| Dark Devotion |

34

A B H I M A N

I strolled out to the backyard and settled into one of the sunbeds beside the pool.

"Why is my son sitting out here by himself?" My mother approached, wearing her usual warm smile.

"I'm waiting for Dadisab to fall asleep." I said, taking another drag as she settled on the sunbed in front of me.

"Of course you are." She chuckled.

"Unhone muje iss time pooja karvai. Ganga jal chitka hai unhone pure time.." I shook my head, and my mother tried to hide her laughter behind her hand.

"That's Dadisab for you. You know how she feels about doing anything before marriage. She wants you to be 'pure' for your better half."

"I will have to disappoint her on that part." I gave her a smug smile, to which she shook her head in amusement.

"As long as you keep it to yourself. She's going to have a heart attack if she hears that!"

"I know." I laughed.

"Ira's wonderful. She's such a bright person, and I can see just how happy you are with her. I've never seen you this carefree before with..." She trailed off, unsure if she should say it or not.

"It's fine, Maa. You can say her name." I told her. Her brows slightly raised at my answer.

Her name no longer stirred the same emotional turmoil within me when it was mentioned. There was a time when it invoked anger, a result of the pain I felt at her untimely death.

I had done her justice. I caught every single one behind her death, ensuring they met a grim and horrifying end. Now, it was time for me to move beyond that chapter in my life.

"Does she know about Shweta?"

"She knows." I nodded. My mother smiled warmly, her eyes reflecting a sense of relief as she recognized I had finally let go of the past.

"I can see why you fell for her. She must keep you on edge." My mother chuckled.

"You have no idea how many times she's made me question my sanity. She's stubborn, barely listens, and is too curious for her own good. Everything that I hate, but it's her. I don't know how she did it, but she captured me, especially with those mesmerizing hazel eyes." I smiled as I talked about her.

"She does bring out a different side of you that I haven't seen before. It's been too long since I've seen you this happy, and words can't express how overjoyed I am to witness it."

"She made me whole." My mother's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at me with a gentle smile.

"Maa, don't cry." I chuckled, wiping away her tears.

"Oh, hush! There's nothing in the world that makes a mother happier than seeing her children happy. My job is done." She said, giving my cheek a light pat. "But I won't forgive you for not letting us meet her sooner." She added with a stern glare.

"I wasn't trying to keep her a secret." I said, gazing up at the balcony where the light illuminated her room. Ira's silhouette moved around, likely unpacking her things.

"Someone is after her." I turned back to my mother, who raised her brows at the information. "I had planned on bringing her here to meet you sooner, but..." My gaze shifted to the ground, and I rolled my neck to release the tension building up in my body.

"She was attacked. I had Aditya and Lakshya watch her, but they were taken by surprise. Mercenaries broke into her home, chased her and her mother. She watched her mother get stabbed in front of her, and she..." I let out a breath, and my mother looked at me with concern. "We lost a baby that night."