Chapter 38
Reyansh
It has been two days since I last met or spoke to Amyra, and today is the day Aditi leaves for Canada. By now, she must have already flown out of India. Evening settles in as I head back to Thakur Estate from work, city lights blurring past the car window.
What troubles me the most is not knowing whether the two of them ever spoke to clear the air.
That conversation is the only way Amyra might see the truth and the only hope I have of winning her back.
I did feel the urge to message either Amyra or Aditi to ask about it, but I stopped myself for different reasons.
With Amyra, I don’t want her to feel pressured into responding.
With Aditi, I don’t want to be selfish enough to pull her into my mess when she’s about to begin a whole new chapter of her life.
Still, it hurts how Amyra is taking so much time to bare her heart when I have already laid out every possible path for us to be together. But do I even have another option? All I can do is wait, hold on, and move forward with hope.
I reach home soon after, greeted by the sight of my parents deep in conversation in the hallway. Pretending not to notice them, I make my way toward the stairs.
“Reyansh! We need to talk. Come here.” At my father’s voice, I turn back and sit opposite them, my chest tightening as I wonder what this conversation is about.
“Tell me, Mom. Dad.”
“Reyu, we’re sorry for how we treated you over the past nine months.” Hearing my nickname after so long sends a warm rush through my chest. It’s enough to drain the pain I carried all these months because of them.
“I know you may think we’re softening just because you’re trying to fulfil your forgotten promise,” Mom continues, her voice steady yet heavy.
“But that’s not the truth. We’ve seen how perfectly you and Amyra fit together all these years.
It strengthened our belief that your childhood promise would come true.
When you chose to date her cousin, it felt like we lost something we had held onto for years.
That disappointment made us distant. And when you told us you had realised your love for Amyra, it felt like our dream was given a second chance.
Still, we shouldn’t have treated you the way we did. ”
Guilt clouds her face. I glance at Dad, who looks just as remorseful, though words clearly fail him.
“Glad you finally realised who the best match for you is, Reyansh, before it becomes late. At one point in time, Harsha and I considered Karan for Amyra but eventually let it go, observing how she is more focused on her career than relationship,” he says quietly.
And I know he means it. I have seen how they were serious about choosing Karan for her, but now I understand it's because of helping her move on from the heartache I caused. But now, I feel glad they stopped their match fixing trials as I can’t imagine my life with anyone other than Amyra.
“Mom, Dad, it did hurt when you shut me out for my choices,” I admit.
“I was also confused by how deeply you clung to my childhood promise and to Amyra becoming your daughter-in-law. But with time, I understood her place in my life and realised you both saw it long before I did. You don’t need to apologise for wanting the best for your son.
I haven’t raised to that stage where I should forgive my parents.
I’m sorry for being so blind until now.”
I stand, move to my mother, and kneel to hug her tightly. She pats my shoulder gently, and just like that, the weight on my chest eases.
When I pull back, I feel Dad’s hand rest briefly on my shoulder, accompanied by a small smile. That alone tells me we’re healing.
“But Mom, I’m scared of Amyra’s response,” I confess.
“She hasn’t called or messaged me yet. I can’t imagine my life without her now.
” I swallow the lump in my throat as my mother strokes my hair softly.
This constant overthinking is draining me.
Thinking about the stress Amyra must have endured all this time only makes it worse.
“Your suffering is over, Reyu.” Her words make my mind go blank. I look at her, unable to process what she just said.
“What do you mean, Mom?”
“Go to your room,” she says with a faint smile. “A surprise is waiting for you.” Without waiting for her to finish the sentence, I sprint up the stairs, race through the corridor, and shove my room door open, panting. My breathing worsens, turning shallow and uneven, but not from the run.
Amyra.
She’s seated on the couch, looking dazed until the door creaks. Her head snaps up, and the moment her eyes find me, her lips curve into a slow, radiant smile. It feels unreal, like magic unfolding right in front of me.
“Ames…”
The word escapes me on a broken exhale as I step inside, my gaze never leaving her. She rises, moving toward me in slow motion.
“Rey.” She sighs dreamily. She looks breathtaking in a red crop top, baggy jeans, her smile bright enough to soften every sharp edge inside me. Her eyes sparkle, alive like in old times.
“I thought you’d take longer to show up,” I whisper.
“I wanted to come last night after I spoke to Aditi,” she responds, taking a pause and continuing, “but it was midnight. Sneaking into your room felt improper, so I waited. Once Aditi boarded her flight today, I came straight here. Spoke to Uncle and Aunty for a bit, then slipped into your room and waited.” There’s a glow on her face, a quiet happiness that makes my chest ache.
My Amyra. Almost fully back.
“You should’ve called,” I tell her. “I would’ve come to you. I’d have dropped everything.”
“I know,” she smiles. “That’s why I didn’t. I wanted it to be a surprise. Did it work?”
“It depends,” I admit, my heart racing, “on why you’re here.” Her expression softens, emotion weighing her voice.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment, Rey.” My pulse roars in my ears, anticipating her next words.
“I love you too, Rey.” The next second, she’s in my arms. I hold her instinctively, hands locking around her waist as she wraps herself around my neck. My eyes close, overwhelmed and in relief, love, and gratitude crashing together.
