ANU
"Hey," to my surprise, Sidharth's half-sister, Natalia pulls Nima into a tight embrace. "How's your dad doing? I saw the news,"
"He's in recovery from surgery right now. We're just waiting for the results," cradling the brown bag of takeout to her chest, Nima pales in the face looking between Natalia and I. "Uh-Di, this is Natalia, I intern for the company she works at,"
"Natalia, this is-"
"We've met before. It's good to see you again, Natalia," I extend my hand from under the warm paper bag to shake her hand. "I didn't know the two of you were close," a pettish feeling forms in my stomach with a biting suspicion.
"Recently when we discovered our mutual connection, we got to know each other better," Natalia answers very rehearsed and slightly frantic.
"And what would that connection be?"
"Well you and Sid of course," Nima chuckles, much against the uneasiness swarming in her eyes.
"It's actually why I'm here, there's something-"
"Di! Come quick...it's Sidharth," Aryan comes rushing from the elevator bay, tugging me by the arm.
Too frazzled to even think straight, I exchange a brief look of dread with Nima, hurrying to the lift. Anxiously I shove the bags of food into Aryan's arms, desperately tapping on the button for the floor. "He fainted and nothing is resuscitating him,"
Darting out the elevator, I barely skirt around a nurse doing rounds in the ward before I make it to the waiting room where Sid lies unconscious on the floor. A nurse delivers CPR while maa reads off his vitals, both of them looking grave with angst.
Grabbing my purse, I fish out the syringe safety tucked in a side pocket with an alcohol wipe. Ripping the plastic wrapping with my teeth, I drop to my knees beside Sid's body, unbuckling his pants. "Help me pull his pants down," I shout, tearing open the disinfectant pad and squirting a small stream of clear liquid out the needle.
Aryan shimmies Sid's black pants down, enough where I can wipe the area on his right groin to inject directly into the main vein. Pressing the bevel into his skin, I press on the plunger shooting the liquid into his bloodstream. Within seconds he stabilizes, slowly coming to himself.
Dazedly he blinks, adjusting to the bright light in the room and the gawking faces surrounding him. Lifting his head into my lap, I calmly stroke his hair easing his body's transition out of unconsciousness. Maa rests a cup of water to his lips, which he readily drinks.
Choking lightly, he heaves on air "easy...easy," helping him sit up I rub my palm down his taut back. Clearing his throat, he grips his knees, squeezing his eyes shut. "You're okay," I whisper pressing my lips to his temple.
Pressing my head against the window's cold glass, I pinch the bridge of my nose easing through the tightness in my shoulders. Gnawing on my dry lips, I choke from the parchedness in my throat. I haven't tears left to cry or anger to rage. I'm clinging so tightly to this last shred of hope that despite every roadblock, my faith just grows stronger, and my mind and purpose become that much clearer.
"So, are you going to tell me what that was about?" maa strokes her tender hand down my hair, resting her cheek against my shoulder.
"I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore," rubbing my hands down my face, I cage maa's hands between my palms, deliberating for a moment. "Sidharth was diagnosed with a rare blood disease over a year ago. He doesn't have much longer to live," silently, she stares at me numb of any emotion.
"What? Anuksha, what!" Shocked to where the natural redness in her cheeks completely pales away and the mossy green in her eyes darken gravely, she grips my shoulders shaking me as if to make what I said go away.
"He was on a treatment for a couple of months, but he relapsed a week ago," biting down on her jaw, she suppresses the tears building behind her eyes. Her irises dilate as red veins swell from the burn of restraint.
Wrapping me in her arms, she pulls me to her chest, resting my head on her shoulder. "Oh sweetheart, I can't imagine what both of you must be going through...I'm so sorry,"
"We've come to terms with it, but I won't lie..." my voice cracks betraying how well put together I'm trying to sound "It's hard...it's so hard watching someone you love die and not being able to do anything about it," looking up the ceiling, I wipe under my eyes, ridding myself of the dread firing in my veins.
