“Samarth, I really don’t think it’s anyone from that house.”
He leans back in the chair, his eyes never leaving mine. “Oh, so now you trust them enough to fight their battles for them?”
I shake my head lightly. “No… I mean, I am not saying that. It’s just that if anyone from that house wanted to harm me, they wouldn’t have waited for so long to make a move. They would have done it already.”
I just hope he believes me, because I can’t even explain to myself why I am defending them. No one in that house wants me. No one… except Dev. And somehow, that one exception is enough to make me feel safe.
My mind flashes back to this morning, when I told him I needed to leave for work, and the idea instantly unsettled him. His face tightened with worry, and beneath it lay unmistakable jealousy, knowing Samarth would be accompanying me. But he still didn’t fuss, because he knew how much it mattered to me. His only condition was that a bodyguard would shadow me.
That’s how far his need to protect me goes. And that one thing alone is enough to give me the certainty that nothing can touch me as long as he’s around.
Samarth’s brows pull together. “Meera, you’re giving them too much benefit of the doubt. Just because they haven’t acted before doesn’t mean they never will.”
“I am not giving them anything, Samarth. I am just stating the obvious,” I reply quietly.
Right then, a knock interrupts us, and Sonia walks in, worry written all over her face.
I glance back at Samarth. “You told her?”
He shrugs. “I did.”
“I know who did this,” she whispers, her eyes never leaving mine as she eases into the chair beside Samarth.
“Who?” I ask, leaning forward and resting my hands on the desk.
“Veer,” she says.
“Veer?” I repeat, and Samarth shoots me a look that clearly says,I told you so.
She nods, her eyes glassy. “He did it to me when I told him I was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby. He didn’t like the idea… so he sent one of his men to silence me on my way home. It was only after I promised I would abort and keep the pregnancy a secret that he finally let it go.”
I feel the chair beneath me wobble. “You didn’t tell me that part?”
“I was too scared to tell anyone,” she admits, her hands trembling in her lap. “I didn’t even want to tell you about my pregnancy. You only found out about the abortion because of the doctor… who happened to be your friend.”
“So… he’s capable of doing this to Meera too. Just because she put him in jail.”
I don’t know if Samarth is stating the obvious or asking a question, but Sonia nods miserably.
Samarth turns to me then. “You can’t stay there, Meera.”
“Samarth, I am not leaving,” I state firmly. Even after hearing her, my trust in Dev refuses to break completely. Yes, Veer may be capable of this, I don’t deny it, but Dev is not Veer. And I can’t take such a drastic step just because of Veer.
“If you’re not leaving, then you need to file an FIR. Right now,” he insists.
“Samarth…” I begin, but he shakes his head. “It’s either you leave, or you file the FIR.”
“Shouldn’t I… shouldn’t I discuss it with Dev first?” I hesitate.
Samarth exhales sharply. “Meera, Dev didn’t believe us the last time we confronted him about the pregnancy. He brushed it aside and stood by his brother.”
“Samarth’s right,” Sonia adds gently. “When it comes to his brother, he won’t listen to a word we say.”
My heart twists painfully. I know they’re right. Dev would never go against his brother for me. Blood comes first, no matter how much his feelings for me are growing. And the worst part? Their words now shake the trust I had been holding tightly in my chest for Dev.
“Okay,” I agree quietly. “But how do we even get to the police station? With the bodyguard following me, he’ll report everything straight to Dev,” I add, stating the obvious.
“I have an idea,” Samarth says.
