CHAPTER 16
Chopra Mansion
Aanya’s gaze followed the gentle sway of the puja thali as Radhika circled it in front of her, the soft fragrance of sandalwood and rose petals hanging between them.
It was her first day at work, and Radhika insisted on performing the traditional aarti for good luck.
But just as the flame flickered, a memory flickered and Aanya’s eyes misted over.
Radhika caught the sudden shift. Her hands stilled as she set the thali aside.
“Aanya?” she asked, her voice soft with concern. “What happened?”
Aanya offered a tight nod, quickly brushing the corner of her eyes with her fingers. “Nothing. Just… remembered someone.”
“Who?”
“Maa,” she whispered. “She used to do this every time before my school exams… to wish me luck.”
Radhika’s eyes glistened with tears. She cupped Aanya’s cheek tenderly. “She’d be so proud of you today.”
Those few words broke through Aanya’s composure. She threw her arms around Radhika and held her tightly. If only her mother had been here, alive to see her trying, striving to make her own name, stepping out of the shadow she had lived under for so long.
Across the room, Reyansh sat silently at the breakfast table, pretending to sip his coffee while his eyes stayed fixed on them.
Something stirred within him. It wasn’t pity.
It was deeper than that. An ache. Once, he had written Aanya off as nothing more than a spoiled rich girl.
But the woman standing a few feet away was not the same.
Living under one roof had slowly stripped away her outer layers, revealing a truth he hadn’t anticipated.
She was strong, sensitive, stubborn, and utterly real.
She had endured too much too soon: the loss of a mother, the betrayal of a father’s remarriage, and now this constant fight to prove her worth to a world that had already labelled her. And yet, she hadn’t crumbled. She was standing.
“Reyansh?” Nani’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She clicked her fingers sharply. “Your coffee’s gone cold.”
He blinked and raised the cup to his lips, though the taste barely registered. His eyes, however, didn’t leave Aanya.
“Di, I should get going,” Aanya finally said, adjusting her handbag over her shoulder. “I don’t want to be late on my first day.”
“Yes,” Radhika replied with a smile. “Heard Reyansh arranged the car for you.”
Aanya’s gaze shifted to her husband. He met her eyes for a fleeting second before looking away and standing.
“I’m dropping her today,” he said, reaching for his blazer. “Tomorrow, the driver will handle it.”
Aanya hesitated. “Are you sure? Won’t you be late for work?”
“No,” he replied curtly. “Let’s go.”
Radhika watched them with a proud glimmer in her eyes. Maybe it wasn’t the grandest gesture of love, but she liked that her brother was taking a step, however small, toward being a good husband.
As they were ready to leave, Radhika nudged Aanya to seek Nani’s blessings.
“She doesn’t like me,” Aanya whispered, hesitant to do so.
“You do your part,” Radhika said firmly. “Leave the rest to God. Seeking blessings from elders is never wasted.”
Aanya forced a smile and leaned to touch Nani’s feet, but the older woman pulled back coldly.
“Nani,” Radhika hissed under her breath.
With a sigh, Nani placed her hand half-heartedly over Aanya’s head. It was enough for now. Aanya straightened, murmured a thank you, and followed Reyansh outside.
The car ride began in silence. The driver drove while the couple sat in the backseat, worlds apart despite the short physical distance between them.
“You’ll mostly find young staff at your office,” Reyansh finally spoke. “Be careful. Competition is everywhere. Don’t let them overpower you just because you’re new.”
Aanya arched a brow. Advice from him? Unexpected. But she nodded.
“I’ll mind my work. And I’ve dealt with competition before in college. No one shakes my confidence that easily.”
Reyansh rolled his eyes. “It’s easy to talk in theory. This is the real world now.”
“I can handle it, Reyansh,” she snapped. “And stop sounding like an overprotective father watching his only daughter step into college.”
“Father? God, no. I’m not ready for kids anytime soon,” he muttered. “And frankly, I’m not very good with them.”
“I’m not ready to be a mother either,” Aanya retorted, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t like kids. I love them, their innocence, their smiles, their messy cuteness. Aww.”
“Innocence?” Reyansh scoffed. “They’re tiny terrors. They scatter things everywhere, wreck the house, and leave their parents half-crazed. No, thank you.”
She turned to him, exasperated. “Maybe you were like that. Doesn’t mean everyone else is. I was a shy, quiet child. So quiet, my mother used to worry I’d never make friends.”
He raised an incredulous brow. “You? Shy and quiet? Impossible.”
She gritted her teeth. “Why am I even explaining myself to you?”
