Chapter 26
Sidharth
Fucking heaven—that’s what I feel the moment I wake up, with the sweet scent of Nisha all around me, invading my senses.
Her naked body is pressed tightly against mine, every damn curve aligning with me perfectly, as if she were made just for me.
And that soft breath of hers drifting over my chest…
it’s epic. This is the kind of moment that brands itself into a man’s soul, and damn if it doesn’t make me want her for the rest of my life.
Damn, I’m a selfish bastard when it comes to her.
I know that for her, this step… trusting me with her body and heart is huge.
And that alone should be enough. But it’s not.
I want more. I want her laughter, her stubbornness, and her quiet moments.
I want to fall asleep with her in my arms and wake up to her sleepy smile and messy hair every damn morning. I want my forever with her.
With those thoughts circling in my head, I press a kiss to her hair and whisper, even though I know she’s fast asleep and can’t hear me.
“I meant every word, Nisha. I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got.
” I swallow hard, the lump clawing at my throat, and pull her closer, wishing like hell I could shield her from the world just by holding her tighter.
“I don’t give a damn how long it takes or how deep I have to dig, but I’ll hunt those bastards down.
I’ll bury every monster that ever laid a hand on you. That’s a promise, sweetheart.”
But I know getting those bastards six feet under won’t happen overnight. It’ll take time. So for now, I’ll give her something that might bring out that smile I fucking live for.
And just like that, the perfect idea hits me.
I know it might be cliché as hell, but I want to do it. I want to make her breakfast and surprise her in bed, just like in those cheesy romance movies she secretly loves.
It’s something I’ve never done before. Hell, I used to cringe at the thought of it.
But Nisha, she brings that side out in me. The one that wants to give her everything she’s ever secretly dreamed of, everything she’s ever wanted in her version of the perfect man. The kind who sees her, cherishes her, and never lets her forget just how damn loved she is.
And also, knowing her cooking skills, this might just make me a hero in her eyes.
With the motivation to impress her, I carefully ease out from under her, making sure not to wake her.
She shifts slightly, and I go still, but she doesn’t wake up. Just rolls onto her stomach, with one hand tucked under the pillow, her face resting against it.
For a moment, I just stand there, taking her in. She’s a vision to behold. Her hair is spread across my pillow like a halo, her expression relaxed, completely at peace. My peace.
And God, if I didn’t already know I was screwed for life, this would’ve sealed it.
I grin, shaking my head as I walk to my closet. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I head into the bathroom for a quick shower.
When I’m back in the bedroom, she’s still fast asleep. I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead, my lips lingering a moment longer than they should. Then I grab my phone from the nightstand and head to the kitchen, ready to play chef for the woman who’s turned my whole world upside down.
Setting my phone on the counter, I open the fridge and pull out the eggs and bread, already imagining the smile she’ll give me when she wakes up. I’m just about to crack an egg into the bowl when my phone starts ringing.
I glance over and wipe my hands on a towel to see Viraj’s name flashing across the screen. A quiet curse slips out. Because if Viraj is calling this early, it’s not for small talk. It has to be bad news. It always is.
Unwilling, but knowing I have no choice, I grab the phone and answer.
“Yeah?” I grunt, already bracing myself for whatever shitstorm’s about to hit.
“Sidharth… it’s Sunita Aunty,” Viraj says tightly, his voice clipped.
My grip on the phone tightens instantly, a chill running down my spine.
“What about her?” I snap, dread already crawling up my throat.
“She was attacked this morning.”
Everything inside me goes cold.
“What the fuck did you just say?” I bite out.
“She’s at City Hospital as we speak. The doctors are checking on her,” Viraj says, his voice heavy.
He exhales sharply before continuing, “I saw the CCTV footage. Prakash and another man, wearing a black hoodie and a mask, broke into her house early this morning through the back door. She was in the kitchen when they attacked her. They went straight for her and stabbed her.”
“Fuck.” I grip the edge of the kitchen counter so hard my knuckles burn. My jaw clenches as I force the next words out. “How bad is it?”
“Bad. She’s lost a lot of blood. They hit an artery. If the neighbor hadn’t heard the noise and called for help when they ran off, she wouldn’t have made it.” There’s a beat of silence before he adds quietly, “I’m waiting for the doctors to give me an update.”
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, closing my eyes for a second as last night flashes through my mind…
Nisha calling Sunita Aunty, telling her she was staying at my place and would be home today.
But now, instead of taking her home, I’ll be driving her straight to the hospital.
