💙

|I dared the fall, I took the leap.
You lit the fire, I tried to keep|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

"Do you really wanna do this?"

"Yes, of course."

"Like, actually do this today?"

"Yes, definitely today." I responded coolly, refusing to acknowledge the goosebumps pricking my skin triggered by the dark oak steeped in his tone.

"Why today?" His words slipped into the space between us like a stone dropping into water, creating ripples that I felt in my nerves.

I bit the inside of my cheek, debating whether to respond or pretend I hadn't heard him. Yet neither option felt particularly appealing.

"Baby, seriously!" He almost whined at this point, "What's the rush?"

"I already told you it has to be today." I muttered, my voice clipped as I glanced anywhere but his way. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this."

He let out a soft huff of laughter; his calm was fraying around the edges, and I knew I was responsible for most of it.

"You mean the thing you've been avoiding for weeks is now suddenly urgent?"

He wasn't wrong. I had been putting it off for weeks if we were being brutally honest. But still, hearing him say it out loud like that made me feel like I'd been caught red-handed as last night's memory crept in despite my best efforts to shove it back into the mental box where it belonged.

Not now.

Do not think about that right now, girl. But damn, it was impossible to stop.

The way Aryan's voice had dipped into something darker, something molten and utterly intoxicating, was seared into my brain. And his gaze. Oh Dear, his gaze had been so intense that I'd felt stripped bare, vulnerable in a way I wasn't used to.

It wasn't fair.

He shouldn't have that kind of power over me, but I'd be crazy to complain after everything that transpired last night.

I shifted in my seat, trying to suppress the urge to ponder over the idea of being alone with him, which suddenly felt no less than walking into a lion's den.

Not because I didn't trust him but because I didn't trust myself. Not with the way he looked at me, the way he knew me going all those years back, unlike me, who was still a clueless blank slate.

"You're the one who kept saying we needed to get it done."

"I didn't mean you had to bulldoze your way through it like this." He glanced at me briefly before looking ahead. "It's okay to take your time, you know."

"That's rich coming from you, Mr. Mallik. Weren't you the one nagging me about procrastinating in the first place?" His lips twitched, not quite a smile but not entirely serious either.

"I wasn't nagging. I was just pointing out how much I despise not being able to call you my wife in the face of your holier-than-thou friends who don't know that I'm your very proud and utterly besotted husband."

His words settled over me like a heavy, warm blanket. I wasn't sure if I wanted to shrug it off or burrow into it, as it wasn't like him to be so...blunt about this sort of thing. Or maybe he always was one, and I was just too busy overthinking everything to notice.

"I hate it every time they side-eye me like I'm just some wannabe gatecrashing your life. Hate it when they call me 'the rich brat' or worse, 'that Mallik guy.' Like, excuse me? 'That guy?' I'm your guy. Your very legal husband. But do they know that? No. Because someone-" He gave me a bombastic side eye, "has been dragging her feet for months."

"Okay, first of all, they don't call you so many names. You're exaggerating."

"Did you miss the scene when Bhavesh, the pint-sized joker, tried to pick a fight with me, courtesy of his accomplice with short stuff?"

I winced. Okay, maybe he had a point. There was definitely a time or two or more when I'd felt the sting of that exact judgment from my friends. Not because of him, but because of me. Because I hadn't been ready to shout from the rooftops that we were married. And honestly, I wasn't entirely sure why.

"I know they do not hold you in the highest regard, but you too are such a piece of work to build that pseudo image in front of them."

"Baby, I'm the guy who married you at that courthouse without a second thought. Piece of work doesn't do that. They demand a big, fat wedding with choreographed dances, a month-long honeymoon and lifelong festivities."

"I know I've been...stalling. But it's not because of you. You know that, right?"

"Do I?" He probed, "Because sometimes it feels like you're hiding me out of embarrassment."

"God, no! I'm not embarrassed of you." I add quickly. "If anything, it's the opposite."

"Then what is it?" He pressed, his voice low and even, but I could hear the hurt laced beneath it. "Because I'm running out of ideas here, baby." I hated how he always managed to cut through all my defenses and get right to the heart of things.

The undeniable part was, he wasn't wrong. I was holding back but not for the reasons he thought.