“Because,” he smirked, “they say children inherit their parents’ genes. I just hope ours gets more of mine, at least the brain.”
“Excuse me? You think I lack brains?”
He simply shrugged.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Let our kids get your IQ, but I hope they inherit my heart, my compassion, my empathy. Things you wouldn’t understand even if they hit you in the face.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but both of them suddenly froze
They were talking about their kids? A future that had never been part of the plan? This marriage wasn’t built on dreams. It was forged in convenience, held together by obligations, and destined for an expiration date.
She turned her head toward the window, unwilling to look at him again. Reyansh did the same. The mere idea of having kids with Aanya shouldn’t have stirred anything inside him. But it had.
The car came to a halt.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” the driver announced.
Without saying a word or sparing Reyansh a glance, Aanya stepped out and disappeared into the building. Reyansh stared at the closed door, his hand clenched into a fist. She didn’t even let him wish her good luck.
Icon Interiors
After a brief induction where Aanya was acquainted with company policies and the professional code of conduct, she was introduced to Prem, the Senior Designer she would be assisting on several high-profile décor projects.
“Nice meeting you, Aanya,” Prem said, shaking her hand firmly. “I caught some of the ideas you shared during this morning’s induction. Classy stuff.”
She returned the handshake with a polite smile. “Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Prem,” he corrected with a friendly grin. “Everyone does.”
“Alright… Prem,” she replied, still adjusting to this new dynamic. “When do we begin?”
“Immediately,” he answered. “My assistant, Shikha, will walk you through our client’s expectations and requirements.
Once you’re up to speed, we’ll review your thoughts and discuss our design drafts.
For the first week, I want you to focus on understanding the vision.
After that, you’ll join us onsite to help bring it to life. ”
“Sounds great,” she said, genuinely eager to dive in.
Prem called over a petite woman with a perpetually sunny smile. “Shikha, this is Aanya. Get her started with the client briefing.”
Shikha nodded enthusiastically, and the two women moved toward her cubicle. Aanya quickly immersed herself in the project details, analysing the layout and the client’s brief for a recently acquired corporate space.
A while later
Back at Reyansh’s office, work kept his mind focused, until the brief pause of a thirty-minute break that gave his thoughts room to wander. His wife … Her first day in a new world, surrounded by strangers, trying to fit in without letting her pride show.
With a sigh, he typed out a message.
“How is it going?”
Back at Icon Interiors, Aanya sat at Shikha’s desk, listening intently. Her phone buzzed inside her purse, but she ignored it. She couldn’t afford distractions on her first day. And besides, she already knew who it was.
After waiting twenty minutes without a reply, Reyansh scowled and typed again.
“Don’t pretend to be so busy on your first day at work. Reply, dammit!!!”
The phone vibrated again. Shikha glanced at it with a grin. “You can answer that if you want. Might be important.”
“No, it’s just my husband checking in,” Aanya replied with a dismissive shrug.
Shikha’s eyes widened. “Wait. You’re ignoring your husband Reyansh Chopra?” she asked in disbelief.
Aanya noticed the faint blush colouring Shikha’s cheeks and didn’t miss the admiration hidden in her tone.
“Yes,” she confirmed, clearing her throat.
“I seriously think you should reply,” Shikha insisted with a sheepish smile. “He must be worried.”
Why do you care so much if he’s worried? Aanya thought sharply, but she held her tongue. Instead, she nodded. “Alright, I’ll step out and return the call.”
“I’ll get us coffee until then. Cappuccino with less sugar?”
“Perfect.”
As Shikha walked away, Aanya found a quiet spot near the corridor and fished out her phone. Her brows furrowed at his text. So I can’t be busy just because it’s my first day? Unbelievable.
With narrowed eyes, she hit call. On the other end, Reyansh had just stepped out of his office hallway when his phone rang.
“Sunny, go ahead. I’ll join in a minute,” he told his assistant, stepping aside to take the call.
“Where the hell were you?” he snapped the moment he answered.
How do women even like this attitude? Aanya muttered to herself.
“I’m working. You should try doing the same,” she shot back.
“I was just checking on you,” he said, his tone softening. “Don’t make it sound like a crime.”
“Fine. You want to know how I’m doing? I’m thriving, Mr. Reyansh Chopra. I’m enjoying being far away from your dictatorship for a few hours.”
His first instinct was to argue, but he reined in his temper. He didn’t want to waste the rare chance they had to speak.
“Is Prem your boss?” he asked instead, shifting the subject.
Her brows lifted. “Yes. How do you know him?”