Henry's pov

Leaving Richard's place, I headed towards James's penthouse because he was the only one who could answer my questions besides Samriddhi.

But to my utter disappointment, he is not home, and Anna doesn't know how long it takes him to come back.

So I called him, but he didn't answer my call. I guess he would probably be in a meeting.

In frustration, I kicked the near table, and Anna flinched because of my sudden action.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you." I apologized.

"No, it's ok, but I never thought I would ever see this side of yours." She replied while rubbing my back to calm me. "Come on, sit down. Wait for him; he'll be back at any moment."

"Are you sure?" I asked back.

"Honestly. No. I don't know how long he'll take." She replied.

"I'm leaving then."

"I'll tell him to meet you," she replied.

"Can you do me a little favor? Tell him to bring the binder." I said before leaving.

"Okay, I will."

I left James's place because I didn't want to scare Anna more. But truth be told, she is an absolute darling. She melted James's stone heart and will always be there for us as well, no matter what. She is like a sister to me and Richard, but that bastard brother of ours, James, is not ready to marry her yet. They are now in a 9-year-long relationship, but God knows how much more time he needs to get settled.

Samriddhi's continued resistance is now getting on my nerves, but moreover, I'm desperate to beat the bastard Vihaan.

So after reaching my mansion, I headed towards my gym. I need something to take out my frustration. I have no idea how long I was in the gym.

After hours, when I came out of my gym, it was already dark outside. I get a shower and then make a drink for myself.

So many things are going on in my mind that what could possibly be the reason for her resistance?

If it's really her past, then what incident could it be, and all the possibilities are making me mad?

'What if she physically assaulted or something?'. No, no, no, that can't be because she is not that fragile. But what if?

'What if someone misbehaved with her when she was a child and it still haunts her?'

'What if she needs someone to help her?'

'What if she is broken?'

All these what-ifs are eating me out. I want answers, and no one is ready to talk.

'What if it's something related to her father?' Yes, that could be the reason; yes, it can be. But what?
She hates him so much that she can't even stand to talk about him.

All my thoughts came to a halt when the doorbell rang. I got up and opened the door. All the servants left my mansion after sunset because I don't like being surrounded by people 24/7. I open the door, and it's him.

"Thank God you have time to show up." I said to James.

"I have a business to take care of. I'm not free to do parties with a new-found sister and would-be girlfriend like you two idiots." He said that while sitting on the couch and throwing the binder on the table.

"Fuck you," I replied, standing in front of him.

"Anna told me everything. Why are you two idiots always around that girl?" He questioned.

"She had a name," I reminded him.

"A very difficult one, yes." He replied sarcastically.

"Say no if she is not worth hanging around. I mean, you know her way too much better than me and Richard." I questioned him. He didn't reply, and I got my answer.

A proud smile formed on my lips.

"I didn't know that you knew how to smile." He asked, observing me keenly.

"Maybe I do?" I replied.

"Then why are you looking so depressed? Is she rejecting you?" He asked with a grin.

"How do you know?" I frowned.

"Well, you said yourself. I know her better than you do." He replied, smirking.

"What kind of childhood did she have?" I asked.

"A very decent one," he replied.

"Is there any incident that caused her trauma? You know what kind of question I'm asking." I asked.

"Why don't you find yourself? It has all your answers. " He replied while gesturing towards the binder.

"Just answer me." I asked in a pissed-out tone.

"No." He denied it, and I took a sigh of relief.

"Then why is she resisting me?" I mumbled.

"Maybe you are not asking the right question, brother. It has all the answers to what she wants everyone to know about her, but not the things she is hiding from the whole world." He replied.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Ask yourself? You do know her, don't you?" He questioned.

"Is this about her father?" I asked.

"I don't know. See yourself. " He shrugged.

"She never talks about him. Not just that, she even says he is dead for her." I replied.

"Technically, he is alive, and she is right, though he is good to be dead." He said the last part with a clenched jaw.

"Did he do something to her?" I asked, enraged.

"No, she was too young to even remember him. Her mother divorced him when she was probably 2 years old or something." He replied. "Even though she never met him in her life, it's true that she hates him."

"Did you know why they divorced?" I asked.

"He is a real jerk. Her mother suffered a lot. That's all she knew." He replied.

"But this binder knows more than her?" I questioned. He hummed in response.

"Who else read this besides Anna?" I asked

"No one, not even Anna, just me." He answered.

"Good." I took the binder, threw it in the fireplace near me, and burned it. "It's better if no one ever knows if it hurts her. Is there any copy?"

"No," he denied.

"Great. Whatever you know, keep it to yourself, brother." I said.

"You have my word, and I'm proud of your choice." He said, getting up and tapping my shoulder, "But give her time.
Well, it's getting late; I should leave, and you should sleep.
Good night."

"Good night," I replied, and he left.

He left, and I got some answers—well, not some. I even drowned in the pool of more questions.

Her father is the reason for her denial, I guess, from all the evidence and her behavior too, but why is she so affected by it? She can't even know him, according to James.

Oh god, I'll get totally mad. I never thought someone got into my skin that much, and her miseries affect me too much.

