Page 24 of Entangled Vows (Destined Diaries #2)

Vikram finally understood the magnitude of Mahika’s anger and quiet sadness over her mother’s behaviour.

Her mother had looked at her with the detachment of an acquaintance.

Mahika had been the first to step forward and offer a hug.

They exchanged forced, polite greetings, and the only thing her mother asked was about the business.

Nothing about how her daughter was doing.

And as they were about to leave, her mother had simply smiled at them. No hugs, no kisses.

And yet, despite everything that had happened, Mahika had gently cupped her mother’s face and kissed her forehead with a grace that completely wrecked him, shocking him in a way he hadn’t expected. It was like watching a mother soothe a child… only the roles were reversed.

He couldn’t bear to see Mahika so upset.

He’d seen enough. He had thrown Mohit a sharp, accusing look, but Mohit merely shook his head slightly, silently telling him to let it go.

Then, being the caring big brother he was, Mohit spent the next ten minutes cheering Mahika up, which really touched Vikram.

He joked around, teased her, and actually made her smile.

A minute later, Mahika glanced at Vikram, and without a word, he knew she was ready to leave. She didn’t say the words, but he understood her with unexpected clarity.

Vikram remained tense even as they entered the polished foyer of the Khurana estate. He was furious at her mom’s indifference towards her.

He had always considered himself a cold and logical person, someone who never let emotions cloud his judgment. But today, that facade had crumbled. Seeing Mahika’s mother so detached and unaffected by her own daughter had shaken him to his very core. It was just plain cruel.

And yet, Mahika hadn’t cried. But as her mother walked away, he caught the fleeting expression of hurt in her eyes.

Hell. That girl was stubborn as fuck. She deserved so much more. She deserved the world. Was he the guy who was meant to give it all to her? Probably not. But the thought of anyone else even trying made his chest constrict, and a hot wave of anger washed over him.

He shook away the angry thoughts and flung open the car door for her. She stepped out, and he immediately went around to lift her heavy luggage.

A faint rustle caught his attention, and he turned to look at her.

She had changed out of the formal attire she’d worn earlier and was now dressed in white pants and a simple, green cotton kurti that skimmed her frame with effortless ease.

Her hair, usually pinned or tied back, now fell in soft waves over her shoulders.

She looked… comfortable. Soft. Approachable.

Vikram almost let himself believe it, until he noticed what she was holding.

His hand froze on the door handle as his gaze locked onto the plastic cage in her hand. A big, fluffy ball of fur sat inside, its beady eyes glaring at him. It took him exactly two seconds to realise what it was.

His entire body stiffened.

It was a cage. And inside it was… the vampire rabbit.

His jaw clenched, and his voice dropped dangerously low. “What the hell is that thing doing here?”

Mahika blinked up at him, her expression the picture of wide-eyed innocence. Then, with exaggerated calm, she lifted the cage and held it up like a prized treasure.

“Oh, this?” she asked, flashing him a blindingly sweet smile. “This is my Bungee. You’ve already met him, Grizzly, haven’t you?”

Vikram stiffened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I thought it belonged to Ishika.”

“Nope. He’s mine.” She popped the ‘p’ with smug satisfaction.

Before he could fire back, Mahika turned to the rabbit and, God help him, started cooing.

“Oh, my darling Bungee! Remember, Grizzly? Your daddy?”

“I am not his daddy,” Vikram growled.

“He thinks you are.”

“The hell he does.” He glared at the rabbit, who was now twitching its nose at him. “That thing is NOT staying in my house.”

Mahika gasped, clutching the cage to her chest like he’d just suggested barbecuing the damn thing. “That is my baby you’re talking about.” Her eyes narrowed. “And he is staying with me. In my room.”

“Absolutely not.” He pointed his finger at the rabbit, who sat there looking suspiciously smug. “That thing bites.”

“He nibbles. Affectionately.”

“He tried to murder me that day.”

“Wow, such a meltdown over a scratch. If he’s not welcome, I’ll take him and go. We come as a package deal.”

Vikram exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re blackmailing me with a rabbit, Momo?”

“No,” she shot back, her eyes sparkling. “I’m just setting boundaries.”

