CHAPTER 38 #2
Aanya had tried calling Reyansh multiple times, but he never answered her calls. He was angry—rightfully so. She had snapped at him, pushed away his concern, and ignored his plea not to confront Shagufta on her own.
Now the silence from his end was unbearable. She couldn’t sleep knowing he was hurt because of her.
So, she turned to the one thing that had once brought them closer, the one method of communication that had cracked open their guarded hearts in the first place.
Emails.
She opened her laptop, poured herself a glass of water, and began to type with trembling fingers, hoping he’d still read between the lines like he used to. Hoping he’d still hear the truth in her words.
Reyansh,
You have every right to be angry with me.
I know I crossed a line tonight. I’ve always been the one who listens to you, who leans on you.
But this time, I couldn’t silence the storm inside me.
When I found out what Shagufta did… something snapped.
I lost patience. I needed to stand up to her—for us.
I don’t doubt your strength or your ability to protect what’s yours.
You’ve always shielded me, always fought my battles as if they were your own.
But for once, I wanted to protect you. I wanted to have your back.
So I did what I thought was right. I confronted her.
Told her exactly where she stood in our lives, and where she doesn’t.
If she tries anything after this, she’s all yours. But I had to show her that I’m not the same woman she thought she could manipulate anymore.
Please don’t stay angry with me. I’m already missing you more than I can handle. Every second I dream of the life we’re about to build together. And when you don’t talk to me… I feel like I can’t breathe.
Just… pick up the phone. Call me. Shout at me if you want. But talk to me, Reyansh.
Your wife,
Aanya Chopra
She hit send and stared at the screen, heart thundering in her chest. For a full hour she waited, her phone clutched in her hand, hoping his name would flash on the screen. But it didn’t.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her under. But even in her sleep, her fingers remained curled around the phone, as if still waiting for him to reach back.
Day 274
Aanya sat through the seminar at work with her eyes glued to her phone screen, pretending to take notes, but her thoughts were miles away. Reyansh still hadn’t replied to her email. No call, no message—nothing. The silence was eating her alive.
Had she hurt him that much?
She wanted to book the next flight to Cape Town, find him, and yell at him for being so damn stubborn.
They’d fought before, but it had never felt like this.
It wasn’t the arguments that scared her.
It was what came after. The cold shoulder.
The silence. And now that their marriage was finally finding its rhythm, she couldn’t let their best moments be buried under miscommunication.
He’d been making all the decisions lately, protecting her, sheltering her. But the one time she took a stand, he’d taken offense. All she wanted was for him to see her side. She didn’t expect him to agree with every decision, but he could at least acknowledge her courage to make one.
By evening, as the driver pulled up outside her office to take her home, her decision was made.
She didn’t feel like returning to Radhika’s place tonight.
What she needed was some space, and maybe a little time in the penthouse that was meant to be their home soon.
The one he had chosen for the next three months for their stay together.
Perhaps being there, even briefly, would help her reset her mood.
“Take me to the new house,” she instructed the driver. He obeyed without question.
Twenty minutes later, the car rolled to a stop outside the luxury penthouse.
She’d been there twice before during the renovation, but this time the house felt different as the moment she unlocked the door.
Because standing there, near the tall glass windows, was her husband, Reyansh Chopra, talking quietly on the phone.
Her breath caught in her throat. Was he real? Or was she imagining him again?
The sound of the door made him turn.
Their eyes met.
Ten days of separation, of missed calls and unread messages, evaporated in that one look. He ended the call and walked toward her, but she reached him first… only to stop a foot away, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“You read my email?” she whispered, trying hard not to sob.
He nodded once.
“You said all of that…but you couldn’t say one damn word.” His voice was hoarse. “ Sorry? ”
Her heart clenched. She hadn’t said it, had she? He was right.
“I am—” she began to apologize now but he cut her off.
“Holding your ears this time,” he ordered.
Damn!! Was he serious?
“Do it,” he said.
She slowly raised her hands, held her ears like a schoolgirl caught red-handed… and that’s when he pulled her in… hard . His mouth crashed onto hers. The kiss held everything…frustration, apology, longing… and love. She melted into him, arms circling his neck, lips trembling under his fierce claim.
He hadn’t come to forgive her. He had come to make sure she knew that no fight, no mistake, could break them now.
She didn’t need to regret what she had done, and he no longer expected her to apologize.
Yes, he had come here initially wanting to hear that one word— sorry —but the moment he saw her standing there with those tear-filled eyes, all his stubbornness collapsed beneath the weight of his love.
He loved her. If she made mistakes, he would take the fallout.
If she hurt him, he’d still be the one to soothe her pain.
That’s how deeply he loved her. And he knew, without a doubt, that she loved him just as fiercely in return.
The next moment, his arms slid around her waist, lifting her effortlessly.
Aanya clung to him, wrapping her legs around his torso, heart pounding wildly against his chest. They still kissed, unable to pull away.
The ache of distance. The weight of silence.
The storm of love. It all surged between them.
Neither of them said a word. They didn’t need to.
