Page 71 of Married in Vengeance

Virat simply smiled, not looking the least bit put out by her ire.

“Maybe,” he said teasingly. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Aadhya glanced at the door in the far end of the room, anger, hurt, betrayal swirling in a toxic mess in her heart. And still, she looked for him. And still, he didn’t come.

Facing forward again, she said, “We will win.”

“Today is just a preliminary hearing,” Karthik began. “There will be no judgements today.”

Aarush tipped his sunglasses down his nose and looked over them at Karthik.

“But yes, we will win,” he added hastily. “In due course.”

“Will you also represent me in my divorce?” Aadhya demanded.

Karthik gulped, rubbing his sweaty hands against his black lawyer’s coat.

“Aadhya,” Priyanka leaned forward, taking pity on Karthik and distracting her. “Look who’s come.”

Her stupid traitorous heart jumped, lodging itself in her throat as she looked, again, towards the entrance. Gayatri, her best friend, rushed towards her, dropping to her haunches in front of Aadhya and wrapping her in a tight hug.

She should be happy, she told her brainless heart. All the people who genuinely loved her were here to support her. She didn’t need a toxic waste of space. She didn’t need a lying, cheating bastard. She didn’t needhim.

“I’m going to divorce him,” she told Gayu, the moment her friend stopped strangling her from love and concern. “Aarush Anna said I can.”

Gayatri flashed a worried look around their little group. “Okay. We’ll do that. You don’t have to yell it out to a bunch of strangers at court.”

“I’m not yelling,” Aadhya whisper shouted.

The little man at the door chose that moment to gurgle and mumble something, all said at ear splitting levels and making no sense.

But miraculously, Karthik seemed to understand his mumbo jumbo.

“That’s us,” he announced, pulling a very ‘Aadhya move’ and looking over at the door.

Aadhya looked too. But nope, still nothing. Fuckhead.

She stood, her legs trembling as she followed her brother and Karthik into the courtroom. The others stayed behind, not wanting to crowd the already crowded space.

Aadhya was starting to feel lightheaded, sweat beading her brow and upper lip, her bra seemingly tightening of its own accord and cutting off her oxygen supply.

“Is the defense ready?” The judge asked, looking over at their little trio.

“Yes, Your Honour.” A new voice announced from behind them. A horribly familiar new voice. A straight-from-Aadhya’s-manifestation voice.

The judge peered at a point behind Aadhya, a genial smile gracing his face. “You, eh?”

“Yes, Your Honour. Ram Gadde for the defense.”

Thirty-Nine

RAM

Ram droppedhis files on the table beside which Aarush and Aadhya stood. Karthik stepped to the side, allowing him to take the space in front.

“Alright.” The judge adjusted his glasses. “Shall we begin?”

“Your Honour, may I speak?”

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