"It's just..." I trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "It's overwhelming, okay? All of it. The marriage, the expectations, the way people are going to look at us differently once they know. I guess I just...I wanted to keep it ours for a little while longer without everyone else's opinions and judgments messing it up since ours wasn't a typical wedding."

His hand brushed against mine, warm and calloused from years of doing whatever it was he did that gave him hands like that. He didn't say anything at first, just captured my hand in his, his grip firm but gentle. I watched as he guided my hand over to his thigh, resting it there like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The gesture wasn't new. He'd done it a hundred times before and as much as I had craved to be held all my life, his touch was the only thing called a contradiction that unraveled me in ways words never could. There was something about the way he did it, like now without hesitation or giving me a chance to pull away that left me feeling unmoored every time.

The sight of his rough, tanned skin against mine was strangely mesmerizing as his palm dwarfed mine, the contrast between us stark and undeniable. And yet, it fits like the sun settling into the horizon, inevitable.

"You're running that smart head of yours in circles yet again."

"I'm not!" I countered.

"Then why are you sitting there chewing your lip like it owes you money?"

I started to argue but stopped halfway when I realized, crap, I was doing exactly that.

"Why do you always have to be so annoyingly confident?" I muttered.

"Because one of us has to be."

"Geez! Your narcissism doesn't even surprise me anymore." I quipped while he guffawed. "Anyways, you did call Dad and Maa, right?"

He let out one of those exaggerated huffs, like I'd personally insulted his efficiency.

"Of course, I did since you've only reminded me about it a little less than twenty times since breakfast."

I hummed, scribbling another thing in my mental checklist.

"I'm cooking dinner, so you'll need to pick up the cake from Sweet Escape in the evening. I'm not sure if you know but their baked goods are legendary, especially that Black Forest cake."

"Anything else, Missus?" He asked, "Shall I arrange for a marching band or maybe some fireworks while I'm at it?"

"Hm..." I mused, tapping my chin. "I'll let you know if I think of anything else later. Sounds good, Mister?"

He muttered under his breath probably about me being a dictator but there was a small smile playing on his lips as he pulled the car outside the Khanna household.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door. "Right, let's go-"

"Not so fast, baby." His voice suddenly dropped into that trouble wrapped in a tempting tone, dipped in smugness.

"What? Why?" The words barely left my mouth before, in one swift motion, I wasn't in my seat anymore but straddling him with my knees pressing into the leather seat on either side of his thighs. "Aryan!" I gasped, "What the hell are you doing?"

My brain stuttered to catch up as his hands tangled effortlessly into my hair, holding me in place. The hotshot grin on his face was dazzling and I hate-loved every inch of it.

"I get why you suddenly insisted on meeting your friends today out of all days."

"Oh?" I managed, my voice sounding far too breathy for my liking. "Do enlighten me, Mr. Know-it-all."

His fingers grazed the nape, sending a shiver racing down my spine. Trust him on how easily to dismantle my composure with the simplest touch.

"You're afraid-" He drawled, twirling a strand of my hair, "that you won't be able to control yourself around me after last night."

"That's not true!" I grumbled instead, trying to pull back but his grip kept me locked in place, one eyebrow lifting in that insufferably cocky way of his.

"I'd like to call bullshit on that excuse right away because I had come to the conclusion that you're running off to distract yourself and pretend like we didn't happen."

Heat pooled low in my belly, completely at odds with the scoff I forced out. "FYI, I'm here to meet my best friend to check upon her after everything. That's all."

His gaze flicked to my lips before snapping back to my eyes.

"You're a terrible liar, baby. Should I remind you what happened last night?" His hand slid to the small of my back, pulling me closer until there wasn't a single bit of space left between us. "Maybe jog your memory a little?"

Rationality was screaming at me to stop this before spiraling down this dangerous path, my traitorous forelimbs gripped his shoulders for dear life.

"Aryan.." I tried again, my voice weaker this time. "We're right outside the house. This isn't the time-"

"Fuck time! The moment I touch you.." He murmured, "Everything falls into place." His sneaky thumb traced the outline of my lips and a barely muffled sound escaped me before I could stop making him smile, slow and triumphant, and press a mouthful kiss just below my ear, the sensation sending sparks shooting down my nerve endings.

I couldn't believe it was me who tugged on his hair next, tilting his head back, in order to crash my lips onto his.

