CHAPTER 9
Midnight - Chopra Mansion
It was past midnight when Reyansh jerked awake, startled by something heavy landing on his chest. He blinked into the dim light, heart pounding, only to realize the culprit.
Aanya was no longer on her side. She had completely, unapologetically claimed his space. She was sprawled across his side of the bed, one hand splayed boldly across his chest, her face buried near the crook of his neck.
And worse?
He didn’t hate it.
Her leg was hooked over his, anchoring him like she belonged there. Her breath ghosted against his skin, and her fingers twitched ever so slightly against his chest, as if searching for something even in her sleep.
Reyansh swallowed hard.
His body was reacting in ways he wasn’t ready to confront. His skin felt too hot. His pulse had picked up. Sleep? That ship had sailed the second she wrapped herself around him like a human blanket.
He looked down at her, lips parted in sleep, lashes resting on her cheeks, hair a little wild.
How could someone look so chaotic and peaceful at the same time?
He let his head fall back against the pillow, exhaling slowly. Just a few more hours, he told himself. I can survive this.
But then she shifted again. She snuggled closer, her entire front now pressed against his side. Her arm curled around his waist like instinct, and she let out a small contented sigh that hit him square in the chest.
And just like that, his resolve melted.
He didn’t push her away.
Instead, his arm moved, almost on its own, and rested lightly around her shoulders.
He closed his eyes again, knowing sleep wouldn’t come easy. Not with her body molded to his, not with his senses on fire, not with the terrifying thought echoing in his mind:
He was getting used to this.
Morning
The shrill ring of the morning alarm pierced through the quiet. Reyansh groaned, blindly reaching out to shut it off. His sister was arriving today and the thought alone brought a faint smile to his face.
But as he blinked his eyes open, the smile vanished.
Aanya lay sprawled on her stomach beside him, one leg bent slightly, her hair a messy halo across her bare back. The white shirt she’d borrowed had slipped off one shoulder, revealing a stretch of skin that made something deep in his chest tighten.
She looked beautiful, exactly like she had on their wedding night. Fast asleep. Curled up the same way. Back then too, she’d claimed her side of the bed in silence, shutting him out without a word.
His hand hovered in the space between them, aching to brush a strand of hair away or trace the soft curve of her shoulder. But he pulled it back before temptation got the better of him. Don’t be an idiot , he told himself.
Shaking the thoughts away, he glanced at the clock. It was nearly 7:00 a.m. His sister would be here by 9:00. He couldn’t afford to lose time.
He headed to the shower.
When he stepped out an hour later, towel slung low around his waist, she was still asleep…curled into the sheets, untouched by the chaos of the morning, lost in her own little world.
“Aanya,” he called sharply.
No response.
He walked to the bed and tapped her arm. “Aanya, get up.”
She groaned and shoved his hand off, turning the other way. “Let me sleep… I’ll wake up when I want to.”
He sighed. “Aanya, Di will be here in an hour. We have a deal, remember?”
She muttered something unintelligible and didn’t even open her eyes.
“Fine,” he snapped. “Have it your way.”
Before she could register what that meant, Reyansh leaned in and gently pinned her beneath him. Then, with a wicked tilt of his head, he shook his damp hair, sending a shower of cold droplets across her face.
She gasped, squirming under him like a startled kitten, her hands instinctively pushing against his bare chest.
“Stop it!” she growled, finally pushing him and sitting upright and glaring at him. “What the hell are you doing?”
He stepped back, folding his arms across his chest, smirking in amusement.
“That’s the only method I trust to wake you up.”
She blinked groggily, brushing the water off her face, still glaring, but her glare softened the moment her eyes dropped. Her gaze caught on the droplets trailing down his neck, over the sculpted lines of his chest, disappearing beneath the edge of his towel.
“You… You look hot,” she whispered, dazed.
Reyansh stiffened. Her words shouldn’t have affected him. But they did. Something primal stirred inside him, and he had to remind himself to breathe.
He cleared his throat. “Get ready. Di’s flight landed a while ago. She’ll be here any minute.”
Aanya pouted like a child who’d been forced out of bed too early but didn’t move. Just then, a knock came at the door. Reyansh assumed it was Nani and opened it.
“Rey!” came the cheerful voice.
“Di?” His face lit up as Radhika threw her arms around him. “When did you arrive?”
“Just now,” she beamed.
Aanya slipped out of bed, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion.
She hadn’t expected Reyansh’s sister to march straight into their bedroom.
But she kept quiet, watching the tender moment between the siblings with a strange sense of longing.
