CHAPTER 4
Same Night – Chopra Mansion
When Reyansh returned home later that evening, he spotted his Nani seated on the living room couch, engrossed in a video call. He didn’t have to guess who was on the other side of the screen. With a silent sigh, he walked over and sank down beside her, joining the conversation.
“Hey, Di,” he greeted, lifting a hand in a casual wave toward the screen where his elder sister, Radhika Negi, appeared. She was nestled comfortably in her California apartment, the faint glow of her kitchen behind her.
“Hello, Rey,” she beamed. “How was the party? And did your client, Suzzane, leave for Cape Town already?”
Reyansh schooled his features, careful not to let his irritation from earlier show.
“The party went well,” he replied evenly. “Suzzane’s flight is tomorrow morning. How are you feeling? Weren’t you scheduled for your check-up today?”
Radhika’s cheeks flushed with a soft blush. “Everything’s good. The doctor said both me and the baby are doing fine.” Her hand instinctively cradled her small baby bump, her joy evident even through the screen.
Nani exhaled in relief beside him. “That’s wonderful news, beta. But what about your travel plans? Did the doctor approve your travel to India? I hope this won’t affect your health.”
Radhika nodded. “Yes, Nani. She said I can travel safely until I complete five months. After that, I’ll be on strict bed rest. But for now, I can’t wait to come back and see you all.” Her eyes sparkled as she turned to Reyansh. “And you, Mister, haven’t forgotten my birthday gift, have you?”
Reyansh forced a smile and gave a vague shake of his head. “Of course not.”
Nani, however, frowned at the mention. “Radhika, I still think you should reconsider. You know how that girl is. She will bring nothing but shame to this family.”
“Nani, please,” Radhika said with quiet firmness. “She’s Reyansh’s wife. She has every right to be part of this family. It’s been eighteen months since they began living separately. Someone needs to take a step toward change, and I’m determined to see them together. Reyansh has promised me.”
Reyansh saw the disappointment and the fragile hope in her expressions and it stabbed at something inside him. He jumped in before the conversation soured further.
“Yes, Di. I did promise. And I intend to keep that promise. You’ll see us together when you come, I assure you. Now, where’s my Jeeju (brother-in-law)? Hiding from the camera again?”
Radhika laughed, the tension easing. “Where else would he be? Making breakfast for his pregnant wife, of course.”
“Give him our regards. I’ll call you again tomorrow. Rest well,” Reyansh said.
“Bye, Reyansh. Bye, Nani.”
The screen went dark as he ended the call. Reyansh turned to Nani, his jaw tightening slightly.
“Why do you always pick arguments with Di? You know how emotional she is. The doctor has strictly instructed us to keep her stress-free.”
Nani lowered her eyes. “I know… but I just can’t accept what she’s asking of you.”
“We’ll deal with that later,” Reyansh replied. “Right now, her health comes first.”
“You both matter to me equally,” she countered softly. “Is it wrong for me to want what’s best for you? You expect me to happily accept an impulsive, reckless girl as your wife without question? She’s uncultured, Reyansh. Completely out of step with our values.”
“She’s a spoiled brat, I agree, but she’s not uncultured,” he corrected.
“And we don’t get to sit in this room and pass judgment on her life.
It’s just a matter of two months, Nani. Once Di returns to California, things will go back to normal.
Aanya will leave, and I’ll get back to my work.
So until then, I’m asking you to bear with me. ”
Nani studied him for a long moment. His reasoning made sense.
Radhika would be in India only temporarily, and once she was gone, this pretence of marital harmony would dissolve.
Aanya would return to wherever she came from, and life in the Chopra mansion would resume its cold, predictable rhythm.
With that thought, Nani decided to keep her silence for now.
She would endure the drama, just for two months.
Later That Night – Reyansh’s Bedroom
Reyansh lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, sleep miles away.
His unplanned encounter with Aanya earlier at the disco replayed in his mind on a loop.
Her behaviour had been aggressive, attention-seeking, and downright dangerous.
Snatching someone else’s drink just because it was unattended?
It wasn’t just rude; it was reckless. What if the drink had been spiked?
What if someone had taken advantage of her? The thought sent a chill through him.
She had no sense of consequence. No understanding of how the world worked outside her bubble of arrogance.
He closed his eyes, desperate to shut her out. But instead, the memory of that night crept in. Their wedding night. A night that should have marked the beginning of something, but had turned into a humiliating catastrophe.