Aryan met me halfway, his kiss hungry and consuming, yet somehow tender, setting every inch of me on fire, melting away the world outside until there was nothing left but my man and the insatiable pull between us.

My heart thundered in my chest, each beat syncing with the heat of his touch, as his lips left mine just long enough for him to draw a shaky breath with our foreheads resting against each other.

"Fuck, baby!" The heat in his words was like gasoline poured over the fire already raging inside me. "Kissing you twice has proven to be addicting."

"I didn't peg you for the type to lose your cool over something as simple as a kiss."

"Is that what you think this is?"

"Well..." I attempted to sound nonchalant, even though my pulse was racing like I'd just run a marathon. "It's just a kiss. I mean, it's not like-"

"Baby..." His voice dropped an octave, lips brushed the corner of my mouth, teasing, before trailing to my jawline. "If you think this is just a kiss, then I'm clearly not doing it right." A shiver raced down my spine as his teeth grazed the curve of my jaw, his fingers exploring the dip of my back in a way that made my head spin.

My protest died in my throat, replaced by a soft sigh that came out more like a plea, "Aryan..." I didn't know what I was begging him for at this point.

He hummed against my oversensitive skin, "What is it, baby? Having trouble being a good girl?"

I wanted to retort, to say something snarky and wipe that cocky grin off his face but my mind was too fogged up to form a coherent sentence. Instead, I tilted my head back, giving him more access to my subversive body.

"You're making me bad, Aryan!" I managed to breathe out, though it lacked any real bite, making him chuckle again, his lips brushing against my collarbone now, "And yet, here you are. Straddling me in broad daylight, outside your best friend's house, completely at my mercy."

The reminder jolted me out of the haze for a moment. "Oh my God!" I hissed, pulling back slightly, though his hands kept me anchored in place. "Aryan, anyone could walk by us!"

"Let them." He suggested with a shrug, his smirk downright sinful now. "Maybe they'll get inspired."

I gaped at him, my cheeks burning. "Are you insane? This is not how normal people behave!"

"Normal's overrated." He shot back, his fingers digging into my waist. "Besides, you don't seem too eager to stop me."

I hated that he was right. Hated that his touch made me forget every ounce of logic and reason I'd ever possessed. But my pride wasn't going down without a fight.

"I'll stop you." I said, more to myself than to him, though my voice lacked conviction.

"Go ahead." He challenged, leaning back against the seat like he had all the time in the world. His gaze was fixed on me, predatory and smug. "Stop me, baby. If you think you can."

My hands curled into fists, and for a split second, I actually considered slapping some sense into him. But then his smirk softened, just enough to show a flicker of something raw, something unguarded.

And just like that, my resolve crumbled.

"Damn it, you tempting devil." I muttered, leaning forward again, my lips crashing into his.

He groaned against my mouth, his hands tangling in my hair as he kissed me like it was the only thing keeping him sane. It was messy and desperate and absolutely intoxicating, and at that moment, I couldn't bring myself to care that we were parked on a street in the middle of the day.

All I could think about was him.

His hands, his lips, the way he said my name like it was a prayer and a curse all at once. And maybe, just maybe, I didn't mind being addicted too if it was meant to be for him.

The sharp blare of a car horn shattered the bubble of intimacy we'd been wrapped in, a jarring reminder that the world didn't pause for us. The vehicle sped past with a screech of tires, leaving behind the acrid smell of burnt rubber. Startled, I pulled back, my breath coming in short, uneven bursts, and when I glanced at Aryan, I saw the same rugged intensity mirrored in his expression.

His eyes still held the remnants of unspent desire, smoldering like embers waiting to ignite again. For a long moment, neither of us spoke, the air charged between us.

"It's not fair. We should've just stayed home." My fingers found their way to his hair, ruffling it in that familiar way I knew he secretly adored. He made a half-hearted grumble yet the way he leaned into my touch betrayed him.

The quiet between us was fleeting, shattered another time by the abrupt buzz of his phone vibrating against the console. The ringtone blared through the confined space, slicing through the intimacy like a blade. I started to pull back, but Aryan groaned dramatically, burying his face into the crook of my neck as if willing the world to go away.

"Answer it." I pushed, stifling a laugh, though my chest tightened with a sense of foreboding I couldn't quite place.

He let out a heavy sigh, his reluctance palpable as he fished the phone out of his pocket. One glance at the screen, and the playful irritation vanished from his face, replaced by something far more serious.

