The Wrong Woman

69. Mouna

He had come here again. For me? I allowed myself to hope but pushed it down. No, no matter what, he was still another woman's husband. Did Rani know he was coming to visit me? I didn't want her hurt like Sandra had been. We may not be best friends, but it was still not a nice feeling to have the man you love with another woman.

The wrong woman.

"Mouna," the whisper came from in front of me.

"Dr Arshan," I said, but more startled that I had been caught day-dreaming. I had taken him two doors down my own. "I...why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk about what happened the other day."

What happened? Oh no, not the kiss! I shut my eyes tight and tried not to groan out loud. "You mean?" I urged, wanting more clarity.

"The kiss. I know you have many questions. As your grandmother's doctor, what I did was wrong and unprofessional but trust me when I tell you that I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"You did?" My voice cracked. I never knew he liked me. Did he like me before I was Rani or after? It would be a hard question to explain so I refrained. But it didn't surprise me. They had been lovers once upon a time.

"If you give me a chance, I will look after you and your grandma and you won't ever need to worry about anything."

This was the first man I had ever found attractive. I used to be giddy whenever I knew he was coming, even if I didn't like him as more than our doctor. He made me feel at ease and...and had I found the courage then to be more open with him, then perhaps the situation here would be different.

But then I would never have met or fallen in love with Dhruv. And I know for sure that that wasn't a reality I wanted to change.

"I'm sorry," I said, hanging my head. "I have feelings for someone else. Someone who doesn't feel the same for me. I don't know when the pain will go away but I don't want to use you."

There was a heavy silence.

"Why did you kiss me back?"

"I'm sorry," I found myself whispering. 

A sharp exhale came from above me. "Well, I shouldn't have assumed." He squeezed my shoulder, hesitated, then pulled me into a hug. He pushed himself away just as quickly, brusquely turned on his feet and left down the stairs. I would have reacted, but it all happened so quickly that I couldn't believe it had even occurred.

A clear of a throat ahead of me brought me out of the stupor I was in. Dhruv was leaning flat against one part of the doorframe, half of his body angled so that he was facing me. Had he heard or seen what had taken place?

I rolled my bottom lip inside as he said, "I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I overheard what he said at the end."

My tongue felt thick in my mouth. "What do you mean?"

"About you kissing Veer. Was it Rani?" Why was he asking that? Did this mean he really did believe Rani and I about the body swapping? Is that why he was here? Would saying yes sabotage their chances at fixing things? Did he want my help?

I settled with saying nothing and tried to walk past him when he blocked me off with an arm against the other side of the door frame.

For the first time since I'd changed, I looked him straight in the eye. Those beautiful, thick lashes curled up over urgent, brown eyes, searching mine, drinking me in. "Speak to me, Mouna," he said, hoarse. Hearing him say my name like that, the word slipping off his tongue so naturally made my stomach jump in glee. "And if you don't want to speak to me, at least let me speak to you. Let me explain."

"Let the poor man speak to you," Mohi said from her seat on the wooden bench. She was digging into the biscuits that she laid out for the two men. I wanted to cluck my tongue at her and shake my head, but the burning sensation from the man beside me, watching me, told me that every action of mine mattered.

I would be lying if I said I didn't want to hear his explanation. I nodded, and I watched as his arm came back to his side, brows relieving themselves from the tight pinch they were in.

***

We were at a restaurant, one nearby my apartment building. Its walls were black and white tiled, fans overhead cooling us down. I hoped it would cool the sweat forming in my palms and the thudding my heart was doing in my ears.

I didn't feel well enough to eat or to order, focused on the one man seated in front of me. He took a sip of his water before leaning forward and crossing his arms on the table.

"I told you Rani revealed everything. I want to hear it from you. Is it true?"

"It is," I said, after contemplating a response. He leaned back, rubbing a hand over his mouth like he knew the answer but still had not been expecting it.

He blew out a long, sharp breath.

Before I could stop myself, I rushed out, "I'm sorry for lying to you. For using you. That is not to say I wasn't being myself—I truly do love The Climb and Devdas." His eyes flickered. "But I was pretending to be Rani when I wasn't. The man had given me a phrase and I believed that phrase to be associated with reuniting you and Rani together. I thought doing so would bring me back to being me again." Dhruv didn't say anything. "Now you don't have to worry about me interfering with your married life. I-I never liked you like that. It was why I never went along with you touching me. It wasn't right."

The big clock that was pushed up against the far wall at the back ticked and tocked, and despite the chatter around us, I could feel the hypnotic noise beating in my bones during the tense silence.

Dhruv didn't move or speak, not once. There was a grimace that lingered, eyebrows furrowed over pools of chocolate that now dimmed.