Page 66 of Addiction

He continued to massage her feet. “Alexander used to visit anashramto meet a guru he followed in Rishikesh. Theashramwas close to the orphanage. The first year he came, Mihir saved him from being mugged by a gang. Mihir was only fourteen at the time. Alexander offered him money, but he refused. Instead, Mihir asked him to sponsor an English class for the four of us. At a very young age, Mihir was very determined that we all had to succeed, and to do that, we needed to learn English. We were enrolled at a local school, but it wasn’t sufficient. Alexander was so impressed by him that he not only sponsored our English lessons, but he also sponsored unlimited access to a library. That was the first day of our lives beginning to change.”

“Alexander was a massively rich oligarch, if I am not wrong,” Navya said. “How was he without his bodyguards? I mean, how did he even get mugged…”

“When we think of it now, it was so damn random, you know. Like one of those things that was destined…” Armaan exhaled. “He had bodyguards, yes. But that night, Alexander had landed up by the river to watch the GangaAarti. Some VIP was in attendance, and it was too crowded, more so than usual. Apparently, he got separated from his bodyguards, and that’s when he was attacked and saved by Mihir.”

“That is so random, indeed.”

“Anyway, Alexander had lost his wife and only child during childbirth many years ago. He’d never remarried and had been feeling lost, like he had no purpose, for a long time. Someone he knew had recommended this guru in Rishikesh as a means to finding mental peace and well-being. He came to India to find a sense of purpose, and what he found was us instead.”

Armaan smiled. “Mihir took all of us to meet Alexander the next day, and soon, he became a friend and a mentor. That first year, he stayed for two months. He’d tell us stories about his life in Russia, he showed us pictures on his laptop of a land so different from ours, and we used to listen enraptured. When he left that year, we never expected him to return, but he did so every year for four more years. He taught us about the internet and sponsored more education for us, like advanced English, computers, Microsoft Office, and basic finance and accounts. We were raw, untamed, and wild when we met him. Hence, he forced behavior and comportment classes on us as well. We always knew that Mihir was special to him, but he treated us all equally. He was extremely fond of us, and we, of him. What we didn’t know at the time was that he’d been talking to Mihir to take us with him back to Russia. That’s why he’d been preparing us for a life there.”

Armaan looked into the distance and smiled. “Initially, Alexander wanted to take Mihir only. They’d always been close and shared a special bond because Mihir had helped him out. I think he saw his late son in him. But Mihir refused to leave us behind. Alexander couldn’t believe that he was offering a better life to Mihir, and that he was rejecting it simply because he didn’t want to part with us. Mihir’s loyalty to us further cemented Alexander’s belief in him, and he promised him that he’d take all four of us with him. You see, the adoption process in India is far too long, and for a foreigner, there are even more steps to get through. Hence, Mihir told him to wait until we all were eighteen because then we’d be sent out into the world by the orphanage, and we could decide for ourselves if we wanted to go to Russia with him.”

Her eyes widened. “And you went, right?”

“We did, but it was too late. You see, that year, we had all turned eighteen, except for our sister. Mihir was waiting for her birthday to tell her the plan. There was this boy at the orphanage who was vile and awful. He never liked us and hated the bond we all shared. But Karina had a soft corner for him. No matter what we told her, she remained friends with him, and we didn’t want him to learn of the plan before it was time. We didn’t want that boy to stop her from coming with us or to make her think that it was a foul plan.”

“Because who would believe that a random Russian guy wanted to adopt four Indian orphans…” Navya guessed, understanding easily. “As a girl, I would have been skeptical as well. There are so many terrible things you hear happening to poor orphaned children once they are taken away to an unknown destination.”

“Exactly,” Armaan said. “But we trusted Alexander and believed that he wouldn’t betray us. It was a gamble, yes, but it could also be an opportunity, and Mihir took it for us, insistedupon it, actually. Anyway, when the time came to tell her, she was nowhere to be found. We discovered that she’d run away with that boy. She’d even left us a note telling us not to look for her and that she was never returning. We were all so hurt by her betrayal. We waited days, weeks for her, hoping she’d miss us and return, but she didn’t. And so, we went to Russia with Alexander. But we did leave a number with our old matron to contact us if they ever got news about her. Only recently, we realised how wrong we’d been about her.”

Navya touched his hand. “You told me you all were looking for her. Have you found her?”

