CHAPTER 17
A week passed. Aanya found herself genuinely enjoying her work.
She had quickly adapted to the company’s pace, immersing herself in various ongoing projects and becoming familiar with the top-tier clients essential to the firm’s growth and Chopra Group being one of them.
It thrilled her to hear from Prem that Chopra Group had once been their highest-paying client.
But a quiet relief settled over her knowing that project was already complete.
Working professionally under her husband’s nose would have been nothing short of a distraction, a dangerous collision between her personal life and her rising professional ambitions.
Since the day she had drawn a clear boundary with Reyansh, declaring that their marriage held no meaning for her anymore, he had taken a step back.
The distance didn’t bother her; in fact, she welcomed it.
They only spoke in front of Radhika, and she appreciated that Reyansh had buried himself under a mountain of additional workload, returning home late each night.
By the time he did, she was either fast asleep or pretending to be.
Meeting Navya had become difficult since she started working.
Their last time together had been at Shagufta’s upscale pub during that celebratory dinner.
Aanya missed her best friend terribly and longed to spend time with her again.
Navya had stood by her during her worst days; that debt could never be repaid.
Lately, Shagufta had tried reinitiating contact by sending her another friend request online.
Aanya had been tempted to decline, but ignoring her altogether would only make things messier.
With a roll of her eyes, she reluctantly accepted the request and tossed the phone aside just as Prem entered her cubicle.
“Aanya.”
“Yes, Prem?”
“You need to accompany the team to the client location today. Remember the Mishra house décor I told you Shikha’s team was handling?”
“Yes,” she nodded attentively.
“Good. Take Shikha with you. Mrs. Mishra wants to finalize the wall artwork, and though Shikha will guide her, I want you there to observe and offer suggestions if needed.”
A spark lit Aanya’s eyes. Her first opportunity to directly assist with a client had finally come.
“I’ll go,” she said with confidence. “Mrs. Mishra will get nothing but the best from us.”
“I like that answer,” Prem replied, offering her a playful wink before leaving. Aanya admired his leadership style. He was confident but never overbearing. He understood his team’s strengths and gave each of them space to grow.
Just as she was packing her things to leave with Shikha, her phone buzzed again with a social media notification.
Curious, she unlocked it and found an update from Shagufta Khanna.
It was a picture from a lavish social gathering at a luxury hotel two days ago.
And in it, Shagufta had clasped Reyansh’s hand.
Aanya’s expression froze. Her heart didn’t race, but jealousy churned within. She remembered Radhika mentioning that Reyansh had plans to attend a hotel inauguration. So this was where he was? He looked cool and entirely too comfortable beside Shagufta.
She knew Shagufta had always thrown herself at him, yet Reyansh had never reciprocated. He tolerated her, perhaps even enjoyed her attention. But beyond that? Nothing. It seemed like Shagufta’s new tactic was to provoke jealousy, baiting Aanya with carefully curated posts meant to sting.
Poor girl.
If only she knew, no matter what kind of bond Aanya and Reyansh shared now, Reyansh would never step into Shagufta’s arms anytime soon. That much, Aanya was sure of. She locked her phone and left the cubicle to join Shikha.
Mishra Residence
Aanya and Shikha were welcomed by Mrs. Mishra, a gracious woman in her late forties.
She was warm, hospitable, and genuinely interested in the designs Shikha presented.
They went over multiple options, discussing layouts, colours tones, and textures.
Aanya offered subtle but effective suggestions, thoughtful touches that impressed Mrs. Mishra enough to note them for immediate implementation.
They were preparing to leave, pleased with the outcome, when the unexpected happened.
Kyle Malhotra walked in.
Both Kyle and Aanya froze, stunned at the timing and location.
“Kyle… welcome, darling! I’m so glad you came to help with the colour palettes,” Mrs. Mishra exclaimed, hugging her friend.
Kyle’s expression changed as she spotted Aanya.
“Aanya?” she said, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“You know her?” Mrs. Mishra asked curiously. “She’s got a real eye for décor.”
“I work for the décor company handling this project,” Aanya replied calmly, trying to keep her composure.
Kyle let out a disbelieving laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
Shikha sensed the shift and quietly stepped away at Aanya’s request. Mrs. Mishra excused herself to answer a call, leaving them alone.
“I never thought you’d take me seriously,” Aanya said sharply.
Kyle’s smile faded. She knew what Aanya meant.
“You took up a job?” Kyle asked. “And you didn’t even tell your father? Does Reyansh know?”
