’s life at risk.
But right now, the truth doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is finding Meera, even if it means shutting off every bit of trust I have in my brother and relying solely on what I’ve been told.
I pull out my phone and dial one of my men.
“Track Veer’s location. Now,” I order.
Time stretches painfully, every second unbearable, until he finally speaks.
“Sir… he’s at your old warehouse, outside the city.”
My heart skips a beat as I end the call, my mind spiralling instantly. What the hell is he doing there? That’s the warehouse we don’t use, the one we were planning to put up for sale. Why would he be there?
“And?” Samarth asks, his eyes sharp.
“I need to go there… to check it myself.”
“I am coming with you—” Samarth starts, but I cut him off.
“No. Go home and be with Meera’s parents. Keep them calm. They’re bound to be worried since it’s been a while, and neither Meera nor I are back yet.”
He hesitates for a moment, then nods. “Call me the moment you know something.”
I don’t answer. I sprint to my car, throw the door open, and fire up the engine. Adrenaline surges as I slam it into gear.
As I break through the signals, my thoughts fracture into ugly possibilities. No… Veer won’t betray me like that. He may be reckless and impulsive, but he wouldn’t dare harm Meera. He knows how much she means to me.
And yet, every instinct screams at me to brace for the worst.
I slow down as I reach the location, careful not to alert Veer if he’s inside. Parking a short distance away, I make my way towards the warehouse. My heart slams against my ribs when I spot Veer’s car parked outside, panic and hope lighting me up from the inside.
I head straight for the front door, my hand trembling as I reach for the handle. I turn it and slip inside slowly.
A muffled scream rips through the air, and my blood roars in my ears.
I bolt towards the sound, kick open a bedroom door, and freeze.
Meera is tied to a chair, her hair dishevelled, terror etched deep into her eyes as Veer stands in front of her, a knife glinting in his hand.
“Dev…” she cries, her voice cracking, tears spilling down her cheeks. Something in me shatters. Fury ignites in my chest at the sight. In that instant, I know with absolute certainty that the brother I trusted, the one I loved… he’s gone.
“Bro, it’s not— I was just—” he stammers the moment he sees me and steps back from her.
The knife slips from his hand and hits the floor with a dull thud.
That sound is the final snap I need. I lunge at him, pin him back against the wall, and drive my fist straight into his jaw.
“How dare you touch my wife?” I snarl, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him hard against the wall.
Before he can spit out some half-baked excuse, another voice from behind orders me.
“Dev. That’s enough.”
I freeze mid-breath, my grip loosening as I let him go and face my father a few feet away. My dad… he’s involved too.
The brother I loved, the father I trusted—they’re both complicit in destroying what I hold most dear.
“You… too, Dad?” My voice cracks, hoarse with fury and hurt. “You’re involved in this?”
Dad’s eyes flick to the side, where Meera is still tied to the chair.
“She was becoming a problem,” he says flatly, as if stating a fact.
My hands curl into fists at my sides. “What did you just say?”
“Spare me the surprise,” he says sharply. “You’ve always known how badly I wanted her out of the picture.”
My heart hammers so hard I can feel it in my throat. “So it was you… You were the one who attacked her at the park, not some random man.”
Dad’s eyes harden, and his voice is cold and unapologetic.
“Yes. It was me. I did what was necessary. I even had one of my men waiting outside her office, ready to scare her into backing off. But before he could, Samarth pulled her back and saved her. Fucking luck seemed to be on her side every time we tried to get close.”
His words hit like a knife. I knew Dad and Veer had never been fond of Meera, but I thought their love for me would be stronger. That they’d let me be happy. That they would never go this far. Never try to destroy the one thing that made me whole.
“It… it was you,” Meera breathes, her face ashen as she looks at Dad. “In the house… when I felt someone there… I thought I was imagining it.”
“You weren’t,” Veer says, sliding closer to Dad. “We wanted to scare you. To break you. Push you to the point where you’d learn… your limits.”
She sucks in a breath that sounds like it hurts. And that tells me my confrontation with Dad can wait. Right now, Meera needs me.
I’ve already wasted too much time dealing with them when what matters is freeing my wife and making her feel safe.
With my heart pounding, I rush to her and drop to my knees in front of her, my hands shaking as I work frantically at the rope biting into her wrists.
The moment she’s free, she collapses into me. Her fingers clutch at my shirt like she’s terrified I’ll disappear. Her sobs cut through me, tears soaking my chest as her body shudders violently against mine— fear and relief melting through her all at once.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” I murmur into her hair, my arms locking around her. “I am here.”
She nods weakly against my chest. I take a deep breath, steady myself, and gather her close as I stand, still holding her against my chest. Only then do I turn to face Dad.
“Why, Dad… when you knew what she meant to me?” I demand, my voice shaking with rage.
“Because since the moment she entered your life, you stopped being ours,” Dad says accusingly. “You changed. Your priorities shifted. Your loyalty moved. You chose her over blood, and I couldn’t stand by and watch that.”
“She is my wife!” I shout, every word laced with fury.
Dad scoffs, his tone dismissive. “She made you weak.”
“She made me human,” I snap back, pinning him with a glare. “And you had no right to decide her life meant nothing. You had no right to try to take her away from me just because of your damn insecurities!”
“Bro… we did it for you…” Veer stutters, trying to justify their actions, but I don’t let him.
“Shut the hell up!” I roar, my eyes burning into him. “Not a single word. After what you’ve done, you have no right to speak.” I turn my glare back to Dad. “And you don’t get to tell me anything anymore.”
I take a slow, steadying breath, my arms still wrapped around Meera.
My eyes blaze as I stare at both of them.
Their betrayal shatters me in the worst possible way, something even my enemies wouldn’t do.
“And I won’t let either of you get away with it.
I am done playing the brother and son. It’s time a husband takes a stand for who wronged his wife. ”
Veer blinks, fear flashing across his face, and for the first time, I see the flicker of it in Dad’s eyes too.
“Dev… we’re family,” Dad says, tone edged with desperation. “Don’t let one woman come between us.”
“We are not family. Not anymore,” I hiss with disgust. “If being family means being selfish, cruel, and blind to the pain you cause to your loved ones… then I want nothing to do with it, Dad. I don’t want either of you.”
I pull Meera closer and lock eyes with them. “Just leave before I do something I can’t take back.”
They exchange a quick, uneasy glance. Dad hesitates for a moment, as if to speak something, then he turns towards Veer. They leave without another glance, the door shutting behind them.
I take a deep breath, keeping my arms firmly around Meera, feeling some of the tension drain as I finally allow myself to look at her properly. I cup her face gently, my thumb brushing away a tear.
“I am so damn sorry, sweetheart,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I should have believed you when you warned me against Veer. I should have protected you better.” I press my forehead against hers, breathing her in, memorising the feel of her.
“I thought… I thought I was alone,” she whispers, her voice still fragile.
“You are never alone. Never,” I swear, my words firm, unshakable as I continue. “This is the last time anyone ever comes close to hurting you. The last time I fail you.”
As she leans into me, it becomes painfully clear—my life without her is unimaginable, and I will go to any lengths to make sure I never have to face that reality.