Chapter 19
Armaan
I was holding my life in my arms.
The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the bedroom. Viya was curled against my side, her head resting on my chest, her hand placed directly over my heart as though she was claiming it as her own.
She could have it. She already owned it anyway.
I had slept better last night than I had in years. Maybe ever. There was something about having her in my arms, feeling her breathing sync with mine, knowing she was safe and close and mine, that quieted every restless thought in my head.
For the first time in a month, I had not woken up at three in the morning replaying that scene at the party. Had not tortured myself with images of Puneet's hand on her waist. Had not ached with the emptiness of sleeping in a bed that should have had her in it.
Because she was here now. Finally. Where she belonged.
After a month of separation, of deliberately putting an ocean between us, of forcing myself not to call or text or give in to the desperate need to hear her voice, I had realized something fundamental.
I was in love with my wife.
Not the shallow attraction I had felt for Avija. Not the convenient affection or the practical compatibility. This was something else entirely. Something deeper and more consuming and infinitely more terrifying.
This was real love. True love. The kind of love that my father had felt for my mother. The kind that destroyed you when you lost it.
The kind that would make me destroy anyone who tried to come between us.
Our marriage might have started as a convenience, a one year arrangement to satisfy astrological prophecies and family obligations. But I knew with absolute certainty that this would last far beyond that arbitrary deadline.
This would last until I took my last breath. And if there was anything beyond that, it would last there too.
I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. She hummed contentedly in her sleep and nuzzled closer against my chest, her arm tightening around my waist.
Perfect. She was absolutely perfect.
I must have been staring too intently, because after a moment, she stirred. Her head lifted slightly, and sleepy eyes blinked open to look at me.
"Good morning," I said, unable to keep the smile off my face.
"Good morning," she murmured back, her voice still rough with sleep.
She was breathtaking like this. Hair mussed from sleep, face free of makeup, wearing nothing. This was Viya in her most natural state, and I wanted to wake up to this sight every single day for the rest of my life.
She started to sit up, clearly intending to get out of bed.
Not a chance.
I tightened my arm around her and pulled her back down against me.
"Where do you think you are going?"
She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes, now more alert.
"I am not the one going anywhere. You are the one who needs to leave. It is morning, and Akshita might come knocking on my door any moment to get me for breakfast."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
"So?" She looked at me like I was being deliberately obtuse. "If she sees you here, she will ask questions."
"Then I will answer them. I will tell her I am your husband and I have every right to be in your room."
"Armaan!" She sat up properly now, her expression shifting to something between amusement and exasperation. "Akshita will tell this to the whole world. You know how office gossip spreads."
I shrugged, completely unbothered by the prospect.
"Let her tell. Or better yet, I will tell everyone myself. Why wait?"
Viya's hand came to rest on my chest, right over my heart.
"Not like this. Please. If people find out this way, they will think I trapped you. That I seduced the CEO to secure my position at the company. Do you know what kind of rumors that will start?"
The concern in her voice was genuine. She was worried about her reputation. About being judged and gossiped about.
I understood her concern, but the possessive part of me wanted everyone to know immediately. Wanted every man in that office to understand that she was taken. That she was mine.
"Yes, you did trap me, darling," I said with a teasing grin. "Completely and thoroughly."
She swatted at my chest playfully, a smile tugging at her lips despite her attempt to look stern.
Before she could say anything else, I rolled over, pressing her down into the pillows and capturing her mouth with mine. She made a soft sound of surprise that quickly turned into something else entirely as she kissed me back.
God, I would never get tired of kissing her. Never get tired of the way she responded to me. Never get tired of the small sounds she made when I touched her.
I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding up to cup her face. Her arms came around my neck, pulling me closer, and I could feel her heart racing against my chest.
Eventually, she started tapping my shoulder insistently. I pulled back to find her gasping for breath, her lips swollen and her cheeks flushed.
"I need to breathe, Armaan," she said between gasps, but she was smiling.
