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“Uh-huh. And why aren’t you going in?” he asked in disbelief.

“I’ll go later. I’m late for a meeting,” I said vaguely.

“No, you don’t! I cleared your schedule for the whole week, remember?”

“Just do as you’re told,” I snapped, and he flounced away in tight-lipped fury.

Aisha gave me a worried look as I led her to the car.

“Are you upset with Aunty Sue?” she asked finally.

I shook my head.

“Maybe a little, because she did give us quite a scare. But I’ll get over it,” I said, making my plans.

Before the night was over, I was seated in my private jet en route to Dubai for a series of meetings that would last for two weeks.

CHAPTER 31

SUNAINA

Iraised my head groggily as soon as the door opened, waiting eagerly to see the look on Viren’s face when he saw me awake after all these days.

To my surprise, it was Aisha who came in. She cried at the sight of all the needles and tubes inside me, and I reassured her as best as I could, wondering why Viren put her through this experience alone. He could have come in with her because the poor dear needed a tight hug, and there was no way I could hug her right now.

Come to think of it, I needed a hug, too, so why was my husband not here? It was his god-given duty to hug me, especially after his incessant nagging of the past two days. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I heard him all right.

When Aisha went out, I was sure he would come next. But Daya Bua came in after Aisha and then Sufi. They both did not mention Viren, and neither did I because I was sure he wouldcome after they did. After all, this was just like him - to allow everyone else to visit first.

But the door shut behind Sufi and didn’t open for a while until they rolled in another patient. I got tired of keeping my eyes glued to the door and gave in to the demands of my body and the heavy medication, allowing sleep to claim me.

I sensed something different about Daya Bua the next morning when she dropped in to visit me. It took me some time to figure it out - she was furious about something. But Sufi was even worse. He looked absolutely devastated.

I still didn’t ask them anything.

It was only when I had been awake for two days, and Viren had neither dropped in to see me nor called nor sent a message that I mustered the courage to check with Sufi.

“Where is he?” I asked softly.

He knew what I meant, of course, and didn’t meet my eyes as he brushed my hair out of my face gently.

“In Dubai,” he whispered finally.

The machine above my head beeped loudly as my heart gave a huge jolt, and the nurse came running.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to take a deep breath. When the machine piped down, she left us alone again with a warning glance at Sufi, who was almost in tears.

“When did he go?”

“The night you came out of the coma.”

“And when is he coming back?”

“I don’t know, Sue. I don’t know anything anymore.”

Wow!

Viren Chaudhry had finally proved that he did not love me. It didn’t matter if it was because I was unloveable or because he was incapable of love. He just didn’t love me.