Chapter 4
Reyansh
I did it. Finally!
Aditi Raina.
The girl who has captured my heart for the past two years.
I’ve known her for nearly a decade, as Amyra’s cousin, the one who calls the majestic Bajaj Mansion her home, ever since that tragic day when fate stole her parents away in a cruel car accident.
I witnessed how the Bajajs opened their arms to her, enveloping her in warmth, treating her like one of their own.
For a long time, my interactions with Aditi were nothing more than fleeting moments, brief smiles, awkward nods exchanged across crowded rooms. I barely registered her presence…
until everything changed in these last two years.
Slowly, like the dawn breaking over a long night, I began to see her in a new light.
My gaze instinctively sought her out every time I visited the mansion.
And when she appeared, it felt like the world faded around me; I couldn’t look away.
It was as if she held a magnetic pull on my heart.
Eventually, I recognized that my feelings had deepened into something more profound: a yearning to spend time with her, to unravel the layers of her personality, to truly get to know her.
I wanted to date her, to explore the potential for something beautiful between us.
But I didn’t want to rush. When I first acknowledged my feelings, I was in my final year of post-graduate studies, and she was in the middle of her graduation.
Patience was my ally, and I resolved to wait for the right moment; distractions were not an option.
Her final semester starts next week, and while I had planned to keep my distance a little longer, the pull to express my feelings had become unbearable.
The urge to tell her, to ask her out, surged through me like electricity.
Moreover, I didn’t want her burdened by the secrecy of our feelings, hiding them from her family. So, I decided to seek both her and her family’s blessing. That way, we wouldn’t have to navigate the treacherous waters of secrecy. And now… here we are.
Wait. Why is there an eerie silence?
I shake off my daydream and lift my gaze, catching the collective stare of my family: flabbergasted, petrified, utterly shocked. I know this is sudden, but…
“Guys!” I murmur, desperate for a reaction, but they remain dumbstruck.
Finally, I focus on the girl I’ve longed to claim as mine and see her fidgeting nervously with her hands, the familiar gesture she exhibits whenever she feels anxious. Aditi seems a universe away, her expression impossible to decipher with Amyra seated between us.
I need to bridge this distance. I rise swiftly and take the seat directly opposite her, landing beside my parents. I scan the tense faces around me, feeling the weight of their expectations as I settle into my space.
“I just announced something important! I like Aditi, and I want to date her to explore the possibility of something we can cherish forever.” I emphasize this point, my voice steady, even as my heart races. I catch a faint sigh from my mom beside me.
“Since when has this been happening?” Finally, a question emerges, breaking the stillness, and it’s from my father, his tone sounding surprisingly inquisitive.
“Two years.”
“Why did you keep it hidden until now?” Amyra's Dad, Harshavardan Uncle, follows up with another question, his brow arched.
“I was waiting for the right moment, and now that we’re both nearing the end of our studies, I thought it was time to reveal it.” My eyes dart to Aditi again, who still wears a blank expression, her features unmoving.
“Isn’t this a bit much for a public announcement?” The next question comes from Amyra's Mom, Neelima Aunty, her voice tinged with agitation.
“I actually considered asking her out in private,” I explain, “but since we don’t keep secrets in this family and given how supportive you’ve always been.
I thought a public declaration was best. I’ll respect whatever decision you or Aditi make.
” I stress the last part, hoping to alleviate any pressure Aditi might feel from my proposal.
I’m braced for any answer she offers. I just… I couldn’t keep my feelings bottled up any longer. That’s why I had to say it, here, in front of my family.
“Reyansh!” A strong, commanding voice pulls my attention back to reality.
“Mom?”
“Don’t you think you’ve forgotten something important?” Her thick, serious tone matches the intensity of her expression, making my eyebrows knit in confusion. What am I forgetting?
“Can you elaborate, Mom?”
“Your promise.” She utters, her jaw clenched with barely contained frustration.
My eyes widen at her words, shockwaves of memory flooding my mind. Bits and pieces of a long-forgotten day resurface when I stumbled over my own words in a fit of adolescent blabbering. God… why did I ever say that? And why is my mom taking it so seriously?