I pressed one more quick kiss to her lips, then forced myself to move away before I lost all sense of time and responsibility.
"Fine. I will go." I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. "But you need to be ready at exactly eight o'clock tonight."
She propped herself up on her elbows, looking curious.
"Why? What is happening at eight?"
"I am taking you out to dinner."
Her face lit up with a smile that made my chest feel tight.
"Really?"
"Really. So attend all your meetings and training sessions like a good employee. But be ready by eight. Sharp."
"Okay," she agreed, still smiling.
I got up and began gathering my scattered clothes from where they had been discarded last night. As I dressed, I could feel her watching me. When I glanced over, she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning pink.
I chuckled and walked back to the bed. Leaning down, I kissed her one more time, slow and deep, trying to memorize the taste of her.
"I will see you tonight," I murmured against her lips.
Then I forced myself to leave before I changed my mind and crawled back into bed with her.
I made my way back to my own suite, checking the hallway to make sure no early risers would see me emerging from Viya's room. The last thing I wanted was to cause problems for her, even though every instinct in me wanted to claim her publicly.
Once in my own room, I headed straight for the shower. The hot water helped clear my head and focus my thoughts on the day ahead.
I had meetings scheduled with Mr. Tanaka and the rest of the Japanese executives. Contract details to finalize. Terms to negotiate. Important business that required my full attention.
But my mind kept drifting back to Viya. To the way she had looked sleeping in my arms. To the sound of her saying my name. To the plans I was already making for tonight.
I got dressed in a fresh suit and spent the rest of the morning working through emails and conference calls. Around noon, I met with Mr. Tanaka and his team at their corporate office.
The discussions went well. We hammered out the final details of the collaboration, agreed on timelines and deliverables, discussed the training schedule for the development team.
But through it all, part of my mind was occupied with planning the evening.
I made several phone calls during breaks. Called the best restaurant in Tokyo and made special arrangements. Called my assistant back in India to handle some other details. Made sure everything would be perfect.
By the time I returned to the hotel around seven in the evening, I was satisfied that everything was in place.
I showered again and changed into more casual clothes. Dark jeans, a fitted black shirt, no tie. Tonight was not about business or formality. Tonight was about my wife.
At seven forty five, I called Viya's room.
She picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"I will be waiting in the lobby at eight."
"No!" She said it so quickly and firmly that I almost laughed. "Do not wait in the lobby. Somebody might see us together. Can you wait outside? On the road?"
I frowned.
"Viya, I am not lurking on the street like I am doing something wrong."
"Please, Armaan. Just for tonight. I promise we will figure out a better way to handle this, but for now, please?"
The pleading in her voice got to me. This woman could make me agree to anything. Absolutely anything.
"Fine," I sighed. "I will wait outside in the car."
"Thank you. I will be down in ten minutes."
I hung up and shook my head with a smile. She was going to be the death of me.
I took the elevator down to the parking garage and got into the rental car I had been using during my stay. I drove out and parked along the street just outside the hotel entrance, where I had a clear view of the doors.
Eight o'clock came and went. Then eight oh five.
I was about to call her when I saw her emerge from the hotel.
My breath caught.
She was wearing a white dress. Short, showing off her legs, fitted perfectly to her curves. Her hair was loose and flowing around her shoulders. She had done her makeup subtly but beautifully.
She looked stunning.
She also looked around nervously before spotting my car and hurrying over. She slipped into the passenger seat and immediately leaned over to kiss my cheek.
"Sorry I am a little late. I could not decide what to wear."
I could not stop staring at her.
"You look beautiful."
She blushed, that pretty pink color spreading across her cheeks.
"Thank you. You look very handsome too."
I forced myself to focus on driving before I decided to cancel dinner and take her straight back to her room. Or mine. Either would work.
The restaurant I had chosen was about twenty minutes away, right on the coast. As we drove, Viya chatted about her day. About the training sessions and the Japanese technology they were learning. About Akshita's excitement over everything.
