Page 230 of One Hellish Wedlock
Aanya didn’t blink.
“Reyansh was right about you,” she said coolly, “You didn’t deserve this conversation with me. Only he can show you yourplace in our lives. And you know where is that?” she paused to smile. “Nowhere.”
Colour drained from Shagufta’s face, only to return in furious red.
Aanya gave her one final look before turning on her heel.
“I hope we never see each other again,” Aanya said over her shoulder and strode out of the pub, with her head high. Whatever came next, if Shagufta dared to push further, Aanya wouldn’t have to lift another finger. Reyansh would finish it for her.
Night
Aanya had tried calling Reyansh multiple times, but he never answered her calls. He was angry—rightfully so. She had snapped at him, pushed away his concern, and ignored his plea not to confront Shagufta on her own.
Now the silence from his end was unbearable. She couldn’t sleep knowing he was hurt because of her.
So, she turned to the one thing that had once brought them closer, the one method of communication that had cracked open their guarded hearts in the first place.
Emails.
She opened her laptop, poured herself a glass of water, and began to type with trembling fingers, hoping he’d still read between the lines like he used to. Hoping he’d still hear the truth in her words.
Reyansh,
You have every right to be angry with me. I know I crossed a line tonight. I’ve always been the one who listens to you, who leans on you. But this time, I couldn’t silence the storm inside me. When I found out what Shagufta did… something snapped. I lost patience. I needed to stand up to her—for us.
I don’t doubt your strength or your ability to protect what’s yours. You’ve always shielded me, always fought my battles as if they were your own. But for once, I wanted to protect you. I wanted to have your back. So I did what I thought was right. I confronted her. Told her exactly where she stood in our lives, and where she doesn’t.
If she tries anything after this, she’s all yours. But I had to show her that I’m not the same woman she thought she could manipulate anymore.
Please don’t stay angry with me. I’m already missing you more than I can handle. Every second I dream of the life we’re about to build together. And when you don’t talk to me… I feel like I can’t breathe.
Just… pick up the phone. Call me. Shout at me if you want. But talk to me, Reyansh.
Your wife,
Aanya Chopra
She hit send and stared at the screen, heart thundering in her chest. For a full hour she waited, her phone clutched in her hand, hoping his name would flash on the screen. But it didn’t.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her under. But even in her sleep, her fingers remained curled around the phone, as if still waiting for him to reach back.
Day 274
Aanya sat through the seminar at work with her eyes glued to her phone screen, pretending to take notes, but her thoughts were miles away. Reyansh still hadn’t replied to her email. No call, no message—nothing. The silence was eating her alive.
Had she hurt him that much?
She wanted to book the next flight to Cape Town, find him, and yell at him for being so damn stubborn. They’d foughtbefore, but it had never felt like this. It wasn’t the arguments that scared her. It was what came after. The cold shoulder. The silence. And now that their marriage was finally finding its rhythm, she couldn’t let their best moments be buried under miscommunication.
He’d been making all the decisions lately, protecting her, sheltering her. But the one time she took a stand, he’d taken offense. All she wanted was for him to see her side. She didn’t expect him to agree with every decision, but he could at least acknowledge her courage to make one.
By evening, as the driver pulled up outside her office to take her home, her decision was made. She didn’t feel like returning to Radhika’s place tonight. What she needed was some space, and maybe a little time in the penthouse that was meant to be their home soon. The one he had chosen for the next three months for their stay together. Perhaps being there, even briefly, would help her reset her mood.
“Take me to the new house,” she instructed the driver. He obeyed without question.
Twenty minutes later, the car rolled to a stop outside the luxury penthouse. She’d been there twice before during the renovation, but this time the house felt different as the moment she unlocked the door. Because standing there, near the tall glass windows, was her husband, Reyansh Chopra, talking quietly on the phone. Her breath caught in her throat. Was he real? Or was she imagining him again?
The sound of the door made him turn.
