Page 111 of One Hellish Desire

“Which party?” he asks. “Fine, we'll be there.”

As he ends the call, I try again with the coffee.

“No thanks. I need to do the gym first,” he says, moving towards the door.

I block his path. “Vikram, stop running from me.”

“I'm running?” he snaps, then lowers his voice. “You don't want me to come near you. You don't want me to go away from you either. What the hell do you want from me then?”

I'm momentarily speechless. “For now, I want you to drink this coffee because I know you badly needed one,” I finally manage to say, offering the mug once more.

Vikram stares at me intently before taking it and downing the coffee in three gulps. As I open my mouth to speak again, he steps towards me, his gaze intense. I back up until I hit the door, his arms caging me in.

“I badly need a lot of other things from you, Maahi,” he murmurs. “Only if you could read them too.”

My lips part, but no words come out. Before I can gather my thoughts, he pulls away, opens the door, and walks out.

I'm left leaning against the doorframe, my heart racing. He's hurt, deeply, and it's my fault. I need to find a way to fix this, to bridge the gap between us. But how?

CHAPTER 30

VIKRAM

“Vikram,” Dad calls out as he enters the gym where I've been working out for the past two hours. I usually don't spend this much time in the gym, especially on weekdays, but I need to sweat out my desperation, frustration, anger, and pain. However, Dad’s sudden entry ruins my plans. I know why he’s here. I keep doing pushups.

“You and I need to talk, son. There’s a lot to catch up on Devki Estate,” he says.

“I know,” I agree, switching to lifting dumbbells.

“I think there’s some mistake,” he continues. “Shukla told me you’re building an old age home there.”

“I am,” I reply instantly. “There’s no mistake, Dad.”

He flinches at my direct revelation. “Despite knowing we were going to use that land for our real estate partner?”

“Yes. Despite that.” I get up and wipe the sweat from my face with a fresh towel. “That land is no longer for business, Dad. Let our partner know, and if he doesn’t understand, send him to me. I know how to handle such people.”

I stride to the door.

“Vikram, wait,” he groans. “Are you out of your mind? Do you know what you’re talking about?”

I take a deep breath and turn to him. “Dad, tell me one thing. Whom do you want to see happy? Your partner who gives you business or your son, whom you raised and who lives with you?”

Dad looks offended, confused, and speechless.

“Don’t rush, Dad,” I add. “Think hard about this because this is no longer just about money or power. It’s about your son’s happiness, which lies in fulfilling his grandmother’s dream.”

I believe I’ve made myself clear. Now, my next agenda is to take Daadi and Maahi out for sightseeing and show them a good time here.

MAAHI

“You need anything, ma’am?” Jack, the butler, asks as I step into the kitchen. Vikram is sweating it out in the gym, so I decided to do a quick puja in Daadi’s room before checking what’s cooking.

“Um, what’s for breakfast?” I ask.

“We have scrambled eggs, bread toast, juices, salad, and some healthy oats,” he replies.

My stomach growls by the time he finishes. This suits me but not Daadi, who isn’t used to such meals. Plus, the doctor has given her a strict diet to follow. I doubt Jack can make an Indian breakfast like Daadi prefers, and I wonder how Meera Singh Grover is okay with this. I quickly pick an apron hanging on the other side and put it on.

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