Page 133 of One Hellish Wedlock
She stepped back.
“I’m leaving tomorrow. Take care of yourself… and your grandson. Goodnight.”
Without waiting for a response, Aanya turned and left the room, leaving Nani silent and stunned.
Later That Night
Reyansh walked into the house just before midnight. He’d intentionally buried himself in work, staying late at the office. Not out of duty, but to give Aanya the space he knew she needed.She would be packing by now, preparing to leave. And this time, the least he could offer her was distance.
What surprised him most was his own restraint. Even Aanya would probably be taken aback by how far he’d come from the man who once treated their marriage like a formality.
But Reyansh knew what had brought that change. He had buried his feelings for her deep inside when she walked away after their wedding. But when she returned, when they agreed to pretend for Radhika’s sake, he began to see her differently. Living with her as husband and wife had opened his eyes. The more he watched her, the clearer it became that he had almost let something priceless slip through his fingers.
The day she withdrew and threw herself into work had been his wake-up call. That was when he chose to change things, to try, to confess what she truly meant to him. That was why he had taken her to South Africa. But the damage was already done. His silence, his secrets, the way she had found out about Noor Mahal through Shagufta instead of him, it had broken the last thread between them.
Now, as he changed into his nightclothes in the guest room, he couldn’t suppress the ache growing in his chest. In a few hours, she would be gone. For an entire year. And though he had promised not to stop her, the pain of watching her go felt unbearable.
He gave in to his heart desiring to see her one last time before she left and headed to their bedroom. Aanya was asleep, her luggage packed and stacked neatly beside the wardrobe. The sight of it stole his breath.
He moved slowly toward the bed, his heart hammering against his ribs as he sat next to her. His eyes lingered on her face as he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He wasn’t here to wake her or speak again. Words had already failed them. But he needed to see her once more.Just once.
After a few stolen moments of silent admiration, he stood and walked out without another glance.
The moment his footsteps faded, Aanya opened her teary eyes. Why was he doing this? What was he trying to prove?
She could feel it all… his hesitation, his feelings, the silent storm he carried just like her. He hadn’t come to beg her to stay. He hadn’t touched her with desperation. But he had still come. Just to see her. Just to be close.
She hugged her pillow tighter, staring into the darkness. Was she doing the right thing? Was this distance necessary?
Her heart answered before her mind could argue.
Yes. It was. It had to be.
****************
The next morning, their house help informed Aanya that the car was waiting downstairs to take her to the airport. Her luggage had already been loaded. She thanked her with a quiet nod, then took one final look around the room. It had only been a month and a half, but within these walls, she had lived moments that would stay with her forever. Fierce arguments, awkward silences, stolen glances…all with Reyansh Chopra.
As Aanya descending the stairs with a heavy heart, she spotted Nani seated in the living room, her posture rigid, her eyes fixed, almost as if she had been waiting to witness her leave. Aanya offered her a curt glance and continued toward the main door.
She knew Reyansh was still at home. He was likely watching her, somewhere, silently. Perhaps from a window.
As she stepped outside, the driver opened the car door for her. Just before getting in, Aanya deliberately lifted her head and looked toward the drawing room window. There, just as she had expected, a shadow slipped quickly out of view. Someone had been watching her, and now hiding. It was him.
She let out a long, steady breath as emotion swelled in her chest, then slipped into the car. With one last look at the mansion that had briefly felt like home, she told the driver to take her to the airport.
As the car rolled through the gates of Chopra Mansion and disappeared into the main road, Reyansh stepped back to the window. His gaze followed the car until it became a distant speck. She was gone. Truly gone. And this time, he had no illusion that she would turn back.
He stood there for several more minutes, etching every memory he had of her into his heart. Then, drawn by the lingering echo of her presence, he made his way back to their bedroom. The room that had once beenherstoo. He needed to be near her things. To lie on the bed she had last touched. Maybe, just maybe, the silence would speak to him.
That’s when he noticed the envelope.
It was the same one he had used to send her the letter through Sunny. But it wasn’t his letter inside. As he picked it up, his breath caught. It was hers.A letter… to him.
Reyansh,
Yes, you hurt me. Deeply. Your secrets… the way you mishandled our relationship… Your unpredictable hot and cold behaviour… your assumptions about my character… every bit of it shattered something inside me. But I won’t pretend I’m innocent either. I made mistakes too. And I’m not saying that to ease your guilt. It’s just the truth.
Relationships have always scared me. Ever since I lost my mother, I’ve been afraid of attachment. But I can’t keep using that as an excuse to sabotage my own life. There are children out there who have lost both parents and still found purpose. I chose to stay lost. I spent years trying to punish my father and his wife for making me feel unwanted and in that process,I ruined myself. Boozing, partying, wasting money and time... that was all I ever knew.
