Page 122 of The Defiant Wife

He is my home. And if I lose him . . . I don't think I'll ever find my way back again.

49. FAILED LOGICS

VEERAJ

The door to the private hospital room swings open so hard it bangs against the wall.

Diya rushes inside.

Her breathing is uneven, her hair falling out of their messy bun, and the moment her tear-filled eyes find me, her whole face crumbles.

She runs straight to my bed.Her hands shake as she reaches for me, checking my face, my shoulders, my arms, as if she's trying to make sure I'm really here.

Then she notices the white bandage wrapped around the side of my head.

The accident had been bad.A speeding car had crashed straight into my SUV. The front of the vehicle was completely destroyed.But the cabin held.The doctors told me I was lucky. Apart from a cut near my temple, bruised ribs from the seatbelt, and a few scratches, nothing was serious. They expect me to recover completely in a couple of weeks.

But looking at Diya . . . Anyone would think the world had ended."How are you all so calm?" she cries, turning toward Vihaan, who is standing quietly near the window.

Fresh tears roll down her cheeks."Why didn't anyone tell me how bad the accident was?" Her voice breaks. "Do you have any idea what I was thinking on the way here? I thought . . . I thought he . . . "

She can't finish.

A sob takes over.

Vihaan looks at me for a moment before giving me a small nod.Without saying anything, he quietly walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The moment we're alone, I don't hesitate.Ignoring the pain in my ribs, I reach for her and pull her straight into my arms.

She melts against me instantly."I was so scared," she cries into my hospital gown, clutching my shoulders tightly. "I thought . . . I thought I lost you, Veeraj."

I hold her even closer."I'm right here, darling," I whisper into her hair."I'm not going anywhere."I gently lift her face and wipe away the tears with my thumb."Look at me." I whisper,"I'm here." I take her palm and put it across my chest,"Breathe for me, Trouble."

I lean down and kiss her. Slowly. Gently.

Not to silence her but to calm her.Little by little, her breathing steadies.

When she finally catches her breath, she suddenly pushes against my chest, trying to move away.I don't let her.

I hold her hand before she can step back.My heart aches.

"Please . . . " I whisper."If I've done something these last few days to hurt you, I'm sorry." God, I sound so desperate but Iam, I am desperate, in the moment of accident, all I could think about was her smile, her eyes, her beautiful bratty mouth,"But don't push me away anymore.I can't do this distance."

Tears fill her eyes again."I don't want to stay close to you, Veeraj."The words hit harder than the accident ever could.She tries to pull her hand free."If I stay . . . I'll have to accept how I really feel."

She finally looks at me."This marriage started because of an arrangement." She huffs, as if she's physically pained by her emotions,"We were never supposed to become . . . this."

I frown."Is that really what you believe?"

Because it hasn't felt like an arrangement to me for a long time.I gently pull her down until she's sitting beside me on the edge of the bed.She's so close now that she has nowhere left to hide."It doesn't feel like an arrangement anymore."

I hold her gaze."Look at me, Diya."I take a slow breath.For the first time in my life, I stop thinking like a prince.

Or a businessman.

Or someone who always has the right answer.

I simply speak from my heart.