He hated that it still lingered in his mind despite a year and a half now. Then somewhere between anger and exhaustion, he finally drifted off to sleep, the memory of that night refusing to let him go.
Singh Residence - Next Morning
“Damn it! Why the hell is she here?” Aanya hissed, peeking through the window before spinning around to glare at Navya.
Navya glanced over her shoulder, filing her nails anxiously. “I’m guessing she’s here to see you. You should get dressed. She’s definitely not going to be thrilled seeing you in that .”
Aanya turned toward the mirror, running her eyes from top to bottom.
She stood in a black tank top and barely-there shorts—comfortable, yes, but enough to give Reyansh’s Nani a heart attack on sight.
Not that it mattered. She didn’t dress to impress anyone, least of all that judgmental woman or the man she was once forced to call her husband.
“I don’t give a damn what she thinks,” she snapped. “And I have zero interest in meeting her.”
Navya hesitated. “What do I tell her if she asks for you?”
“Tell her whatever you want. Lie anything, I don’t care. Just make sure she knows I’m not crawling back into their good books.”
Navya exhaled heavily, defeated. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
With that, she hurried downstairs to meet Nani at the entrance.
But Aanya, restless and irritated, couldn’t sit still.
Curiosity gnawed at her, and within minutes, she marched out of her room, tiptoeing toward the lobby.
She hid herself behind a wide pillar, straining to hear the conversation unfolding below.
“Hello, Granny—I mean Nani,” Navya greeted awkwardly.
Nani looked genuinely startled. “You? When did you return?”
“Uh… yesterday,” Navya replied quickly.
“Hmm. Where are your parents? I came to speak with them.”
“They’re not back yet. They’ll be home next week,” Navya answered, confused. “Why? Did you need something urgent?”
Nani’s disapproving glance narrowed. “That’s between me and your father. Tell him to call me once he returns.”
She turned on her heels, preparing to leave but paused midway, as if recalling something. She slowly turned back.
“Is she back too?”
“Who?” Navya asked, feigning innocence.
“Your friend.”
“I have many friends. Which one?”
Nani’s patience thinned. “Aanya,” she bit out, the name dripping with restrained contempt.
Before Navya could answer, Aanya stepped out from behind the pillar on the upper floor.
“I’m right here,” she called out, descending the stairs confidently.
Nani froze. Her eyes widened at the sight of Aanya in her bold, skin-baring outfit. With a visible shudder, she averted her gaze and whispered a quick prayer under her breath.
Aanya chuckled as she reached them. “What’s wrong? Didn’t like my outfit?”
Nani met her eyes, her expression grim. “I never expected anything different from you.”
“Oh really?” Aanya’s tone sharpened. “That’s strange, because during our first meeting, you seemed to expect a lot more. Let me think… what exactly did you call me that day?” Her voice dropped, venom seeping into each word. “Characterless, wasn’t it?”
Nani stiffened, the memory clearly returning.
“I didn’t come here to argue,” Nani said coldly. “And I’m certainly not here to seek your forgiveness.”
“Good,” Aanya snapped. “Because I’m not offering any.”
“I’m not interested in talking to you.” Nani turned to leave without another word, but Aanya couldn’t resist one last jab.
“I don’t think your grandson wants the same,” she said, voice rising just enough to make sure the words landed. “He was very desperate to talk to me last night at the pub.”
Nani halted mid-step, stunned. Her spine went rigid. Reyansh had met Aanya? Why hadn’t he mentioned it? She didn’t wait for clarification, especially not from Aanya, thinking the latter would twist the truth just to provoke her. Nani stormed out without so much as a glance back.
The moment the door shut behind her, Navya exhaled in relief. “What the hell was that, Aanya? You said you didn’t want to see her!”
Aanya smirked. “Yeah, well… I’m nothing if not unpredictable.”
Navya rolled her eyes, but Aanya had already turned away.
“I’m going to Dad’s office today. I want to know what’s happening with the paperwork. The sooner I can get out of this country, the better.”
She headed back to her room to change, fully aware that walking into her father’s workspace in shorts would only invite unnecessary attention.
Malhotra Office – Same Day
“Where’s Dad?” Aanya asked, storming into the reception area of Malhotra Enterprises.
The receptionist, Dolly, immediately stood up, startled but quick to recognize her. “Good morning, Ma’am.”
“Morning, Dolly. Now tell me, where’s my father?”
“Sir is in the conference room with—”