Sidharth
Hell doesn’t come close to what these past few minutes have felt like since she confessed the truth. We’ve been sitting in the same spot on the couch for forty minutes now. It didn’t take long for my detective instincts to kick in. When I asked to see the email, she handed me her phone. And the moment I read it, a fierce protectiveness hit me at the thought that someone out there wants to hurt her again.
What that bastard doesn’t realize is that threatening her is the same as declaring war on me. Not a single strand of her hair will be touched. Hell, he won’t even get the chance to breathe in her direction. I’ll fucking make sure of it.
“Sidharth…” Nisha whispers, her voice barely a thread, just enough to snap me out of the storm in my head.
But I don’t look at her. My eyes stay locked on her phone screen. My jaw clenches so hard it hurts as I reread the message.
“It might just be an empty threat,” I hear her say, and this time, I look up at her, ready to snap at how she could be so stupid to brush this off. But the moment my eyes take in her vulnerable state, all the rage drains out of me, and is replaced by quiet concern.
“This is not an empty threat, Nisha. But even if it were, I’d rather be cautious than sorry,” I say as I place her phone on the coffee table. “Like I said, from now on, I’m your shadow till I track that bastard down.”
She bites her lower lip, doubt flickering in her eyes. “I don’t need you to go that extreme.”
“Then what do you want me to do? Sit back and wait for that asshole to turn his threat into action?” I snap, fed up with her stubbornness, fed up with the way she’s downplaying it like it’s not worth worrying about. “The email clearly says he wants you gone, and you really think doing nothing is the smart move?”
Her gaze lowers. “I know you want to help. And I know… after your sister, you feel this need to—”
I cut her off sharply. “This has nothing to do with my sister.” I rake a hand through my hair. “Why the hell does everyone think it has to be about her? Why does no one believe I can care about someone without it being tied to my past?”
She doesn’t respond. Just stares at me with that tortured look on her face that hits me hard.
I take a breath, then another, forcing the storm inside me to settle before I finally reach for her. My hands find her face, holding it gently, my thumbs brushing her cheekbones as I make her meet my eyes.
“Listen to me, Nisha.” My voice softens, but it loses none of its conviction. “This isn’t about my sister. It’s not guilt or some reflex to fix what I couldn’t back then. My instinct to protect you comes from something real. Something I feel for you. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s even more than that.”
She blinks up at me, her voice barely a whisper. “You hardly know me.”
“I know enough,” I say quietly. “Enough to make space for you in my heart without overthinking it or needing logic to justify it.”
“I… I…” she stammers.
I place a finger gently against her lips. “Shhh. You don’t have to say anything right now. I know you need time, and I’m not rushing it. We’ll get there.” I tighten my grip on her cheek. “For now, all you need to know is that I’m not about to let any asshole lay a finger on you, not on my watch. Do you get that?”
She nods slowly, her glassy eyes fixed on mine.
“Good.”
“I… I need you to promise me something,” she says hesitantly, like she’s afraid the promise might be too much to ask.
“You can ask me anything.” I lean back just a little, letting my hands fall from her face, my palm brushing over her arms. “It’s yours, whatever it is. Except for two things: don’t ask me to let go of you, and don’t ask me to let that bastard off the hook. Anything else, just name it. It’s a yes.”
“Please don’t tell Kavya about the email,” she says quietly, almost pleading. “She’s already been through enough, and now that she’s pregnant, she doesn’t need any more stress.”
“Kavya doesn’t need this right now.” I agree. “And she won’t hear it from me, I promise you that.”
“Sunita Aunty?”
“I won’t tell her either. It’ll be our secret,” I promise softly.
“Thank you,” she says, looking down, her fingers nervously picking at the hem of her sleeve.
I reach for her hand and wrap mine around it firmly.
“You don’t have to thank me,” I say, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You just have to let me handle this my way, without fighting me.” I lean in just a little, coaxing her eyes to meet mine. “And as much as I get your instinct to protect Kavya and Sunita Aunty, don’t ever lump me into that same list. I don’t need your protection. What I need is for you to understand that I’m the one standing between you and whatever the hell’s coming.”
She lets out a tired huff. “I hate to sound weak, but I’m tired of fighting everything on my own. I need you more than I’m willing to admit.”
