Fixation (Fatal Attraction #3)

Chapter 41

41

H is living room was abuzz. Vedant stood at the side, watching the scene in front of him. Armaan and Navya were seated on the sofas, talking to Sheena, while Rajiv and Mihir stood by the terrace doors, chatting, with a drink in their hands.

“It feels good to see all of them together,” Reina whispered. “Your family and mine.”

“It makes me so happy to have you all in our lives,” Vedant said. “My brothers and I have been alone for far too long, and now to have you all… is… It’s heart-warming.”

Rajiv looked to the side. Spotting them, he left his glass on the table and came to Reina. He captured her in his arms.

“Are you okay, Rei?” Her brother studied her. “I almost got a heart attack when you started fighting that man.”

“I’m fine,” Reina said. “Thank you for forcing me to take those self-defence classes. See, they came in handy today.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Rajiv said.

She smiled. “I’m glad it’s all over now.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Rajiv looked from her to Vedant and then back at her. “Is this what you truly want, Reina? Navya’s life is already in danger because of her relationship with Armaan. And you, my littlest one, have always been the quiet one. You’ve always liked discipline and order. Your whole life will be upended once you decide to be with him. You will need to be protected at all times. And your work? That has been your prime focus for so long. How will you?—”

“—Rajiv,” Reina interrupted. “I want this.”

She looked at Vedant and then back at her brother. “I choose him. I will always choose him in every moment, in every lifetime. Even if that comes with danger and an additional need for security. Even if it means I need to find a job that allows me to have bodyguards protecting me at all times. He taught me to put myself first always, and this is me doing that. I’m choosing all this for me because I can’t live without him. He is it .”

Warmth filled Vedant’s chest on listening to her heartfelt words.

“Reina,” Vedant said, “You need to know that apart from your brother having a security guard following you, I’ve had someone from my team watching over you too—ever since I learned your real identity and your whereabouts.”

She gave him a grateful smile, and he felt at ease knowing there were no more secrets between them.

Rajiv shut his eyes with a sigh. “Alright. I had a feeling you’d say this, but I had to ask. I had to put everything in perspective for you. I want you to make the right choice, and if he is your choice, then I will accept him.”

She rose to her toes and kissed her brother’s cheek. “Have I told you that you’re the best?”

“Not lately!” Rajiv chuckled.

“Well, you are,” Navya added from the side.

Sheena stood and held her husband’s hand. “See, I told you there was nothing to worry about. Reina knows what she’s getting into, and these men here will protect her, just like you will.”

“We will,” Vedant said. “I will protect her with my life if it comes to it.”

“Our family is growing,” Mihir said. “We will protect this new family with everything we have.”

“But first, we need to eliminate our enemies,” Armaan added.

Mihir splayed a hand toward the sofas. “Come, let’s sit. We need to talk, all of us.”

Vedant took a seat on one of the couches. Reina sat beside him, and everyone else spread out around them.

“We questioned Karl,” Mihir looked at Vedant. “You were right. Ivan was flustered by the announcement of Armaan and Navya’s engagement. He hated that we were going about our lives unconcerned about him. He got desperate and acted impulsively. This plan of attacking Reina seemed too hasty and poorly thought out.”

“I agree,” Armaan said. “He knows we won’t take unnecessary risks, and for him to try and get to Reina in broad daylight at a location of our choosing screams ill-conceived planning. He’s making mistakes like we wanted him to.”

“Good,” Vedant said. “We have him exactly where we want him.”

“Karl also said that Ivan has been changing his hideouts regularly. But he’s mainly in Poland,” Mihir added. “We got a list of locations of Ivan’s whereabouts in various cities from him, and we are mobilising our teams to look for him. But knowing him, once Karl fails to respond, he will disappear once again.”

“Hey, there was a white van at the entrance of the alley,” Reina said. “It wasn’t there later.”

Vedant shared a look with his brothers. “It must have been a driver. He must have escaped when things didn’t go the way they wanted. Which means Ivan already knows he’s failed again. Good.”

“I’ll check with my friends—the owners of La Soiree —if they have CCTV footage from that area outside,” Rajiv said. “If we find the van, we can find the driver as well.”

“What about Laila?” Reina asked.

