Chapter 6
Sidharth
“Sidharth, please tell me you’re not doing this because Reyansh is forcing you,” Kavya says, her eyes fixed on mine.
“No one’s forcing me, Kavya. This is my call.” I tilt my head towards Reyansh. “Mind telling your fiancée that she doesn’t need to worry? I’m not the kind of man who gets pushed into something I don’t want.”
Reyansh sighs, shaking his head. “Trust me, I’ve been trying to tell her that, but she’s stubborn as hell.” Then his tone softens as he looks at her. “He’s right, Kavya. No one can make Sidharth do anything he doesn’t want to. If he says it’s his choice, we better believe it.”
We’re in Reyansh’s living room, with me sitting on the couch across from him and Kavya. The moment he called me saying she wanted to speak to me alone, away from Nisha, I came over. That was all he said, but it was enough. I knew exactly what this was about.
Of course, Kavya would need reassurance.
After all, it’s about her sister, the one she’d almost lost. And I’m not the kind of man to brush off someone’s worry.
If she needs a few words of comfort from me, she would get them, just enough to ease her mind.
The rest, the part about what her sister stirs in me… that stays with me.
“I know you’re a good man, Sidharth,” Kavya says with a sigh.
“And I truly believe that if anyone can take care of Nisha apart from Sunita Aunty, it’s you.
I just… I know you’ve already done so much for us, and I didn’t want this to become another obligation for you.
” Her eyes drop for a moment before meeting mine again.
“I just needed to know that you’re sure before you take this on. Nisha’s in a fragile place right now.”
“I hear you, Kavya,” I say, holding her gaze.
“And I get it that you’re worried about her.
You should be.” I pause for a beat. “But I don’t take on things unless I’m damn sure I can handle them.
Nisha’s not an obligation.” My jaw tightens slightly at the word, but I keep going.
“You don’t have to worry about whether I’ll be there for her. ”
She swallows hard, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “Just promise me, if it ever becomes too much for you, you’ll tell me.”
I give her a faint smile “I promise, if it ever does get too much, you’ll be the first to know. I don’t hide from the people I respect. You included,” I say, the last words meant just for her. The truth is, when it comes to Nisha, it could never be too much.
Kavya nods at me, then turns to Reyansh. “I need to leave now. Sunita Aunty and Nisha are waiting for me at home. We’re finalising the wedding dresses today.”
Reyansh groans dramatically. “What’s the hurry? Stay a bit longer.”
Kavya rolls her eyes, a playful smile playing on her lips. “Says the man who fixed the wedding date for next week without even asking if the date worked for me.”
He narrows his eyes at her, pretending to be offended. “Excuse me? You said, and I quote, ‘Whenever you’re ready, Reyansh.’ So I got ready. It’s not my fault you didn’t mean it.”
“Oh, I meant it,” she says with a mischievous smirk as she grabs her bag. “Just not at lightning speed.”
Reyansh stands up, grinning. “Come on, five minutes?”
She laughs, already heading for the door. “If I sit here for five more minutes, I’ll end up cancelling the appointment with the designer, and if I don’t have my dress on time, you’ll have to postpone the wedding date.”
He winces. “Not happening.”
“That’s what I thought,” Kavya says, then turns to me with a soft smile. “Bye, Sidharth. And thank you for everything.”
I nod at her. “Anytime, Kavya.”
Kavya’s about to turn and leave when Reyansh catches her wrist and pulls her into his arms.
“I need my goodbye kiss,” he murmurs, pulling her close
She gasps, swatting his chest. “Reyansh! Behave,” she scolds, nodding her head at me. “We’re not alone.”
I slide my phone out of my jeans pocket and pretend to look at the screen. “Relax, I’m not watching, lovebirds.”
Reyansh chuckles. “See? Problem solved.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch Kavya shaking her head. Then she leans in and plants a quick kiss on Reyansh’s cheek.
“That’s all you get,” she grins, and before he can protest, she’s already at the door, her laughter trailing softly behind her.
Reyansh watches her leave, his smile turning into a full-on lopsided grin. Then he flops back on the couch. “Bossy, beautiful, and all mine.”
Turning off my phone, I glance at him. “You’re a lucky man.”
He smiles, his eyes still fixed on the door. “Yeah, I really am.” Then his gaze shifts to me, narrowing slightly with mock accusation. “So, you volunteered to play the hero the second you got the chance?”
I smirk. “Worked out well for you, didn’t it? So maybe try sounding a bit more grateful.”
“Grateful? For you acting on your selfish motives instead of doing me a favour?” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his tone turning serious. “Jokes aside, Kavya’s trusting you with Nisha. That’s not a small thing. Don’t break that trust.”
I glare at him. “You know me better than to think I’d need that reminder.”
“I do,” he admits. “I just wanted to make sure you’re in this for the right reasons.”
My jaw tightens slightly. “We’ve already had this conversation. You know exactly how I feel.”
He nods before changing the subject. “Any updates on Prakash?”
I exhale sharply, the mood darkening. “The cops are keeping it tight, and we’re feeding them everything we’ve got. I have to say, Nisha’s testimony really helped strengthen our case.”
“Did Prakash confess to how he murdered Suman?”
“Yeah, he did.” I take a breath, then look him square in the eye. “Turns out, the bastard called Suman that night and blackmailed her into meeting him alone at the old factory. Said if she didn’t, he’d leak the video of her being raped.”
Reyansh’s hands ball into fists, his face hardening.
“She showed up, begging him to delete the video. Instead, he stabbed her.”
Reyansh closes his eyes, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “Son of a bitch.”
I nod and continue. “Apart from his confession, I pulled the call records, got the cell tower pings from that night, and recovered the old burner phone he used. It had enough dirt to bury him. We even found a message Suman had tried to send Kavya just minutes before she died—a half-sent message that never went through, saying she was scared and that Prakash was behind all of this.”
“He deserves worse than prison,” Reyansh mutters.
“Yeah,” I say coldly. “But for now, we’ll make damn sure he never sees the light of day again.”
He leans back. “I always knew you had this darkness in you. The kind that doesn’t stop until it’s done.”
I shrug. “I’m the best at my job. No one can come close.”
He grins. “Cocky as hell.”
“Guilty as charged,” I say, getting to my feet and brushing imaginary dust off my jeans. “Alright, lover boy, I should get going. Got a few things to wrap up before the day ends.”
Reyansh stands with me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Thanks, man. For all of it.”
“You don’t have to go all formal on me now with the thank-you speech,” I smirk, shaking my head. “You know damn well I didn’t do it as a favour to you.”
Reyansh raises a brow, and I wink. “I’m doing this for myself.”
“Of course you are, asshole.” He grins mischievously.
“Takes one to know one,” I say, heading for the door and sliding behind the wheel.
As I drive, a thought hits me. Looking out for Nisha won’t just bring trouble, but it’s going to hit closer to my heart than I’m ready for. And that’s the kind of danger I usually steer clear of. But now, I’m already in too deep to back out.