My youthful, innocent ramblings suddenly feel like they are about to haunt me.
“If that makes me stay with my best friend forever, then yes, I will marry Ames one day.”
“Are you seriously clinging to that silly, childish blabbering I made when I was fourteen? It was just a mistake and a careless string of words. Isn’t it, Mom?” I groan, heat bubbling up in my chest.
“So you randomly make a promise and then nullify it, calling it a mistake now?” My father’s voice rises, and I can already see where this is heading.
“Dad! How can you call it a promise? It wasn’t intentional.
I knew nothing back then. I only wanted to be with my best friend forever.
I’ve learned that you can still stay close with your best friend without needing anything more.
I never thought you’d still remember that.
” I let out a dry chuckle and glanced at Amyra, stiff in her seat.
“But it’s still a promise, Reyansh,” Harsha Uncle points out, and I feel the urge to bang my head against the nearest wall.
“And we’ve been doting on it for years,” Neelima Aunty adds, only deepening my frustration.
Wait! Are the elders serious about my childhood blabbering and nourishing an idea that one day Amyra and I would marry? Can’t they see we never had such a feeling between us, and we always behave as two true good friends? Why don’t they check up with Amyra herself?
“I don’t know why no one understands that Amyra and I never felt anything but pure friendship, just like Dad and Uncle. You can ask her yourself.” My voice strains as everyone’s gaze swings to Amyra.
“Amyra? Do you have something to say?” my father presses, and the room falls into pin-drop silence.
“Princess, don’t hesitate to tell the truth. Do you have something to add?” Neelima Aunty prompts while my mom keeps nodding.
Why is everyone acting as if Amyra’s been secretly in love with me for years? Gosh. It’s such an insult to our friendship.
My heart lifts when Amyra shakes her head, a clear ‘no’, and relief washes over me.
Wait! Why does she look distressed and unhappy? Or am I just imagining things? Maybe she’s just shaken by hearing her own family twist our friendship into something else.
“Then it’s decided,” Harsha Uncle says, standing abruptly. “If Aditi is okay with your proposal, you can go ahead. We have nothing more to say. We’ll leave it to our younger daughter.” Everyone rises with him.
“Aditi? What do you think? Do you feel the same way as Reyansh does? ” My father’s voice booms momentarily.
“Dad! This meeting is just for me to announce my feelings, but not for her to answer on the spot. I’ll wait for her decision.” I reply quickly, noticing Aditi’s face growing nervous.
“Never knew you’d grown so mature, Reyansh. We’ll remember this for a long time,” Mom says, her voice heavy, disappointment shadowing her face.
One by one, everyone leaves the hall except me, Aditi, and Amyra.
They take the stairs to the first floor, probably for a long discussion, but I don’t care.
The elders might feel betrayed or displeased about my forgotten promise now, but they’ll understand with time.
We can’t ruin lives over a foolish promise.
I slowly walk toward Aditi, stopping just inches away, close enough for her to hear me.
“Aditi! This is just me confessing my feelings, and I’ll respect whatever you decide. Just…think about it.” I assure her, my voice steady with sincerity, and for the first time this evening, I catch her gaze meeting mine.
“I have my final semester next week,” she finally replies, and a gentle smile tugs at my lips.
“I know. Focus on preparing for it, and let me know your answer afterwards. I’ll wait. All the best,” I say softly, letting warmth and patience coat my soft and determined tone.
“Okay. I will–”
“Wait, where is Amyra?” I look up to realise she is missing in the hall, while I just saw her a few minutes ago, but was sure she had not taken the stairs
“Have you seen her going upstairs?” I ask Aditi as I suddenly feel anxious about her disappearance.
“No.” She whispers.
“Let me find her first! I will message you later.” My feet pivot before I even hear her reply, a sudden dullness pressing against my chest.
Is she upset that I’ve kept this from her all these years? I’m sure that’s it. Which friend would like the other to hide the secrets of the heart? Without wasting another second, I stride out of the mansion, searching for her.
I feel a constant tension whenever she’s out of my reach.