CHAPTER 11
Present
The sharp bang on the door pulled Aanya out of her reverie.
She was still in the bathroom, clad in her new nightdress, haunted by the bitter memories of what could have been a night of healing, if only forgiveness and an honest conversation had existed between them.
But no, their past had taken an ugly turn, shattering what little chance they had at normalcy.
“Aanya, open the door,” Reyansh’s voice thundered from the other side.
She quickly wiped her tears, splashed cold water on her face, and dried off with the towel. With a composed breath, she opened the door, finding him standing there, his gaze dark and probing.
“What took you so long?” he demanded.
She didn’t flinch. “My wish. I’ll take as much time in the bathroom as I please. That’s one right no one can steal from me,” she snapped, brushing past him and heading for the bed.
“I can’t send the food back. Di will notice you didn’t eat, and it won’t take her long to figure out we had a fight,” he said sharply.
“Why is your sister so smart all the time?” Aanya sighed, her voice softening just a little.
Reyansh smirked. “Because she is my sister.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Why did I even ask?”
Muttering under her breath, she picked up her plate and began eating. Reyansh followed suit, saying nothing more. He watched her closely. She was eating like she hadn’t in days. It was a good thing he hadn’t let her go to bed hungry.
“I’ve decided something,” he said at last, breaking the silence.
She looked up. “What now?”
“We won’t talk about the past, any topic that’ll lead to another fight. That’s the only way we can survive these two months.”
Aanya let out a dry laugh. “What a convenient solution.”
He recognized the sarcasm, but before he could defend himself, she nodded. “But I agree. That’s the only way we’ll stick to this deal.”
“Good. Finally sorted,” he said with a relieved breath.
“Not yet,” she interjected with a teasing smile. “You had issues with our sleeping arrangement, remember?”
He exhaled heavily. “That can be ignored… for now.”
“Or you’ll just get used to it,” she quipped with a victorious grin.
Once they finished their meal, she flopped back onto the bed, curling on her side. The room still smelled of roses but she didn’t complain. Sleep would find her eventually. Reyansh, however, was back at his laptop, fingers tapping steadily.
“You’re working now? This late?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
“I don’t have a choice,” he replied without looking up. “I’m the boss. I need to keep my eyes everywhere.”
She smiled faintly. “Well then… I hope someday someone’s there to keep an eye on you too.”
He paused, the cursor blinking on his screen.
“Happy working,” she murmured, tugging the duvet over herself. “And… good night, boss man.”
He looked at her then…really looked.
Her words echoed in the quiet, tugging at something he couldn’t quite name.
Maybe it was the softness in her tone.
Maybe it was the way she said it like she actually meant it.
Either way, work faded into the background as his thoughts lingered on her.
Few hours later - Midnight
“Don’t… don’t come near me… Get away… GET AWAY!” Aanya screamed in her sleep.
Reyansh jolted upright, startled. He turned and found Aanya thrashing on the bed, her forehead slick with sweat, her voice shaking with fear. It looked like she had a nightmare.
He reached out to calm her, but the moment his hand touched her arm, she bolted upright and shoved him hard.
“What the hell!” he snapped. “I was trying to help!”
Aanya’s chest heaved as she scanned the room in panic. Slowly, her breathing steadied. She realized she was safe, and that she’d just lashed out at the only person trying to help. Reyansh, surprisingly, didn’t retaliate.
“Nightmare?” he asked, more gently now.
“No… just a bad chapter of my life,” she whispered, sliding off the bed to get water. When she didn’t find any in the room, she made her way downstairs.
“Aanya, wait,” Reyansh called after her, concerned. Something about the way she’d said that unsettled him.
She made it to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water. As she shut the door, she froze at the sight of someone behind it.
“Aanya? It’s me… relax,” came Radhika’s soothing voice.
The moment Aanya recognized her, she launched herself into her arms, hugging her tightly. Radhika, clearly startled, wrapped her arms around her in a warm, comforting embrace.
“What happened, Aanya? You look terrified.”
Aanya composed herself quickly, aware that she was in danger of revealing too much.
“Just a bad dream,” she lied.
“Where’s Reyansh?”
“Sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb him,” she replied quickly. “And sorry Di, I was so scared and needed a hug. So I—”
Radhika smiled.
“You don’t owe anyone an apology. Even when Reyansh was scared as a kid, he’d come running to me for comfort.”
Aanya offered a soft smile. If only someone like Radhika had been around during her own childhood, maybe things would’ve been easier.