Reyansh carried her through the hallway to their bedroom and dropped her gently on the bed.
She squirmed knowing what was coming next.
She could read it in his gaze which lingered on her body like he’d been parched for days.
She reached for him before he could even step back.
His shirt came off first. Then hers. And soon all their clothes came off by their desperate, fumbling touches.
His hands worshipped her curves like he was re-learning every inch of her again, re-claiming what was already his.
Their mouths found each other, a soft moan escaping hers as he kissed her like a man starved of affection. Her skin burned beneath his touch, nerves alive, heart open.
She gasped when he moved over her, lips trailing from her collarbone to her throat, down to the valley between her breasts. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on, grounding herself in the moment, in the man who had always been hers.
Just moments ago, she had longed to hear his voice, and now, she had the privilege of making love to him again.
Of showing him just how much she had missed him during all those days apart.
Aanya shifted, rolling over and straddling him with slow, deliberate grace.
Her eyes held his as she guided herself down onto his hard, throbbing length.
Reyansh let out a low grunt, his hands gripping her hips as he watched her take control.
She winced slightly at the initial stretch, her breath catching until he was fully seated inside her…
filling her completely. Only then did he begin to move, gently at first, letting her adjust, before his rhythm grew rougher, more demanding. Gentle thrusts turned rougher.
Moans turned into loud satisfying grunts and their bodies were slick with sweat despite the chilling AC in the room.
With Aanya on top, Reyansh took full advantage of the view.
His hands roamed over her curves, caressing, fondling them and savouring every inch of her, that only heightened their pleasure.
The sight of her…head tossed back, lips parted, body trembling with pleasure, was enough to nearly undo him.
Just when her rhythm grew wild and desperate, her release so close it ached, he flipped them over, taking control.
His thrusts grew deep and purposeful. Aanya’s vision blurred as she reached her peak and the climax hit hard.
Reyansh followed moments later, burying his face in her neck as his own release tore through him.
For a long time, they stayed tangled like that…breathless, spent, and more connected than ever.
A few minutes later…
Aanya slowly opened her eyes, her senses drenched in the scent of his skin still clinging to her.
All she remembered was their hungry kisses in the living room.
Ten long days apart laced with longing, pain, and bubbling desire had led to the most unforgettable reunion.
Now, they lay tangled on the bed, wrapped around each other like a promise neither of them intended to break.
She lifted her head from his chest and found him staring blankly at the ceiling. His jaw was too tight. He was deep in thought, and that worried her.
“Still mad at me?” she asked with a soft pout.
That pulled his attention back to her. But his eyes were still clouded.
“Some things aren’t easy to forgive.”
She cupped his cheek gently.
“Just because I went to meet Shagufta without telling you?”
“No,” he said, catching her wrist and pressing a kiss to her palm. “Because you knowingly walked into danger even after I warned you.”
She looked away before he pulled her chin and made her look at him again.
“Aanya, I know you’re not the same woman you once were. You’ve grown stronger, braver and I admire that more than I can say. But strength doesn’t mean you stop needing protection. You may trust your instincts. But I trust my fear more, especially when it comes to you.”
She pouted again, lips trembling.
“Ever since you told me what Vicky did to you,” he added, voice raw, “my fear has doubled. I don’t want you to ever be near him again. I don’t want his eyes landing on you. I don’t want you in his orbit.”
Tears burned her throat.
“You didn’t risk Aanya Malhotra ,” he continued.
“You risked my wife , Aanya Chopra . And for the first time, I wasn’t just hurt, I was terrified.
I could still live without you all these days, because deep down, I believed we’d reunite soon.
But this? This felt like I could lose you.
Really lose you. And I couldn’t breathe through that fear. ”
His words shattered her. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, desperate to ease his fear, to reassure him she was right here, alive and his.
“Promise me you won’t do this again,” he whispered, his breath warming her ear.
“I promise,” she murmured, nuzzling back into his chest.
His arms tightened around her instinctively, pulling her even closer as if to confirm she was truly there…safe, warm, his . Then, slowly, he tilted his head and pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head.
They lay there for a while longer, soaking in each other’s presence until she finally squirmed breaking the quiet.
“I’m hungry,” she said.
Reyansh chuckled at her expression and slid out of bed to get dressed.
“Are we going out to eat?” she asked, watching him.
“We’re not stepping out tonight. Text Shikha you are not coming home. I’ll inform Di,” he said over his shoulder.
She didn’t argue. A cozy night with her husband was exactly what she needed.
“Then what about food?” she asked. “Should I order pasta? I know a place nearby that has amazing alfredo pasta.”
“Go ahead,” he replied, pulling open a cabinet. “While I whip up some salad for us.”
Aanya blinked. “You’re making salad? Since when do you cook?”
Reyansh leaned over her again, pinning her down with that smug smirk of his.
“Since my wife left me alone for ten days.”
She grinned and kissed his jaw. “Don’t forget to add some extra veggies. I’m starving.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he muttered with a wink before disappearing into the kitchen.