Page 132 of One Hellish Desire

Mom glares at me, but it’s Maahi who stuns me again.

“Don’t involve me between you two,” Maahi urges, taking her arm from mine. “I’ll see you in the room.” She places a quick kiss on my cheek, surprising both me and Mom, then walks away.

Was that just to show Mom, or did it mean something more? I take off my jacket and throw it on the couch. “What’s keeping you awake tonight, Mom?”

Before she can answer, Dad comes out of his room. “Oh, so he’s back.”

He looks equally pissed.

“What do you think you’re doing, Vikram?” Dad shouts, striding to me.

“Why don’t we just sit and talk, Vanraj?” Mom gets between us, and I’m still clueless.

“What is this about?” I glare at my parents, who are clearly annoyed at me.

“Sabrina called us a while ago and told us how you behaved with her this morning at the office,” Mom explains.

I knew it. Sabrina had to share this with Mom.

“Okay, wait,” I say before they can add more to my problems. “Whatever happened between Sabrina and me is none of your business.”

“None of our business?” Dad scowls. “Do you know the Patels have been our friends since you were a kid? We’ve done business together and supported each other through thick and thin. And today, just because Maahi is jealous, you broke our ties with them? Do you know the impact it might have on Grover Group?”

Now they’re pissing me off, and I need a drink badly. I walk to the bar counter and make myself one while Dad and Mom stare at me in surprise. I swallow the drink in one go and then return to them.

“You think I’m a fool to break my friendship with Sabrina just because my wife is jealous of her?” I ask them both. “No, Dad. I know how important the Patels are to our business, but that has nothing to do with Maahi’s insecurity. I broke ties with Sabrina because she was building false castles of having a relationship with me beyond friendship. Because she was posting our pictures, citing me as hers. Because she’s lost her mind to think she’s ready to have an extramarital affair with me. She is not healthy for our family anymore, especially for me and my wife. I don’t mind if you and Mom still have ties with the Patels, but keep me out of it. I have nothing to do with them personally.”

Dad glares at me as if he never thought I’d say something like this.

“And as for business,” I add, “my breaking friendship with Sabrina shouldn’t affect our business with the Patels. We need to handle this maturely, and if they can’t separate personal and business ties, then we should cut them off completely.”

“Cut them off?” Dad shouts. “You think that’s easy? We share so many clients, Vikram. One mistake and we might lose them all.”

Maybe, but I can handle that in my own way.

“Look, Vikram,” Dad grips my arms and shakes me. “You asked me the other day to choose between your happiness and Devki Estate. I chose you.”

Did he? I’m glad.

“But I’m not going to risk the business just because you can’t handle your personal life and are ready to waste my decades of efforts. So, listen to me carefully. Tomorrow, we’re going to meet the Patels and sort this out. I’m not asking you to favor Sabrina or have any kind of relationship with her. I know it’s wrong. But just because she’s lost her mind, we don’t have to end our ties with them. Let’s sit together and sort our differences and issues amicably.”

I grin. In fact, the next moment I laugh, shrugging off Dad’s arms from mine.

“All the best, Dad,” I shout. “But I’m not going to be part of this foolishness. You want to save your ties with them, please do. I know what I have to do to save our business.”

I pick my coat and walk away.

“Vikram, wait,” Mom pleads, but I don’t have the patience to convince them. It’s hard to believe I’ve obeyed everything my parents wanted me to do all these years. I never questioned their instincts, never challenged their decisions, but today, I wish I had handled this better.

CHAPTER 37

VIKRAM

When I reach the room, Maahi shifts on the bed. She’s reading a novel and has changed into a satin nightgown that barely touches her knee. I’ve never seen her in this kind of nightwear, and though it tickles every nerve in my body, I’m not in the right frame of mind. Mom and Dad have screwed my mood.

“You okay?” She gets down from the bed, but before she can reach me, I walk to the closet and pick my night pants.

“I’ll go change.”

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