“Trust me,” he murmurs, his fingers trailing softly along my cheek, and my breath catches in response. “Every man will. You’re gorgeous, Nisha. Even now, you take my breath away.”
“I… I…” I stammer, the words caught somewhere between disbelief and a desperate need to thank him.
But he doesn’t wait for me to find the words. Instead, he grins. “Are you done here? Because I’m on a mission to impress my woman with dinner.”
I nod, quickly turning to place the roses in a vase, my fingers trembling ever so slightly.
When I finish, I turn to him. He takes my hand and leads me to the door. When we reach his car, he opens the passenger side for me, just like he always does. I slip inside, my heart still fluttering with excitement and anticipation. He walks around, slides into the driver’s seat, and starts the engine.
Throughout the drive, our conversation flows effortlessly. He laughs when I tell him my favorite movie isThe Mask. We talk about food, the places we’ve always wanted to visit, and little things we’ve always loved. And with each passing minute, being with him just feels right.
We finally reach our destination, and Sidharth pulls the car in front of a rustic restaurant. I admire the warm, worn brick walls and the wooden beams framing the windows. Soft golden lanterns hang by the entrance, casting a gentle, inviting glow. It looks cozy and peaceful.
He parks the car and walks around to my side. As I open the door, he offers his hand with a playful smile.
“Ready to be swept off your feet?”
I laugh softly, slipping my hand into his. “I’m.”
We take a few steps and are just about to reach the entrance when an all too familiar voice slices through the air, and I stop mid-step. Sidharth’s stance stiffens, and his arm immediately wraps around my waist, protective and possessive, as he pulls me slightly closer.
“Nisha? Is that you?”
Every part of me goes rigid as I turn, and there they are. Deepak and Maya, the two people I never wanted to see in my life ever again.
“You’re still with her?” I ask, eyeing the way his arm is wrapped around her waist, and how she clings to him like a trophy she thinks she’s earned. “You two make quite the pair… cheaters,” I say, thinking back to the days when I caught them together, cheating behind my sister’s back. The irony still stings, because not long after, I caught Maya with another man, betraying Deepak in the same way. I never saw the man’s face, but I had warned Deepak. Told him he would regret choosing Maya over my sister, that she was cheating on him too. But he never listened. He had been too blinded by lust to see the truth.
“How dare you?” Maya snaps, straightening to her full five-foot-ten height. She looks like a damn model—stylish, fair, sharp-featured, dressed in a midnight-blue dress and heels. Sure, she’s a ten on the outside, but it’s her black heart that makes her truly ugly.
I feel Sidharth tense beside me, his other hand curling into a fist.
“Don’t you…” he begins, but I quickly grab his shirt and pull his attention back to me.
“I need to do this,” I whisper, glancing up at him.
“Maya, not a word,” Deepak warns her, his dark brown eyes shifting from her to me. “And Nisha, can we not do this right now?” he pleads softly. “Maya… she had a miscarriage recently.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” I say, forcing a tight smile that barely hides the hate simmering beneath it. I look straight at them. “Because honestly, you two never deserved to be parents. If anything, that child was spared from having awful ones like you both.”
Deepak’s face twists in hurt, and Maya’s eyes flashes with outrage. But I don’t flinch. I’m done playing polite. They hurt my sister, and I refuse to feel guilty for hitting them where it hurts the most.
“You both disgust me,” I add, holding Deepak’s gaze with icy calm. “Deepak, I actually feel sorry for you. You threw away someone pure, someone who truly loved you, and for whom? Her?” I point towards Maya, who glares at me. “Even then, I warned you. I told you she wasn’t loyal. But you were too blinded by lust to see it. You chose her.” I pull in a shaky breath. “And honestly? I’m glad you didn’t listen. Because if you had, Kavya would’ve never found Reyansh. And that man? He’s everything you’ll never be.”
Sidharth’s arm stays wrapped around me, holding me close. I can feel his eyes on me, his presence silently backing every word I just said.
My gaze stays on Deepak, who says nothing. Instead, he just stands there, looking ashamed, while Maya presses her lips into a tight line, as if she’s holding back the urge to lash out at me.
“Come on,” I say, turning to Sidharth. “Let’s not waste our time here. They are not worth it.”
Sidharth presses a gentle kiss to my forehead and guides me inside. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”
I offer him a smile before turning away from Deepak and Maya, my head held high. When we reach the restaurant, Sidharth opens the door for me. As I step inside, a quiet voice in my mind pats me on the back.You did good. You gave them exactly what they deserved. They’re not worth your pity or another second of your attention.
Chapter 18
Sidharth
Fuck, she’s pure fire.
