Page 125 of One Hellish Wedlock
Anand stared at her, his eyes hollow. “And what good did we really do her, Kyle?” he asked quietly but with a burning intensity. “What benefit? Tell me.”
Kyle stood, defensive. “We did what any responsible parents would do. We educated her, gave her a comfortable life, freedom, choices. Isn’t that enough?”
He gritted his teeth, the words clawing at his throat. “It wasn’t enough. She neededme, Kyle, not just my money or my permissions. She needed her father to understand her, to guide her, to justbe there.And I failed her. I pushed her aside when she needed me most.”
Kyle stiffened, her expression wounded. “So now, like she said, you think this is my fault? ThatIkept you from her?”
Anand didn’t raise his voice this time, but the hurt in his reply was cutting. “You didn’t stop me either. You never helped me see what I was doing wrong. You let me drift away from her while you stood by, Kyle.”
Her mouth parted, shocked at the accusation. “That’s a serious allegation, Anand.”
He rubbed his forehead, weary and overwhelmed. “Please... just leave me alone, Kyle. I need time.”
Without another word, he turned and climbed the stairs. Kyle didn’t follow. She stood in the middle of the room,motionless. Everything was perfect until Aanya’s visit had torn open every unspoken rift between them. And now, the silence that remained between husband and wife was louder than ever.
CHAPTER 23
Chopra Group Office
Sunny continued briefing Reyansh on project progress, but his words fell on deaf ears. Reyansh sat at his desk, physically present but mentally adrift. In just two days, Aanya would be gone, and this time, he felt utterly powerless to stop her.
She had walked out of his life once before, and back then, the departure had barely scratched the surface. He had dismissed their marriage as a mistake, convinced that it was just a poorly calculated move. But this time… this time it cut deeper. Because now, he knew he had been wrong. He had misjudged her, misunderstood her actions, and perhaps worst of all, even prioritized a legal clause in her mother’s will over the woman herself.
The attraction had always been there. One stolen kiss years ago had ignited something pure and uncontrollable inside him. He had wanted her since then, not for her lineage or wealth, but for that spark. The pull he felt for Aanya Malhotra was unlike anything he had known before. She was the only woman who had ever made him feel this way. How could he lose her now?
But the truth was hard. He had no experience in love, no insight into marriage. Emotions like love, the kind that builds a life and dreams of growing old together with someone, was an uncharted territory. His entire life had been built on methodical decisions. Marrying Aanya had been one such decision; one he hadn’t fully confronted until now.
Instead of pushing her away all these months, he should have followed his heart. If only he’d fought for them back then, if only he’d saved their marriage when it first started to shatter, they wouldn’t be standing at the edge of a quiet goodbye now.
She wasn’t wrong to blame him. She hadn’t even remembered their first kiss. She’d had no clue he was the man from that night. It washisresponsibility to tell her, before he went to her father with a proposal. And even after that, he should have reached out, listened to her, understood why she said yes to an arranged marriage.
But he hadn’t. He’d done none of that.
Why?
Was he that desperate to fulfil a clause in a will? And if Aanya’s mother’s will had meant so much, why had he never claimed it? Why hadn’t he encashed its power?
“Sir?” Sunny’s voice pierced through his thoughts. “Are you okay?”
Reyansh blinked, pulling himself back to reality.
“Sunny, we’ll discuss this later. I’m heading home.”
Saying that he grabbed his phone and left the cabin.
The Next Day
Aanya finally received her visa and travel tickets. She was scheduled to fly two days after Radhika and Rishi, who were leaving for California that very night. She could have accompanied them, but she chose not to. Her colleague Shikha would be traveling with her, and she didn’t want to leave her alone. Plus, she needed time to finish packing and pick up a few essentials.
Today, she finished work early and decided to do some shopping, specifically, farewell gifts for Radhika and Rishi. Reyansh wasn’t likely to plan anything sentimental. She’d do it, and maybe they could present the gifts together.
She stepped into a gift shop and instantly felt her stomach drop.
Shagufta Khanna was already there.
“Aanya,” Shagufta greeted with a faux smile, walking toward her. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hi, Shagufta.”
