CHAPTER 22 #2
“Darling, your favourite French toast is ready,” she said, placing the plate down, only then noticing Aanya.
Their eyes met. Aanya offered her a tight smile. Whatever Kyle was, at least she loved Anand. That much, Aanya respected. If her father was happy, she was happy for him.
“Aanya?” Anand called softly. “So, what brings you here so early? Is everything alright at Chopra Mansion?”
“Yes,” Aanya replied. “Everything’s fine. Di’s heading back to California soon. And so am I.”
Anand and Kyle exchanged confused glances.
“I’ve received an onsite offer from my company. I’ll be working in California for a year. I’ve accepted it.”
“What?” Anand’s voice sharpened. “And Reyansh? He agreed to this? I can’t imagine he took it well.”
Before Aanya could respond, Kyle chimed in.
“You must’ve argued with your husband again and come here hoping we’ll fix it. We’re not getting involved, Aanya. It’s your life now.”
Aanya’s expression darkened.
“I don’t recall either of you ever caring about my relationship with him. And even if you did, it was only to keep your business alliance with the Chopras intact.”
Her sudden outpouring silenced them both.
“Anyway, I came to inform you, not ask for permission. I’m leaving, Dad. And the Chopras support my decision. I’m not running away this time.”
Anand looked unconvinced. “But what’s the point of all this? You have a husband, a home. Focus on that instead of trying to prove something.”
Aanya let out a bitter laugh.
“You’re probably the first father I’ve seen who doesn’t want his daughter to stand on her own. Lavish lifestyle, money… you think that’s enough? I needed more. I needed you.”
Her voice trembled. She hadn’t planned to say this. But now that it had begun, she couldn’t stop.
“I needed your love, your presence. I grieved for Maa. I broke when she died. And instead of helping me heal, you married again without preparing me for it. You know what I thought when you married Kyle?” She stepped closer. “I thought you were just waiting for Maa to die so you could marry again.”
Anand’s face twisted with rage. “How dare you, Aanya?”
“Yes, how dare I ?” she snapped. “But can you really blame me? I was misled by my own mind, my own heart. But it was your responsibility to show me the truth, to help me see past the grief and confusion. And you failed, Dad. You chose to pour all your love and loyalty into your new wife, and in doing so, you crushed whatever chance you had of making your daughter feel whole again.”
Kyle stood frozen beside Anand, just as speechless as her husband. But unlike him, she couldn’t hold her silence.
“Don’t act like we didn’t care,” Kyle bit back, her tone sharp and accusing. “We found you the best husband anyone could ask for. And what did you do? You ran away the next morning, making us a laughingstock.”
Aanya turned to her with a cold, hard stare.
“Oh yes… marriage,” she said with a bitter laugh.
“Let’s talk about that. Tell me something, Mrs. Kyle Malhotra, if you had a daughter who was lost and hurting, would you marry her off to a stranger just to wash your hands of her?
Is that what parenting looks like to you?
Handing her over like a burden under the excuse of culture and duty?
Because if that’s the case, I’m honestly relieved you and my father never had children together.
At least no one else had to live through the mess you two created for me. ”
“Aanya!” Kyle shrieked, her face red with outrage. She raised her hand instinctively but Aanya caught it mid-air.
“Another mistake,” Aanya said coldly. “Careful, Kyle. You’ve made enough of them already to last a lifetime.
Here’s a free advice. Don’t end up like me.
I’ve made my share too. But here’s the difference: I’m ready to own up, to take control, to grow past the wreckage.
I just wish you and Dad had the courage to do the same. ”
With one last glance at Anand, giving him a searing look that said everything she had left unsaid, Aanya turned on her heel and walked out of the house. Out of their expectations. Out of their control. Out of the wreckage of a childhood they had never once tried to mend.
“Anand... say something,” Kyle urged, breaking the heavy silence that had lingered since Aanya stormed out.
Her husband hadn’t spoken a word since. He sat still, shattered, lost in a fog of regret and revelation.
“Don’t take her words to heart. You know how she can be at times,” she added, trying to downplay the sting.
He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, his unshed tears choking him.
His daughter had just held a mirror to his face, and what he saw wasn’t easy to bear.
She had been carrying that pain, that bitterness, for years…
and he’d never noticed. Why hadn’t he read her silence?
Why hadn’t he seen the ache behind her defiance?
“She’s grown wings ever since she rejoined the Chopra family,” Kyle muttered bitterly.
“Enough,” Anand snapped, rising from the couch. “Not one more word against my daughter.”
Kyle turned to him, stunned by the sudden fury in his tone. He had never raised his voice to her like that before.
“What did I say that was so wrong, Anand? You heard what she said to us! We gave her everything she ever wanted. You fulfilled her every demand, and she still believes we abandoned her. How many times has she embarrassed us, and have we ever kept score? No! But she’s counted every misstep, judged every action that was meant for her good. ”
Anand stared at her, his eyes hollow. “And what good did we really do her, Kyle?” he asked quietly but with a burning intensity. “What benefit? Tell me.”
Kyle stood, defensive. “We did what any responsible parents would do. We educated her, gave her a comfortable life, freedom, choices. Isn’t that enough?”
He gritted his teeth, the words clawing at his throat. “It wasn’t enough. She needed me , Kyle, not just my money or my permissions. She needed her father to understand her, to guide her, to just be there. And I failed her. I pushed her aside when she needed me most.”
Kyle stiffened, her expression wounded. “So now, like she said, you think this is my fault? That I kept you from her?”
Anand didn’t raise his voice this time, but the hurt in his reply was cutting. “You didn’t stop me either. You never helped me see what I was doing wrong. You let me drift away from her while you stood by, Kyle.”
Her mouth parted, shocked at the accusation. “That’s a serious allegation, Anand.”
He rubbed his forehead, weary and overwhelmed. “Please... just leave me alone, Kyle. I need time.”
Without another word, he turned and climbed the stairs. Kyle didn’t follow. She stood in the middle of the room, motionless. Everything was perfect until Aanya’s visit had torn open every unspoken rift between them. And now, the silence that remained between husband and wife was louder than ever.