I did it. She chose me.
It feels like I’m holding my entire world.
I bury my face into her neck, my throat burning. “This is the biggest day of my life, Ames,” I whisper. “Being yours, that’s my greatest pride.” Her arms tighten. Her lips brush my neck softly, and emotion floods me so intensely my body trembles.
“I was a fool to let you go,” she murmurs. “I waited my whole life for this moment.” She pulls back slightly, my arms still firm around her.
“You must be disappointed in me,” I say quietly. “I reached out to you so late… You might’ve already been moving on.”
“Never,” she says immediately. “You have no idea how hard I tried to remove you from my heart and failed every single time. I trapped myself in guilt over you and Aditi. But let’s leave the past behind.
Yes, you came late… and I suffered loving you alone.
But you loved me back. That’s enough. I was ready to let you go for your happiness, but not anymore.
You’re mine now and forever.” My heart hits its breaking point, not from pain, but from immense joy.
I pull her into my embrace again, tears slipping free.
“I was always meant to be yours,” I murmur. “That childhood promise wasn’t childish, it was destiny. I was just blind.” I press gentle kisses into her hair. She holds me tighter.
“I felt the same,” she admits softly.
I pull back to look at her. “What?”
“That promise,” she says. “I didn’t understand it fully back then, but it carved itself into me.
Somewhere along the way, I believed it was fate.
Without realising it, I committed myself to you, watching you differently, loving you quietly through our teenage years.
My feelings grew, deepened, bloomed. Loving you in silence felt like living inside a beautiful dream, waiting for the day you’d love me back. ”
God, how fortunate I am to have someone who has loved me selflessly for so long. There is no trace of discomfort or misery on her face. Instead, a soft, pleasant warmth lingers there, as if revisiting the past brings her peace rather than pain.
“I was an idiot for taking you for granted, Ames. I realised the value of your presence only when you stepped away.”
“I did that just to protect my heart,” she says gently. “But everything feels worth it now, Rey. I love you so much.”
As the words leave her lips, she cups my face and showers me with kisses. I stiffen at the sudden, pleasant assault, instinctively closing my eyes as her lips brush my forehead, my eyelids, cheeks, nose, chin, lingering even at my ears.
Just when she begins to pull away, I tighten my grip around her waist and draw her closer.
A soft gasp escapes her, her body responding instantly to my touch.
I remember how breathless she went when I kissed her face and how easily she unraveled beneath my touch.
I loved knowing only I could affect her that way, and loved the urge to explore it further.
“How about I show you what a real kiss feels like?” Her lips are the first thing that made me lose my control.
I try to stay composed, reminding myself that this is just a moment, that I should slow down.
But the way her lips part slightly, the way her breath falters when our eyes lock, turns restraint into a cruel joke.
Temptation lingers soft, dangerous, and before I can stop myself, I lean in and claim what I have been craving.
The kiss goes deep and raw. Not hesitant. Not careful.
I pull her closer, my hands firm on her waist as I lift her effortlessly.
Her surprised gasp melts into my mouth, her legs wrapping around my waist instinctively, as if she fears I might vanish if she lets go.
The closeness burns me, her warmth, her racing heartbeat, the way she fits against me as she belongs nowhere else.
I take control of the kiss, slow at first, then more demanding.
My lips move against hers with the intention of tasting, exploring, and uncovering every suppressed want I buried deep inside.
Desire surges inside me, my grip tightening as she responds without hesitation, matching my intensity, her fingers threading into my hair as if she needs the anchor just as much as I do.
I trail my kisses along her jaw, down to her neck, where her breath stutters instantly.
I linger there, slow and deliberate, making my presence undeniable.
When I reach her collarbone, I pause just long enough to feel her shiver before continuing, memorizing her with every touch.
My hand slides up her back, fingers brushing beneath the fabric of her top, teasing and unhurried. Heat pulses between us, heavy with unspoken promises. I’m about to slip my hand further, to cross the fragile line between control and surrender and she pushes me back.
Not harsh. Not fearful. Just firm enough to stop me. Her hands rest against my chest, her breathing uneven, her eyes dark with the same desire burning in me.
“Rey…” she whispers, her voice trembling but steady.
“Let’s save the rest for marriage. For now, let’s just explore our new relationship.
” Frustration flares, sharp and instantaneous, but it fades just as quickly.
Because beneath her restraint isn’t rejection.
It’s a choice. It’s trust. I rest my forehead against hers, my hands still at her waist, grounding myself.
“Alright,” I murmur, my voice low and controlled, though every nerve protests. “But don’t think for a second you didn’t make this incredibly hard for me.” Her soft smile tells me she knows exactly what she’s done. And somehow, the restraint only makes the desire burn deeper.
For her, I suddenly feel capable of doing anything.
“So, my dear Ames,” I ask in a quirky voice, “are you ready to be my girlfriend?” she chuckles softly.
“I’ve been waiting to live my dream of having you as my boyfriend, Rey. This feels exciting.” Laughing, she steps back into my arms, and I press a kiss to her forehead, feeling utterly blessed.
With Amyra by my side, life finally feels complete.