Be Mine

3. There past

There she is—my life, my everything.

Joravar was seated in front of me, his eyes predictably fixed on her. Who would tell him that she was already his sister-in-law? As I turned my gaze to her, I noticed the confusion in her eyes as she seemed to search for answers within herself.

The last time we saw each other in person was seven years ago, through pictures. Back then, I was thin, lacking the muscular build I have now. This new, handsome version of me was unfamiliar to her.

"YOU!" she shouted loudly, making both Joravar and me flinch in our seats. She still had the power to turn me into a scared cat with just her voice.

"Hii, I am Joravar Meena, director of this company," he introduced himself slowly, his eyes still lingering on her.

I wanted to scream at him, "Forget it, she's mine. Stop trying to make a move." But I composed myself, swallowing the urge to speak out.

"Excuse me. Can you leave us for now?" she asked Joravar, pulling him out of his daydreams where he might have been planning a future with her. Poor soul, he didn't stand a chance.

Joravar reluctantly got up, giving her one last lingering glance before leaving the room. As the door closed behind him, I turned to face her fully. Her eyes were still searching, trying to reconcile the image of the boy she once knew with the man standing before her.

"But the interview-?" Joravar questioned, looking between the two of us.

I could see she was on the verge of bursting with anger, and his question might trigger her. Quickly, I cut him off, hoping to diffuse the situation.

"You go. Her job is fixed," I said firmly, glancing at her. Joravar left with a confused expression on his face.

If looks could kill, I would have been dead for the past two minutes. Her red, tear-filled eyes conveyed everything—from her suffering to her enduring love.

It pained me to see she hadn't moved on and was still stuck on me. She deserved better, not someone like me who couldn't even protect our love.

"What are you doing here?" she asked calmly. I was momentarily taken aback—one second she was furious, and now she was calm. How did that happen?

It struck me like lightning—her periods must be near, maybe today or tomorrow. That explained her mood swings. Fuck, I'm dead today. Handling her mood swings over the phone was hard enough; now she was standing right in front of me. One wrong move and I was done for.

Yes, even a mafia boss gets scared sometimes. Love can make you do anything.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Should I say it in English?" she demanded again.

"You were speaking in English, but I wasn't paying attention. Sorry," I said meekly.

Between the two of us, she held more power. She controlled me completely, and I didn't mind. In fact, I liked it. Despite her petite 5-foot frame, she terrified me. It was my love for her that made me listen so intently.

"Just give me my answer, and I'll leave. Then you can think about it all day," she said, her jaw clenched, fists balled.

"Leave? Why?" I asked instantly.

"I don't want to stay near you after what happened in the past between us," she said loudly and boldly, making her point clear.

"Sorry, it's never us. It was only me who loved you. You never loved me," she continued, her voice dropping, tears welling in her eyes.

"Sorry for the past, but I had my reasons," I said softly. I felt overwhelmed, on the verge of tears myself. Seeing her like this tore me apart.

"REASONS? Seriously?" she roared in anger, long-held tears flowing freely, ruining her eyeliner.