“Our team intercepted her when she was trying to leave,” Mihir said. “We handed both her and Karl to the police. She will be tried for colluding with a killer and for trying to hurt Reina and Su Min. Karl will be handed to the UK police, where he’s already wanted for Anita Svensson’s murder. Our contacts within the police here and in London will ensure he’s incarcerated for a lifetime.”

Armaan looked at Vedant. “We also questioned Karl about Anita. Apparently, he met her as a reporter and asked her questions about you. Then he started following her, hoping she’d lead him to you.”

Mihir took over. “Karl also confirmed that Anita had seen him following her. We think that she was trying to get in touch with you to probably warn you about Karl. In the end, as we suspected he killed her because Ivan thought she was important to you.”

“Karl will pay for her death,” Armaan said. “I hope you have closure on this now, Vedant.”

Vedant gave his brothers a grateful smile. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. An innocent woman had died because of him, but now her family would get justice.

“But, yes, this is far from over,” Mihir said. “My gut says Ivan will act again and soon.”

“I agree,” Vedant said. “My team is working on blocking all his bank accounts. Once that is done, he will get more desperate.”

“We will be ready for him when he comes,” Armaan said.

“Absolutely,” Vedant concurred.

“But no taking risks,” Rajiv added. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Mihir nodded.

A sombre silence settled around them.

“Umm, guys,” Reina chirped, “Now that we’re done with the hard talk, I suppose I should also tell you all that Vedant proposed to me and I said yes, and?—”

A second of silence followed her declaration before chaos descended. Navya and Sheena shrieked and leapt up to give Reina a hug. His brothers came and congratulated him. Mihir went to fetch a bottle of champagne.

Finally, Rajiv came to him. “Welcome to my family. You’ll get used to all the loud noises and chatter. But know this, we love hard, and like you guys, we protect our own.”

“You ought to know that I’ve asked her to move in with me,” Vedant informed him. “And she’s agreed.”

“Which means I have to convince my parents that the second of their three girls is going to be in a live-in relationship!” Rajiv groaned. “Why can’t you guys just get married?”

“Sure, I’d love to do that,” Armaan interjected from the side. “Tell Ananya and Mihir to agree to be in the same room together.”

Rajiv looked heavenward. “I’m not getting into that .”

“Actually, we all need to get into that,” Vedant said. “They have to get along for our sakes. We can’t indefinitely postpone our weddings because of them.”

“I agree,” Sheena said, joining their circle. “I hate that Ananya is not here with us celebrating.”

“I just called her,” Navya added. “She knows what’s happening here, and she’s delighted. But she’s decided to sit tonight out. Doesn’t want her drama with Mihir to ruin Vedant and Reina’s big announcement. Oh, and I’ve told Mom and Dad. They’re joining us here. Even more reason for Ananya to stay away. She doesn’t want to be at odds with Mihir in front of them.”

“Why can’t they just get along?” Reina grimaced. “I miss having my sister here.”

“I’ll speak to Mihir,” Vedant said. “Now that two Mehra sisters are going to be a part of our family, Ananya and he have to set their differences aside.”

“Good luck with that!” Armaan gulped his vodka. “Believe me, I’ve tried, and it’s been of no use.”

“By the way, Rei,” Rajiv said. “You never told Sheena and me the whole story of how you met Vedant. We only know that you met him in London.”

Reina shared a look with Navya before replying. “I did.”

“And?” Rajiv asked. “I’m sure there’s more. Tell us.”

“Actually, I was her patient,” Vedant said. “She treated me after I was attacked, and we fell in love during that time.”

“She treated you after you were attacked?” Rajiv asked.

“Yes,” Vedant gave Reina a warm look. “She saved my life.”

From ahead of him, Navya was scowling and Armaan had a palm pressed to his forehead, a frown on his face.

“What?” Vedant asked them. “Why are you both looking mad?

“You idiot,” Armaan murmured. “You didn’t have to tell him that. You do know that Mihir and he talk, which means…”

Fuck. It meant that Rajiv had definitely been aware that Mihir had forced a team of doctors to look after Vedant. And seeing the angry expression on Rajiv’s face, it meant that he’d put two and two together.

Mihir entered that moment with a bottle of champagne. One of their staff followed him carrying a tray of flutes.

Rajiv went to him, arms crossed on his chest and a glower on his face.

