The Sun & the Stars Aligned

46: Written in the Stars

ADITYA

"Get your filthy hands off my wife, Jaiveer," I spat, my voice a low growl. "Or should I say Jatin?"

The shock that registered on his face was almost satisfying. Almost.

Jatin's—no, Jaiveer's eyes widened in shock, his grip on the knife faltering for just a second as the realization hit him. He thought he had fooled everyone. But the bastard had been exposed.

"You really thought you could hide from me?" I cruel smirk playing on my lips. Slowly, he took off his cap, then peeled away the mask to show his true identity.

I turned to Tara. The gasp that escaped her lips was sharp, filled with disbelief. It was like someone had ripped the ground from beneath her. Her eyes were wide and shock was written all over her face, but beneath it, I could see the hurt, the betrayal.

She had considered this snake her little brother, trusted him with her life, and this bastard had repaid that trust by betraying her.

"Jatin," she choked out, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her face.

Flashback

I watched Jatin from across the hallway, his back turned to me as he spoke quietly into his phone. His posture was tense, more guarded than usual. I couldn't hear what he was saying, instead he kept glancing around.

I was about to move closer when I heard my wife. "Aditya?"

I turned to see her walking toward me, a warm smile on her face, her eyes lighting up when they met mine. She held a stack of papers in her hands, her steps light, almost like she was floating.

"You look happy," I said, pulling her into my arms, savoring the way her body fit against mine.

"Because I am," she murmured, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "I'm so happy I just want to shout it out." She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I lifted her off the ground, holding her close, feeling the soft warmth of her breath against my skin.

She told me she had finally cracked a deal after losing several others. I could've easily made those bastards hand them back to her, but my wife is too damn proud to let me interfere in her business. And I respect that. She's hard-working, determined, the kind of woman who fights her own battles.

"And it's all because of him," she said, pointing towards Jatin. "I'm so lucky to have found a little brother in him. He's always been by my side, no matter what."

"How did you two meet?" I asked.

"I was organizing an event for the orphanage, and that's where I met him," she explained, her voice softening as she spoke about him.

"His father was an alcoholic and he used to beat him mercilessly," she said, her voice softening. "And then one day, he threw Jatin out of the house and he ended up in an orphanage. He was so lost, so broken... but he's come so far since then. And about his mother, I don't know anything he never talked about her for once."

She paused, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. "Recently, his father died. I know it shouldn't matter to him, but I can tell it still haunts him. He never talks about it, though. I just... I just want to be there for him, you know? To give him the family he never had."

"You've  a big heart." I said, reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair from her face.

She smiled, leaning into my touch. "And I'm so grateful I have you to protect it."