Page 19 of Shattered

Ankita settles back into her seat, and I reluctantly follow suit. Every instinct in me isscreamingto stride over to Kavya and set things straight,to make her see that she’s got it all wrong. But I hold back. Damn! It’s infuriating. I fucking can’t keep these emotions bottled up any longer. They’re ripping me apart from the inside.

???

Standing on my parents’ terrace, I stare at the dark sky. It’s been an hour since I returned from that awful dinner, only to find my parents weren’t home. I’m waiting for them to return so I can talk to them about Kavya. I was lost in my thoughts, when my dad’s voice interrupts me.

“How was dinner?”he asks.

Turning around, I look at him. “Dad, we need to talk.” I cut straight to the chase. There’s no use beating around the bush. As a businessman, I’ve learned that delaying things only leads to losses,and I’m not willing to lose somethingthat is of utmost importance to me.

He raises his brows, a knowing look in his eyes. “Does this talk have to do with the fact that you don’t want to marry Ankita?”

I rub the back of my neck, feeling the tension there. “That, and there’s something else I want to talk about.”

“I am listening, son?” Dad folds his arms across his chest and leans against the railing,his body turned toward me.

Taking a deep breath, I meet his gaze. “There’s someone, Dad. Someone I can’t get out of my mind, no matter how hard Itry. Someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. And believe me, that thought doesn’t scare me at all.”

Dad’s eyes soften with a hint of curiosity. “Who is she?”

Swallowing hard, I say, “Kavya.”

Dad lowers his hands and straightens up, his expression unreadable. ButI can figure out what he’s thinking.He then speaks, his tone measured, “Is it because you feel obligated to her? Because she saved your mom, and nowyou think you owe her something? Son, if that’s the case, you need to stop right there. Marriages don’t workwhen they’re built on obligations instead of genuine feelings from the heart.”

As irritated as I am by Dad’s words, I know he means well. “Dad, you know me better than that. You know I wouldn’t make a decision out of obligation. I want Kavya to be a part of my life because I’ve fallen for her, and that’s been true even before she helped Mom.”

Dad’sexpressionsoftens, and he pulls me into a hug. “You’ve made the right choice, son. Your mom adores that girl; she’ll be overjoyed to hear this.”

“Figured as much. But Dad, there’s something important about Kavya that I need to discuss, and I want to do it with Mom,” I say, stepping back from the hug.

“Let’s share this good news with your mom first, and then you can tell us whatever else is on your mind,” Dad suggests. Inod in agreementas we head toward the stairs together.

When we enter the kitchen, we find Momplacinga tray in the oven, closing the door, and setting the timer.

“It smells incredible in here. Mom, you sure are a great cook,” I exclaim, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

“Well, is this your sweet way of telling me you don’t want to marry Ankita?” Mom asks as she removes the gloves and places them on the counter before turning to me with a knowing look.“Just so you know, Ankita’s parents called and said she declined the proposal. And I’m guessing it has something to do with you.”

I rub a hand over my face. “Mom, do you really believe Ankita is a suitable life partner for me.”

Mom sighs deeply. “Why? What’s wrong with her? She’s educated, beautiful, comes from a good family, and she is—” I cut her off,finishing the sentencefor her.

“She is not the one for me, Mom.”

“Yes, sweetheart, Ankita isn’t the right fit for our son,” Dad finally speaks from the high stool where he’s sitting.

“Can you two stop ganging up on me for once?” she huffs, glancing at us both before leaning against the counter, her arms folded over her chest. Then, she tilts her head and regards me for a moment, her expression serious as she asks, “Reyansh, tell me honestly, do you even want to get married?”

I take a deep breathand exhale slowly. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

“Then stop fighting it and meet the girls with an open mind instead of rejecting them in the first meeting,” she says firmly.

Just then, the oven beeps. Mom puts on the gloves and reaches into the oven to pull out the tray. After placing it on the counter, she takes a whiff. “I think Kavya will like this chocolate cake I baked for her,” Mom says dreamily, looking at the cake. She continues, “I hope that someday you find someone as sweet and lovely as Kavya.”

I clear my throat and grin at Dad, who winks at me.Then, turning to Mom, who still has her back to me, I ask, “Why someone like Kavya? Why not Kavya?”

Mom spins around to face me, her expression filled with shock. “What did you just say?”

With a wide smile, I reply, “I want to marry Kavya. She’s the one for me. And before you question my feelings, I had a chatwith Dad earlier. It’s purely because I have feelings for her that have nothing to do with the fact that she saved your life.”

---