Dare to Be | Heir & Heiress #1 | ✓

♔ 1.8 Real Question ♔

♔ Aarav ♔

I am rabid right now, yes. You cannot imagine what is going through me at everything that's happened this afternoon. I felt sick to the pit of my stomach at how cheap that... that was. I cannot even bring myself to say his name. I just wanted to punch the living daylights out of him the way he was talking about Jhanvi. Like he had no respect for her.

And Jhanvi... pregnant. It's a thought I am still trying to grasp in my head.

Her reaction when I suggested she could abort it.

It freshened up all my past wounds.

The reminder of what could be had Anjali chosen to abort me all those years ago.

The reminder of Khushi aborting her child.

The reminder of... him. The guy whose genes I unfortunately share.

I really, really, wish I could punch something right now so badly. Why does this happen with my family? Why the people I care for? Haven't we gone through enough already?

Jhanvi wants to keep the baby and there is nothing I can do or say to make her change her mind. It wouldn't be right for me to convince her otherwise despite all the other complications.

It has to be her choice.

Besides, it hurts to admit this but the truth is... what right do I have to make her choose otherwise? Or to even talk to her about it, to get her to open up to me?

I can't do that. Not after everything my family has already been through. I know better than to take that choice away from her by telling her she should want no part in keeping this baby... by telling her that the baby might never be able to forget the pain Hiten caused her the way I can't forget the pain Anjali has been through in order to give birth to me.

There is only one thing I know. I won't let history repeat itself.

The rest of the day passes by from one meeting to the next, both lasting two hours each till we reached the end of the office day. Pia holds me back to sign a few papers and in that time, Jhanvi manages to slip out of the building.

I get an update from Aarush that she's headed towards her apartment and I tell him to make sure she stays there the entire time and especially that Hiten doesn't make it anywhere near her.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

Sanya, my 15-year-old sister, is sitting at one of the tables in the far distance away from the crowd at the social party happening at home in the evening. I shake my head at her. I don't understand how she is the shy one out in our family when everyone else is filled with talkative dramatics. I tap her head reaching her and she tilts her head back slightly jumping in chair.

She exhales in relief. "Bhai, you need to stop scaring me."

I chuckle and lean down to kiss the top of her head, "Not feeling the celebrations?"

She frowns looking in the opposite direction that's filled with laud cheers and laughter. "Too many people."

"Are you ever going to get over your social anxiety?" I question with a pinch of light joke but deep down a serious question. We've all tried to get her involved in different things but she prefers her own bubble.

She grumbles slouching in the chair, "I'm fine however I am."

I let her be not wanting to upset her today of all days. "Where's mom?"