Page 28 of Drunk On Love

Those smiles when she was welcomed into the bookstore, the way she hugged me excitedly when she won a small lottery prize at the bakery—they were etched in my mind like snapshots of a life I didn’t know I could want. Her determination to learn how to make cupcakes, as if she could master it just by watching others, was endearing in ways I couldn’t quite explain. I was lost tonight, drowning in the memory of her small, vibrant moments.

“You can tell me if something is bothering you.” She said, breaking the silence. “Friends can look out for each other… right?”

“We’re not… friends,” I muttered, releasing another weary breath. My voice sounded hollow even to me.

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, her eyes searching my face. Whatever she saw—or didn’t see—seemed to make her retreat. Without another word, she turned and stared out the window,

Something was wrong with me. I needed to get home, sleep it off, and clear my head.

I dropped Kiara off at her place. She got out in silence, and I didn’t say anything, either. But it felt safer to push her away than to admit that her presence, her warmth, was something I wanted. Something I couldn’t afford.

When I finally reached home, I moved through the motions without thinking. I took a long, hot shower, lettingthe water wash over me, but all I could see was her face, the way her eyes softened when she looked at me, the way her voice had that familiar edge of concern.

Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, I finally crawled into bed, hoping for a few hours of sleep to ease the storm raging inside me. But as soon as I closed my eyes, her words echoed in my head.“Friends can look out for each other, right?”

Friends. No.

I need to forget her. I need to sleep. Instead, I was dragged back into a past I thought I had buried long ago.

“What are you thinking?” Shivi’s fingers gently brushed my forehead as I lay on her lap.

“Have I ever told you just how much I love you?” I opened my eyes and met her gaze.

“Yeah, about a hundred times a day,” she chuckled, playfully pinching my nose.

“But that’s still not enough,” I said as I sat up.

“Manav…” Her eyes remained locked with mine.

“Don’t speak,” I interrupted softly.

“Okay,” her eyes glistened with tears.

“Why aren’t we moving forward in our relationship?” I asked, taking her hands in mine.

“What are you talking about? I’ve practically lived here for the past six months.”

“When do I get to meet your family?” I brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“I told you, I’m not ready yet,” she stammered.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“What? Of course not!” she replied quickly.

“I’m leaving for a month this week. Come with me,”

“Manav, the project I’m working on…”

“You can work there, I will make the arrangements.”

She looked at me for a few moments before hugging me tightly. “Okay…”

I leaned in to find her lips as her hands gently tangled in my hair.

The moment was abruptly interrupted by a series of loud shots from outside. Mr. Patel’s security team sprang into action, their readiness palpable. As I carefully stood up from the couch with Shivi, I caught sight of two masked figures in the mirror, advancing towards us. Instinctively, I pulled her behind me and reached for my gun. Before I could react further, one of the assailants lunged at her. In a desperate move, I spun her around to shield, only to feel a searing pain as a knife was plunged deep into my back.

Mr. Patel arrived just in time, and the knife was inches away from my heart.