“What?” Mihir asked Rajiv. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I thought you and I were friends, of a sort,” Rajiv said.

Fuck. Vedant wanted to bang his forehead for letting the cat out of the bag and getting his brother in trouble.

“We are,” Mihir said, looking mighty confused.

“And yet you got my baby sister kidnapped and held her hostage?” Rajiv yelled. “How dare you?”

Mihir looked at Armaan.

“Why are you looking at me? I’m not the one always creating mischief,” Armaan grumbled. “It was Vedant.”

Mihir addressed Rajiv. “Look, we weren’t friends when I did that and she was the best person for the job.”

Rajiv’s lips pursed. “She is my sister. You put her through fear and angst because you kidnapped her and held her hostage. No wonder none of us could get in touch with her easily in those days. And don’t even fucking talk about the money. You told me you were paying the medical team a lot of money to stay and care for Vedant. She, however, never needed your fucking money, and you knew that right from the beginning.”

Armaan raised a hand up. “In his defence, he only was trying to protect Vedant, and as soon as I reached London, which was a few days later, I assured Reina that I’d get her out when she wanted to, and she decided she wanted to stay and care for Vedant. I also returned her phone to her after which you all could communicate easily with her.”

“Two right things done later doesn’t wipe out the initial wrong he did,” Rajiv said.

“Rajiv,” Sheena linked her arm with her husband’s. “It’s over. We are here, celebrating Reina and Vedant tonight, which means it all worked out in the end. And while I don’t agree with what Mihir did, don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same for any of your siblings!”

Rajiv stared at Mihir for a long moment. He lifted his jaw before addressing him. “Next week, you and I are meeting in the ring in my sports club, and I get five minutes of uninterrupted time without you attacking me. You’re only allowed to defend yourself.”

Fuck. Vedant knew Rajiv was a brilliant fighter. He was as good as Vedant and his brothers, if not better. Four years back—post the yacht incident—Armaan had stupidly egged Rajiv into a fight in order to get Navya’s attention. Vedant had seen first-hand how equally matched Rajiv and Armaan were. Rajiv demanding five minutes from Mihir meant that Mihir would get a solid beating from Reina’s brother for getting her kidnapped. He waited with bated breath as to how Mihir would react. Mihir never gave a time out to anyone when he was fighting, not even to Armaan and him.

Mihir lowered his chin in a nod. “Fine. But that means tonight we celebrate our siblings’ happiness, and post that fight, you and I will never discuss that again. Nor will you hold it against me in the future. Deal?”

Rajiv took Mihir’s offered hand. “Deal. Now, let’s celebrate.”

They all watched the two of them shake hands.

“Thank God, that’s over,” Armaan finally said.

Navya gave Vedant a hug. “I’m glad it all worked out. You’re good for her, and she’s good for you.”

Vedant gave her a smile.

“Welcome to our madness. You’re witnessing it live.” Sheena caught his arms and looked at Reina and then back at him. “Be kind to each other and love each other always. Oh, and I can’t wait for you to meet my kids. They will be delighted to meet you.”

“Thanks, Sheena. I can’t wait to meet them.”

Vedant watched the excited chatter all around him as Mihir popped the bottle open and served the cool champagne to everyone. Reina linked her arm to Vedant’s.

Vedant put an arm around her instead. “Thank you for agreeing to be with me, and thank you for making me a part of this…” He spread a hand out. “…this lovely family of yours and mine. It feels so good to have more people to count on as my own.”

“I love you, Vedant Oshnov—yesterday, today, and each day hence.” She pushed to her toes and kissed his lips.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him.

“Guys, some decorum, please,” Rajiv groaned. “I really don’t need to see my baby sister making out with her man.”

Reina shifted in Vedant’s arms to look at her brother. “Sure. Then that also means you need to stop kissing your wife when either of us is around.”

Navya chuckled. “Not sure that’s happening anytime soon.”

“Exactly my point,” Reina said.

Vedant laughed. His heart was happy being here in all their midst. A few months back, when he thought his life was ending, he’d never expected a brave and beautiful woman to put her own career at stake to save him. But she had, and now, thanks to her, he was going to live the best life ever.

He accepted a glass of champagne from Mihir and watched with a happy heart how everyone in their little circle toasted to Reina and him.

Life was good, and he was finally where he was always meant to be.