AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then consider Vinitha gone.” He snapped his fingers. “She’s not my type anyway. Too immature and nowhere close to as intelligent as you are. She was nothing but a distraction, a placeholder until the day you decided to come back. And today, that day is finally here.”
Yes. The day was finally here.
“Will you leave her for me?”
“In a heartbeat,” he said, his gaze focusing on her lips. “With you being a good girl for me again, I don’t need anyone else. Especially not a girl who doesn’t even know how to give proper head. She needed to be taught everything and she wasn’t a quick learner.” He gave her a lascivious grin. “Not like you.”
Her stomach pitched and rolled. Memories she’d buried in the deepest recesses of her brain struggled to get out. Raashi shoved them all back in as she swallowed bile and reminded herself of who she was today, how far she’d come and whom she had waiting for her outside these doors.
“Did you guys get that?” she asked, her heart starting to feel lighter and freer than it ever had before. “Did you hear what he had to say?”
“What?” Anant frowned, confusion clouding his gaze.
Raashi pushed out of her seat and strolled over to the front door, opening it and letting Ram in. He was leaning against the wall, out of sight of the door but within shouting distance.
“It’s done?” he asked her, his gaze searching her face for any sign of distress.
She smiled exultantly. “Done and dusted.”
Ram stepped through the doorway, his feral gaze trained on Anant who was sitting there, comprehension slowly dawning.
“You set me up.” His mask slipped and the animal behind it snarled at Raashi.
“I did,” she replied serenely. “Just like you set me up all those years ago.”
“Get yourself a good lawyer, Madhavan.” Ram bared his teeth at Anant, a predator sighting his prey. “I’m coming for you.”
Fifty-One
HARSH
There was a crowd gathering, whispers getting louder as a few braver souls called out to him asking for autographs or selfies. Harsh ignored them all, his gaze on the entrance to the community, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest.
And then he saw them walking out together. Ram had one arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders and was talking furiously. Raashi’s head was bent but the minute she stepped out of the community gates, it snapped up, her eyes lasering into his.
And then she was running, full tilt, shoving her way through the crowd gawking at him, her gaze unwavering and focused only on him. He opened his arms out for her and she threw herself into his chest, her hands clutching at him like he was the only brand of oxygen her starving lungs required.
He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. “I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
A small, strangled sob escaped her as she clung to him, burrowing into his chest like a puppy looking for warmth.
“Let’s go home Chinna.” Ram’s voice cut through the moment. “The crowd is getting restless.”
They got into the cars and peeled out before crowd control became an issue. The silence in the car was easy, the mood jubilant. They’d got exactly what they wanted from Anant. Ram would take it from here.
Harsh held onto Raashi’s hand, not letting go for a second.
They arrived back at Kodela House to find it lit up like it was Diwali. Agastya paced in front of the main door with the two fathers seated on the couches in the living room. Veda came running from inside at the sound of the cars and flew down the stairs to the driveway.
“All went well?” she asked anxiously.
Raashi nodded, reaching to hug her sister but coming up short when she realised Harsh wasn’t letting go of her. He didn’t bother with anything but a subtle tightening of his fingers around hers.
She smiled, the smallest, sweetest smile he’d ever seen on her face. But before either of them could say anything, they were swept into the chatter and debriefing the fathers demanded of the evening.
Raashi’s father pulled her aside, gripping her hand with his. Harsh only allowed hand gripping of one hand. He was firmly attached to the other one.
“I,” Chaitanya Gadde cleared his throat. “Wanted to apologise.”