Vikram stared at her, shocked at her audacity. He let out a slow, exasperated breath and gestured towards the sprawling estate. “This house is ten times bigger than the house you were staying in. Why does the damn thing have to stay in your room?”

“Because Bungee gets lonely,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “He needs me.”

“I need my space,” he muttered.

“Tough luck. It’s your choice. Either Bungee stays with me, or I go back. Or you let me sleep in a separate room, just like I wanted. Chop chop, Grizzly.”

Vikram narrowed his eyes as realisation dawned on him.

Clever girl. She was clearly trying to use the rabbit to get what she wanted.

If she thought she could outwit him into letting her sleep in a separate room with the excuse of her four-legged fluffball, she obviously didn’t know a thing about him.

A slow, amused smirk tugged at his lips as he quietly turned the tables on her.

“Fine,” Vikram said coolly, arms folded across his chest. “It stays. In our room. With both of us.”

Mahika blinked, clearly thrown off. He could see the gears turning behind her eyes as she realised she’d backed herself into a corner. She hadn’t expected him to actually agree.

Her voice held a flicker of disbelief as she asked, “You’re okay with him staying in your bedroom?”

Vikram let the silence linger just long enough to drive the point home.

“Our bedroom,” he corrected, his eyes glinting. “I can make space for him. He’s your pet, after all. And what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine now, isn’t it?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion sharpening her expression. “Seriously? Is this your twisted way of making me sleep in your room?”

“No. It’s my very straightforward way of reminding you it’s our room,” he replied smoothly, stepping closer, the smugness practically radiating off him.

“Bungee is a rabbit, Grizzly.”

“Bungee is your pet, Momo,” he shot back without missing a beat.

“A pet rabbit. You don’t even like him!”

He leaned in, his smirk lazy and lethal. “True. I’m not particularly fond of the idea of a tiny furball chewing on my charging cables. But if keeping him here means you stay where you’re supposed to, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

Mahika’s mouth opened, then closed. “You’re being manipulative.”

“No,” he murmured, his voice dipping lower. “I’m being accommodating.”

She scowled and turned sharply, pretending to busy herself with Bungee’s carrier. “You’re going to regret it. He sheds his hair.”

“I’ve handled worse.”

“He... he’s aggressive.”

Vikram stepped closer, amused. “If Bungee’s aggressive, then we’re in trouble. Two alpha males under one roof.”

Vikram saw Mahika’s eyes widen in unmistakable surprise, as if she was seeing a side of him she’d never dared to imagine. He saw the tinge of reluctant admiration on her face.

“Did you... did you just crack a joke?” she sputtered, still staring at him.

“Maybe.”

Her lips twitched. “This is the second time you’ve joked, Grizz.”

“You’ve been keeping tabs on me, Momo.”

“Hard not to, when you’re basically the walking cliché of a moody, control-obsessed hero of billionaire stories.”

Vikram chuckled. “So you do read those kinds of books.”

Her face heated instantly. “That’s not the point.”

“It kind of is.” He glanced at her sideways. “You just compared me to your fantasy hero. I’ll take it.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away, her attention already back on the cage. “Don’t flatter yourself. Now, I’d like to take Bungee inside. He’s feeling cold.”

He sighed in exasperation. “Fine. Let’s take him to our room.”

Mahika sing-songed. “Can he sleep in the bed with me?”

“Don’t push it.”

She breezed past him, practically bouncing with the cage in hand, completely ignoring the warning in his voice. The damn rabbit twitched its nose at him, as if he knew exactly who had won this round.

Vikram followed behind, his jaw tight, shaking his head in the kind of exasperation only she could stir.

He’d closed billion-dollar deals, stood toe-to-toe with ruthless businessmen, and managed a successful business without breaking into a sweat.

But here he was… negotiating living arrangements with a rabbit and a wife who called him Grizzly like it was a royal title.

His tired sigh broke the silence. For once, he couldn’t talk his way out of this one, or bulldoze through it like he usually did. This was Mahika. Chaotic, emotional, unpredictable, and stubborn as hell.

And he had no idea what to do with her.