Page 33 of Born in Grief

“Don’t really care. Ams,” he turned back to Amay, irritation lining his every move. “What is it you want from me?”

“I want you to take her home.”

“What?” The word exploded out of Dhrithi and Ishaan at the same time, shock suffusing it.

“No,” Ishaan snapped.

“I have a hotel room booked,” Dhrithi said, her voice shaking with the force of her surprise.

Amay didn’t look at her. He was looking only at Ishaan. “She’s recovering from serious injuries. She can’t do that in a hotel room. She needs a little help. Just for a bit.”

“No offense dude, but I’m not comfortable sharing space with a stranger.”

“Neither am I,” Dhrithi’s furious interjection didn’t seem to have any impact with either of them.

“Not your space,” Amay told Ishaan, ignoring her.

Some unspoken communication passed between the two of them as Dhrithi’s head swung between them.

“I won’t stay with you, Amay,” she blurted out, shame and frustration coursing through her.

“Not with me either,” he answered without even glancing her way.

A ghost of a smile lit Ishaan’s cruel, hard lips. “He’ll kill you.”

“He’ll have to get here to kill me. You’ll do it?”

Ishaan nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets and exhaling hard. He looked at Dhrithi, the only one who would apparently. “I don’t like you,” he told her.

Dhrithi gaped at him, the brutal honesty rendering her incapable of a response.

“You treated my brother like shit.”

“You don’t have a brother,” was the only thing she could think to say, her brows pulling together in a confused frown.

Ishaan looked at Amay. “I do actually. I have two. And I don’t appreciate anybody shitting all over them. You don’t deserve any help, especially not mine. But I’ll do it anyway, for him.”

“I don’t want your help.” Flushing a deep red, Dhrithi struggled to yank her duffel bag away from Amay and sling it on to her shoulders. She took a shaky step away from the two of them. “I have a hotel reservation. I’m not a charity case.”

Ishaan reached over and took the bag from her with insulting ease. “Get in the car, Goody. I don’t have all day.”

“I don’t-“

“Dhrithi,” Amay’s voice cut through their squabbling. “This isn’t charity. If you have a relapse, you’ll be back in this hospital. I don’t think either of us wants that. A hotel room is not ideal for recuperating from injuries as serious as yours. You need a sterile, clean environment.”

“How do I know this place he’s taking me to is sterile and clean?”

Both men laughed, a spontaneous bark of sound. “There is nothing cleaner,” Ishaan murmured, sounding gleefully amused. It made her distrust him and this weird plan even further.

“I have to get back to work,” Amay announced. “Take her.”

“No. No. There is no taking her.” Dhrithi backed up a step, almost overbalancing as her head spun. Amay’s hand came around her waist, holding her up.

“You were our class topper,” Ishaan mused, watching her wobble on her feet. “Did the asshole beat all the brains out of you?”

Dhrithi froze. Beside her, Amay cursed under his breath. “What the fuck, Ish?”

“I’m just curious as to why she’s being so dumb.” Ishaan shrugged, unrepentant. “She needs help. We’re offering help. Seems like a win-win for her.”

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