Page 110 of Born in Sin

Digvijay held out his phone. Virat glanced at the image that had been zoomed in. One name in bold, right at the top.

Raghuvansh Jha, Founding Father, First Andanatha.

The bottom should have dropped out of his world. But it didn’t. His world was inside that operating theatre fighting for her life. This, all of this, could wait.

“Keep me posted,” he told Digvijay briefly before turning away, heading back to the cluster of people waiting to hear if the love of his life would come back to him or not. As he neared, the door opened and Amay stepped out, dragging his surgical cap of his head.

“The surgery went well,” he said, speaking to Maria but keeping his eyes on Virat. “She’s stable.”

Virat’s back hit the wall next to him, and he slid to the ground, his head buried in his hands.

“Thank you, God,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

This time, the Gods had come.

Chapter Thirty-Six

CARA

Cara came awake slowly, pain slamming through her like a sledgehammer. She didn’t think it was possible for literally every part of her body to feel like it had been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. But it did.

And yet, she was alive. So, props for that, she supposed. She turned her head slightly to see her mother sleeping on the attender’s bed, her mouth open as she snored. No props for that, she thought with a mental groan.

The door creaked open, and Virat stepped in. He looked haggard and wan and one step away from keeling over, but to her, he was the most welcome sight in the world. His gaze went instinctively to her face, the minute he walked through the door, those storm clouds that masqueraded as his eyes widening at the sight of her awake.

He dropped the cup of coffee he was holding, brown liquid splashing across the fronts of his already dirty pants, as he ran towards her, dropping to his knees beside the bed, his hand cradling her face gently.

“You’re awake!” he whispered, kissing her forehead, his lips dry and chapped.

“You’re in the same room as my mother,” she whispered back. “Did I die and go to hell?”

He started to laugh, helplessly, even as tears escaped him as he held her, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

“Hey,” she said gently, her hand lifting shakily to slip through his hair and cradle him close. “I’m fine.”

After a moment’s pause, doubt assailed her. “I am fine, right?” she asked, suspiciously. On the other side of her bed, her mother let out a rattling snore.

Virat lifted his head, took her hand and kissed it, before giving her a watery smile. “You are. You’re better than fine. You’re magnificent.”

She stared at him. “Oh dear God, I’m dying, aren’t I? You, Virat Jha, who communicates in grunts and glares are waxing eloquent. I must be dying.”

“Shut up, idiot,” he grumbled, wiping the tears from his damp cheeks.

“And he’s back,” she said in a sing song voice, though the effort of getting the words out exhausted her.

The door opened again and Amay walked in with Kabir. Virat rose to his feet, though he kept his hand firmly in hers.

“Hey there, superstar.” Amay’s calm voice and wide smile went a long way towards calming her fears. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” she told him honestly. “Are you sure you did a good job?”

He grinned. “Considering how sassy you’re feeling on day one of your recovery, I think I’ve done an excellent job. Is there anything I can get you that would help?”

“Painkillers. Lots of them,” she informed him. “Hook me up, Ams.”

“I’m going to go have a word with the doctor on the floor. I’ll discuss it with him,” Amay laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

Cara smiled back, nodding, her lips quivering with the force of holding back her emotions. The door swung shut behind him a moment later.