Page 36 of The Pursuit
Ayaan was right—I had witnessed Trisha’s skills firsthand. She was a force to be reckoned with, and there were few people I trusted more to safeguard Meher’s wellbeing.
Forcing my emotions down, I nodded slowly. “If Trisha is available and willing, then yes... she would be an ideal choice for this role.”
“Excellent.” Ayaan flashed that trademark confident grin. “Then you’ll reach out and extend her the offer immediately.”
“What?” I rose up. “I’ll reach out to her?”
Ayaan shrugged.
“I’ve already called her tomorrow to meet us here in Shergill Mansion. But you know I’ll be busy with the pre-wedding rituals, so you are the best person to talk to her and make sure she agrees to this.”
He had already invited Trisha here tomorrow? I didn’t know what to say further. But I couldn’t refuse Ayaan, or he would be suspicious of my feelings for Trisha, thefeelings that I’d buried long back and promised never to unearth again.
“Okay.” I nodded weakly.
“Thanks, Krish.” He rose and clapped me on the shoulder before heading for the door.
Once he was gone, I let out a shuddering breath, raking my hands through my hair. After two years of slowly piecing myself back together, Trisha was about to get thrown back into my world again.
Was I really ready to face the woman who had completely shattered me? I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my fists as a fresh wave of anger, hurt, and longing washed over me.
For Meher’s safety and Ayaan’s sake, I had to be ready. No matter what it cost me emotionally, I would be professional.
The Krish she had known—the one who had foolishly allowed himself to become compromised, who was caught up in unrealistic dreams—no longer existed. The Krish she would meet again was now focused solely on his job, putting duty before anything else. Trisha and I might have a tangled past, but that didn’t matter anymore.
CHAPTER 14 (A new beginning)
TRISHA
I stepped through the ornate gates of the Shergill Mansion, my heart pounding. The lavish exterior was adorned with twinkling lights and colourful flower arrangements, all set for the Director’s wedding. Ayaan Shergill was getting married to the Deputy CM’s daughter, Meher Walia tomorrow.
Just yesterday, I received an unexpected call from Sudesh about this new assignment. After wrapping up my last mission—giving protection to a VIP in Europe, the last thing I expected was to be summoned back to Mumbai by Director Ayaan himself. And here I was, anxious and intrigued with what my next mission would be.
A smiling older man in a crisp suit greeted me.
“You must be Trisha. Ayaan and Kailash are expecting you.”
“Hello, and you are?”
“Bhaskar, Kailash Shergill’s assistant. You can call me Bhaskar uncle like everyone else does,” he replied. “The Haldi ceremony hasn’t begun yet. Ayaan will see you shortly in his study room. Right through there.” He gestured towards an imposing wooden door.
I thanked him, trying to appear calm and professional despite my nerves. Taking a steadying breath, I turned the handle and entered the study.
The spacious room was dominated by a large leather chair, already occupied by someone whose back was turned towards me. Assuming it was Ayaan, I stood at stiff attention. “Hello, Director, it’s nice to meet you again.”
But when the chair swivelled around, I froze. It wasn’t Ayaan in that seat.
It was Krish.
His eyes locked onto mine, and the world seemed to stop spinning.Krish—my... well, whatever we had been to each other two years ago—before I had foolishly thrown it all away and left him broken.
It had been two long years since our almost breakup, yet here we were, facing each other once more. I never anticipated this reunion, never wanted it. But fate had its own plans they said, and it seemed Krish and I were destined to cross paths again.
As Krish rose from his chair, I couldn’t help but notice the change in him. He looked different than I remembered—older, more rugged and handsome in an effortlessly cool way. The warmth in his smile seemed to have faded, leaving behind a sombre expression. His expression was unreadable as he circled the desk and leaned back against it with his arms crossed. The silence between us stretched on, unnaturally cold and heavy with unspoken tension.
“Really?” he asked flatly when I didn’t speak.
My mouth felt dry as a desert. What was he doing here? Of course, he and Ayaan were best friends, and since Ayaan was getting married, he had to be here too. But seeing Krish so unexpectedly unleashed a stampede ofemotions I hadn’t been prepared for.
