CHAPTER 30 #2
“She kept me distracted,” Anand argued. “She knew I was neglecting you, and she did nothing. I wanted her to be your mother. But she only ever tried to be my wife. And in doing so, she left you out.”
“No one can replace Maa in my life. And I never expected Kyle to. But she loves you, Dad. You two have shared more than a decade together. Just because you’ve finally acknowledged your mistakes with me doesn’t mean Kyle should bear the consequences.
She stood by you through it all. That counts for something, and you can’t just ignore it. ”
Anand’s jaw tightened. “I came here to see you, Aanya. To talk about you. Let’s not discuss the divorce.”
She reached for his hand.
“Dad, Reyansh and I made the same mistake…walking away without trying hard enough. We were immature, and we nearly lost something precious. But we got another chance. And now, we’re learning how lucky we are to have it.
You regret pushing me away. Don’t add another regret by pushing Kyle out of your life.
Save your marriage, Dad. Kyle may not have been the mother I needed, but she was a good wife to you.
She loves you. And I know deep down, you still love her too.
Don’t punish her just because she didn’t know how to love me. ”
He didn’t reply but his silence told her everything.
He wasn’t ready to listen.
And Aanya knew she would have to find another way.
*****************
Anand returned to the hotel after spending a little more time with Aanya, leaving her with a heavy heart and unanswered questions. As promised, Reyansh arrived that evening to pick her up for dinner. They didn’t say much during the drive.
At the restaurant, after placing their order, Aanya slowly began opening up.
She recounted her conversation with her father earlier that day…
every detail, every emotion. Reyansh listened quietly, not interrupting once.
His expression remained calm, but inside, he ached for her.
He hated that her efforts to convince her father hadn’t worked.
He wished there was something more he could do, some other way to ease her burden.
“Kyle is my last hope now,” she added quietly. “I’m going to speak to her tomorrow.”
Reyansh gave a soft nod, still silent. Aanya suddenly realized she’d been dominating the conversation.
“What am I doing?” she asked, guilt creeping into her voice. “You’re leaving tomorrow… we just met after six months… and I’m sitting here dumping all my family drama on you instead of talking about us . I’m sorry.”
She looked down, embarrassed. But Reyansh reached across the table, took her hand in his, and gently lifted her chin until their eyes met.
“You’re here with me. I can see you. Hear your voice. That’s all that matters,” he replied.
Once again, he’d said the exact thing her heart needed.
“Where were you hiding all these good husband traits all these years?” she teased.
“In the same place you hid your real self, Aanya.”
She blinked hard trying to process his words.
“You’ve always been this thoughtful… this mature. You just hid it under indifference and sarcasm because you didn’t get the love you deserved. You built a wall. And now… now I’m sitting across from a woman who is confident, selfless, and kind. I can’t believe I married this version of you.”
Her heart swelled. Sitting across from her husband, she saw the man he had become. Reyansh had made mistakes, yes. But he’d owned them. He hadn’t just apologized; he had changed. Grown. Fought for something real.
If their relationship had any future at all, it was because he had made the effort.
And what moved her the most was that he had never once asked in the last six months if she wanted to continue this marriage, if she’d ever love him. He hadn’t pushed or begged. Instead, he had simply shown up…day by day, word by word, email by email…and let his actions speak.
The emails, the longing, the tenderness… It all made sense now. Everything between them had grown, even without them realizing it.
Neither of them noticed how long they had been gazing at each other until the waiter returned.
“Would you like to order some dessert, sir?” the waiter asked politely.
When Aanya shook in denial, Reyansh reached for his card. “Just the bill, please.”
The waiter nodded and walked away.
Aanya let out a small sigh. The evening was drawing to a close. It was late, and reality was waiting outside. Reyansh settled the bill, and they stepped out into the cool night air.
As they reached the car, Aanya instinctively slipped her fingers between his, locking their hands together. Reyansh stopped. The disappointment on her face was clear. She didn’t want the night to end. He knew it. He felt it too.
He was supposed to drive her back to her apartment, return to the hotel, and catch his flight to Cape Town in the morning. But something inside him refused to let this night end so easily.
He leaned in slightly to finally ask her.
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
Aanya froze for half a second, her breath catching in her throat. But she didn’t look away.
“I was waiting for you to ask me that,” she replied softly.
Reyansh didn’t waste a second. He opened the car door, for her and she slid in silently. Without another word, he started the engine and drove them toward Hotel Goldman.
Whatever the night held, they were ready to find out together.