Her tears made me worried, and her smile gave me happiness.

But whatever her insecurities and fears are, I will help her overcome them.

Samriddhi's pov

Last night, there was too much drama to handle. Kohli Aunty and Nimii Dii had thrown Vihaan out of their house.

Kohli Aunty was upset; why didn't I tell her about this? I tell her the reason, and she feels more ashamed and guilty for Vihaan's action.

All this drama can be handled, but what Mr. Brown said to me yesterday is too much to handle.

His words are still ringing in my head. Oh god, what have you done? I came here only to run away from marriage, and now he is after me for a relationship.

No, no, I don't want this. I have to do something. But what am I going to do? He has a powerful personality, and I can't stand in front of him, and I'm also not going to bend in front of him.

I have to think about something, but first of all, I need to get out of here.

The first thing I did was write a letter for a transfer request, and I know who's going to help me with my transfer. But before I could make a call to Abhinav, there was a knock on my door.

"Morning sister." Richard came inside.

"Good morning."

"Are you okay? What happened yesterday?" He asked.

"Kohli Aunty and Nimii Dii..."

"I know about him." He cut me off. "I'm asking about Henry. If he did something..''

"No, he didn't." I cut him. "But please help me. He keeps asking me the same thing over and over again, which I'll never do in my life." I requested him. "He is your brother; please tell him not to waste his time over me."

"It's not my place to tell him what to do or what not to do." His reply crushed all my hopes.

"But you are his brother and also claimed to be mine. Is this how you treat your sister?" I said it in disbelief.

"We are only allowed to interrupt someone's relationship if we know the other person is toxic to our brother. Otherwise, we don't interfere." He replied casually, "And you are perfect for him."

"But what about me? I don't want this, and how could you let anyone let your sister claim to be his? I belong to no one. Are you really thinking of me as your sister, or is it just some kind of sick trick of  yours?"I'm beyond pissed now.

"Hey!!! Don't you dare? I love you from the bottom of my heart, and you have meant so much to me, but as I previously stated, this also applies to you. If a good, kind-hearted, capable, handsome hunk is interested in you, then for your sake, I'll help him win your heart." He replied with a grin.

"SERIOUSLY?????" I screamed on his face.

"I beat Vihaan because he had bad intentions, but I'm in support of Henry because..."

"He is your brother, your own blood." I cut him.

"No, because he is the best for you. If he is not my brother and interested in you, then I'll still be helping him. Look, Sammii, I don't know your reasons, but I'll be happy if you share with me what is holding you back because Henry is a gem, and don't let him go."

"Just stop it, Richard; stop praising your brother." I said in irritation and frustrationm

"No, I'm not saying it because he is my brother. I'm saying this because he is the best among the three of us. I and James both have flaws, but he is perfect in every way." I keep shaking my head in no, but only if he is ready to stop. He continued, "I've never seen him like this. You are bringing an unseen side of him."

"No, I didn't." I denied instantly.

"Yes, you did. You never notice because you put a blindfold on your eyes, which you don't want to see. Just for once, try to understand him. Try to open up yourself to someone." He took a step forward, held both my arms, and continued, "Or it will eat you from inside. We all need someone to share our feelings—love, sorrow, and anger. We can't handle them by ourselves. I noticed you are a bubbly girl, full of life and happiness. But you hide yourself from him; whenever he is around, you wear a mask of seriousness. You tried not to even be noticed, and it's not only around him; you are like this in front of everyone except for those you know. At first, you were the same with me, but when you got brotherly vibes from me, you changed. Yes, it happened, and I saw myself."

"It's nothing like that." I said, taking a step back.

He exhaled in defeat but didn't stop. "Yes, it is. You don't interact with strangers. You still behave like that with Henry, though he is not a stranger to you anymore; you know him."

"No, I don't know him, and I don't even want to know him. Why is everybody saying the same thing? I don't want anyone in my life. I'm happy like this." I tried to justify myself.

"No, you are not happy."

"Stop lying, Richard; I'm happy. Didn't you see me laughing and enjoying my life? I'm grateful for everything I have, but I don't want anything more than that." I said.

"You know what? Mostly, a person who laughs all the time is hiding something deep in his or her heart." His words made me speechless.
"I know you cherish little things in your life, but you know who does such things? A person who doesn't have much happiness in their life tried to create their own happiness, and you are one of them."

I'm out of words now. How? How do these brothers always get successful at getting under my skin? Agh!!!! He is right on some points, but no, I'm not going to surrender.

"Wondering how I know you that much?" He asked, just like he read my thoughts or something.

He didn't wait for my response and continued, "Actually, I was a bit interested in psychology in my college days. That's how I study your behavior. I have observed you from the first day." He turned and asked. "Wanna know one more thing?"

I didn't answer, but he continued.
"All the time you kept busy yourself with your phone and always watching movies and shows, you never sat free, not even for a second. If you don't have anything to do or watch, you just simply listen to music. Do you know why? Because you hate your loneliness. So that's how you divert your attention...."

