Page 9 of Forged By Fate

“Enjoy your evening. I need to take Aisha and Tahira home if you don’t mind dropping us off on the way,” was all he said in reply.

“We can take a cab,” I replied promptly, not wanting to spend even a minute more with this infuriating man.

“Actually, we can takemycar,” said Dhruv quietly, shooting a keen glance from my face to Viren’s. “And I’ll make sure I drop Sue and Sufi home safely.”

“Thanks, man. Have fun, guys,” said Viren, before he walked away without a glance at me.

Why the hell had he introduced himself as my husband if he didn’t even care to say goodbye? I tossed my hair out of my face and resolved to enjoy myself tonight without giving a single thought to the asshole who liked to play ping-pong with my heart.

CHAPTER 6

VIREN

It was too late to do movie night by the time we got home, and I sent Aisha off to bed right away. Tahira followed me into the living room, even though I wished her a million miles away. I wanted to sit alone in the dark and brood over the unfairness of life for a bit.

I mean, was it fair that I was stuck here with Tahira while my wife enjoyed her night out with another man? I ignored the insistent little voice in my head that reminded me this was my choice and mine alone.

“Vireeeen, be a doll and pour me a drink,” said Tahira in a fake little girl voice that grated on my senses.

I made her a G&T and poured myself a Scotch on the rocks. Tahira stared at me speculatively as she took a slow sip of her drink. I knew what was coming.

“Who was that guy with Sunaina?” she asked finally.

I unclenched my jaw and took a large gulp of Scotch before I replied.

“A childhood friend,’ I said shortly.

“Did she plan to meet him there?”

That was exactly what I was wondering, damn it! It was suspiciously convenient that she bumped into an old friendaccidentally. But I wasn’t going to admit that to Tahira.

“Does it matter?” I asked with a shrug.

She widened her eyes in fake surprise.

“Doesn’t it matter to you? Sheisyour wife,” she said cattily. “Doesn’t it bother you that she’s out with another man?”

“And I’m home with another woman,” I said pointedly. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Tahira. We’re not living in medieval times. Men and women can be friends without it meaning anything sleazy.”

She flushed in anger and set her glass down with a thump.

“I only meant…” she began.

“I won’t tolerate any insinuations about my wife,” I told her point-blank.

“I didn’t mean any harm, Viren,” she stammered, but I stared at her coldly until she got the point.

She flounced out of the room angrily, and I settled down in an armchair by the window with my drink. To brood. And even though I didn’t want to admit it, to wait for my wife.

It was well past two in the morning when a BMW pulled up in the driveway. I stood at the window and watched as that bastard put his hands on Sunaina under the pretext of helping her over the cobblestones. Sufi swayed along behind them, merrily singing Beedi Jalai Le, the traitor. I swore I saw him wave at my window as if he knew I was watching them.

Sunaina halted by the door and waited as Sufi thanked Dhruv for the ride and went in. I heard him lumbering around the hallway before he made his way up the stairs, but all my attention was on the scene playing out in front of me. I had a clear view of the front door, and I could only watchwith mounting fury as my wife leaned forward to give that opportunistic asshole a warm hug. Five. Fucking. Mississippis. That’s how long she hugged him.

He said something that made her laugh in response, and I was tempted to wipe that smirk off his face for good. My fist curled around my empty glass as I fought to control my anger. Sunaina was not my wife in any real sense. She was allowed to hug anyone she wished. My brain knew that, but my heart and every fibre of my body heartily disagreed.

She entered the house, and he stared after her longingly for a few moments before he turned around and walked back to his car. That’s it, I decided furiously. The bastard had to go. Sunaiana wasn’t safe around a man who looked at another man’s wife like that.

I waited for her to go upstairs, but I couldn’t hear any sound from the hallway. After a few minutes, I opened the door and found her sitting on the stairs, leaning against the bannister as she stared into space blankly with her long, sexy legs stretched out in front of her.

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