"Hello?" His tone was clipped now, his posture straightening as he listened intently. I strained to catch the faint voice on the other end concluding the elderly voice was definitely Beeji, her words hurried and fraught. Aryan's face softened, though the tension in his jaw remained. "Don't worry, Beeji." He said, his voice steady yet soothing. "I'll be at the hospital in twenty minutes."

As he ended the call, the atmosphere in the car shifted. His shoulders were rigid, his grip on the phone tight and I could see the weight of the conversation settling over him like a storm cloud.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" I asked, though the answer was already written in his expression.

"It's Daarji." He shared quietly, his voice laced with worry. "He's not doing well. I need to get to the hospital."

"I'll come with you." I offered, my words tumbling out before I could think twice. The last thing I wanted was for him to face this alone however Aryan shook his head, a faint, strained smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's alright" He told. "I'll manage. You don't need to worry. Go ahead and see your friend."

"Aryan, I-" I started but he cut me off, his hand cupping my cheek with a gentleness that made my throat tighten.

"Ruchi, trust me..." He said firmly, his thumb brushing against my skin. "I'll be fine. Really!"

I hesitated, the instinct to argue warring with the trust I had in him. His gaze held mine reassuringly, and after a moment, I too nodded reluctantly. "But call me if you need anything, okay?"

He gave my hand a squeeze that was as much for me as it was for him.

"Keep me posted."

I climbed out of the car and shut the door behind me, glancing back at him. He started the engine, giving me a smile but the worry etched into every line of his face was evident to me despite his attempts to hide it well as he reversed the car and drove off.

I too turned back and ascended the short steps leading to the Khanna house to find the main door left ajar.

The sight of it screamed classically of my best friend, with her trademark carelessness engraved into every inch of the house with no lock or sense of fear about the potential consequences.

I sighed, pushing the door further open to get in with a resigned shake of my head, knowing well if her guardians were to see that she was in for hearing their lectures to no end, but as usual, getting into trouble was her favorite hobby at this point of life.

The aroma of brewed coffee hit me tinged with something less pleasant, which is burnt toast, no doubt.

Kicking off my sandals at the door and letting my bag slip from my shoulder to the sofa in the living room, I called out for the siblings.

"One of these days, someone's going to walk in here, rob you for real and I won't even feel sorry for you."

No response to my taunt, which is strange because Sammy, as we speak, was never quiet. Normally by now, she would have barreled toward me with an excited squeal, dragging me all the way in her room to share the latest gossip, the unbelievable plot twists from her weird romance novels or her wild theories about the exotic too-good-to-be-true lives of fictional strangers.

"Sammy?" I called again, louder this time, following the burning smell to the kitchen. The soft light from the windows did little to dispel the unsettling stillness crowding me as I rounded the corner until the sight greeting me made me stop dead in my tracks.

What an actual fudge!

My best friend.

My careless, scatterbrained best friend was pressed up against the counter, her face an alarming shade of crimson, while my brother stood far too close to her for comfort.

I blinked, certain for a moment that I was hallucinating. Maybe all those hours of kissing Aryan last night had short-circuited my brain and now I was imagining things. But no they were there, as real as the burnt toast still smoking slightly in the background.

"What are you both doing?" The words shot out of me like a bullet, loud enough to make them both visibly flinch.

Sammy jumped like someone had set her ass on fire, her wide eyes snapping to me as she stammered, "Ruchi! You! Seriously, what a surprise!"

Meanwhile, my older brother, the self-proclaimed moral compass of our family, turned to me with the audacity to look completely unbothered. His face was the picture of calm, his expression betraying not even an ounce of guilt.

"Oh, hey, baby!" He said smoothly, as if I hadn't just caught him in what looked like a highly questionable situation. "I didn't hear you come in."

"What the hell are you doing here, Bhai?"

"Having a conversation with the lady of the house." His reply was too nonchalant, as though he wasn't just a few inches away from my best friend's very flustered face.

Sammy, on the other hand, looked like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Her gaze darted nervously between my brother and me, her hands toying with the hem of her oversized hoodie.

"He-uh-he just stopped by to, um-"

"To check on her." Bhai cut in, sparing my friend the need to come up with an excuse.

"Check on her?" I repeated, my tone dripping with disbelief. "Since when do you randomly check on my friends? And Sammy, of all people, Bhai?"

