Page 36 of Born in Ruin

Mayukhi unscrewed the cap of her bottle and took a sip of water. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt like a frog had died in it.

“It doesn’t matter,” she murmured. “I can handle myself.”

“Handle yourself?” Her father looked apoplectic. “Was yesterday an example of how you handle yourself when you’re with him?”

Mayukhi pressed a thumb to her throbbing temple. “Yesterday was not on him, Baba. He was the good guy who brought me home.”

“Please,” her father spat out. “He must have spiked your drink.”

Mayukhi rolled her eyes, making the pain in her head worse. “Why would he do that? He’s already gotten what he wanted.”

“Because filth always wants to coat everyone with more filth.”

The venom in her father’s voice startled her. Mayukhi slipped her sunglasses off and looked at him. “That’s a bit excessive,” she said coolly.

Her father shook his head. “You don’t know his father, Yukhi. And the apple never falls far from the tree.”

A strange surge of protectiveness rose in Mayukhi but she tamped it down. Ishaan didn’t need her protection. He was the bogeyman they were struggling to escape. A bogeyman she wasalso in cahoots with. The complications of her current situation boggled her mind.

Before she could argue any further with her father, her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw Ashish’s number flashing.

“I have to take this,” she murmured and walked away from the dining table.

“Remember what I said!” her father called out from behind her and she raised a hand in acknowledgement.

“What’s up?” She called Ashish back the minute she exited the elevator, wincing as the sunlight hurt her eyes. She slipped the sunglasses perched on her head over her eyes even as Ashish’s slimy voice ripped through her hangover.

“Have you heard anything?” he asked without preamble.

“All I’ve heard is that Varun abused Dhrithi and she wasn’t the cause of the car crash. Varun was. He crashed his car into hers.”

A pause and then… “Lies,” he said but his voice was so casual and absent of emotion that Mayukhi stopped walking, her antenna going up. “Anything else?” he asked.

“Not at the moment.” She waited a beat before asking, “What should I have heard?”

“Nothing,” he said immediately. “Just keep your ears open and pay attention.”

“Hey Ashish,” she drawled.

“What?” he muttered, sounding very put upon.

“I’m doing you guys a fucking favour. Say please.”

Mayukhi had spent all her life around rich, entitled men. She knew exactly the buttons to push to keep them in line. Except, none of it worked on Ishaan. When she pushed his buttons, he pushed hers right back. She had a vague memory of some shit going down last night too, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Please,” Ashish growled.

“Sure, no problem,” she replied breezily before disconnecting so he couldn’t get in another word.

Mayukhi sighed and pocketed her phone. She had to catch a cab or an auto and get to the bar so she could recover her car. She really hoped it was intact and hadn’t been damaged or stolen. If she’s been slightly less high, she could have-

She came to an abrupt halt in the foyer of her building. Her red Mini Cooper was parked right in front of the building, in the visitor’s slot. Mayukhi blinked but the mirage of her car stayed right where it was.

“Saab leke aaye.” Her security guard walked up to her with a toothy grin. “Kal raat ko.”

Irritation mingled with gratitude at his thoughtfulness. It would have taken him several extra trips but he’d still brought her car back. For her.

Why?

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