Will he ever be mine (Meant to be duet Book 1) Read online

  Will He Ever Be Mine

  V. Simran

  Contents

  Trigger Warning

  Playlist

  Prelude

  Part I

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Part II

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2021 by V. Simran.

  Will he ever be mine (Meant to be Duet)

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  Cover design : Booksnmoods

  Editor : Pinpoint Editing

  ASIN: B08WHKDS8C

  First Edition: May 2021

  My mom,

  I’m so lucky to have you by my side, loving me unconditionally and helping me face my fears. Without you, I’m nothing. I love you more than life itself.

  Trigger Warning

  As I have mentioned, this book deals with a very taboo relationship between the MCs which may be offending to some readers. So, if this is something you are not comfortable with, please be absolutely sure before you start. It also contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It is meant for 18+.

  Playlist

  Ecstasy – XXXTENTACION, Noah Cyrus

  Babel – Otnicka

  Belladonna – Ava Max

  Take you to hell – Ava Max

  Lost on you – LP

  Take you dancing – Jason Derulo

  Haunted – Beyonce

  Here she comes again – Royksopp

  Prisoner – Raphael Lake, Aaron Levy, Daniel Ryan

  Saved my life - Sia

  Didn’t I – OneRepublic

  Bekhayali – Sachet Tandon, Sachet - Parampara

  Aa Zara – Sunidhi Chauhan

  Diablo – ILIRA, Juan Magan

  Everything I wanted – Billie Eilish

  Youngblood – 5 Seconds of Summer

  People you know – Selena Gomez

  Gotta go – Zack Knight

  Prelude

  Our love was doomed from the start.

  It was the kind of love that made me question everything.

  My mind.

  My sanity.

  My soul.

  What felt right to me was wrong in the eyes of others.

  But you know what they say: the heart wants what the heart wants.

  Our story is not a fairytale.

  It’s a story of two people who were never meant to be.

  A story of two lost souls constantly gravitating towards each other and the fight for their love.

  Even at the cost of everything they held dear.

  Part One

  Chapter One

  Nyra (Age 8)

  “Nyra, come down, they’re here,” Mom shouts from downstairs.

  “Be right there.”

  I’m so excited for today. I didn’t even complain when my mom woke me up so early this morning, because she told me that my uncle and his family are coming to stay with us and that I’ll finally meet my two older cousins, Riaan and Zain.

  We’ve never had our relatives come over; it’s usually us going to my uncle’s place, so I’m over the moon, if not a little nervous.

  I hear several voices, so I don’t waste any more time and scramble to put on my clothes. When I’m done, I rush downstairs. Just as I turn the corner, I see two boys, tall and quite a bit older than me. Maybe sixteen or fifteen. They’re talking animatedly between themselves, and, by the mischievous looks on their faces, they’re planning something while the adults are busy talking.

  Uncle Rohan and Aunt Vandana are very close to our family. They make quite a pair—my uncle has a playful personality while my aunt is calm and collected.

  “Hey Uncle and Aunty,” I say with a small wave. At the sound of my voice, both the boys stop talking and stare at me. My heart skips a beat with nervousness when my eyes clash with theirs and Mom introduces us. The one with the friendly smile is Zain, and the scowling one is Riaan. I’m overwhelmed by their attention, but right now it’s Riaan who’s making me more anxious, and I don’t understand why. He’s the prettiest boy I have ever seen, with cat-like eyes on a smooth face with two full lips and sharp cheekbones. Actually, Zain looks just as cute, but it’s the other one my eyes keep going to.

  Maybe after getting to know me, he’ll become friendly like his younger brother.

  “Nyra, you’re up early. How did that happen?” asks my aunt teasingly.

  “It’s all Mom’s doing,” I tell her honestly, which earns me a laugh from both her and my uncle.

  Just as Mom starts making small talk, Riaan and Zain walk over to me with a funny look in their eyes.

  I can tell these coming days will be filled with trouble.

  The next day, Zain and I are sitting in my room when we hear Riaan’s voice from the doorway.

  “I dare you to climb up to the terrace without using the stairs.” He stands at my bedroom door and looks at us. Zain and I stay quiet. When the silence stretches out for too long, he crosses his arms and raises his left eyebrow.

  One minute we’re in my room thinking about what game to play, and the next they start challenging each other with crazy stuff. I’ve learned that this kind of thing is normal for them. Usually, I would rather play by myself, but they won’t let me, saying that I can do my girly stuff when they leave tomorrow. To be honest, I would take any chance to be around them, because I don’ think I’ve ever laughed so hard with anyone before.