He shrugged, completely unfazed by the pointed accusation in my tone. "Since I felt like it."

"I don't believe you right now out of all times, Bhai. What are you really here now?"

Sammy opened her mouth to speak, probably to come up with another flimsy excuse but he beat her to it in a way that immediately put me on edge.

"I was forced to pay a visit here since your rich, rowdy husband got Samiksha locked up for hours yesterday, and this crazy girl apparently thought it was a good idea to risk herself for him."

I turned to her, who was trying very hard to disappear into the counter behind her.

"Sammy." I called out, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I called you and asked if you were alright in very clear words yesterday. I asked about your whereabouts and your well-being. So, please tell me, why did you lie to me? Why did you hide it from me?"

Her panic flared for a brief moment before she quickly masked it. "I-I didn't lie-" She stammered unconvincingly. "I just...didn't tell you the whole story. That's not the same thing."

"Is that what we're calling lying by omission these days?"

Guilt flashed in her eyes as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"It wasn't like that, baby." She mumbled, avoiding my gaze again. "I just...I didn't want to stress you out. You've got so much going on with Aryan and everything and I thought-"

"You thought wrong." I interrupted, my frustration bubbling to the surface as I addressed both of them in this regard. "You guys, I really love you but you don't get to decide what I should or shouldn't know. You're my best friend, Sammy. If something happens to you. Something as serious as spending hours in a police station because of whatever it is. I have every right to know."

Her shoulders slump and she glances helplessly at Bhai, who had been observing the exchange with a resolute expression.

Not getting the support she was clearly looking for, she turned back to me.

"I just didn't want to be the reason you fought with Aryan." She admitted, her words rushing out in a torrent. "I know how much you care about him and I didn't want you to feel like you had to choose sides or...or blame yourself. It wasn't your fault, Ruchi. It wasn't anyone's fault, really."

"Wasn't it anyone's fault?" Bhai's voice raised with barely contained anger. "You're being way too generous here, Samiksha. That posh boy lost his wits and almost decided to kill somebody and you got dragged into the mess because you were trying to help him. That's not just no one's fault."

The words sting even though I knew they weren't entirely unwarranted. Aryan did have a reputation for temper, it was no secret after yesterday and it had landed him in trouble more times than I cared to admit. But no matter how flawed he was, no matter how messy his actions could be, he was my husband, the man I loved. And I couldn't just stand there and let my brother throw accusations around without him knowing the full story.

"Bhai, do you even know who the person Aryan and Sammy went after was?"

Bhai's sharp gaze locked on mine. "How is that important?"

"It is important because what Aryan did wasn't some random act of rowdy rage. It was for me. He was standing up for me, Bhai. And the man he confronted, who we all believed we knew so well was no other than Aakash."

He blinked, the name clearly catching him off guard.

I could read the confusion and perhaps even a hint of alarm creeping into his expression.

Before he could recover, Sammy stepped in, "Yes, Kartik. That bastard Aakash isn't who we thought he was. He's not just some arrogant jerk with a fragile ego problem who was sour about not being able to marry Ruchi. He's an absconding fraudster, a drug addict drowning in gambling debt and has assaulted women before. He's a sick, sadistic motherfucker who deserves to be beaten within an inch of his worthless fucking life like the fucking dog he is."

Normally, Bhai and I would have exchanged a look over her foul tongue but given the circumstances she took the words right out of my heart.

"Not to forget he was planning to hire goons to kidnap me, Bhai. Aryan found out and confronted him. What was he supposed to do? Sit back and wait to let it happen?"

The room fell silent. Bhai's jaw clenched and unclenched as he processed what he was just told. For a man who prided himself on protecting his family, respecting the women around him and shielding me from the cruelest blows in every way he could, I knew this revelation hit him harder than a ton of bricks.

"Aryan would never lose his temper for no reason, Bhai. He didn't drag Sammy into this for fun. He was trying to protect me from Aakash's evil intentions."

Sammy stepped closer to me, her hand rubbing against mine in silent support.

"The guy didn't do anything wrong. If anything, he stopped something horrible before it could happen. If he hadn't stepped in time, who knows what that monster would've done to our Ruchi?"

Bhai's hands curled into fists at his sides, his entire body tense as if he were ready to storm out of the house and confront Aakash himself. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" He demanded simmering with barely controlled rage.

