Loving You

Chapter 42 - Abhimanyu - Old Flames

Shanaya.

The name was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. The girl who tore my heart out of my chest and shattered it into a thousand pieces.

Shanaya.

I watched silently as the expression on Shanaya's face changed from a big smile to a look of shock and distress. A reflection of fear was seen as she walked up to stand beside Dr. Raymond, her eyes shifting uneasily between Akshara and me.

Dr. Raymond smiled as he wrapped his arm around Shanaya's waist, pulling her in.

"Sweetheart, this is Dr. Birla, Abhimanyu Birla, a cardiologist from Birla Hospital in New York. Remember the one intern I spoke highly of about having mentored? Whom I wanted to join my team in Rochester but Dr. Anand stole him from me instead? This is him."

Shanaya looked at me uneasily as she feigned a smile. "Oh, yes. Of course. Dr. Abhimanyu."

My jaw locked at Shanaya's lies. Lying did come very easily to her. I guess I had been blind to it before. Or I had always been aware but chose to ignore it for these sake of our relationship.

Beside me, I felt Akshara still, anger radiating off her body as she gave Shanaya a masked death glare.

"Dr. Abhimanyu, this is my girlfriend, Shanaya. She's a model." Dr. Raymond introduced us happily, oblivious to the tension in the group.

Her distressed eyes were pleading with me to not utter a single word about our prior relationship in in front of her current flame.

"Nice to meet you." I grit out, trying to maintain a sense of calm, politeness.

Dr. Raymond pointed to Akshara, "And this is Dr. Abhimanyu's girlfriend—"

"Fiancée. Akshara. Goenka. Akshara Goenka. Soon to be Mrs. Akshara Abhimanyu Birla." Akshara interrupted Dr. Raymond confidently correcting him, earning an apologetic glance from him and an angry glare from Shanaya's whose cheeks were turning red.

I turned to glance at Akshara, a lioness in motion staking a claim, protecting her king in the best way possible. Making the threat know he was hers —and that what was hers need not be messed with.

A smile of admiration broke onto my face as I watched Akshara in action, staking her claim. I wanted to fall to my knees for her. My Queen.

Mrs. Akshara Abhimanyu Birla —had quite a nice ring to it, if you asked me.

Ring.

Ring.

Soon. Very, very, soon.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My apologies, I didn't know you were engaged!" Dr. Raymond apologized.

"We haven't told anyone yet." Akshara clarified looking directly at Shanaya.

If looks could have killed, Shanaya would have died a million deaths by now.

"Well then, I'm flattered that we are the first people to know, right sweetheart?" He asked, pulling on Shanaya's waist.

"Yes. Congrats." Shanaya smiled uncomfortably, staring at me whilst I was too busy looking at Akshara.

"So, is Abhimanyu still the busy body he was when he was interning for me? Or has he changed?"

"He loves serving his patients, loves his work and I wouldn't change a single thing about him." Akshara replies, patting my chest as she smiled at me in admiration.

"And what about you? How do you cope with Dr. Raymond being so busy all the time?" I asked Shanaya, shooting my shot exactly where I know would affect her directly.