And I have no fucking idea how I’m going to tell her this.
“I’ve got men watching the hospital,” Viraj says, his voice slicing through my thoughts and dragging me back to the ugly reality. “Prakash is desperate to get to Nisha. He’s pulling the same move he did last time… hurting the people she loves, hoping to break her all over again.”
My hand tightens around the phone, my jaw locked so tight it feels like it might snap.
“Then he just made the biggest fucking mistake of his life.” My voice is low, deadly calm. “Because if he thinks he can use the people Nisha loves to get to her, he’s already signed his death warrant.”
“I know you want them behind bars, Sidharth. Hell, so do I. But this time, we have to be smart,” Viraj says, his frustration seeping through.
“Because last time, when I told you we couldn’t afford to play it safe, when warned you that we had to move fast before that bastard did something reckless, you didn’t listen. And now look what’s happened.”
I slam my palm down against the counter. “Spare me the damn lecture, Viraj. You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to screw it up?” My voice is rough with restrained fury. “You think I haven’t played out every worst-case scenario in my head since the day this started?”
He sighs. “I’m not lecturing you, man. I’m just as pissed as you are. But blaming each other isn’t going to help.”
“You’re right,” I grit out, forcing down the storm in my chest. “Just keep me updated. And let the doctors know I’m on my way.” My eyes flick towards the bedroom, and my heart sinks. “I also need to tell Nisha.”
“She’s going to take this hard,” he says.
Like hell I don’t know that.
And worst of all—it’s me. I’m the one who has to give her the news that’s going to shatter her.
“We’ll be there soon,” is all I say before hanging up.
Throwing the phone on the counter, I draw in a tight breath and run a hand down my face, trying to steady myself. How the hell do I tell Nisha this? How do I wake the woman I love just to break her heart?
As if the universe wants to gut me deeper, I hear her soft, sleepy voice.
“You are cooking for me?”
I turn around and see her leaning against the doorway, wearing nothing but my shirt.
Her hair’s a wild, beautiful mess, her face glowing, and that shy smile tugging at her lips punches the air right out of my lungs.
She’s looking so happy, and I’m about to destroy her bubble.
Fuck! This isn’t how I imagined our morning would go.
She steps into the kitchen, padding barefoot across the floor.
“Hey, you okay?” she asks, coming to stand in front of me, her brows pinched with concern.
I take a breath that does nothing to calm me, and my hands come up to cup her face.
“Nisha…” I begin, her name catching in my throat, even though every part of me screams not to say it, not to let her know. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her face changes instantly. Her lips part and the color drains from her face just enough to push her dangerously close to the edge of fear.
“What is it? Please… just tell me. You’re scaring me.”
I brace myself, every muscle in my body coiled tight. There’s no easy way to say this, so I just blurt it out.
“It’s Sunita Aunty.”
Two words, and I watch her whole body lock up. She looks at me, full of dread, silently begging me to keep going even though she doesn’t want to hear it.
“She’s… she’s in the hospital,” I say, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. “There was a break-in this morning. She was attacked.”
“No, no, no…” she whispers, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief and horror. She stumbles back a step and slips from my hold. But I catch her before she falls and pull her into my arms, holding her tight as she starts to break.
“She’s okay,” I assure her, kissing her hair. “She’s stable.”
Her whole body trembles against me. “God, I—I just spoke to her last night,” she chokes out. “If something had happened to her…”
The rest of the words die in her throat, swallowed by the sob that racks through her, and all I can do is hold her tighter, as if somehow my arms can keep her world from falling apart.
She buries her face in my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt in desperation. “God, she was alone… I should’ve gone home last night… it’s all my…”
“No.” I pull back just enough to look her in the eyes. “Don’t even go there. This is not your fault. Do you hear me?”
She doesn’t reply right away, just looks up at me through tear-filled eyes and hiccups, “I can’t lose her, Sidharth. I can’t—”
“You won’t,” I cut in, my voice firm. “She’s in good hands.”
“Take me to her,” she pleads, her voice so fragile it nearly breaks me.
I nod. “Let’s get dressed. I’ll drive us.”
Tears keep streaming down her face, and it’s killing me.
It’s fucking ripping me apart to see her like this.
I slide one hand into her hair, the other locked tight around her waist, holding her together as she breaks down in my arms. Her sobs wreck me, each one soaking through my shirt, straight to my skin.
And it guts me, at how useless I feel right now, knowing I can’t do a damn thing to take her pain away.