“Not yet. But we will. We have men on the job as we speak.”

“I’m sure you will find her soon.”

“Thanks.”

“Tell me what happened when you reached Russia. It must have been so different, right?”

He sighed. “Different is an understatement. It was scary as hell. We knew Alexander was rich but just how rich, we realized when we entered the gates of his house. God, it wasn’t a house; it was a palace to us. And we were given separate rooms, with wardrobes filled with clothes, shoes, and accessories from brands we didn’t even know existed then. That first night after dinner, I was scared to sleep alone at night. Can you believe it? I was eighteen, and I was petrified to sleep in a massive room in a heavily guarded palatial house because I had never slept without my brothers, ever. I ran to Mihir’s room, only to find Vedant already there. We slept in the same room for many nights; Mihir and Vedant on the bed and me on the couch, until Alexander learned what we were doing. That’s when he decided to separate us.”

“What?” she gasped, shifting her foot out of his hand. “He separated you? Why?”

“Because he was so damn clever. He was old, and without informing us, he had decided to make us his heirs. That’s why he adopted us as soon as we landed and gave us his name. But he didn’t announce it to the world. He waited. To take on his massive empire, we needed to be more prepared. We didn’t realize it then, but sending us away from each other was the best thing to happen to us. He sat with each of us individually, learned our strengths and weaknesses, suggested which courses we each ought to take and then sent us to colleges across the world. He sent Mihir to London to study chemical engineering. I went to Michigan to study mining, followed by a course in gemmology, and Vedant stayed in Russia to study mechanical engineering. In addition, he insisted we all do a master’s in business management. Initially, we hated to be parted, but that is what taught us to survive, to live, to learn and be fucking independent. The two things he made mandatory were that each of us learn Russian and that we learn to fight. And we did all that he wanted us to do. We worked hard, we studied, we learned to interact with people from everywhere, and our lives began to change. We began to change. Our thoughts, our dreams, our hopes, and our expectations—for the first time in life, we had the ability and backing to achieve anything, to do anything. Over time, we each came into our own and became the individuals we are now. And it was all thanks to the brilliance and foresight of one kind and generous man who did not just give us a place in his life, but also made space for us in his heart.”

He breathed out through the tears threatening to fall. This was his story, the fabulous and extremely personal journey of him and his brothers and how they got to where they had. Of course, they were lucky. Not everyone got such an opportunity. And they hadn’t wasted it away. They had taken the chance presented to them and ran with it. O-Corp continued to be asuccess because of their sleepless nights and hard work. And they would ensure it remained successful always.

Seeing Navya watching him brought him out of his thoughts. “We returned to Russia ready to take on the world,” he continued. “Alexander finally announced to everyone that he had adopted us, and then our lives changed even more. The news outlets went crazy. Overnight, we became the most sought-after men in Moscow, if not the whole of Russia. Reporters followed us the second we stepped out, me especially. They painted me as a rich, wild, reckless, and ruthless womanizer. And the world lapped it up.”

She frowned. “So, was it all fake?”

He made a face. “Unfortunately, not. You see, Mihir had an accident in London…”

“…the one that involved Ananya?”

“Yes.” He put a hand up when he saw she wanted to speak. “And no, I don’t know all the details because he refuses to talk about it, and as you and I both know, he holds a grudge against her for it. But the fact is that he came back changed after that incident. He didn’t want any media attention on him, and so Vedant and I stepped into the limelight to reduce the pressure on him. Vedant hated it immensely. So, I became the image of the Oshnov brothers, as we were soon nicknamed. It didn’t hurt that I enjoyed all the attention and the women—they loved me, and I loved them. It was fun for a while.”

Her eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened. “Such a playboy you are.”

“Was, baby. I was a playboy. I swear I haven’t even looked at another woman since I met you in London.” He gave her a naughty grin. “You’ve spoilt me for every woman out there. Now, all I can think about is you.”

“Good. That’s the way it ought to be.” She smiled wide. “Earlier, you mentioned that Alexander forced you to learn to fight. Why?”

“Being as rich as Alexander was, he had enemies, and with everything else, we’d inherited them too. So, he taught us how to deal with them, to eliminate them, and ensure we always survived.”

Her mouth opened and closed. She finally shook her head. “I’m not sure if I want to know about that part of your life.”

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