"Because I didn't want to involve you or anyone for that matter in this mess." My eyes searched his, hoping he'd understand, even if he didn't agree. "I knew how you'd react if you found out and I didn't want you to blame yourself for something you had no control over. Yes, you once thought Aakash was a good match for me but that wasn't your fault or even BadiMa and BadePapa's. Aakash and his family fooled everyone among us. I didn't want to drag you in when Aryan had already stepped in to handle it before I even gathered the courage to breathe a word of it to him or anyone else. He did what he had to, Bhai. His methods weren't perfect, I'll admit but his heart was in the right place."

Bhai's face was a storm of anger, guilt, and something else I couldn't quite place. The muscles in his face were twitching as he worked through what I'd just divulged.

"That bastard!" He muttered enraged, "If I'd known-"

"You know now." I placed a hand on his arm. "That's what matters. I know how much you love and care about me and I'll always be grateful for that. But you need to know that Aryan does too. More than I ever gave him credit for before. He didn't hesitate to put himself on the line for me in front of the world or even fear for his own name. Please do not blame him for doing what you would've done in his position."

His gaze flickered to Sammy, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the conversation.

"Aryan didn't force me into anything either, Kartik!" She added. "I practically begged him to let me help. I volunteered myself. He wanted to handle everything on his own but I refused to sit back while that creep was out there threatening my bestie."

For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the air. Bhai's eyes shifted between us, the fight slowly draining from his stance until finally, he let out another sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Fine." He spoke grudgingly. "But let me make one thing clear. If that scumbag comes anywhere near you again, Ruchi, or even so much as thinks about hurting you, I'll deal with him myself as well."

Bhai was many things. Stubborn, overprotective, prone to righteous fury but beneath all of that was his unwavering devotion to the people he loved. And right now, I could see how hard he was fighting to reconcile the guilt of his earlier assumptions with the reality we had just laid bare.

But more than anything, I saw his fear.

Fear of what could have happened. Fear of what he might have lost. Fear that, somehow, he'd failed me.

"You're here now, Bhai. You know the truth. And because of Aryan and Sammy, we escaped a catastrophe without a single scratch. That's all that matters. You had no way of knowing, and I don't blame you for that. We don't need to drown ourselves in guilt over what could have been."

His jaw flexed as if the words physically pained him but he gave a stiff nod.

"I still don't like it." He grunted, "That rich kid took this upon himself without letting anyone else in. But...I get it. And I respect the intention, even if I don't fully approve of letting Samiksha take the fall with him." He gave me a look, stern but no longer accusatory. "Doesn't mean I trust his shady motives when it comes to you."

A ghost of a smile touched my lips. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Beside me, Sammy exhaled a breath she seemed to have been holding for the past ten minutes. "Phew. I thought this would end with at least one broken chair and a lifetime of grudges."

Bhai shot her a deadpan glare that any real venom. "Don't tempt me."

Gradually, the storm began to pass. The truth was out and though it left us all worn thin, it also brought a strange sense of relief.

"Alright then, you can tell me where this Aakash Cheems is slithering around these days. Because whether your rich brat handled him or not, I wouldn't mind having a little chat with him myself."

"Bhai!! You don't need to do anything!" I groaned. "He's rotting in jail as we speak. Aryan and Dad have their lawyers on it, trust me when I say he's not walking out for years."

​"I'd rather have put him in the ICU myself."

I knew him too well. This wasn't over for my brother. Not until he felt he'd done his part in shielding his sister from the evils of the world. Perhaps, in his own stubborn way, it was his version of closure.

Sammy nudged my side to whisper, "You know, you're one lucky woman. Having two knights in dented armor fighting for you. All I have is a useless twin who'd probably ask the bad guys to split the ransom 50-50 and and apparently all the good men were already taken."

"I know." I whispered back, preening under the sudden rush of validation. "And I wouldn't trade them for anything."

​"Good men aren't taken, Ms. Khanna. They're just actively running in the opposite direction from you."

"And yet somehow you haven't managed to escape me."

​"I'm immune to headaches, which makes me the only man alive capable of breathing the same air as you without passing out."

​"Keep talking, Batra, and I'll make it my life's mission to follow you around like an inescapable bad omen until you beg for mercy!"​

Lots of Love,

ANKITA