Page 23 of Lawfully Yours

Arundhati rolled her eyes.Typical Akash.He was ambitious, eager to analyse everything, and despite his brilliance, still a bit naïve when it came to handling someone like Kushal Nair.

“And? What did you analyse?” she asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Well… he wasn’t in a good mood, that’s for sure,” Akash admitted with a chuckle. “Told me not to remind him of his dates again. He actually sounded surprised that the trial is the day after tomorrow.”

“Surprised?” she repeated. Something in her chest fluttered but she ignored it.

“Yes,” Akash said. “Which means he hasn’t been preparing much. That works in our favour, doesn’t it? If he’s unprepared, we have a better shot at presenting all our arguments clearly before the judge.”

Arundhati let out a short, humourless laugh.

“Don’t make the mistake of taking Kushal lightly,” she warned. “He’s the best for a reason. Even if he doesn’t prepare, he’ll still find a way to turn everything in his favour.”

Akash chuckled again.

“What’s so funny?” she snapped.

“It’s just… how can you speak so well about him when you’re about to divorce him?”

Arundhati’s grip on the phone tightened.

“Only because someone is good at something doesn’t mean they are good at everything. Kushal maybe the best divorce lawyer the country has, but he, as the best husband, is surely debatable.”

“Ah,” Akash hummed in understanding. “I get it now. Anyway, I won’t take up more of your time, Ma’am. See you tomorrow.”

She muttered a quick goodbye before disconnecting the call and tossing her phone onto the bed.

Her gaze unintentionally drifted toward the mirror at the dressing table.

And that’s when she saw it. The scar on her forehead.

Faint but still very much there. A reminder of what had happened outside Verma & Associates this morning.

Her fingers brushed over it as she recalled Kushal’s entry into that situation. How he snapped at those protestors and warned them. How his hands had gripped her shoulders, pulling her into his arms, shielding her. At that moment, he hadn’t just been her soon-to-be ex-husband. He had been the man who had protected her without a second thought.

She had seen the rage in his eyes, a protectiveness so fierce, so instinctual, it had shaken her.

And worse?

She had felt it.

The way his body had pressed against hers. The way his breath had brushed against her temple, the way his hands had held her as if letting go wasn’t an option.

And for a just a fleeting, forbidden second, her body had remembered what it felt like being this close to him. The five months they had lived together as husband and wife. The times when he had walked past her after a shower, his hair damp, droplets still clinging to the sharp edges of his jaw. The scent of his aftershave, dark and rich, would linger in the air, messing with her focus when she was buried in case files.

And the kisses.

The ones that had left her heart slamming against her ribs, the ones that had made her question everything she thought she knew about their marriage.

Kisses that lingered even after he had pulled away.

Arundhati inhaled sharply, shoving those thoughts away.

No.

She was angry at herself.

Angry that amidst all the chaos, amidst the protestors, the courtroom battles, and the fight to end this marriage, her mind had still betrayed her, dragging her back to a past she wanted to forget.