Page 41 of The Pursuit
It had been a busy week since Ayaan’s confrontation with Raghav at The Roost. The revelations and the interconnected pasts about the Bat Mafia’s true leader, a man whom we termed as ‘The Bishop’, had created a tense atmosphere in the Shergill Mansion. And the only person who was affected the most by these revelations was my friend, Ayaan Shergill. But I knew Ayaan would overcome this with the support of Meher and Kailash uncle. I would be there for him as well, no matter what.
As I searched for Meher to brief her on the security arrangements for the upcoming private event organised by Pratap Walia’s NEP party, I spotted Trisha hurrying out of her room, phone pressed to her ear.
“Yug, what time did you land?” she asked, her voice held a hint of excitement I hadn’t heard from her in a long time. “I’ve texted you the address. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Can’t wait to see you, darling.”
Darling?My jaw clenched as I listened to the sweet endearment roll off her tongue. Who the hell was this ‘Yug’ she was meeting?
Trisha must have sensed my presence because she suddenly turned around, her eyes locking with mine. For a brief moment, she hesitated, then quickly averted her gaze and continued on her way.
Before I could intervene, Trisha reached Meher, who was in the living room.
“Meher, I’ll be back in an hour. Remember, I had told you yesterday about going out to meet someone?”
“Yes, yes, I remember,” Meher replied. “You take your time, and since Ayaan is at home, I’m not going anywhere. You can enjoy the free time you rarely get.”
Trisha thanked her and hurried out the door. I approached Meher, frowning.
“Why did you let her go? She’s here to protect you, not run off and enjoy herself.”
Meher frowned back at me.
“Come on, Krish. I know she’s on duty, but she doesn’t need to be when I’m at home. And she had told me about this special person she had to meet today. It’s fine. She has a life too.”
I felt my disappointment and curiosity swelling in equal measure. Who was this ‘special person’ in Trisha’s life? I quickly made an excuse to Meher about a meeting I had to attend and rushed out the door, following Trisha as she got into a hired cab and left the Shergill Mansion.
I knew it was completely unprofessional of me to do this, but I couldn’t help it. Anything related to Trisha had become my business, whether she liked it or not. I started my car and pulled out, careful to keep a safe distance as I tailed her cab through the busy streets of Mumbai.
After a short drive, Trisha’s cab pulled up in front of a small café. I parked a few blocks away and watched as she hurried out of the cab, a smile lighting up her face. A few minutes later, a young man emerged from the café and enveloped Trisha in a warm hug. I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I observed their intimate interaction.
They soon broke apart, and the man—presumably this ‘Yug’—took Trisha’s hand, leading her back into the café. I sat there, warring with the urge to storm in and confront them. But what right did I have? Trisha had made it clear that she had no feelings for me, and she would never settle down with me either.
Yet the thought of her being with someone else, of her sharing those tender moments with another man, made my blood boil. Just a week ago, she had kissed me like she wanted me back in her life, and I had pushed her away, told her to stay the fuck away from me. And today, she is meeting someone else who was already so close to her.
I had no claim on her, no right to feel this way. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and mine still cravedTrisha in a way I couldn’t ignore.
I sat there for what felt like an eternity, watching the cafe, watching the door, waiting for Trisha to emerge, a cigarette dangling between my fingers as I struggled to ease the tension and anger roiling inside me. When she finally did, nearly an hour later, she was beaming. The man, Yug, accompanied her, and I couldn’t resist the urge to get out of the car and confront them. Crushing my cigarette under my heel, I approached the pair.
“So? We are meeting again soon, right?” Yug asked Trisha, a hopeful glint in his voice. “Now that we’re in Mumbai, we should keep seeing each other.”
“Of course, we will,” Trisha replied, a smile lighting up her face.
“I’ll drop you then?” Yug offered.
“Oh, no. I don’t want you to worry,” Trisha demurred.
“But then how will you go?” Yug pressed.
“She’ll go with me,” I interjected, joining their conversation.
Yug looked surprised at my intrusion, but Trisha’s expression told me she had known I was there the whole time. Of course, she had—she was a spy, after all, with eyes everywhere.
“And who are you?” Yug asked, glancing between Trisha and myself.
Trisha quickly made the introductions. “He’s my boss, Krish. And Krish, this is Yug.”
Yug. That name again. I clenched my jaw, waiting forTrisha to elaborate on who exactly this Yug was to her. But she remained infuriatingly tight-lipped.
“Yug... who?” I practically snapped, needing to know.
