I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “Look, with everything going on, I’m just worked up. I didn’t mean to come off like a jerk.” I glance at him, my voice lower. “You didn’t deserve that. You’re right. We’ve come a long way from just being two guys stuck on a case. So, yeah. My bad.”
Viraj gives a slight nod, the edge in his eyes softening. “Fair enough. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, will you finally tell me? Is Nisha okay with you?”
I let out a slow breath. “She’s still hesitant and guarded,” I admit, a small smile playing on my lips. “But she’s willing to take a chance. She’s agreed to have dinner with me, and I’ll take that as a positive start.”
“Well, no matter what kind of asshole you can be at times,” he says with a smirk, “you’re still a gem of a person underneath all that brooding. Reyansh and Kavya, they’ll be happy to know that you and Nisha—”
I cut him off before he can finish. “Reyansh and Kavya shouldn’t know about it,” I say firmly, the edge back in my voice.
His brows draw together, confusion flickering across his face. “Why would you want to hide it?” he asks, his tone more curious than confrontational. “You really think they wouldn’t be happy for you both? It’s not like you’re doing something wrong.” He leans forward slightly. “After everything, a little happiness is the one thing they’d want for her.”
“If it were up to me, I’d shout it from the damn rooftop and let the whole world know what I feel for Nisha. I couldn’t care less about people’s opinions.” I let out a quiet breath. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about her. She’s not ready to voice it yet, and the last thing I’d ever do is pressure her or take that choice away. She deserves that respect.”
Viraj leans back again and folds his arms. “You remind me a lot of myself back in the day when I met my wife.” His eyes soften with nostalgia. “There was this one time when a guy tried to get a little too friendly with her at a café near her college. She didn’t even know I was around, but I’d made it a habit to swing by and keep an eye from a distance. The moment I saw that jerk grab her wrist, I didn’t even think twice. Walked straight in, pulled him off, and nearly broke his jaw. The owner had to step in before I went too far.” He laughs under his breath. “She was furious with me and called me dramatic. But later that night, she held my hand and said she’d never felt safer in her life.”
A faint smile tugs at the corner of my lips. “Your wife is lucky to have someone like you watching her back.”
He looks at me, the smile fading into something more serious. “When you love someone like that, it’s not about control. It’s about knowing when to stand back and when to step in. And that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
I glance away for a second, then meet his gaze again. “Maybe. But it doesn’t make it any easier, standing back and giving her space to catch up, especially when every part of me wants to pull her close and never let go. It hurts like hell. Nevertheless, if time is what she needs, then that’s exactly what I’ll give her.”
Viraj lets out a low chuckle. “You’re quite an intense man.”
“I’m,” I admit quietly. “But with Nisha, I don’t know how else to be. All I can hope is that one day, she feels for me even half of what I feel for her.”
Viraj nods slowly, a quiet respect settling in his eyes.
“She will,” he says simply.
I glance down at my watch and rise to my feet. “I should get going. Can’t be late for my first date,” I say, adjusting my jacket with a faint smirk.
Viraj grins and stands as well. “Have a great time.”
“I will,” I reply as I head out.
By the time I slide into the driver’s seat, my heart’s pounding with the thought of our first date. Fuck, I’m acting like a damn teenager on his first ever night out. But with Nisha, itfeelslike the first. I’ve been on dates before, sure, but none of them ever meant something worth counting. That’s what makes this whole damn thing matter so much.
Chapter 17
Nisha
‘I still can’t believe I said yes,’I whisper to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. But when Sidharth asked me, I just couldn’t bring myself to say no. If I’m being completely honest, Iwantedthis. Even with all the caution my past has taught me, even with the walls I’ve built around my heart, I wanted this.
I didn’t want to hold myself back anymore. I wanted to live. Not just survive or exist behind my fears, but to truly live. To take chances, to feel, to laugh, to fall… even if it might hurt. Maybe that’s what they call life. You fall, you stand, you walk again. And you keep walking. You don’t give up.
And that’s exactly what I’m doing now. Letting go of the fear and choosing to live a little with the one person who makes me feel special.
Even now, the thought of being with Sidharth fills me with such excitement that it overshadows the fear of knowing Prakash has escaped from jail. That’s how safe I feel with Sidharth; it’s like nothing bad can touch me as long as he’s by my side.
With each passing second, my nerves drum louder in my chest, a steady reminder that, despite the anxiety, I’m doing theright thing. I take a deep breath and focus on the mirror, on the reflection staring back at me.
‘Do I look okay?’I murmur, my stomach fluttering as I give myself another once-over. I almost don’t recognize myself. Glowing skin, eyes subtly defined with a touch of eyeliner, a swipe of lipstick, and cheeks carrying a faint blush. My hair falls in loose waves over my shoulders, and my dark blue knee-length dress, simple and elegant, feels like the perfect choice.
“You look beautiful.” Sunita Aunty’s voice startles me and I turn around. She’s standing at the doorway with a warm smile on her face.
“Aunty, just how long were you secretly watching me?” I tease, raising an eyebrow, still a little embarrassed I didn’t notice her sooner.
“Long enough to see you smiling at your reflection,” she says as she walks in and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I just couldn’t help but admire you. You look so radiant tonight. And I’m so happy, Nisha. Seeing you like this, knowing you’re taking a chance and opening up your heart to get to know Sidharth, fills my heart with joy.”
