Page 75 of Reckless Rival

“Okay, I’ll talk to her. You call me and let me know when I should head to London.” Nami was worried sick and could not think of being on campus when her father was not well.

“Take care, baby.”

Nami felt restless about what was happening. Unable to go back and join her project group, she called her grandma. “Naani, how are you?”

The sobs she heard from the other side of the call made her stomach wrench. “Look what happened, Nami. I told you this would fire back.”

Nami was utterly confused. “Naani, what are you talking about?”

“With the influence and connections your father has here in London, who would dare to file a case against him? Except for—” The elderly woman’s voice was lost.

A strange thudding started in her chest. “Except for who?”

Her grandma sniffled. “The Simhas. They are doing what they did to him over ten years ago. Unnecessarily blaming him for Dhanush’s accident and making us leave our home country.”

Nami could not believe what was happening. “Why are you saying that?”

“Nami, be careful. I think the Simhas found out you were at their university, and this is yet again another retaliation.” Her grandma broke into uncontrollable sobs. “And all this happened so suddenly. Who will protect my son from all this?”

She was in a state of shock even as she consoled her grandmother. Ending the call, she sat down on the nearby bench, her knees feeling weak. What was happening was contrary to what Rana and she had been talking about to bring their fathers to good terms again.

Her grandma’s words resonated in her ears as she walked to her housing unit feeling betrayed. A darkness settled in her heart at the very thought of her family being impacted, and there was only one guy who could stop it all. Make his father stop the assault on her family.

She sent him a message, and tears of sadness and anger hit her phone screen as she typed the text messages.

Nami: I should have never believed you.

Nami: Stop what your family is doing to mine. Spare my family.

Nami: I hate you.

Without another thought, she blocked his phone number and burst into tears. She fell to the floor, unable to digest the fact Rana had betrayed her. She didn’t know how long she lay on the floor when Ramya and Vasavi found her and took her to sit at the dining table.

She felt numb on the inside, and no tears were left to shed. “Nami, what happened?”

Nami could only shake her head. She didn’t have the energy to tell the girls everything. It was too painful to even think about it. The insults and his asshole mode were so much better than what he was putting her through in that moment.

She sat at the table feeling empty on the inside, but suddenly her heart picked up speed. She looked up to find Vasavi opening the main door of the house, and like she was in a dream, Rana stepped inside, his eyes on her.

“Namrata,” he said, but she barely heard him. The ringing in her ear drowned his words even as he spoke.

“Go away,” she screamed, or at least that’s what she thought she did, but it was a mere whisper.

Rana walked past the girls and kneeled in front of her. She only looked into his eyes, and her stupid brain wanted to believe that what happened was not his fault. He was talking to her, but she could not hear anything, and she stared at him blankly.

A few moments later, as if he wanted to console her, he started to put his arm around her, and that’s when her anger erupted. She pushed him away and stepped away from him. “I hate you,” she yelled.

“Namrata, you have to tell me what happened. Why are you looking at me like that?” He took one step toward her, and she moved a few feet away.

“Don’t you dare come anywhere near me. I know why you did all this. This was all a lie to get back at my father.” She sobbed. “Remember, I will not spare anyone if anything happens to my father.”

Ramya let out a gasp. “What happened to Dhanu Uncle?”

Nami pointed at Rana. “Because of this guy, my dad is in the hospital with a heart attack with an impending legal charge that could make him lose everything… just like he did when your grandfather got all his contracts canceled after your father’s accident. How can my dad be responsible for an accident?”

“Namrata, there’s been a mistake.”

She took a few quick steps forward and clashed her palm against his face. “Yes, trusting you is my biggest mistake. Serves me right to fall for the rival.”

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