Page 28

*Eighteen months earlier*

I woke up as the sunlight streamed through the curtains, feeling both elated and satiated. Vishnu’s arm was draped over my waist, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck. For a moment, everything felt perfect.

I looked at him as he slept, his face peaceful and relaxed. But even in that blissful moment, I knew whatever we had in that moment couldn’t last for long. Vishnu’s life was in India, tied around his father and his family, whereas I had completely different plans for my life—plans that needed me to shift to New York and expand my business. It was something I’d been carefully working toward for years, and I couldn’t give that up for anything.

Keeping last night a secret and walking away wasn’t an option either, as I felt something shift deep inside me. It wasn’t just desire last night; it was something far more dangerous, something that terrified me, something I yearned for.

I carefully extracted myself from Vishnu’s arms and got dressed quickly, silently, stealing glances at his sleeping form, trying not to disturb him. He looked so peaceful, so handsome. A part of me wanted to crawl back into bed, to wake him with kisses and confess my growing feelings for him. But I knew he wasn’t ready for it. Vishnu was grieving over matters that concerned his family, and until he resolved them, he would never be there for me fully.

I moved into the kitchen, trying to push my thoughts aside and focus on the mundane task of making coffee. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my chest. What if Vishnu wanted more? He didn’t look like the casual fling type. Nor was I. But how would this work with him in India and me in New York? I still was lost in my musings when I felt his presence behind me, even before I heard his footsteps.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worry lacing his voice.

I turned around, finding him leaning against the kitchen doorway, shirtless and watching me with those intense, hooded eyes that always seemed to see right through me. There was something in his gaze that made my knees weak, a combination of desire and something deeper that I couldn’t quite place.

For a moment, I was speechless, preferring to admire him rather than speak. My eyes traced the lines of his muscular chest, the way his tousled hair fell into his eyes, and the lingering evidence of the night we had shared. When I couldn’t find the words, he closed the distance between us in a few strides, his thumb brushing my cheek ever so lightly that I instinctively shut my eyes, savouring the moment.

“Was I too rough?” he asked softly.

He was! The marks of his fingers on my inner thighs said it all, the memory of how he held them apart as he ravished my lower body with his mouth and tongue still vivid in my mind.

I opened my eyes and met his concerned gaze.

“I’m not a fragile doll, Vishnu,” I replied. “Whatever we did last night, I loved every second of it.”

His expression softened just a little, making me confident. Maybe I could lighten the mood, tease him just a bit.

“But I never pegged you to be such an easy lay. Had I known confessing my deep, dark feelings for you would make you do all that to me, I would have confessed much, much sooner.” I paused, then added with a playful smirk, “I guess even the great protector of the Walia family has his weaknesses. Tell me, Vishnu, how often do you let your guard down like this? Or am I the only one special enough to make the ever-stoic bodyguard lose control?”

Instead of taking my jibe lightly, Vishnu tensed. He dropped his hands from my cheeks to my upper arms, pulling me towards him in one rough motion.

“My duty to the Walia family doesn’t allow me to get so close to anyone, Simran,” he said, his voice stern. “And I like it that way—detached from worldly pleasures because it’s the only way I can give all my focus to protecting them.”

This was the Vishnu I knew—controlled, focused, and always putting his responsibilities above his own desires. His words were a reminder of the wall I knew he’d built around himself.

I swallowed hard, gathering my courage to ask that one question that burned within me, but I made sure to keep my expression casual, not wanting him to think I would be hurt by his response.

“Do you regret it? Last night?” I finally asked.

“I never do anything I regret,” he replied almost immediately. “Especially last night. But I’m not wired for any other relationships other than the ones that connect me to the Walias, Simran. And my life currently is a mess, as you already know—”

“I know,” I interrupted, squeezing his arms. “I don’t expect anything from you either, Vishnu. I know you have a lot on your plate, and you won’t be able to pay attention to anything until you sort everything out. Honestly, even I don’t have the headspace to get into any kind of relationship right now. All my focus is on expanding my business. In New York.”

The moment the words left my lips, Vishnu stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“New York?” he asked, the shock evident in his voice.

“Hmm,” I hummed, forcing a grin, even though I felt a knot forming in my stomach. “It’s been my dream ever since I got into fashion designing. New York is the place for me, Vishnu, and I’m planning to fly there soon to explore my business opportunities.”

He looked stunned, the news clearly taking him by surprise. As I watched the emotions play across his face, I couldn’t help but wonder what this meant for the fragile, unspoken connection that had blossomed between us last night. Was it destined to crumble before it even had a chance to grow?

Before Vishnu could say anything, his phone rang, cutting through the tension that hung between us. His expression shifted immediately, the warmth we had shared just moments ago replaced by a familiar coldness I’d come to know. He glanced at the screen, and I saw his father’s name flashing there. A shadow passed over his face, and I knew he was being dragged back into that deep, dark hole of his identity. One that had just recently come out before his half-sister, Meher, who had wanted their father to openly claim him as his son. There was already too much tension between him and the rest of the Walia family members now, and it somehow radiated from his body as he stared at the phone, the call ringing on, unanswered.

He didn’t dare pick it up, and I could see the conflict raging within him. The phone stopped ringing, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. Vishnu looked at me again, his eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite place.

“I have to go,” he said, his voice clipped and distant. “But we are not finished yet.”

With those words, Vishnu turned around and disappeared back to the bedroom. I stood there, rooted to the spot, trying to process what he meant by ‘we are not finished yet.’ Was it a promise or a warning? I hoped, foolishly perhaps, that it meant he wanted something more with me than what just happened between us. Maybe there was a future for us, or maybe I was just clinging on to a dream. Either way, I would give him time, I thought. Whatever he needed, I would wait.