“He does,” Aanya said firmly. “And I texted Dad. He probably ignored it or maybe he was too busy to read.”
“He’s in South Africa. For the joint venture,” Kyle added.
“That explains it,” Aanya said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“He’s flying back tonight. I’ll tell him about your job.”
Aanya didn’t respond. She had no faith in Kyle’s promises.
“Better yet,” Kyle suggested, “Why don’t you both come home for dinner tonight? I’ve already invited Reyansh, but he doesn’t seem interested.”
“No, thanks. Di and Jeeju are here. We already have plans, and Reyansh is swamped with work too.”
Kyle opened her mouth to say more, but Aanya cut her off.
“I’m getting late,” she said flatly. “Bye.”
She strode out, meeting Shikha by the car. As they drove away, Kyle stood by the gates, stunned. Aanya having a job was the last thing she ever expected.
Chopra Mansion
When Aanya returned home from work, she was taken aback to find Radhika waiting with a surprise announcement.
“We’ve all been invited for dinner at Malhotra Mansion tonight,” Radhika beamed.
Aanya froze. She had already declined Kyle’s earlier invitation. And yet, Kyle had reached out to Radhika to confirm it? What game was she playing now?
“Di... I don’t think I can come,” Aanya tried, attempting to wriggle out of it again.
“Why not? Most women are desperate to visit their parents after marriage, and here you are trying to avoid them?” Radhika teased. “I get it, you love Reyansh and all of us too much to make regular trips, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit even once a month.”
Aanya sighed heavily.
“No excuses,” Radhika warned. “We’re going. That’s final. And you can’t say no to a pregnant woman’s request.”
Aanya broke into a soft laugh. “Di, that’s blackmail!”
Radhika grinned. “When you’re pregnant, make me dance to your tune. I’ll oblige. Then it’ll be fair. Happy?”
A tight twist stirred in Aanya’s stomach.
Pregnant? With Reyansh baby? Just a week ago, they had accidentally wandered into that very topic, playfully discussing what traits they’d want their kids to inherit, before snapping back to reality and the absurdity of it, given the state of their relationship.
“Someone is shy!” Radhika teased, catching her in that moment. “When are you two planning to have kids?”
Aanya rolled her eyes to mask her unease. “We haven’t really thought about it,” she replied lightly. The truth didn’t matter right now; what mattered was making Radhika happy.
“I figured. Reyansh won’t bring it up first. He’s not the type. I remember, even before my marriage, I used to organize some kids parties at home. Fifteen to twenty little kids would run around the house, and your dear husband would check himself into a hotel for the day just to avoid the chaos.”
Aanya giggled, amused and horrified at once. “That’s so uncool of him. I wonder what he’ll do when your baby arrives.”
“I wonder too,” Radhika chuckled. “Or maybe... just maybe, it’ll change him. Maybe he’ll soften.”
“I hope so,” Aanya replied, trying not to let her discomfort show.
Radhika’s face lit up with a hopeful glow. “But I can’t wait to meet Junior Reyansh or Junior Aanya.”
Aanya forced a smile, brushing away the sting in her chest.
“Well then,” she said quickly, “since I can’t say no to a pregnant woman’s command, I’d better go get dressed for dinner at Malhotra Mansion.”
“Good,” Radhika nodded. “I’ll check on Rishi. Nani won’t be joining. She has other plans. Reyansh will be coming directly from the office.”
Aanya walked toward her room. Tonight, she’d have to deal with both her father and Reyansh under one roof. Wow!
Malhotra Mansion
Anand and Kyle greeted their guests with smiles and warm welcomes.
“Aanya, my sweetheart,” Anand said, pulling her into a hug. “Kyle told me about your job.”
“I had messaged you, Dad. You didn’t check?” Aanya asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“I just returned from South Africa an hour ago,” he explained. “I didn’t even look at my Indian number. But I’m so proud of you. Truly. You’re finally taking your place in the world.”
Aanya smiled faintly, touched despite herself. At least he sounded sincere.
“That’s why I was so excited when Kyle suggested this dinner,” he added. “Where’s Reyansh?”
“He’s on his way,” Radhika answered.
“Great. Come in, come in.”
While Radhika and Rishi exchanged pleasantries with Anand and Kyle, Aanya looked around.
The house was different again. Changes everywhere.
She couldn’t help wondering was her room still hers?
Or had Kyle claimed it too? The thought was bitter.
That room had always been her escape... and Kyle had always been the one to invade it.