"God, that boy has gone through so much already and yet he continues to battle his way through life even to his death," looking over at Sidharth sleeping on a recliner, I see the guilt in her eyes and watch as her face falls with regret.
After a long moment, she reaches for my hair tucking it behind my ear, "If he'll allow it, I can share his test results with some friends...you never know," I nod, giving her some hope that she can still be redeemed in his eyes.
Fragile and comatose, my dad lies on the hospital bed with a ventilator over his nose and mouth, a heart monitor beeping slowly and an IV poking out from the inside of his elbow. Images of Sid flash before me as I take in the current state of my father. The grave reality of tonight hitting right in the gut.
Slowly walking up to the bed, I am careful to hold his hand that doesn't contain the IV patting it softly. I feel like a small child again, like the little girl I once was falling asleep on his chest, getting piggyback rides, having him chase me around the backyard in the summer, everything comes back to me in a painful flash.
My eyes travel up to his chest the bandages over his wound bulking from underneath the hospital gown. I squeeze his hand a little harder hoping to let him know that I'm here and that he's fine. The last thing I wanted him to feel was alone and not cared for. I press my lips to the back of his hand holding onto it for a long while.
"Daddy it's me, Anu," somewhere within the deepest confines of my body I find a smidge of confidence to open my mouth and speak. My voice is shaky and croaked but I just need to tell him. "You're fine, we're all safe, and we're here. I know you can hear me, and I know you're probably worrying so much but you don't need to, okay," I can barely look at his pale face before my eyes pool with tears.
"You have to make it out of this, you hear me," shakily I reach for his head, lightly combing my fingers through his graying hair. "You've always hated seeing us cry, so don't be the reason for it now," squeezing his fingers, I press my forehead against the back of his hand. "Please, dad I need you to wake up,"
Sighing, I press my back to the door letting my head rest against the hard-oak wood. The nauseating sterile smell of the hospital makes my skin crawl and stomach churn. Feeling the stress of today, I grip the back of my neck, massaging the tight, tense muscles.
"Don't worry, everything will be okay," Natalia stands apprehensively across the hallway, her voice a slight whisper in the drearily lit corridor.
Forcing a tight-lipped smile, I nod, distrusting her. It could be Sidharth's outright hatred of her or just the events of the past few weeks, but I can't bring myself to trust her. "Why are you here?" however crude the question pelts out from between my lips, the angst in my chest causing me to lose all sorts of decorum.
"I told you I saw the news and-"
"No, you're not here at a hospital past midnight because your friend's father was shot. Tell me the truth,"
"The man that's after you and Sidharth, he's just a distraction. There's a coup being planned at Rai Con after Sidharth's last testament was leaked to one of the board members,"
"What!... Why? I'm not following,"
"You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"He left everything to you, Anuksha. The entirety of his wealth including his eighty percent share in Rai Consolidated. He's giving you majority vote, chairperson and president as part of his will,"
Gaping, I gasp covering my mouth. "The coup is trying to prove unfitness so that the will can be amended, and the shares be divided amongst next of kin and executive board members based on seniority,"
"How do you know all of this?"
"I received an anonymous correspondence, I imagine its someone who wants to play both sides to cover their ass, but Sidharth won't listen to me. I didn't believe it at first but when Kavish threatened Nima and me to get dirt against you and Sid, I realized that it's all true,"
"So that means, Panacea..."
"Was entirely staged to discredit Sidharth and get the ball rolling on amending the company shares out of his will,"
"Thank you...truly," I muster up a smile despite the shock, hugging her briefly before I walk down the hallway towards the waiting room.
Lost in my thoughts I stare blankly at the wooden floor, chipping away at the black nail polish on my thumb between my teeth. Finally, when things start to come together, they start to make less sense. Sighing, I pull my knees to my chest, resting my head against them.
The familiar warmth of maa's touch envelopes the side of my face, her thumb soothingly caressing my cheek. "It'll be okay," she whispers in my ears, laying her head on my shoulder as she rubs her soft palm down my back.
"It's just on to the next, you know?"
