CHAPTER 21 #2
Aanya froze. It was the last thing she expected. Reyansh looked surprised too, though a part of him felt hopeful. But he knew her. She would never say yes. Not when she was already looking for an exit.
“Di…” Aanya murmured. “This is… a huge responsibility. I don’t think I can—”
“You can,” Radhika interrupted, gripping her arm. “Every woman of the house takes charge someday. Nani can’t run everything forever. Now that you’re back, I trust you and Reyansh to handle it together. Consider this my return gift.”
Aanya turned toward Reyansh. These weren’t just keys, they were responsibility. Taking them meant claiming a place in this house. A place she wasn’t sure she wanted. But Reyansh gave her a subtle nod, silently urging her to accept for now, at least.
With a hesitant breath, Aanya reached out and took the keys and forced a smile at Radhika who joyfully, hugged her.
“I have one more wish,” Radhika whispered before pulling back. “I know your thinking is different,” she began gently. “But in our tradition, a married woman wears Mangalsutra and Sindoor with pride. Before I go, I want Reyansh to adorn you with both.”
The keys clenched tightly in Aanya’s fist.
That… that was the final nail in the coffin.
Reyansh was just as stunned as Aanya upon hearing Radhika’s unexpected request, but unlike her, he didn’t see any real harm in going through with it. At least not in the moment.
“Reyansh, come here,” Radhika called out warmly.
Without hesitation, he approached his sister, who looked far too excited and ready to see this ritual unfold. She opened a small ornate box of vermillion and held it out to him.
“I wish I’d been at your wedding,” she said wistfully. “I would’ve made sure all our customs and rituals were properly followed. But never mind, we can complete them today.”
Reyansh forced a polite smile, but his gaze quickly shifted to Aanya who stood frozen in quiet distress.
Her eyes dropped to the floor, heavy with silent protest. What Radhika had asked wasn’t difficult by any means, but it meant something…
something Aanya wasn’t ready to give. Her feelings for Reyansh were too uncertain.
Their marriage might have been real on paper, but it lacked the foundation she needed to respect its symbols.
“Apply the Sindoor,” Radhika instructed firmly.
Reyansh took a small pinch between his fingers and raised it to Aanya’s forehead. Her heart fluttered as he closed the distance between them and filled her hair partition with vermillion. Aanya knew he did it more for his sister’s peace of mind than for theirs.
Radhika exhaled, pleased. “She looks so beautiful, doesn’t she?”
Reyansh swallowed the lump in his throat. And though a part of him wanted to believe this was a step forward in their story, deep down, he hated seeing Aanya so conflicted.
Then came the Mangalsutra.
Radhika placed it in Reyansh’s palm. “And now this,” she smiled. “Tie it on her.”
Now Reyansh hesitated, noticing Aanya’s face stiffen with alarm. Radhika’s cheer dulled when she noticed Aanya wasn’t responding either.
“What are you thinking so much about, Aanya?” she asked, puzzled.
“Di…” Aanya cleared her throat, her voice hoarse. “I understand your emotions, I really do. But I don’t think this is necessary. Wearing these won’t change anything. What difference does it make?”
Radhika blinked in disbelief.
“Aanya, it makes a huge difference,” she insisted. “These are symbols of your marital bond. They show the world you’re committed.”
“But the world already knows we’re married,” Aanya said sharply. “Isn’t that enough?”
Radhika let out a disappointed sigh. Nani, watching from the side, looked almost relieved. To her, Aanya’s refusal only proved she had no intention of staying in this marriage. And once Reyansh agreed to divorce, cutting ties with her would be easier.
“It’s not enough, Aanya,” Radhika argued, turning to her brother. “Reyansh… please make her understand.”
Reyansh gently placed the Mangalsutra on the side table. He didn’t need to hear more. Aanya’s reluctance had already spoken volumes.
“Whatever makes Aanya uncomfortable, I will never force it on her,” he replied sternly.
Aanya’s head lifted in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to side with her, not in front of Radhika, and not like this.
“But Reyansh,” Radhika tried again, “I’m not asking you to do anything difficult. If your marriage had followed proper rituals, all this would’ve been done long ago.”
He shook his head.
“Forcing someone to uphold traditions they don’t believe in… that’s not how I want to build a marriage. Aanya is my wife. If she doesn’t want to wear a Mangalsutra, I accept that. It doesn’t define what she means to me.”
“But—”
“This conversation ends here, Di,” he said firmly and walked away toward their room.
Aanya turned to Radhika, her expression apologetic and conflicted.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Di,” she said gently, holding her hand.
Radhika nodded, her pain thinly veiled. “It’s alright, Aanya. The fault is mine. I shouldn’t have put you both in this situation without asking first. I just thought… you’d both be comfortable with it. I was wrong.”
“Are you angry with me?” Aanya asked hesitantly.
“Just a little hurt,” Radhika admitted. “Not angry. You and Reyansh are both dear to me. But I won’t impose my beliefs on you again. I promise.”
Aanya had no words. She simply hugged Radhika, trying to make amends with her silence, then turned to leave the room.
Rishi joined his wife and held her gently. “Radhika,” he murmured, “I told you to check with them first. Now you’ve upset them both and yourself.”
Radhika pouted, sighing against his chest. “I didn’t think they’d refuse, Rishi.”
“It’s alright,” he said, soothing her. “Give them time. One day they’ll come around and when they do, they’ll fulfil every tradition with open hearts.”
“I hope so,” Radhika whispered, clinging to the hope that her brother’s marriage wasn’t as broken as it seemed.
*****************
Reyansh had been quietly waiting for Aanya to return in the room and when she did, he didn’t waste a single second to speak.
“You wanted to have a serious talk with me?” he asked.
