Page 71 of Obsession

“I can only guess that I was born in Rishikesh or somewhere nearby. The matron at our orphanage told me that I was left there in the middle of the night when I was just a few days old.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I ended up exactly where I was meant to be. My brothers and I were lucky; many others not so much. Armaan and Vedant wholeheartedly agree that that life has led them down the road they were meant to walk in order to meet their soulmates.”

“That’s beautifully put,” she said.

He shrugged. At one point, he’d thought the same for himself. He’d thought she was the one for him—his soulmate. But life had taken him down a different road.Shehad made him walk a diverse path from what he’d intended. In one single stroke, she had changed his future.

But now, after this morning, and his absolute inability to stay away from her, he’d further complicated everything between them. He didn’t know what the future held for him, but the one thing he knew with absolute certainty was that he wouldn’t fall for her a second time. This between them was just sex. Pure, unadulterated lust. He’d simply satisfied a craving with her, and that was all. He would never give her any control over him again.

“Armaan, Vedant, and you—you’re not real brothers. I mean, I know you don’t share parents, but you’re all so close. Can you tell me how that came about?”

Mihir looked into the distance. “Although the orphanage was run by some decent people, it was hard growing up there amidst poverty and so many other kids, everyone struggling to survive. The kids could get very nasty, and as always, in such an environment, only the strongest thrived. My brothers and I… We all used to sleep in the same corner of the room. We bonded with each another very early in life and chose one another over everyone else. We became a clique, and very soon the others learned that if they messed with one of us, then they messed with all of us. That hasn’t changed till date. We are one another’s chosen family—bound together by heart and not by blood. We listen to each other and always have one another’s back. Armaan and Vedant are my everything,”

“And I know they feel the same about you,” she replied with a smile. “Why weren’t any of you adopted before Alexander? Weren’t you all well in your teens when he took you in?”

“Strangely, none of us got adopted as babies. I suppose it was destiny…” Mihir smiled, reminiscing the past. “As we grew older, we promised each other that we’d always stay together. So, whenever a couple came for adoption, we’d hide, or if that wasn’t an option, then we’d deliberately behave difficult and mischievous. Many times, we’d even get into a pretend fight. Obviously, no one wanted to adopt such naughty children. One of the matrons at the orphanage was a very kind woman, and she had a soft corner for us. When she realized we didn’t want to be separated, she stopped parading us for adoption.”

“That’s sweet.”

“She was… is a very sweet woman,” he said.

Her eyes rounded. “Are you still in touch with her?”

“Yes, I speak to her on and off.”

“Are you okay to share her name with me?”

“Mrs. Braganza.” He chuckled. “Till date, none of us knows her first name. Can you believe that?”

“Are you in touch with anyone else from the orphanage?”

“A few from the old team, but many from the new management. You see, we at O-Corp offer sponsorship for the children who wish to study further. We also offer them jobs if they want them. It’s our way of giving back to the place where we grew up and to give others a better chance like us.”

She stared at him in awe. “I don’t know what to say. That is simply amazing.”

“It’s the least we can do.”

“Can we move on to talk about how you went from a poor orphan in Rishikesh,” she waved a hand at him, “to this billionaire MD of O-Corp?”

Mihir checked the time and then looked outside the glass doors before facing her again. They’d already been talking for a few hours now.

He stood. “Shall we take a walk and continue? The sun is out now.”

“It looks cold,” she said.

“Then layer up. Trust me, you will love the fresh, unadulterated air. Pure oxygen in your lungs.”

Shutting her iPad, she paused the recording on her phone. “Alright, let me get covered up and meet you back here.”

She took her things and moved to the door. She paused and turned. Her mouth opened, as if to ask him a question, but then she shut it, pivoted, and left the room.

He really had complicated everything with her, and he had no one but himself to blame for that. Sighing, he went to fetch his own jacket.

20

Ananya waited at the foot of the stairs for Mihir to come. Mihir’s house was very warm and toasty, but now she’d added a thermal and a thicker sweater to her attire. She’d worn a beanie, gloves, and knotted her trench coat over herself. Dmitri approached her.

---