I listened and responded, but mostly I just enjoyed hearing her voice. Enjoyed having her beside me. Enjoyed this normalcy that felt anything but normal.
When we pulled up to the restaurant, Viya looked around in confusion.
"Why is the parking lot so empty? Is the restaurant closed?"
I smiled as I got out and walked around to open her door.
"No. It is open. Just for us."
Her eyes went wide.
"What do you mean just for us?"
"I mean I booked the entire restaurant. And the beach access behind it. It is completely private for the evening."
She stared at me like I had lost my mind.
"You booked the entire restaurant? And the beach? Armaan, that is insane. That must have cost a fortune."
I took her hand and pulled her close.
"You are worth a fortune. You are worth everything."
Her expression softened, and she looked up at me with so much emotion in her eyes that I had to kiss her right there in the parking lot.
When we finally pulled apart, I led her inside the restaurant.
The place was beautiful. Traditional Japanese architecture with modern touches. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. Soft lighting from paper lanterns. A single table set up near the windows with candles and flowers.
I pulled out her chair, and she sat down, still looking overwhelmed by the whole thing.
A waitress appeared, the only staff member present for the evening. She bowed politely and served us the first course. The best sushi in Tokyo, prepared by a master chef who I had specifically requested.
After serving us, the waitress bowed again and left us completely alone.
Viya picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the sushi. Her eyes closed in appreciation.
"This is incredible."
"Only the best for you."
We ate in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the food and each other's company. The ocean was visible through the windows, waves rolling gently against the shore.
Then Viya set down her chopsticks and looked at me with serious eyes.
"Armaan, can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why did you not call me? In the entire month you were here. You did not call once. Not even a message. Did you not miss me? Not even for a second?"
The pain in her voice cut through me like a knife.
I wanted to tell her everything. The whole truth about why I had married her. About Avija and the prophecy and the arrangement. About how this marriage was supposed to be temporary but had become the most permanent thing in my life.
But I could not. Not yet.
I needed to deal with Avija first. Needed to officially end whatever she thought still existed between us. Needed to make it clear that I was completely and irrevocably committed to Viya.
Then I would tell Viya the whole truth. Even if it meant risking her anger and hurt. Even if it meant she might never forgive me.
But tonight was not that night.
"I was testing something," I said, keeping my voice light even though guilt was gnawing at my insides.
"Testing what?"
"Testing if you would miss me enough to call. To reach out first."
She looked down at her plate, and I saw her throat work as she swallowed.
"And sadly, you did not," I continued. "Not once."
Her head snapped up.
"That is not fair. I wanted to call you every single day. I picked up the phone so many times. But I thought you did not want to hear from me. I thought you were angry with me."
"Did you miss me?" I asked softly.
"Yes," she said immediately, her voice almost breaking. "All the time. Every moment. I missed you so much I could barely function."
The honesty in her words, the raw emotion, made my chest tighten.
I reached across the table and took her hand.
"I missed you too. More than you know."
She squeezed my hand, and I saw tears gathering in her eyes.
For the next hour, she told me about her month. About taking care of Dadi. About her projects at work. About the loneliness that had consumed her. About how the bed felt too big and too empty without me in it.
And I listened to every word, hating myself a little more with each story about her suffering while I was stubbornly staying away.
Finally, we finished dinner. The waitress cleared our plates and then left us completely alone again.
Viya stood up and walked to the windows, looking out at the beach.
"Can we walk out there?" she asked, turning back to look at me.
"It is all yours. You can do anything you want there."
Her face lit up with joy. She immediately bent down and slipped off her heels, holding them in one hand.
Then she ran.
Actually ran out of the restaurant and down the steps to the beach, laughing like a child.
I followed at a more sedate pace, watching her with a smile I could not have wiped off my face if I tried.
She was dancing in the sand, twirling in her white dress, her hair flying around her in the ocean breeze.
She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
And she was mine.
Completely, irrevocably, eternally mine.