Page 126 of Obsession

Rajiv sighed. The tension left his shoulders, and then, suddenly, he swung a fist and slammed it into Mihir’s jaw. Mihir staggered a step behind. Bloody hell, that hurt like the devil.

“What the fuck?” Armaan yelled.

“That was for getting my sister pregnant,” Rajiv stated.

“Did you really have to do that?” Mihir asked, rubbing his aching jaw.

“Yes. Thanks to you, I have the difficult task to explain to my parents about your situation with her, especially the marriage and the pregnancy.”

“No, I will talk to your parents,” Mihir said. “I created this situation; I will fix it.”

“Good, but you will do that only after Ananya tells them her news,” Rajiv said. “Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

“Now, we can talk about how you’re going to win Ananya back.”

“Yes,” Armaan chimed in. “We’ve all done stupid things before our women accepted us back into their lives. I’m pretty sure we can all come up with a way for you to get yourAnnaback.”

“Sure, on one condition, though,” Mihir said. “None of you calls her Anna.”

Vedant laughed. “Welcome to the club, brother. I was waiting for you to finally accept that you love her.”

Mihir managed a chuckle. They all went to the living room, where Armaan poured drinks for all the men. Mihir looked around the happy room. The men were all telling tales about how they’d made fools of themselves with their women and what they’d done to appease them. Seeing him silent, Dev raised his martini glass in a toast. Mihir lowered his chin in acknowledgement.

He was grateful to this man. Thanks to him, Rajiv and his brothers understood him better now. Hopefully, one day, Dev and he could even become friends, just like how Rajiv had once told him. But all that was for later. Right now, he needed to ensure Anna was back in his life, forever.

34

Mihir watched the faces of Anna’s parents. Their expressions ranged from shock to anger to sadness. Right now, they were back to looking mad at him.

Her father, Anvay Mehra, looked like he wanted to murder him, and her mom, Sara Mehra, sat very still, lips pursed, her eyes boring into his very soul, perhaps assessing if he was worthy of her daughter. Rajiv stood behind Mihir, a silent force of strength for which Mihir was absolutely grateful, and Sheena sat next to Anna’s mom. Armaan, Vedant, Navya, and Reina were all spread across the various sofas and armchairs in Anna’s home.

The only person missing was her.

On his arrival, he’d been told that she was out with a friend. No one had cared to give him any more information than that, and although he was itching to check with Anton about where she was and who she was with, he hadn’t done so, yet. But he did know that it had been over an hour now, and she still hadn’t returned.

He looked again at Anna’s family. ’He’d come here with the difficult task of speaking to them and telling them his version of the past. It was a weekend, and Rajiv had called him earlier in the evening, asking him to come home because, the previous night, Anna had finally told her parents about her pregnancy, and that the baby was Mihir’s, and also that she was going to have the baby by herself.

Although initially troubled, Rajiv had informed him that their parents had been fully supportive of her decision. However, Rajiv had convinced them to meet Mihir and listen to him. And now, they all sat quietly, watching him, not saying anything. He gave them time to process all that he’d told them.

He looked around the tastefully done living room. As expected, Anna’s home was beautiful and luxurious. It was the first time he’d come here. At one time, he’d told his brothers he’d never step foot in her home. He hadn’t even attended Armaan’s engagement for that very reason. But now, here he was, sitting with her family, hoping they’d find it in their hearts to forgive him, and to give him a chance.

Finally, Anna’s father spoke up. “So, you want our blessing to woo Ananya and win her over?”

“Yes,” Mihir replied, looking him square in the eye.

“What if we say no?” Sara Mehra asked.

“Very respectfully, Ma’am, I would really like both your blessings…” He looked around the room, at the faces of her sisters, and then at Rajiv. “I want all of your blessings. But even without them, I’m going to win her back. She’smine. We were separated once because of my stupidity, and perhaps because fate had decided it to be that way. But now, fate has given me another chance, and I’m not going to squander it away.”

Sara Mehra spread a hand out. “What if it’s too late? What if she’s finally chosen to live without you? What if she finds someone who will accept her and the baby?”

Anger stormed through Mihir. The thought of another man with Anna, or another man fathering his baby was unacceptable. Before he could say anything, he heard her laugh. Muted sounds followed her laughter, and then she entered the living room. His heart stopped, and then it started beating again with renewed vigor when he laid eyes on her. Anna looked ravishing. She was dressed in simple leggings, a loose white shirt, and a cropped black jacket, with plain white sneakers on her feet. There was barely any makeup on her face, and her long hair flowed freely down her back. He’d missed her. So much.

It had been three days since he’d last seen her or spoken to her. He was following her wishes and giving her space. She turned, and her face lifted into a smile as somebody entered the room behind her. His happy mood soured when he saw who it was.

Aditya Wahi came to stand beside Anna and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh. She was fucking laughing with him. Mihir wanted to strangle him. This man was an utter pain in the ass.

---