The way Radhika kissed Reyansh’s forehead and held his face, it was a kind of affection she had rarely received.
Then Radhika turned and noticed her.
“Aanya!” she squealed and rushed forward, pulling Aanya into a hug before she could even react.
Aanya froze. The hug was warm and genuine, it felt like being wrapped in the arms of a mother…something she hadn’t known in years. Slowly, she returned the hug, blinking back her emotions.
Behind Radhika’s shoulder, Reyansh subtly gestured to Aanya to fix her shirt. She frowned at first, not understanding until Radhika turned and giggled, having caught the silent exchange.
Aanya’s cheeks flushed. She tugged the shirt over her shoulder and gave Radhika a sheepish smile.
“Hi, Di,” Aanya greeted softly.
“Hi!” Radhika giggled like a teenager. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Aanya.”
“Same here,” Aanya replied, buttoning the shirt at her chest.
Radhika glanced curiously at her brother and then narrowed her eyes. “Reyansh... isn’t that your shirt?”
Reyansh bit the inside of his cheek, awkwardness and confusion stiffened his posture. For once, words failed him.
“I thought I’d have to work hard to patch you both up,” Radhika teased, laughter bubbling in her voice. “But it looks like the efforts have already begun.”
Aanya instantly realized the misunderstanding. But instead of correcting it, she decided to turn the situation to her advantage. Reyansh had banned her from flirting outside , but surely, no rule said she couldn’t flirt with him .
“Di, it was your Rey’s idea to make me wear this,” Aanya replied with a dramatic sigh. “I told him it might raise a few eyebrows, but you know how arrogant he can get.”
Reyansh’s eyes widened in disbelief. Rey ? She called him Rey ? That name belonged exclusively to his sister and brother-in-law to call him. He stared at her in mute protest while Radhika blushed with amusement.
“He is arrogant,” Radhika agreed. “But I know staying with you will soften him.”
Aanya flashed a triumphant smile at Reyansh, winking as if to say Game on . He smirked knowing exactly what she was doing. She was testing his limits, and she was enjoying every second of it.
“Di, where’s Jeeju?” he asked, changing the topic.
“Downstairs with Nani.”
“Then let’s go meet him while Aanya showers.”
“Yes, come,” Radhika agreed, and before leaving, she cupped Aanya’s face and kissed her forehead. “Come down soon. We’ll wait for you at the breakfast table.”
Aanya smiled. That one kiss had felt strangely comforting. Genuine. Maybe pretending in front of Radhika wouldn’t be as hard as she’d expected. In fact, she already liked her. If only she could say the same for Nani.
****************
“That’s my brother-in-law, Rishi,” Reyansh said, introducing Aanya once she stepped into the living room.
“Pleasure to meet you, Jeeju,” Aanya replied, offering a graceful smile. “Reyansh was telling me how much you love Di and take care of her.”
Reyansh blinked in surprise. When had he said that? Perhaps Sunny had briefed her during one of those etiquette sessions. Still, it impressed him that she had remembered and used it so naturally in conversation.
“He said that?” Rishi laughed, glancing at Reyansh. “That’s kind of you, Rey. But it’s never one-sided. Radhika spoils me far more than I deserve. I don’t think I can ever match what she gives me.”
Aanya felt her heart soften. They were an incredibly endearing couple, with so much love for each other in their gestures. She’d seen people fall in love, fall into bed, and eventually fall apart. But Radhika and Rishi... they were something else entirely. Genuine. Rare. Almost enviable.
Nani, who was watching them converse, remained her usual frigid self, barely acknowledging Aanya’s presence.
Everyone moved toward the dining table. Aanya instinctively sat beside Radhika, but Reyansh silently tugged her arm and gestured to the seat next to him. Right. She had a role to play. Aanya gave him a rehearsed, wifely smile and began serving him.
“What would you like to eat, Rey ?” she asked sweetly, barely holding back a laugh as she saw the storm flicker in his eyes. Clearly, he hated being called that name by her.
He caught her hand mid-air and leaned closer.
“Don’t call me that,” he whispered tersely.
While Radhika and Rishi chatted with Nani, unaware of the mini drama playing out, Aanya tilted her head innocently.
“Why not? Your sister and Jeeju calls you that all the time.”
“That’s exactly the point. Only they can use that name. No one else.”
She pouted dramatically. “Fine... Rey —oops, I meant Reyansh .”
That did it. He dropped her spoon on the floor, and they both bent down to retrieve it. Under the table, his hand shot out, catching her wrist in a tight grip.
“Say it again, and I’ll punish you,” he warned, eyes burning into hers.