Page 234 of One Hellish Wedlock
Halfway through the meal, he leaned back slightly.
“So how did your one-on-one meet with Shagufta go?”
Aanya’s smile dropped. She set her fork down.
“She was shocked. Didn’t expect me to show up like that.”
“You met her at the pub, right?”
She wasn’t surprised he knew. His guards must’ve reported it.
“But why meet her at all, Aanya?” he pressed. “You already knew she had ties to Vicky. And I don’t believe that’s why you went. What are you not telling me?”
Her throat tightened. She had planned to wait, to tell him at the right moment. But this wasn’t something she could hide anymore.
“Eat first,” she said quietly. “I’ll tell you after.”
He nodded, but she knew he sensed the weight of what was coming. After dinner, they settled onto the couch. Aanya took his hand.
“Don’t lose your calm,” she whispered.
“That depends,” he muttered. “But don’t expect me to take it lightly if it’s as serious as you sound.”
She inhaled deeply.
“When I returned here after our remarriage in Cape Town, Di told me she already knew about our deal. That we were only pretending to fix our marriage forhersake, and we’d planned to separate after she left.”
Reyansh stiffened. “How?”
“Shagufta. She met Di when we were in Cape Town the first time.”
His jaw clenched. Aanya recounted everything Radhika had told her. His body grew rigid, fury radiating off him.
“Damn it,” he growled. “I should’ve seen this coming. I let her get close for too long. I thought she was just a friend. I never saw the poison she harboured for you. Risking Di’s life? That crosses every line.”
Aanya tightened her grip on his hand.
“She’s dangerous, Reyansh. Always was. And when I walked into that pub, she was on a call. I don’t know why, but I felt she was talking to Vicky.”
Reyansh ran a hand over his face.
“We’ll find out. Sunny’s tracking her calls. If she was in touch with him, we’ll know.”
Aanya nodded, a little relieved.
“She’s planning something. I can feel it. I don’t know how this ends, but I’m scared.”
He wrapped his arms around her protectively.
“She won’t win,” he vowed. “Not this time.”
Aanya knew he would do anything to protect her and his family. When he leaned back on the couch, pulling her into his arms, she rested against him, recounting her visit to the gynaecologist. He listened patiently, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in his world.
“Are you taking those medicines on time?” he asked, but no reply came.
When he leaned down, he found her fast asleep. The exhaustion from a full day of work, followed by the intensity of their lovemaking earlier, had finally caught up with her. She needed rest.
Carefully, he rose from the couch and scooped her into his arms. As he carried her to bed, he noticed the faint smile on her lips even in sleep. She looked happy, truly at ease.