"Believe me, I know. Just when you think things couldn't get worse the universe throws you another curveball," scoffing, she shakes her head.
"At this point, I'm praying that the fight I have left doesn't run out," leaning back in the chair, I snuggle my face against maa's slender shoulders, her scent a calming comfort to my nerves.
"You're your father's daughter, Anuksha, resilience is in your blood and bones," chuckling, she briefly stares off into the distance, a subtle grimness clouding over her face before she shakes the thought away. "Unlike me, he doesn't run, he fights and persists until there is absolutely nothing he can do anymore,"
Momentarily deliberating with myself, I take a hold of my mother's hand sharing a moment of deep empathy with her. I understand her unspoken fear of almost losing the love of her life, the crippling angst that toils in your stomach at the thought of going through life without that person. Reassuringly, she squeezes my hand slightly smiling in understanding "Go, be with him and make sure he's okay," she whispers to me.
Tossing my keys onto the table in the foyer, I kick out my boots and slip off Sid's oversized hoodie. Wiggling my toes against the headed floors, I walk through the living room toward the dim light shining from the enclosed balcony. Completely frosted, the glass somberly glows a hazy amber reflecting light from surrounding buildings. Standing against the glass in only his boxers, Sid sips on a glass of scotch lost in his tumultuous thoughts.
Stiff with tension his taut back muscles swell and tighten, dipping into his slender waist and thick ass. His muscular thighs stretch the silk-cotton of his underwear leading to his defined steely claves, flexed from his straight posture. "Has hypothermia set in yet," I smile, rubbing my fingers along his stern stubbly jaw and cheek.
"Not anymore, that you're here to keep me warm," pulling me close, he drops his head kissing me hard and with purpose evident in the growing bulge in his briefs. His warm tongue slips past my lips filling my mouth with the rich sweetness of whiskey. Moaning, I slip my arms around his back, lifting on my toes to match his vigor.
"What's bothering you, love?" pulling away from his mouth, I press my hands against his hard chest, anchoring my thumbs over his hard nipples.
"Nothing in particular," he dismisses, sliding his hands under my t-shirt to cup my breasts.
"Are you sure, I know today was rough,"
"Can we just not talk about this right now, please,"
"Seems that's how you'd like to solve every problem, by not talking about them," scoffing, I step back rubbing my hands down my face.
"For fuck's sake," he mumbles, rolling his eyes and staring off to the glass ceiling. "What's that supposed to mean now? If you have something to say just fucking say it,"
"I didn't come home to argue with you, Sidharth,"
"Sure, seems like it with the snarky attitude,"
"I thought we agreed we're not keeping things from each other," his eyes narrow staring at me incredulously. Standing my ground, I cross my arms over my chest, feeling his eyes just like the frosty air consume my body.
"I haven't kept anything from you, Anuksha. I have no idea what you're talking about!" pounding his fist against the glass, frustration clenches at the muscles in his throat making his jaw tick with anger.
"Your sister came to the hospital tonight,"
"What'd she say to you, I swear to God I'll make her regret every word," gritting his teeth, he snarls at the mention of Natalia.
"Why did I find out from her that your will was leaked, and I just happen to the sole beneficiary of your entire estate?" swallowing hard, he gapes at me with a true loss of words, which is rare for him when we argue. Pale, his once hot skin turns cold and his eyes widen with panic.
"I didn't know how to bring it up to you, love. There's never a right time to talk about something like that," gently, he holds my shoulders, apprehension tingling in his nervous fingers.
"Why...why'd you do that?" shaking my head, I look down to the ground trying to blink away the tears brimming in my eyes.
"You're the only person I trust with the company and I don't want you to ever need for anything when I'm gone or not be protected," hooking his finger under my jaw, he lowers his lips to my mouth kissing me with ease and tenderness.
"No, you're just giving up!" pushing him against his chest, I slam my fist against his hard pecs. "You're prepared to die without a damn fight!" lashing out, I continue pounding my hands on his chest. "You're ready to leave me and go," I whimper, letting my blazing hands fall to my sides.
