Epilogue
Six Months Later
Ananya
I took a sip of my chai. Ah. My eyes slid shut. It was not quite like Maa’s, but I was getting close.
The Mumbai skyline was bathed in a soft gold light, making its usual chaos appear serene.
I’d seen countless sunsets from Jai’s apartment, and each time, they took my breath away.
Jai sat on the chair next to me, tracing lazy circles on my feet that rested on his knees as he read one of our suppliers’ contracts.
Despite this perfect set-up, I was unable to enjoy it. I put the cup down and groaned. ‘Why is this so hard?’
For the past six months, Jai and I had poured our hearts and souls into our venture.
Jai’s insights into everything business-related proved invaluable. There was so much to starting your own fashion house – from getting investors to setting up a factory to planning a launch party – that I had no idea about.
Jai funded most of the seed investment himself.
The only other investors in the company were Harish uncle and Arjun.
I also contributed a small amount from my steadily growing stream of gigs, much to Jai’s protests (I wanted to bring something to the table beyond my design skills).
Retaining a controlling share of the company and having trusted investors was incredibly important to him because only that could protect his vision for the company and its soul.
We saw eye-to-eye on almost everything. The only things we couldn’t settle on were the company name and the guest list for the launch party.
We’d registered the business under the name Advaya. It meant one of a kind and was a mix of both our names. But we no longer resonated with it, and if we wanted to change it, we had to do so before we sent out the invites.
‘What is?’
‘ChatGPT is useless. I can’t find a single name I like.’
‘I had an idea.’ He took a sip of his chai and put the cup down. ‘We should name it Ananya Tripathi.’
I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a hand.
‘Before you say anything, just hear me out,’ he said.
‘Our vision for this company is to give artisans the recognition they deserve. And you are the heart and soul of this company, Ananya. If we don’t even start with giving you the credit you deserve, then we might as well be like any other fashion house. ’
‘You deserve credit too, Jai. I’ve been able to focus on designing and creating the outfits because you’re taking care of the business side. We’re equal partners, and both of us deserve to have our names on the door.’
‘Partnership doesn’t mean symmetry. You are the face of what we’re building, and the name should reflect that,’ he murmured. ‘Ananya Tripathi is perfect for us.’
I should’ve argued more. But hearing my name from his lips, spoken like a promise, and that soft yet determined look on his face, filled me with a brightness and ease.
‘Okay,’ I whispered. ‘Ananya Tripathi, it is.’
He pressed a soft, melting kiss to my lips before handing me my notepad. ‘Now let’s finalise the guest list.’
We were inviting 150 people, out of which 20 would be friends and family. We split that number down the middle between us.
‘Yeah, about that ...’ I bit down on my lip. ‘Can I please invite more people? Even if I just invite my close family and Rhea, it’s going to be twelve people. There is no way I can bring this number down to ten.’
‘I’m not close to my extended family. I can take them off the list. The only people I care about being there are my friends and Harish uncle. With my family, we’re six people,’ Jai said, slipping into problem-solving mode.
‘And are you sure you’re okay with so few guests of your own?’ I asked. It was unfair, but if he offered it, he meant it.
‘Absolutely.’
‘Thank you.’ I blew him a kiss. ‘Oh, and um, Rekha called earlier when you were in the shower. Asked if I could make her a sari for the event. She wanted to support us and thought the launch would be the perfect time to do it.’
Jai’s eyebrow shot up.
I’d been just as surprised as he was to see her incoming call. Even more so when she made the request.
After our conversation all those months ago, Jai dropped the lawsuit, and his father managed to revive Rivaayat.
Between that and Lehenga Bazaar’s compensation, Sharanji was ecstatic. He had withdrawn his own lawsuit and forgiven us, too. The family was coming to the launch as well.
The conversation was also a turning point in Jai’s relationship with his family.
Vikram uncle had been making a genuine effort to mend his relationship with Jai. It started stiff and awkward, but was slowly growing into something I knew both of them cherished.
A week after that evening, Ayaan asked Jai out for some drinks. I didn’t know the details of the conversation, but Jai looked lighter – happier, even – when he returned. Ayaan had also started taking his role at HoA seriously now, much to everyone’s delight.
His – our – relationship with Rekha remained largely superficial. We were polite in public and maintained a safe distance otherwise. But she did seem to be nicer, almost … warmer with us. But this call still came out of nowhere.
Jai took a sip of his chai. ‘What do you think?’
‘I said yes,’ I murmured. ‘She’s always going to be a part of our lives. I don’t want to go out of my way to include her in ours, but I want to be … amicable.’
‘I had similar thoughts,’ he said, putting his cup down. ‘I was also thinking …’ his eyes glinted as he rubbed his hands. ‘Since your family will be coming into town, we’re in a great place and going into business together … this is a perfect opportunity for me to meet them.’
A quick thrill rippled through me at once.
Maa had sent a few marriage bio-datas, but I’d made excuses and rejected them. Each time, Jai had nodded with a similar glint in his eye and made no comments. This was the first time he had said anything about taking a concrete step forward.
And this wasn’t just a step – it was a leap.
‘As a …?’
‘Your boyfriend.’
I swallowed. ‘Jai, where I come from … there are no boyfriends. If we tell my family we love each other, they will start planning our wedding.’
His hand captured mine. ‘I’m aware.’
Everything in me softened under his look.
‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Ananya. And I want it to start as soon as possible.’
‘There is nothing more I want in this world.’
He smiled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss on my lips. ‘This isn’t your proposal, by the way. You deserve a ring and romance. And I want to ask your dad for permission to marry you first – I’m old-fashioned that way.’
‘Have I told you that you’re perfect?’
‘You deserve nothing less.’ His eyes burned into me. A deep pull anchored itself within me, inevitably drawing me towards him.
‘Come here,’ he said, his voice rough. His hands found my waist, lifting me effortlessly into his lap.
His arms wrapped around me as he kissed the side of my neck and breathed me in. His lips brushed my skin again, his hand slipping inside his shirt I had on, massaging the soft flesh of my thigh.
‘Jai …’ My voice was half-whisper, half-plea.
‘You have no idea what you do to me, Ananya,’ he rasped.
I turned in his arms to face him, my knees bracketing his thighs. Golden light fell across his face, turning his eyes into pools of amber.
I leaned in and kissed him, slow and deep. His fingers threaded through my hair. The kiss was unhurried and tender. A promise and a confession.
When we broke apart, our foreheads rested against each other’s, breaths uneven. His thumb traced the corner of my mouth. ‘I love you.’
A tingle slipped down my spine. I was full to the brim with everything I felt for him. Even after all the chaos and the heartbreak, he loved me.
‘Jai,’ I whispered, my voice trembling. ‘I love you too.’
His mouth was on mine again – deeper, firmer this time. I melted.
The sun dipped below the horizon. With Jai’s lips on mine, his heartbeat under my palm and his arms around me, everything was right in the world.