Page 122 of Entangled Vows
She didn’t need him to have all the answers. She just needed him to try. Because there was no grand solution, noinstant cure for the wounds of the past. In that stillness, Mahika hoped Vikram understood that healing wasn’t methodical or perfect.
It was messy, slow, and built on small, tender moments like this one.
And somehow, that was enough for now.
39
It had been raining all day, but now the downpour had eased into a light drizzle. Outside, everything was quiet. The hills were blanketed in mist as the scent of wet earth travelled through the open windows.
Inside the Khurana Mansion, the warm amber glow of the lamps softened the sharp edges of the evening. Vikram leaned back on the couch, a glass of wine in hand. Across from him, Suraj mirrored his brother’s stance, his eyes fixed on the shifting shadows on the polished wooden floor.
Mahika had disappeared into the bedroom after dinner, but not before shooting Vikram a look that said,Talk to your brother.
She was wickedly intuitive like that.
After their talk on the terrace, Vikram had gone off to the office, but Mahika chose to work from home so she could stay with Suraj and spend time catching up. She still hadn’t gone to meet his mother and had promised she would wait until Vikram met her first. She had held him close that morning, whispering those words into his ear like she was filling some cracks in his heart that no one else saw.
Vikram cleared his throat. “I’ve been a cold bastard to you, Sunny. I am so sorry for that.”
Suraj didn’t respond immediately. Then, slowly, he looked up. His expression was tired, but not guarded.
“You were hurt,” he said quietly. “And you had every right to be. If I could go back, I would have told Mom that I wanted to stay with you and Dad.”
Vikram shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid then. Even now, you were only trying to figure things out. I should have spoken to you. Instead, I let the silence grow and filled it with resentment all these years.”
Suraj let out a hollow laugh. “You weren’t the only one who fucked up. I ran away, Vicky. I ran because I was overwhelmed. I left without a word, and it wasn’t just for one reason alone.” He met Vikram’s eyes and exhaled sharply. “There were so many reasons to run… and one of them was jealousy. I was jealous of you.”
“You were jealous of me?” Vikram’s face was full of disbelief. “Why the fuck were you jealous of me?”
“Because you had a life outside this house. You had your friends and your own space. You looked happy, like you had figured things out. And I was stuck here. I was literally trapped in a role I didn’t want to play. The pressure of the business, the burden of everyone’s expectations, the burden of carrying Dad’s legacy... and the constant lie of pretending to be someone I wasn’t. It was suffocating.”
Suraj stared into his glass, the wine catching the soft light, then continued, his voice quieter. “Then came the call. Mom was in the hospital, fighting for her life. And she was alone. I didn’t stop to think. I just packed my bags and left. I told myself I was doing the right thing, that I had to be there for her. But the truth is, I was also running. Escaping from the shitty life I had here.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Outside, the rain tapped gently against the windows, almost like it was listening too.
“I’m sorry, man...” Suraj said, his voice rough with regret. “For not calling. For cutting you off. I’d sent Dad an email. Told him I loved him, and asked him not to try and find me. I thought that would be enough. But it wasn’t. In the end, I even snapped at him when he brought up the clause or anything related to business. I wasn’t a good son to him at all. Also, I knew I couldn’t marry Mahika. I just didn’t know how to say it without hurting everyone.”
Vikram’s eyes sharpened. “You knew about the clause? Since when?”
“I’ve known for a long time,” Suraj admitted. “I just never believed it would come to that. But when it did, when everything spiralled... I knew Mahika and I weren’t meant to happen. And now she tells me that everything I did was in vain… that it was always you who was meant to marry her. Apparently, I had missed reading the fine print.” He exhaled heavily. “But I didn’t want to hurt Mahika. And I do love her...”
Vikram’s body went still.
Suraj smirked. “Relax, dude. Not like that. I love her as a friend. But don’t for a minute think I didn’t notice the way you looked at her when you thought no one was watching.”
Vikram quickly looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on,” Suraj said with a small grin. “You liked her all along. You were jealous because you thought there was something going on between us. Don’t think I forgot how you warned me off her at her eighteenth birthday.” He paused, then added more quietly, “So I told myself maybe it was better this way. Maybe I wasn’t needed. Dad had you. At least, that’s what I tried to believe. But it doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t there in his last moments.”
His voice cracked, and this time the tears came. Silent at first, then harsh, jagged sobs that shook his chest.
Vikram stood and crossed to him without a second thought. He sat down beside him and pulled his baby brother into a firm hug that said all the things he wanted to say but couldn’t.
“Sunny, you fucked up. But we can’t turn back time now,” Vikram murmured. “I was there with him, right till the end. And I wished every damn day that you had been too. But I get it. You were doing what I couldn’t. You were taking care of the other part of our family.”
Suraj gripped Vikram’s hands in his and sniffled. “Still… I’m sorry. So sorry.”
“So am I,” Vikram said, his voice raw. “For not being there for you. For not checking in. And for not being the big brother you always deserved.” He pulled back and met his brother’s tear-streaked gaze. “We both fucked up. But I am done holding that against you.”
