Page 177 of One Hellish Wedlock
“No, Di,” Reyansh answered before Anand could speak. “The hotel is closer to the airport, and it’s just a matter of one night.”
Radhika frowned but didn’t argue further.
Later, Anand spent time with Ruhi, playing with her, laughing more than Aanya had seen him do in months. He even shared a few stories from Aanya’s childhood, mischievous ones she had never heard before. During lunch, Radhika once again couldn’t stop praising Aanya’s cooking. Though Reyansh and Anand didn’t get a chance to try it that day, the compliments were enough to leave them curious.
“Di, I’ll take Dad to my place for a while,” Aanya said.
“Of course,” Radhika agreed. “And Reyansh?”
“I’ll stay here, Di,” he said, unwilling to intrude on their private conversation, for which Aanya was more than grateful.
****************
At her shared company accommodation, Aanya showed her father around. Once settled on the living room couch, Anand turned to her.
“You and Reyansh seem to be doing well. He told me how much you’ve changed… in ways he and I both never imagined.”
Aanya smiled. Her husband had been saying kind things about her. That meant more than he probably realized.
“Dad, I didn’t bring you here to talk about us. I want to talk aboutyourdivorce.”
Anand’s posture stiffened.
“What’s left to talk about, Aanya? We’ve already discussed this.”
“We have,” she replied firmly, “and I still think you’re making a mistake.”
He sighed. “I don’t see it that way.”
“Kyle isn’t entirely to blame. She was never at fault as your wife.”
“She kept me distracted,” Anand argued. “She knew I was neglecting you, and she did nothing. I wanted her to be your mother. But she only ever tried to be my wife. And in doing so, she left you out.”
“No one can replace Maa in my life. And I never expected Kyle to. But she loves you, Dad. You two have shared more than a decade together. Just because you’ve finally acknowledged your mistakes with me doesn’t mean Kyle should bear the consequences. She stood by you through it all. That counts for something, and you can’t just ignore it.”
Anand’s jaw tightened. “I came here to see you, Aanya. To talk about you. Let’s not discuss the divorce.”
She reached for his hand.
“Dad, Reyansh and I made the same mistake…walking away without trying hard enough. We were immature, and we nearly lost something precious. But we got another chance. And now, we’re learning how lucky we are to have it. You regret pushing me away. Don’t add another regret by pushing Kyle out of your life. Save your marriage, Dad. Kyle may not have been the mother I needed, but she was a good wife to you. She loves you.And I know deep down, you still love her too. Don’t punish her just because she didn’t know how to love me.”
He didn’t reply but his silence told her everything.
He wasn’t ready to listen.
And Aanya knew she would have to find another way.
*****************
Anand returned to the hotel after spending a little more time with Aanya, leaving her with a heavy heart and unanswered questions. As promised, Reyansh arrived that evening to pick her up for dinner. They didn’t say much during the drive.
At the restaurant, after placing their order, Aanya slowly began opening up. She recounted her conversation with her father earlier that day…every detail, every emotion. Reyansh listened quietly, not interrupting once. His expression remained calm, but inside, he ached for her. He hated that her efforts to convince her father hadn’t worked. He wished there was something more he could do, some other way to ease her burden.
“Kyle is my last hope now,” she added quietly. “I’m going to speak to her tomorrow.”
Reyansh gave a soft nod, still silent. Aanya suddenly realized she’d been dominating the conversation.
“What am I doing?” she asked, guilt creeping into her voice. “You’re leaving tomorrow… we just met after six months… and I’m sitting here dumping all my family drama on you instead of talking aboutus. I’m sorry.”
