Page 43 of Obsession

God, she was being consumed by him. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted more. So much more that only he could give her. That only he had ever given her.

The phone at her desk rang. Mihir paused. He lifted his head, staring at her. The phone rang again, and he suddenly leapt away from her as if burned. She sat up, adjusting her clothes, her heart racing beyond her control. Her phone rang incessantly.

Fuck, she’d done it again. Why did this man provoke her into the most thoughtless and ill-advised behavior?

Still seated on her desk, she answered the call. “What?”

“A Mr. Zeeshan and a Miss Devina are here for you,” Leah said.

Ananya sighed. “Send them in.”

Mihir glared at her, remaining in place.

“I guess I proved my point,husband,” she said as calmly as she could, glad he couldn’t hear the frantic beating of her heart.

His eyes turned to ice. She lifted her jaw, staring him down.

There was a knock on her door. Ananya stood just as Zeeshan and Devina entered, both bearing wide smiles. She saw the exact moment they spotted Mihir. Their smiles wavered, and their eyes widened.

“Mihir?” Zeeshan called out. “You’re alive?”

Devina opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out of her lips.

Mihir’s gaze finally left Ananya and landed on her old friends. The recognition in his eyes quickly gave way to aversion.

“You?” Mihir’s voice dripped with disdain. “I can’t believe you vultures haven’t stopped circling her. So pathetic.”

Devina gasped. Zeeshan’s mouth fell slack in horror.

“What is wrong with you?” Ananya yelled at Mihir.

“I’m sorry, Zeeshan, Devina. He doesn’t know how to be nice anymore.”

“Don’t speak on my behalf, Anna,” Mihir shot back. “I’ve never liked them, and finally, I don’t need to hesitate to say it out loud.”

“Oh my God. Mihir, just go.” Frustration swamped her.

He tipped his head at the envelope. “Don’t make this worse, Anna.”

She stared at the door long after he had stormed out. Fuck. In provoking him to touch her, she had indeed made things between them worse. Much worse.

“How is he alive?” Zeeshan’s stunned voice made her finally look at her friends. For a moment, she’d forgotten they were even there.

“Why didn’t you ever tell us?” Devina asked.

She narrowed her eyes. “How do you not know?”

Zeeshan splayed his palms out. “I’ve been in some godforsaken Ethiopian villages for the last five years, Ananya. How would I have known? You never mentioned it in our chats either. Not that you have been in touch a lot.”

“And I live in Mumbai mostly,” Devina explained. “And even when I’m in Dubai…it’s not like I move in the same social circles as him. How could I have known?

“I know we aren’t as tight as before,” Zeeshan continued, “but seriously, Ananya, did you know he was alive?” He shook his head. “You were devastated when you thought he’d died. We were there. We saw it. Then what the fuck happened?”

Ananya looked to the side and out of her window. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Devina asked. “Aren’t you guys together?”

“Did it look like we’re together?”

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