Page 180 of One Hellish Wedlock
He turned to her, his breath catching for a beat seeing her in his favourite colour once again.
“Not even close to how stunningyoulook, Mrs. Aanya Chopra.”
Her breath hitched as colour returned to her cheeks. Then without a word, he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.
“Another surprise?” she asked, her lips curling into a smile. This man had been sweeping her off her feet since the night before, and her heart wasn’t sure how much more it could take.
He handed her the box and nodded for her to open it. Inside, nestled in satin, was a glittering diamond ring. Aanya let out a soft gasp.
“We never really got engaged, did we?” he said, voice gentle.
“You never proposed,” she replied, half-teasing, half-serious.
Reyansh’s eyes narrowed with that familiar spark. He stepped closer, backing her gently against the glass wall, the lights outside turning her skin golden.
“Do you really want me to propose?” he whispered. “Because I’m afraid of being deniedagain.”
She stilled at that recalling how in Cape Town when the first time he’d laid his heart bare, she hadn’t been ready to accept it.
“Well,” she whispered back, “how would you know unless you ask again?”
He accepted that challenge without hesitation.
Reyansh slowly dropped to one knee, the ring in hand, and looked up at her.
“Mrs. Aanya Reyansh Chopra… will you still have me? As your husband. From now, till forever?”
It was the perfect proposal forthem. Not a question of marriage, but of commitment. A promise to continue what they had rebuilt from something that had once felt broken.
“I know this is a big promise,” he added. “But I swear… you won’t regret it.”
Tears shimmered in Aanya’s eyes as she extended her left hand, her voice barely a breath. “I do.”
Relief and love flashed in his eyes as he slipped the ring onto her finger, then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.She stared at the ring, then at him—herhusband, her second chance, her Reyansh.
The moment he stood up, she simply reached him, cupped his face with both hands, and kissed him. Her fingers curled into his jaw as he leaned into her, deepening the moment.
“We need to capture this,” she murmured, pulling away, breathless. “This moment… it’s too special to forget.”
Reyansh loosened his hold slightly, watching her as she reached for her phone and switched it to selfie mode. She nestled beside him, her smile still fresh from their kiss. He slipped his arms around her from behind...one hand settling low on her waist, the other helping steady the phone.
Just as her cheeks flushed under his touch, he leaned in, and they both smiled.Click.
“We make a great pair,” he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing the shell of it.
She turned her face slightly toward his. “We do,” she said quietly. “And this... is going up as my profile picture.”
“Really?”
“Mmhmm. To make someone jealous,” she replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
He didn’t have to ask who. He already knew.
“Where’s Shagufta? Did you find out anything about her?” Aanya asked.
He let out a sigh. “You were right. She’s in California.”
“She’shere? Why?”
