Page 83 of Addiction

“I’ll look into her. You need to take it easy. Everything can wait. I need you fully recovered. Vedant is going to be out of action for a while now.” Mihir squeezed his shoulder. “It’s up to you and me to hold the fort everywhere. I need you, Armaan, now more than ever. And I need you to be very careful. No taking risks with your life anymore. Promise me that you will be careful. Promise me.”

Mihir’s eyes shone with unshed tears. For the first time in years, Armaan saw his brother’s composure waver. Armaan could make out the tremble in his hands that Mihir was so desperately trying to hide. His brother was scared. So was he.

Armaan pulled him in a hug. “We’re going to be fine. All of us. We will find out what went wrong the night Vedant and I were compromised as such. We will get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Mihir held him tightly for a moment longer before he let go.

The door opened. Both of them turned as Navya entered. Her eyes widened when she saw him awake. His gaze met hers and his heart rate began to escalate. He hungrily took her in. She looked worn out. The urge to capture her in his arms ran through him, but he shot it down. She didn’t love him. He had to remember that.

However, right now, nothing mattered more than ensuring she was safe. And for that, he would stay away from her. Thiswas the best way forward for both of them. His heart clenched in pain. Not all love stories had happy endings.

Perhaps, this was the way his love story had to end.

24

Armaan was awake. Relief made her weak in the knees. She studied him. He looked weak, his face gaunt and eyes heavy. But he was conscious and breathing. That’s what mattered. She rushed to him, but Mihir stepped in her path.

“Navya, a word please.” Mihir’s eyes were cold, his tone hard.

She stared at him in confusion. Mihir’s harsh behavior wasn’t making sense. She’d spoken to him just a little while ago. He’d reached the hospital early in the morning, straight from the airport. He was the one who’d told her to go and freshen up. She’d even conversed with him briefly, updating him on Armaan’s progress and had asked him about Vedant. What had changed between then and now for him to behave so coldly? She breathed out. It wasn’t important. What mattered was Armaan, and the fact that he was awake.

Ignoring Mihir, she took another step forward. Mihir blocked her path again, shaking his head.

“I want to meet Armaan,” she said.

“Don’t make this hard, Navya.”

She looked at Armaan, but he was no longer looking at her. He was looking to the side, out of the window.

“Armaan,” she called out.

He didn’t look at her. Something wasn’t right here. Panic set in. Her mind began to conjure up terrible scenarios in her head.

Mihir held a hand out. With one last look at Armaan, she followed him outside.

“What is it?” she asked the second he shut the door. “Is he unwell? Why is Armaan not talking to me?”

“He wants nothing to do with you.”

“What?” She shook her head in disbelief. “No, you’re lying.”

Mihir’s lips tightened. “I never lie.”

“Then why are you telling me this? Armaan loves me. I know he does.”

“He loves you, I agree,” Mihir responded. “You, however, made it clear that you don’t. He told me about the conversation he overheard between your sister and you.”

She frowned. “But that was before. In the parking lot, I told him that I was in love with him.”

“Now, you’re the one lying.”

She glared at him. “I don’t lie either. I told him I loved him just before he was hit in the head by that man.”

Mihir ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a heavy breath. “The doctor warned me of this when I spoke to him earlier.”

“What?” A knot formed in her throat. “What did the doctor tell you?”

“Armaan took a bad hit to the back of his head. He’s badly concussed and may experience some memory loss due to that. When I spoke to Armaan just now, I figured he doesn’t entirely recollect the events of that night.”

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