Page 10 of Entangled Vows (Destined Diaries #2)

Vikram stood on the mezzanine, half-hidden in the shadow thanks to the dim light behind him. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. He was feeling restless and was just leaving for the day when he overheard Mahika. The raw hurt in her voice stopped him in his tracks.

And then he saw her, a mess of tears, slumped against her brother, her body trembling as tears streamed down her face.

The sight made his heart ache, and he balled his hand into a fist. He’d never seen her so emotionally vulnerable, had never imagined she could break down like this.

Although her father was distant, he had always thought Mahika and her mother were close.

He had no idea of Mahika’s suffering. He’d always believed she was strong and unshakable, but seeing her fall apart like this broke him in a way he couldn’t explain.

He wished he could absorb her pain, wipe away the stress from her face, and make her happy again. He didn’t want her to feel so broken, trapped, and desperate. But that wasn’t his place. Not now. If he wanted this marriage to work, he had to keep his feelings in check.

He pushed away from the railing and walked with heavy steps, his mind in turmoil. Every instinct screamed at him to go and console her, but he forced himself to walk the other way, his feet carrying him towards the exit instead.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered without even looking at the screen.

“Vikram,” came the familiar voice on the other end.

Vikram froze mid-step. “Arjun?”

His best friend calling him wasn’t surprising, but considering he was in Paris, it shocked him a bit.

“Who else?” Arjun replied lightly, though beneath the teasing was a flicker of concern. “You sound surprised.”

Vikram narrowed his eyes as he looked around the dim hall. “I wasn’t expecting your call. What time is it in Paris?”

“The same as Dehradun, since I’m right here,” Arjun said casually as if it was no big deal.

It took a moment for his words to sink in, and Vikram froze. “What?”

“I’m at your place,” Arjun replied, acting way too chill considering the bomb he’d just dropped.

“What?” Vikram repeated.

“I’m at your house.”

“You are in Dehradun?” Vikram’s voice shot up in disbelief.

“Where else would I be?”

“You were in Paris! You were literally accepting awards four days ago—”

“Exactly. Four days ago,” Arjun cut in smoothly. “After the call we had that night, when you told me about the clause that had you in such a bind, there was no way I was going to just sit here sipping Bordeaux while you sounded like you’d been run over by a truck.”

Vikram’s grip on the phone tightened. “I didn’t mean for that to... Fuck. Arjun, you shouldn’t have bothered coming all this way.”

Arjun chuckled. “Seriously? You call me at two in the morning, all upset, and you didn’t think I’d be here?”

Vikram shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “Izz is going to kill me for ruining her Parisian holiday.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Arjun retorted.

Before Vikram could reply, Ira’s indignant voice boomed in the background. “Vikram! Seriously?! You are worried about our vacation right now?”

Vikram couldn’t help but grin. Over the years, Arjun’s wife, Ira, had become a really close friend.

“Izz—”

“Don’t you ‘Izz’ me!” she shot back. “You needed us, plain and simple. Well, now that we’re all here... quit pretending everything’s okay. That won’t fly with us!”

“We all came,” Adil drawled with his trademark nonchalance.

“All of you?” Vikram blinked, his mind reeling. “You’re all here?”

“Of course, Vicky,” Vaayu chimed in, his voice full of amusement. “Now hurry the fuck up. We expect you to come and mope with us.”

“I wasn’t moping. And you didn’t have to wreck your plans—”

“Say one more word about ‘ruined plans,’ and I swear I’ll drive all the way back there just to smack you,” Kabir growled.

“Vick, drop the tough-guy act,” Kyra teased, her voice playful.

“Yeah, you might fool the world, but we know you’re a marshmallow underneath,” Mira laughed.

“The mushiest marshmallow,” Ruhi chimed in. “Now, where the heck are you?”

Vikram sighed, shaking his head, still unable to believe they were all here. “I’m leaving now. Be there in a few minutes.”

“Good,” Mira said firmly. “And Vick, don’t hold back this time. We came all this way for the real you, with all the drama included. Tell me you understand that.”

“Mira, I—”

“Tell her, Vicky,” Adil cut in with a laugh, “or she’s never going to stop bugging you.”

“How dare you, Adi? Are you saying I bug people?” Mira shrieked in mock-outrage, and then the call cut off with a burst of static.

The line went dead, leaving Vikram staring at his phone in stunned silence. They had dropped everything for him without hesitation or expectation. Just for him. He exhaled slowly, a mix of laughter and a sigh escaping him. How did he get so lucky to have friends like that?

Pulling himself together, he dialled home.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end was Dipesh, his house manager.

He was Sandhya’s nephew, the woman who had been the Khurana household’s caretaker and cook for years.

Everyone fondly called her Sandhya Ma. In her late fifties, with a round, gentle face and kind eyes, she was far more than a housekeeper.

After twenty-five years of working here, she was family.

To Vikram, she had been more of a mother than the one who had walked away long ago.

Vikram trusted them both wholeheartedly, knowing Dipesh ran the house with the same quiet efficiency as his aunt.

“Dipesh, it’s Vikram,” he said, his voice calm yet commanding.

“Yes, sir. How can I help you?”

“My friends have arrived from Mumbai. They mentioned they’re at the house.”

“Yes, they are in your study right now.”

“Very well. Take good care of them. I want them to be comfortable. And get them moved to the executive suites at the resort right away. The ones with the killer view of the valley.”

“Understood, sir. I’m on it right away. I’ll coordinate with the front desk at Crown Valley.”

“Excellent. Keep me posted once it’s done.”

As Vikram stepped into the parking lot, the cool night air washed over him, bringing a rare sense of calm.

He still couldn’t believe his friends were here, in his hometown.

Couldn’t believe he had ever left those idiots behind.

Sure, video calls and endless phone conversations had kept them close, and that thought had always grounded him.

But nothing compared to being with them in person.

He’d spent years mastering the art of not getting involved, keeping his world small, safe, and detached. However, this amazing, loud, and chaotic clan had bulldozed right through his walls.

And he couldn’t even be mad about it.

Because they were his people. His family. And they were absolutely irreplaceable.