Page 4 of Shattered

I quietly approach the bed, my heart aching as I plop on the chair beside her bed. Gently, I take her hand in mine, feeling the warmth of her skin against my palm. “Hey, sleeping beauty,” I whisper softly. “I know how much you loved playing pranks and teasing me. Even now, you’re probably enjoying troubling me. But, Nisha, please stop this game and wake up. I miss you so much. Every day feels like an eternity without you. The house feels so empty and quiet without your laughter and your mischief.”

I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You know, we have a new member in our family now. You have to meet Aunty; she’s wonderful. You’ll love her. She is taking such good care of us and has become like a second mom. And what’s more, she loves you so much already.” Tears blur my vision as I continue, “I keep thinking about all those times we spent together, reading by the window, gardening with Mom, and just being silly. Nothing is the same without you. I need you to wake up, Nisha. I need to hear your voice, see your smile, and feel whole again. I know you’re fighting in there, and I believe in you. Please, come back to us. Aunty and I are waiting for you.” I gently squeeze her hand, hoping she can somehow feel my love and desperation. “I love you, Nisha. Please, we need you here with us,” I whisper, dropping my head onto her shoulder and squeezing my eyes shut, as bittersweet memories flood my heart.

Chapter 2

Reyansh

“We need to celebrate tonight,” Adityadeclares with a twinkle in his eye.

I lean back in my black leather chair and grin at my business partner and best friend, Aditya Thakur, who is sitting across from me at my office desk in his dapper grey designer suit. This guy always needs an excuse to party. Parties, drinks, and women are what keeps him going. Well, I am no saint, either. I enjoy having fun from time to time as well. And today, we definitely have every reason to celebrate.Our company has just sealed a groundbreaking hundred-crore deal and has earned recognition as one of the top ten IT companies in the world.

“What do you have in mind?” I ask.

Aditya leans back with a confident grin. “Why don’t we hit the club tonight? With me by your side, we’ll get all the attention we need.”

I laugh at his cocky statement, which is totally true. With his striking good looks—dark complexion,chiselledjawline, and muscular six-foot frame—women are easily drawn to him.

“I don’t need you by my side to catch a woman’s eye,” I say with a cocky grin. Besides the zeros in my bank account, I’vegot charm, wit, and personality in spades, all of which can turn heads on their own.Standing as tall as Aditya, my dark hair and deep brown eyes often turn heads. Add to it a strikingly handsome chocolate complexion and a well-built physique, that always leave an impression. And there’s that charming dimple of mine that always seems to drive women wild.In fact, I’ve been hailed as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors for the past five years.

“Well, aren’t you an overconfident jerk?” he replies with a smirk.

“Guilty as charged,” I retort, matching his smirk.

He throws his hands up in mock surrender. “How about we agree that we’ve both been blessed in that department, and together, we’re the ultimate winning combination?” He grins and then adds, “So, are you up for making women’s hearts race tonight?”

It’s Friday, and the idea of hitting the club to unwind feels too tempting to pass up. These past few months have been draining with trying to finalise this deal. I am completely worn out.My mind drifts back to the early days when we started this company.It’s been a long, tough roadto get here. When Aditya and I launched ApexTech Innovations, our parents weren’t pleased. They had hoped we’d join their respective businesses—Aditya in import-export and me in telecom. As their only children, we were their only hope.But we wanted to carve out our own path;we wanted something of our own. So, we compromised: we agreed to manage both our family businesses and our IT firm together. Now, even our parents are proud of what we’ve accomplished.

“You’re right. Let’s hit the club tonight,” I agree,running my hand over my jaw and feeling the rough stubble. I could definitely use a shave, and a clean-up too.

Aditya nods in excitement. “I’ll book a table for us. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you. Tomorrow is my parents’ anniversary, and they’re expecting you and your parents to come over.”

“We’ll be there,” I assure him.

“I don’t want to dampen the mood,but you know how our parents have been acting lately.I am not sure it’s a good idea for them to meet, especially since they’re both equally stubborn about what they want from us.”

His words weigh heavily on me, and a headache begins to form as I turn in my chair, gazing out from the high-rise in Bangalore, my fingers gently massaging my right temple. Over the past few months, my parents have been relentless with their nagging demand about my marriage. They constantly remind me that I am thirty-five and am not getting any younger, and also how they long to see their grandchildren. Their pleas are now becoming hard to ignore. But the very idea of marriage doesn’t sit well with me… yet. While I’ve had my fair share of relationships, I haven’t found that special someone who truly captivates me. To me, marriage feels like an overhyped concept, and so far, no one has come along to challenge that belief.

“They’re really sticking to their guns on this, but I am not sure how much longer I can avoid it. I suppose eventually I might have to give in, especially when they pull out the classic emotional blackmail,” I admit with a sigh. I know my parents inside and out. Don’t get me wrong, they’re amazing, the best anyone could ask for. But they can be incredibly persuasive when they want things their way. The only times they’ve really compromised for my happiness is when I told them that I wanted to live separately. But the reason I moved out wasn’t because I don’t love them—I adore them. They’re my life. But I just needed a bit of space without their constant interference and judgement.

“Are you really ready to tie the knot?” Aditya’s incredulous voice cuts through the air, jolting me back to reality. I turn in my chair to meet his gaze.

“Not immediately, but if it leads to my parents’ happiness, then I’ll eventually concede. They mean the world to me. They’ve always compromised for my happiness, and if this is something they truly desire, then I won’t deny them that.”

Aditya nods thoughtfully,but uncertainty flickers in his eyes.“I hear you, man, and I won’t argue with you on that. Our parents have gone above and beyond for us, and if this is something we can do to make them happy, then why not? Maybe marriage won’t be as daunting as we fear. Just look at our parents—they’ve been happily married for years.”

“But they both had love marriages. They were childhood sweethearts, and we’ll be marrying someone of our parents’ choice. It might not lead to the same happily ever after,” I point out.

He shrugs. “Whether it’s a love marriage or arranged, they all end up in the same place. We just need to master the art of keeping our wives happy before they start draining our blood.”

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s rich coming from you, considering you’ve never even been in a serious relationship.”

“I don’t need to be in a relationship to understand women’s psychology. In the end, it all boils down to giving them expensive gifts and showering them with praise,”he replies with a smirk.

“Can’t argue with you on that. I guess we’ll need a lifetime, no-limit credit card,” I reply, chuckling.

“We’re both in for quite the ‘investment,’” he nods, making air quotes around the word ‘investment.’

“Well, we’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, let’s celebrate our victory,” I remind him. “Just let me know the time and place, and I’ll be there,” I say, reaching for my phone onthe desk. “I need to call Dad and share the good news before he starts getting antsy about not hearing from me.”

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