Page 211 of The Redemption
It takes me two days to prepare myself to have this conversation with Haider. The next morning, I make my way over to him. No greetings. No warm-up. No unnecessary crap.
Without wasting a second, I ask, “What’s going on between you and Esha?”
Haider is caught off guard. Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to ask him that. But that’s how I operate. I don’t believe in circling the target when I can shoot straight through it.
Haider stares at me, then opens his mouth to reply. “There’s nothing—”
“Don’t.” I cut him off calmly. “You’ve never lied to me, Haider. So don’t start now. Give me the truth.”
Haider studies me carefully before asking, “But what brought this on? Why are you suddenly asking about Esha?”
“I’ve been watching the two of you. The way you become protective the moment she’s around. The way your eyes always find her first. And then…” I hold his gaze. “...you mask it. You draw a line and pretend she doesn’t affect you.”
Haider sighs. “That’s because I’m not meant for all this, Raghav.”
I take a step closer. “I asked you a straightforward question. So answer it. Do you have feelings for Esha or not? Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Yes, I do feel something for Esha.” He holds my gaze. “Something I’ve never felt for any other woman. But I don’t want to take it any further.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because marriage, family… it’s not for someone like me.”
I stare at him, completely at a loss for words. How am I supposed to convince the man standing in front of me that he deserves a family? That he can have a home and someone waiting for him too?
Frankly, this isn’t my battlefield. I’ve fought wars and negotiated with enemies, but talking about marriage and families? I’m useless in that.
“She deserves better,” he finally says. “I can’t be the one for her.”
I glance at him, suddenly understanding his problem. “I don’t think you’re afraid of loving Esha. I think you’re afraid of being loved by her.”
He looks down, not having an answer. I sigh, slipping both my hands into my pockets. “Having someone by your side is a damn good feeling, Haider.”
A slow, knowing smirk appears on Haider’s face.
“Imagine someone like me saying that,” I mutter with a faint smirk. “So why can’t you? Esha already likes you. It’s very rare for a woman to be so open about her feelings, especially someone from a small town who hasn’t seen much of the world. You can walk away if you want, but don’t fool yourself into believing her feelings will disappear with you.”
He looks as if he’s thinking hard over every word I just said. I place a hand over his shoulder. “You don’t have to decide right now, Haider. Take your time. Figure out what you truly want.And if you really want to pursue this, talk to Esha. She deserves an honest answer.”
Haider lets out a breath before nodding at me. “I’ll think about it.”
Before I can respond, his phone vibrates inside his pocket. He pulls it out and glances at the screen. I immediately notice the change in his expression.
“What happened?” I ask.
“The head of the Singhal clan, Hemant Singhal, flew out of Mumbai today.”
My brows knit together. “To Cape Town?”
He nods. “He’s scheduled to land there tomorrow morning.”
The pieces begin to fall into place. This isn’t a casual visit. He’s going there to meet Samarjeet Vardhaan.
“And Parag Reddy has been discharged from the hospital after his shoulder surgery as well,” Haider continues. “Although I wonder if he’ll still be able to lift a gun or pull a trigger properly for a while or not. But that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.”
He’s right. Men like them don’t need weapons to start a war. All they need is a plan.
“And after everything that’s happened...” Haider says grimly, “...they all will be looking for payback, Raghav.”