  “Done,” Zain says.

  While Zain is talkative and full of energy, Riaan is quiet and grumpy but keeps his craziness hidden. It’s his eyes that do all the talking. So I’m not surprised to see him give a dare, all the while knowing Zain will never back down.

  I see the wheels turning in Zain’s head while I’m wondering how the hell he’ll accomplish the climb. Just as I think he might back out, he gets up and walks out of my bedroom while Riaan and I trail behind him. He keeps going till he reaches the front door and stares curiously at the wrought-iron gate. Soon I realize his intentions.

  I shout, “Are you mad? You’d better not be doing what I think you’re about to do.”

  “Come on, it’ll be awesome. This is perfect,” he replies excitedly.

  Last year there was a robbery in our neighborhood that led to my parents turning our house into a vault. We have iron fences like you see at a prison with no way to break through, which creates a path to climb up to the terrace, like Zain is clearly planning.

  “It’s not perfect, it’s stupid. If you fall, you’ll break your legs. Even if you manage to reach the top, I’m pretty sure your mom will break your legs instead.” I
try to reason with him, but he’s already made up his mind, and one thing I’ve learnt this weekend is that there’s no swaying them—and, of course, their egos—once they’re set.

  I turn towards Riaan, thinking maybe I’ll have some luck with him. “Riaan, stop him, please.” He’s facing away from me, staring hard at the fence. When he curves his lips in a slight smile, I know I’m fighting a losing battle.

  “Oh, we’re definitely climbing,” he turns towards me and grins like the devil he is, “and so are you.” He’s so calm when he speaks that I don’t believe it for a second.

  “No way. I’m going back inside.” I turn to walk away, but before I get far I’m yanked back against a hard chest.

  I suddenly feel warm all over when I realize Riaan is the one holding me so close. I’m confused about my reaction. Since yesterday, this has been happening every time he’s near me.

  When I push against his chest, he lets me go. “You’re not going anywhere, because you’re part of this now,” Zain nods his head firmly. “We won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

  I can’t say no now. Maybe it will be fun. “All right, fine. Let’s do this.”

  We group at the base of the fence while Zain tells us his plan. “First I’ll climb up, then Nyra. Riaan will go last.” We both nod, and they put their hands out to cheer.

  “Seriously, it’s not like we’re playing for the World Cup,” I say. They don’t budge until I go along with them, and, once we hoot, its show time.

  I’m a mess inside while I watch Zain climb up as smooth as a monkey. I’ve been scared of heights ever since I fell down while on a vacation on a hill station with my family as a kid. I remember that incident as clear as day: I was walking ahead of my parents with my mom’s shawl wrapped around me and a stick in my hand when a dog suddenly came out of nowhere and I went stumbling down, ending with a chipped tooth and cut lips. The fear is still pretty strong. I pray that today is my lucky day and they both keep their promise.

  When there’s a safe distance and he’s taken a lead, I take a deep breath, but as soon as I take my first step, I’m pulled back by a hand on my waist and smash right into Riaan again.

  “Whoa … what now?” I hiss at him.

  “Let’s go up the stairs and lock the doors so he can’t get back down,” he whispers in my ear. I can feel his smile. His idea has appeal, and it saves me from this stupid dare. Maybe he knows I’m scared and is giving me a chance to back away. Whatever it is, I’m more than agreeable.

  “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  He looks down at me, and I can’t stop smiling up at him, happy that he finally talked to me and touched me. He has yet to let me go. It makes me feel like he considers me his friend.

  Slowly and quietly, both of us walk inside the front door and make sure to lock it in case Zain decides to come back this way. We both laugh when we hear him scream behind us, and we run up the stairs before he does. Just as we reach the top step, we see the door opening, but before it does completely, Riaan catches the handle tightly and closes it in Zain’s red face.

  Both of them curse and put all their strength into opening and closing the door while I watch and laugh at their antics. My stomach hurts so badly, but it’s worth it. This whole weekend has been full of games and fun. Next time, I’ll ask my parents if we can go visit them instead.

  Chapter Two

  Nyra (Age 16)

  Life has a way of surprising you, putting you in positions you never expect to be in. You either love them or hate them; there’s no in between.

  The most shocking is someone passing away.

  Even when you see it coming, nothing can prepare you for it. Words as simple as “I’m sorry for your loss” don’t seem enough, mostly because you can never imagine the pain that person is feeling. All you can do is be there for them.

  When I heard that Riaan’s grandma had passed away, my first thought was that I’d finally get to see him when we went to the funeral.

