Her Only Saviour

4. Friends

Nandini Rai.
My personal heaven on earth.
My peace in this chaotic world.

The day I first saw her, she stole my breath — and my heart — without even trying.
I already knew she was Mr. Rai’s daughter, and I despise that man. He reeks of rudeness and pretension.
But the rest of her family? They’re good people.
Her brother and I are even business partners. Irony, right?

But Nandini…
She’s the only one who’s ever managed to make a permanent home inside my heart.
Her chocolate-brown eyes, that cute pointed nose, those soft, plump lips — everything about her feels like gravity.
Like I was meant to orbit her forever.

And I always wanted to.
To build a life with her.
To call her mine.

But maybe God had other plans.

She’s in love with someone else — and that someone just happens to be my cousin, Parth.
If it were any other man, I’d have buried him six feet under by now.
But it’s him.
My blood.
I can’t destroy their happiness. Not if she truly loves him.

Still… my heart doesn't agree.
I’ve only seen that flicker of love in Parth’s eyes when she’s around.
It disappears the moment she’s not.

Rudra tried warning me about him — said he’s not what he seems. But I haven’t seen anything wrong firsthand.
And I’m not the type to judge on hearsay.

My family comes first.
Nandini comes first.
For that smile of hers — that mesmerizing, soul-soothing smile — I’d kill or die. No hesitation.

But guess what?
She doesn’t even know I love her.
Or more like — I never let her know.
She only saw me for the first time yesterday, during that car ride. But I’ve seen her a dozen times — at parties, at her brother’s side.
Always from a distance.
Always as a stranger.

And today?
Her father announced her engagement.
To Parth.

It broke something inside me.
But I only have myself to blame. I never told her. Never fought for her.

Today should’ve been the happiest day of her life.
She should be glowing. But instead… she seemed a little off.
Maybe I imagined it. Maybe not.

Either way, now I’m sitting in a damn bar, chugging whiskey like water.

I hate that I have such a high alcohol tolerance. I want to forget — to drown in the burn — but my head’s still clear.
Too clear.

"Hey, handsome..."
Oh God, not now.

I looked up to see some random woman sauntering toward me, leaning in way too close with a seductive smile.

I was about to shove her back when my self-proclaimed best friend — aka the migraine of my life — swooped in like he owned the place.

"Hey sexy, please excuse us."
Vivaan smirked at her before sliding into the seat beside me.