"It's going to happen whether we like it or not," clutching my face in his large, cold hands, his deeply somber eyes show defeat and utter exhaustion.
"I know! Not a single day goes by where I'm not reminded that yours are numbered," swallowing the tears burning in my throat, I grab onto his biceps feeling selfish that I'm leaning on him for comfort. "I just...didn't think that-,"
"That I was ready to die," he sighs, chuckling lightly under his breath.
Resting my head against his chest, I wrap my arms around his firm back memorizing the sensation of his skin against mine, his scent, and this feeling of a love so unbridled that my heart can barely contain it, much less losing him.
Lifting my t-shirt over my head, I shimmy out my jeans standing before Sidharth in just my bra and panties. Adoringly, his eyes travel down my body with a glimmer of passion and depth of affection. Slowly he traces his index finger down my stomach to my naval, curling his finger into the waistband of my thong, pulling me into his strapping body.
Easily he guides his hand up my back, combing his fingers through my open hair, tangling his hand against my scalp. With patience unlike himself, he slips off the straps of my maroon-red lace bra one-by-one before lightly cupping my breast.
Reaching for his chest, I smooth my fingers over the rigid definitions of his stomach, slipping my hand into his boxers to feel his powerful girth and length. Clenching his teeth, he sighs through a guttural moan, smashing his lips against my mouth. His usual vigor is replaced with a sloppy, unleashing motion of unevenness, as if his lips are pleading.
Pushing his boxers down his meaty thighs, I free his throbbing cock to my needy palms. Hissing a slur of explicit under his breath, he guides me out of my panties, gripping my ass in his firm hands. Lifting me off the ground, I wrap my legs around his waist as he pushes my back up against the cold glass enclosure.
We're desperate, reaching for each other with shaky hands and quivering lips. I catch a glint of amber in his passionate eyes that hide the despair and pain that torments him every day. Slinging my arms over my brawny shoulders, I cup the back of his neck, brushing his hair grown down the nape of his neck.
Our mouths gape, panting as he inserts himself between my wet folds, softly sliding his cock to the hilt. He begins a soft rocking motion with his hips, thrusting his cock against a sensitive bundle of nerves. I tighten my legs around his back, crossing them at the ankles when my knees begin to buckle from the overwhelmingly filling sensation of Sidharth within me.
Whimpering through a moan, I bury my face in his shoulder, lightly grazing my teeth against his collarbone. "God, I love you," he breaths into my hair. Tightening his grip of my neck he tugs my head back to take my mouth with his hot tongue. My fingernails dragging down his back as he continues his sweet fucking of my cunt. Choking on a sob, words don't make their way to my lips, all I muster is a slight nod.
Latching his arm around my back, he grips my waist, balancing me against his hips and thighs to increase the pace of his steady strokes. Sliding me up and down his length, I feel his thickness stretching me out creating pressure so intense it vibrates through my entire body. My nerves fire, pushing me up a mountain of climax before I take a plunge orgasming between our sweaty, hot bodies.
Braced up against the glass, my languid body scrambles to hold onto Sidharth as both his hands latch onto my waist allowing him access to pound into me. With his exceptional stamina, I feel myself building to the brink right away. Leaning back, I slam my arms against the glass, latching my fingers around the steel panes.
Matching him stroke for stroke, I grind my hips up and down his cock. As his thrusts become quicker and with purpose, I feel him swell, my labia stretching around his fully hard shaft. Grunting, he slams into me, pushing his tongue past my parted lips as he orgasms hot and slick inside me.
Covered by a flimsy blanket, we're sprawled on the floor of the balcony tangled in each other's limbs. Sorely numb, my legs and hips ache with the sweet reminder of making love with Sidharth. Our usual silence after sex is thick with heavy emotion, both of us scared to begin that conversation.
"Do you have any idea who might have leaked your will?" apprehensively, I twiddle my fingers against his chest, careful with my question.
"Yeah...me," he chuckles lightly, resting his head on the inside of his arm.