“Yes,” Aanya replied. “And it can’t wait.” She gestured sharply toward her forehead. “Not after this.”
His eyes followed her hand, landing on the vermillion he had placed in her hairline.
“Everything happened so fast,” he murmured, his voice almost apologetic. “I failed to read your reaction. I didn’t think you’d have a problem with it.”
Aanya stared at him, stunned. “This carries a lot of weight, Reyansh. And I’m not ready for it.”
He nodded stiffly. “Heard it. Loud and clear.”
She inhaled deeply, her pulse thudding at the sudden change in his tone. Still, she had to say it.
“I’ll move out after Di leaves.”
He swallowed, but gave no visible reaction.
“I don’t know where I’ll go, but it definitely won’t be my father’s house. I’ll find my own place, and you don’t need to worry about that either.”
Still no reply.
“And the keys…Nani will be more than happy to take them back from me. She’s the one who deserves them, not me.”
His eyes locked with hers, blazing now. Aanya felt the heat of his growing temper.
“I know Di will still want to keep in touch, but we can do that separately,” she added. “When she calls, I’ll tell her you’re busy… or something. We can manage it.”
Was she telling that to him or herself? She couldn’t even tell anymore. None of this felt like a discussion. She was rattling off decisions and he remained infuriatingly silent.
“And when the baby is born, and Di is out of any danger, we’ll tell her it didn’t work. She’ll be hurt… but she’ll understand. Eventually.” Her voice cracked. “This whole arrangement was always temporary, Reyansh. It wasn’t supposed to last.”
He finally spoke. “There’s another option. One where no one has to get hurt.”
Aanya froze as he moved closer.
“And it lies entirely in your hands, Aanya.”
She blinked. “My hands? How?”
“Give me one chance,” he whispered. “Let me set this right. Let me prove that I can be the man you deserve. Let me show you what love, what marriage, could really mean. Let me woo you.”
His voice struck her like a thunderclap.
“You can stay here,” he continued. “I don’t care about the keys. Give them to Nani if you want. Stay focused on your career too, I won’t interfere. I’ll respect your space, your goals. All I ask… is that you stay. Here. With me .”
Aanya shook her head. “What are you proposing to me again? Another deal? A performance to fool everyone into thinking we’re some picture-perfect couple?”
She stepped back. “No, Reyansh. I can’t live under that pressure. If I stay here, I’ll constantly feel your eyes on me, trying, hoping. And every time you’re kind to me, I’ll question your motives. I can’t live like that. I can’t focus on my career.”
He scowled. “Aanya, marriage and career are two separate things. They can coexist.”
“Not in our case,” she countered. “My only focus now is standing on my own feet. That’s it.”
His expression hardened and then without warning, and before she could react, he wiped the vermillion from her hairline partition with a swift, stinging motion.
“Fine,” he said, voice like ice. “You’re free now. Do whatever you like. You have my best wishes.”
And just like that, he walked away, leaving her shaken.
She reached up and touched her now-bare forehead, the ghost of the sindoor still tingling on her skin.
How could one man be so calm and yet so volatile in the same breath?
He was clearly wounded, and she had no power or right to soothe that kind of pain.
*******************
The next day at work, Aanya couldn’t focus for even a moment.
A dull, persistent headache from the night before throbbed behind her eyes.
Reyansh hadn’t returned to their room after their argument, and though she hadn’t seen him, one of the house help had mentioned he’d slept in the drawing room. Alone. Angry.
She had stood her ground but had she been too harsh? Too self-centred? Was she being selfish again, prioritizing her dreams and boundaries over the man who, for once, might truly want her?
But then... when had anyone truly prioritized her? Her father hadn’t. Reyansh hadn’t either, not when it mattered the most. They claimed to care, they claimed to love her, but neither could shield her from the crushing loneliness that had shaped her for years.
So no, this wasn’t selfishness. This was self-preservation. It was finally time they tasted the consequences of leaving her alone in a world they claimed to share.
“Aanya?” Prem’s voice snapped her out of her daze.
She looked up.
“I have something important to share.”
She immediately sensed it was something big.
And when he told her, her eyes lit up.
“What? Really? This is happening?”
“It’s confirmed,” Prem replied with a smile. “You’ll get the official email soon. If you accept, we’ll begin your work visa process.”
“I accept,” she said without hesitation, her voice rising with disbelief and excitement. “Of course, I do.”
Prem looked at her carefully. “Don’t you want to discuss this with your family first?”
Family . The word caught her off guard. She had one now. A husband. A home. And yet, decision-making still felt like a solo endeavour, just like it always had.
“I mean…I’ll talk to them tonight. When do you need confirmation?”
“By tomorrow.”
“Done.”
She leaned back in her chair, a thousand thoughts rushing through her mind. It was the perfect opportunity—freedom, growth, a clean break. But why, then, did her heart feel so unbearably heavy?
Chopra Mansion
“What? In California?” Radhika gasped.
“Yes, Di,” Aanya said, her excitement bubbling over. “My boss wants me to assist the team there. There’s a huge project, and they’re short on interior designers. Shikha and I are both asked for relocation.”
Radhika beamed with pride. “That’s incredible! When do you leave?”
“Next week,” Aanya replied. “It’s a year-long project. I can’t wait.”
For a woman who once floated through life aimlessly, this felt monumental. Radhika could see it in her eyes.
But then Radhika was suddenly sad. “And what about Reyansh?”
Aanya’s smile faltered.
“To work there for an entire year… you’ll have to leave him behind. Are you willing to do that?”
Aanya’s heart stilled. Of course, she’d already planned to leave once Radhika returned to California. And Reyansh, after everything that happened wouldn’t stop her. But then… why did the thought of leaving feel like something inside her was cracking?
And why was it that when she had finally earned her wings, it suddenly hurt so much to fly?