Page 141 of Obsession

“And you look beautiful,” Vedant said, “Even better than the AI image we generated of you.”

“AI image?” she asked.

“We have so much to tell you,” Armaan said, smiling. “We’ve been looking for you for so long.”

“I saw Mrs. Braganza at a mall in Mumbai, you know,” she said.

“We’ve been in touch with her,” Mihir said. “She was helping us find you.”

“I didn’t know that,” Karina said. “I was so afraid to acknowledge her. I didn’t want Dorab finding me. My son…”

“He’s safe now,” Vedant stressed. “You are safe. Dorab’s gone. He will never be a threat to you again.”

“Thank God,” she whispered. “I’ve been hiding from him for so long now.”

“We’ve waited so long for this day and to see you,” Vedant said.

“I read in the article that you went with Alexander to Russia,” she said.

“We did,” Armaan replied. “He was amazing, Karina. I wish you’d come with us.”

“I wasn’t meant to,” she said. “My life turned out the way it was supposed to, just like yours.”

“Your son,” Mihir said gently. “How old is he?”

She grinned. “Ahaan… He’s almost eleven, and he’s amazing. He’s in Mumbai with his grandmother, my late husband’s mom.”

Armaan grinned. “We have a nephew. Imagine that.”

“Send us photos,” Vedant said.

“You will love him, and he will be so happy to meet you all,” Karina said.

“Can you come here? To Dubai, to meet us?” Mihir asked. “We can send you the jet.”

She turned away from the phone to speak softly to Aditya.

“Aditya just told me that you are friends with Rajiv and Sheena,” she said. “Imagine the coincidence!”

Mihir went to Anna and angled the screen so Karina could see her. “Meet Anna… She’s Rajiv’s sister, and she’s the love of my life, and she’s also my… my…” He looked at Anna, not sure what to say. Amidst all this happiness he was feeling at finally finding Karina, there was this whole question of what was going on between Anna and him.

Anna took the phone from him. “Hi, Sabrina! Or Karina? What should I call you?”

“Either is fine,” Karina replied.

“I’m Ananya, Rajiv’s sister. And what Mihir was trying, but failing, to do was explain our very complicated relationship. He’s my husband and the father of my unborn children.”

Aditya peeped into the phone. “What?”

Karina’s eyes widened. “Oh God, Mihir’s married and is going to have twins?”

Aditya came back on the screen. “Don’t forget it’s complicated also.”

Mihir looked heavenward. Why? Why did his sister have to be involved with his man?

Anna laughed. “Come here to Dubai. There’s a lot all these men have to tell you, as I’m sure you have too.”

“Alright, I’ll come!” She laughed. “I am so eager to meet you all.”

---