Page 20 of Fixation

Armaan studied her. “I won’t talk to Vedant regarding who you are. Now, tell me about how you plan to make him better.”

This early in the morning, the kitchen was devoid of any staff. They usually came in by seven. Reina fixed herself a cup of coffee and watched as Armaan did the same. Once done, they settled around the kitchen table again. Reina explained Vedant’s recovery plan to him in detail. She estimated that it would be at least a week more before she could start on the physio. She also warned him that Vedant’s recovery ahead would be long and hard. But she promised him that he would be fine.

“I’m going to stay here for a few days,” Armaan told her. “Is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?”

“Yes, I’d like my phone back, and I want to be able to leave the grounds when I want to.”

He winced. “Look, I can speak to Mihir about returning your phone to you. Once he learns that I recognised you and that I want you to have your phone, he may agree to that, but he will not, under any circumstance, allow that freedom to the rest of your team. Nor can I agree to it. I know you are trustworthy. But I do not trust any of the others, nor can I allow them to compromise Vedant’s safety in any way.”

“I get what that means, but it also means lying to my team,” Reina shook her head. “However, if the choice is between them and my family, then I will choose my family first. I have to keep in touch with them to prevent Rajiv or Ananya from taking a flight to come check on me. And that is bound to happen if I don’t answer their calls or texts regularly. We can’t have Rajiv finding out I’m here. He’d never accept it. He’d go into an all-out war with you guys to get me out of here. Hence, I accept this. Now, about my other request to step out of the grounds.”

Armaan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Reina. Unfortunately, Vedant’s safety comes first. He was attacked, and hence, he is unsafe and incapable of looking out for himself. Therefore, until he’s fully recovered, none of you can go out. We have enemies, as you must have already guessed. Our lives are in danger, and we cannot allow them to use anyone working for us in order to get to us.”

She looked out of the kitchen window. There were more than the usual security guards patrolling the perimeter. She took in the armed guards. The house was really locked down like a fortress. She had nothing to fear, as long as she remained within the boundary of this house while she worked for them. But thequestion that prodded her mind was that if they did have so much security then how the hell did Vedant get attacked.

Armaan continued, “I can’t risk Vedant’s safety or yours, especially now that I know you’re the one treating him. But anything else you need, just say the word, and I will organise it for you.”

His concern warmed her heart. She was right. She had judged Armaan unfairly. He wasn’t bad at all. Now she got why Navya had fallen so hard for him. She studied the wounds marring his face. Because of Navya, she also knew that Armaan, too, had been attacked on the same day as Vedant. So, she understood where he was coming from. But she needed one more thing from him.

“Alright, and Armaan,” she said in all seriousness, “Vedant is my patient, which means he is my responsibility for now. That was the only reason I agreed to succumb to Mihir’s demands that day, despite them being immoral and wrong on so many accounts. But?—”

“—I believe my brother agreed to pay you all a fuckton of money for this inconvenience.”

“He did.”

“Sorry, but I don’t get why you’re complaining now.”

She lifted her jaw. “In which world do you thinkIneed the fucking money? You do know whomybrother is, right?”

A smile etched on his face.

“Point accepted,” he said. “What exactly are you trying to tell me here?”

“I will stay here and care for Vedant. However, the day I feel he has fully recovered, I need you to promise me that, on that day, my team and I will be free to go home.”

“I can promise you that,” Armaan said. He pressed a hand to the back of his head and winced. Taking out a few pills from his pocket, he swallowed them.

She watched him carefully. “How are you?”

He shrugged. “Better than Vedant, for sure.”

“Navya’s worried about you,” Reina said. “Why won’t you speak to her? Or was your love for her all a lie?”

“I suppose you know… everything.”

“Of course I do. She’s my sister, and your silence and rejection are hurting her.”

He sighed. “I could say that she hurt me as well, but you won’t believe me.”

“Actually, I do believe you.” She stared into her cup. That night at the nightclub before Armaan was attacked, Navya had told her how she had spoken some hasty and rash words about him to Ananya. Unfortunately, he’d overheard them, and now he refused to give Navya a chance to explain herself to him.

“Navya and my lives were very different at one time,” Reina explained. “Because of that, she doesn’t trust men. Both of us don’t. We promised each other a long time ago that we wouldn’t fall in love, because it only brings pain. Her behaviour with you is a result of our past.”

He looked at her, clearly waiting for more. She wished she could tell him more. But this wasn’t only her story to share. It was Navya’s too, and if he truly wanted to hear it, then he’d have to make up with her sister to do so.

She stood up. “Talk to her. She’s sad and miserable without you. If you feel the same way for her, then you need to fix it. Only you can.”

With those parting words, she left the kitchen. She had to check in on Vedant again in a few hours. She had just about enough time to finish her swim, eat breakfast, and return to the devil’s lair.

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