Page 251 of One Hellish Wedlock
Navya let out an exaggerated sigh. “Seriously? That’s where your mind is right now? I thought we were still friends?”
Aanya winced playfully.
“Weare,” she snapped.
“Which is why you don’t get to apologize. No sorry. No thank you. Got it?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Aanya chuckled. “When am I seeing you next?”
“Soon. I’m not letting you lounge around that swanky penthouse of yours all alone for too long.”
Aanya’s face lit up. “Wait…are you serious? You’re coming here?”
“Didn’t Reyansh tell you? He’s hostingmybachelorette party there. All our old friends are coming. It’s going to be a blast.”
Aanya was floored. Her husband had thought of everything…not just her safety, but her happiness too. He’d taken care of her people like they were his own. Who else would do that? Her heart swelled with pride for the man she once thought she’d never truly love. Now, she couldn’t imagine her world without him.
****************
Anand and Kyle arrived in California as soon as they heard about the recent threat Aanya had faced. Neither of them had any clue about her past connection with Vicky. The revelationshocked them. Aanya had endured something so vile during her college years, and they hadn’t known a thing.
Before letting them step into her hospital room, Reyansh briefed them about everything. He didn’t want them walking in unprepared. He was particularly cold toward Anand Malhotra, whose neglect as a father still weighed heavily on Reyansh’s mind. In his view, much of what Aanya had suffered…then and now…stemmed from the absence of solid parental support. Though Anand and Kyle had since tried to make amends, moments like these reopened wounds Aanya had long tried to forget.
The moment Anand stepped into the room and saw his daughter, he broke down.
“I’ve been a terrible father,” he choked out through his tears.
Kyle looked equally shattered. She blamed herself entirely for keeping Anand away from his responsibilities, for failing to hold him accountable when it mattered most.
“Dad, I’m okay now,” Aanya said gently, holding his trembling hand. “And we can’t undo the past. It’s already gone.”
“You’re too generous to forgive us, Aanya,” Kyle added softly. “But I don’t think either of us will ever be able to forgive ourselves.”
“Please,” Aanya insisted. “This isn’t the time to drown in guilt. I made it out of another nightmare, and that’s what matters right now.”
She cupped her father’s face tenderly.
“Dad... smile, please. I can’t see you like this. You’ve always held this larger-than-life image in my eyes. Don’t break that now.”
Anand could barely speak, overwhelmed by the compassion she still offered him, despite everything.
Just then, Reyansh entered the room, his voice cutting through the emotion-heavy air.
“Hey,” he said, stepping closer. “I need to step out for a bit. Will you be alright till I’m back? The guards are stationed outside, and Di is on her way to stay with you.”
Aanya nodded with a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”
“We’re not going anywhere either, Reyansh,” Kyle added quickly.
“Thank you,” he replied, before leaning in to kiss Aanya’s forehead, not bothering to hide his affection from the Malhotras. “I’m bringing you home tonight,” he whispered near her ear.
She exhaled deeply at the promise. The sterile air of the hospital was suffocating. The bed too narrow. What she craved now was to sleep wrapped in her husband’s arms, to find comfort in the one place that always felt like home—his warmth.
As Reyansh walked out, her eyes followed him, filled with curiosity. He hadn’t left her side in all these days. Whatever was pulling him away now, had to be something big.
****************
When Reyansh strode into the police headquarters, Mike, the senior officer overseeing Aanya’s abduction case, greeted him with a firm handshake and guided him to the interrogation wing.