  Even after all these years, after our families drifted apart, I still feel butterflies in my stomach at the thought of him. I know the chances are high that he doesn’t even remember me—and also that he’s grieving the loss of his grandma—but I still can’t help being excited. That must make me a bad person. I know don’t what’s worse: having a crush on him, or being eager to meet him at a time like this.

  I haven’t been able to forget him completely since his last visit. He’s always there in the back of my mind. My only connection to him is through Facebook, where I stalk him when I’m lying alone in my bed and the urge to know what he’s up is too strong. Every time he posts a picture, I spend hours staring at him, looking more mature and sinful with his signature smirk the older he gets.

  At first, I only wanted to be close to him like all my other friends are with their cousins… but as each year passed, my thoughts and feelings turned into something else. Something more. He probably doesn’t even remember me.

  I rationalize with myself, telling myself there’s no harm in secretly lusting after him, in fantasizing about all the ways I crave him and reminding myself that it’s just a stupid teenage crush I’ll get over.

  In few short days, I’m going to meet him. I’ll have to hide my feelings twice as hard around him.

  But then why does my heart hurt at the thought?

  There’s a war between my head and my heart. One says it’s for the best that I face the truth, but the other, which beats a little faster when I’m thinking of him, wants me to throw all caution away and make him see me as someone who tempts him enough to break the unspoken rules. I need to know once and for all if there’s any possibility of us happening, if only for the few days we’ll spend together.

  “Did you get all the bags?” shouts my mom over the noise at the railway station. I love the hustle-bustle, the slight push and pull as everyone tries to move at once to take the lead, going and coming from every different direction, even if it does gets frustrating and tiresome—which it clearly is, judging from the look on my mom’s face. Despite it all, you need to experience this at least once in your life when visiting India. There’s always a look of awe on the faces of foreigners when confronted with this chaos.

  “Yes Ma. I checked our seats and there’s nothing missing. Let’s go find a taxi. There must be a stand right outside.”

  “Okay, hold Pri’s hand,” says my mom. Priyanka is my little sister who wouldn’t stay at home and wanted to come with us. My dad decided to stay behind to look after our dog, Sicko, since we couldn’t find a sitter at such short notice.

  At the exit, we take a cab, and I can’t help but admire the city Pune as I gaze out the window. The one thing I love the most about it is the weather—it’s like constant spring but with uncertain rainy days. One minute the sun is shining, and the next it’s pouring like crazy. I know this because we came here for a vacation once. Riaan’s family lives on the outskirts, where it feels like a whole other city with affluent families.

  It doesn’t take long before my mind wanders back to him.

  The closer we get, the more restless and nervous I become. No amount of time will ever prepare me to be in his presence. Hell, I don’t even know if he’s aware I’m coming and will be staying for the next few days.

  It’s not just his looks that are giving me butterflies; it’s everything about him. For now, I need to focus on the fact that he just lost his grandma and not lust after him. I heard my mom saying that Zain took the death the hardest, since he was much closer to her than Riaan, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in as much pain. The only consolation is that she lived a very full and happy life and they got to know her for as long as they did, because I never had that chance with my grandparents.

  Half an hour later, we arrive at my uncle’s house, and my palms feel sweaty. I must look like a freaking mess. I don’t want Riaan to see me with my frizzy hair and day-old clothes. This’ll do the exact opposite job of attracting him to me after all these years. The last time we saw each o
ther I was a little girl chasing around the boys, all awkward and shy. At least now I know how to put my makeup on, but that takes time and a clean and steady bathroom, not one on a moving train.

  My uncle’s house is two stories high with a garage on the right side and porch on the front. He does pretty well for himself, working for some big company as an executive manager. Riaan takes after him with his quiet nature, although Uncle can be very talkative when he wants to pull someone’s leg and has had a couple of drinks.

  As soon as we enter the house, we’re greeted by my aunt, who instantly hugs my mom. The energy is somber; it feels empty without their grandma here.

  My aunt turns to me, and a smile forms at her mouth when she says, “You keep getting more beautiful as you grow, darling.”

  “Thanks Aunt. I’m so sorry we’re meeting like this.” I hug her as tight as I can.

  “It’s all right. Not your fault, sweetie,” she says solemnly. “Come on, let’s get you settled. Then you can meet everyone.”

  I don’t see either of the boys around when we go up to the guest rooms. I want to see and avoid Riaan at the same time. I wonder how I should approach him… it doesn’t help that he’s much older and more mature than me. All I know is the way he looks, nothing else.