"No. Shut up!!!!" I cut him off. "For God's sake, just leave me alone. Whatever you said is all a lie, all of it, and do you really think I would fall for your lies? Then you are wrong." I answered confidently, but only I know that he is right and that he knows me well.

"Say whatever you want to say, but deep down you know it's true. My judgments were never wrong, and I'm pretty sure about everything I said to you. Come on, don't hold yourself anymore; just let it out." He said, holding my hand.

"You are wrong, and you are saying all of these for your brother. But I'm sorry; I'm not one of them who would fall for your charms and money." I replied bluntly, trying my best to sound convincing.

"That's one of your qualities that my brother specifically liked about you." He chuckled. "Well, you don't have to fall for his charms because he has already fallen for yours.
You definitely need time to clear things up in your head, so I'll get my leave now. Take care." He kissed my head over my hair and left.

He left, but left me drowning in the pool of questions. How could they know me so well in just a little time? These things make me worried. So I picked up my phone and called Abhinav, but to my disappointment, I couldn't connect with him. So I call Sakshi (Abhinav's wife).
She told me he's not home, but she will inform him as soon as he comes back. I'm not in the mood to talk, so I cut the call without dragging it further.

The whole day I was worrying. Hannah tried to talk, but I turned her down. I'm not in the mood for anything.

Finally, in the evening, I got a call from Abhinav.

"Bhai." I couldn't resist anymore and broke down.

"What happens, Motte?" He asked worriedly.

"Mai ghar vapis anna (I want to come back home)" I replied, crying.

"Why? Did anything happen? Did someone say something to you or do something to you?" He asked worriedly.

Words are not coming out of my mouth. I keep shaking my head. He got more worried because of my silence.

"Bro, if you don't tell me, then how'm I going to help you? Stop crying and tell me." He asked.

"Mai bas vapis anna tu kuch bhi ker (do whatever you can do; I want to come back), just help me out. Please. " I was begging.

"Bro, if someone says you something, then you can talk to Vihaan; he can help you...."

I didn't let him complete and scream in frustration, "NAAM NA LE USS MANHOOS DA (don't take that sinister's name)."

"Usne kuch kaha tujhe? (Did he say something to you?)" He asked.

"He tried t-to, h-he..." After a brief silence, I gathered some courage and said, "He misbehaved with me, and Kohli Aunty and Nimii Dii had thrown him out of the house."

"WHEN??????" He questioned with an angry tone.

"Nimii dii's birthday..."

"Why don't you tell me?" He asked in disbelief. "He did something bad to you, didn't he? That's why you want to come back? I'll kill that bastard."

"Nhi (no). I didn't let him do anything, and Richard was also there to help me...."

"Richard kon??? (Who???)" He cut me again, and then it struck my mind that I didn't tell him about Henry and Richard and everything that happened in the past few months.

"He is the brother of one of my clients, and he also becomes my brother from another mother. He helped me that night, and Vihaan was drunk, and I didn't want to create a scene, so I didn't tell anyone. They just found out yesterday and threw him out of the house.

"Then what is the reason?" He asked desperately.

"Bhai, there is one thing I didn't tell you about. Ummmmm." I silenced myself again. But after a brief silence, I tell him everything from the beginning to yesterday. Everything didn't hide even a single detail.

"File a complaint about him, and I'm coming to you as soon as possible." He said.

"Complaint???? Bhai, didn't you listen carefully? He didn't do anything; in fact, he helped me several times, and he..."

"He is what?" he asked me.

"Bhai, he is a good person. Without even knowing me, he and his brothers helped me several times. That's the only reason I can't be rude to him. I tried. I don't lie, but I can't be bad to a good person." I said that while sniffing.

"Motte, what do you want? Why are you crying then if he didn't do or say anything?" He asked.

"The thing he said was that I belonged to him. It's bothering me. You know I don't want this, and he is not backing out, he said.." I took a deep breath and said, "So the only option is that I want to come home. Once I'm not around him, that will be the end."

"How can you be so sure about that?" He asked back.

"It's just an attraction, and it eventually stops when he stops seeing me. That's it."

"You can't risk your career for that; take my advice, talk to him, and end this once and for all." Abhinav said.

"I tried... many times, but he is not ready to understand." I cried out.

"I know how you could have handled that, and I'm really disappointed that you didn't tell me before." Abhinav replied.

"Bhai????"

"Take my advice and try to give him a chance. Maybe it will work, and don't worry about Massi and the rest of the family. I'll handle them."

"How could you? Instead of helping me, you are also taking his side." I scolded him.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just stating the fact that if he is a good guy and you are saying yourself that he is a good person, then what's wrong with giving him a chance?" He said and I am shocked is he my brother or enemy?

"I don't need your help anymore; I can handle myself. I would do anything to make this transfer happen." I replied.

"Then what? Maybe you can find another Henry. Then what? Do you plan running your whole life?
Bro, if he is really great, then there is nothing wrong with giving him a chance."

"No." I denied instantly.

"You can't always say no. We all need a life partner, and not everyone will be like your father."

That's enough. I cut the call without even bothering to reply. He called several times, but I didn't pick it up.

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