“Aanya.” Reyansh entered the kitchen. He’d come down right behind her, but upon seeing Radhika with her, he held back, unsure whether to intrude.
Radhika turned to him, her mock scolding tone lightening the tension.
“Rey! Your wife was having a nightmare, and you were snoring away like a bear? That’s not how a husband should be!”
He gave her a sheepish look. “Looks like I still have a lot to learn from Jeeju.”
Radhika chuckled. “Go now. Take her back upstairs and make sure no dream ever dares to scare her again.”
He nodded, sliding his arm around Aanya’s shoulder and quietly guided her back to their room. Once inside, she immediately slipped into bed.
“You want to talk about it?” he offered gently.
She shook her head. “No. I just want to sleep. Good night.”
He didn’t push. But as he watched her turn away from him, he silently vowed that whatever her past held, he would find it. She’d always been a closed book he never took the time to open. Maybe now, it was time to start reading.
Chopra Mansion
When Reyansh returned from work that evening, his gaze immediately fell upon the living room, where Aanya sat comfortably on the couch with Rishi, the two of them engaged in an animated discussion.
Aanya scribbled notes diligently on a pad as Rishi spoke, her face glowing with enthusiasm.
She looked so at ease, so genuinely happy, something Reyansh couldn’t help but notice only ever happened when he wasn’t around.
Rishi caught sight of him and grinned.
“Rey, good timing. Ask your wife not to pour so much of herself into tomorrow’s celebration,” Rishi joked.
Reyansh dropped his laptop bag beside the couch and took a seat next to Aanya. She quickly closed her notepad, her lips tight in an effort not to give anything away.
“What kind of efforts?” he asked, looking pointedly at her when she remained silent.
“Aanya’s planning a midnight surprise for Radhika’s birthday,” Rishi replied.
Reyansh’s eyes narrowed as they fixed on his wife. “A midnight surprise?”
Aanya stood abruptly, dodging his questions. “If I tell you now, it won’t be a surprise, will it? You’ll have to wait.”
Rishi laughed. “Must say, Rey, you’ve got a sharp one. Your wife has some impressive planning skills.”
Aanya flashed him a warm smile before hurrying up the stairs. Reyansh followed her to their bedroom in a few minutes, where she was now standing in front of the closet, flipping through hangers.
“What’s cooking, Aanya?” he asked, loosening his tie.
“Cooking?” she repeated with a chuckle. “That, you’ll have to ask Di. She and Nani are handling dinner tonight.”
Her nonchalance only irritated him more. She kept skimming through the wardrobe, clearly unimpressed with her options, and completely unaffected by his mood.
“I hope you’ve arranged something nice for me to wear for tomorrow’s party. These are lovely, sure, but none scream birthday celebration,” she muttered, flicking through the dresses.
Reyansh moved in closer and grasped her shoulder, gently turning her to face him.
“Are you ignoring me?”
She met his eyes steadily, holding his gaze a few beats longer than necessary. “It was mentioned in the contract that I’m not supposed to ignore you in front of your sister and brother-in-law,” she said coolly. “But when we’re alone? That’s another story.”
His grip loosened because she was right.
“Someone looks desperate for my attention now!” she added with a playful glint in her eyes.
“I am not desperate,” he retorted. “But let me make one thing clear. Don’t plan anything for my sister without letting me know first. You need to inform me before doing anything for her.”
The words weren’t what he truly meant. His pride got in the way. The truth was, it hurt seeing her so lively around everyone but him.
“Fine,” she said, brushing his hand off and stepping back. “I have planned to surprise your sister at midnight with a cake cutting. And guess what? I wasn’t going to do it alone. I had every intention of waking you up to join me.”
Reyansh froze. So that was the plan. He’d jumped to conclusions far too quickly.
“Fine,” he muttered, feeling like a fool.
“Not fine, Mr. Reyansh Chopra,” she corrected, strolling past him with a smile. “You’re acting like an over-possessive, jealous husband, which we both know you’re not.”
She left the room, leaving him stewing in frustration and guilt. Reyansh exhaled deeply because she was right. He’d acted irrationally.
*****************
Aanya paced the bedroom, checking the time. Fifteen more minutes to midnight. Reyansh stayed seated, laptop open, pretending to work. In reality, his eyes flicked to her every few seconds, drawn to the excitement radiating from her.
“Navya is right,” Aanya murmured aloud. “I’ve no patience.”
Reyansh looked up. “Who are you talking to?”
“Myself,” she replied, unbothered. “I’m talking to my inner self. You have a problem?”