Page 44 of One Hellish Wedlock
He reached them and, as always, his eyes swept over her from head to toe. The way he looked at her today made her skin prickle.
“You look good,” he remarked, trying not to make it sound like a praise.
Aanya rolled her eyes. “Why are men so obsessed with simplicity? I look hotter in a miniskirt and crop top, than this plain salwar kameez.”
“This isn’t a pub,” he retorted. “It’s my home.”
“Ourhome,” she corrected sharply.
Reyansh and Sunny both froze for a second at the correction.
“You need to revise your vocabulary too, Mr. Reyansh Chopra,” she added with mischief. “If we’re trying to convince your sister that we’re fixing our marriage, then there’s no moremineoryours. It’sours. Every damn thing.”
A slow grin tugged at Reyansh’s lips as he turned to Sunny. “Looks like your hard work paid off. I can already see the results.”
Sunny flushed with a sheepish smile. “Thanks, Boss. I’ll take your leave.”
He got back into the car and drove away. Reyansh turned back to find Aanya admiring the grandeur of the mansion.
“Shall we?” he asked.
She nodded and followed him toward the entrance. But just as they reached the door, a sharp voice cut through the air.
“Stop right there!”
Reyansh instantly understood. Aanya, however, looked confused, until she spotted Nani approaching with a puja thali in hand.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aanya muttered under her breath. “You told your grandmother I’m not staying forever, right? Then why is she doingthis?”
“She’s doing this because Radhika wants you welcomed like a bride,” Nani answered before Reyansh could.
He nodded to confirm. His sister had been adamant, that when Aanya returned to Chopra Mansion, it would be with a traditional grihapravesh, no shortcuts.
“You could’ve lied,” Aanya murmured, folding her arms. “She’s not here to see whether we follow through.”
“Chopras don’t lie,” Nani said curtly.
Aanya chuckled darkly. “Interesting. The entire contract we’re followingisa lie. What about that?”
“Can we just get this done?” Reyansh cut in.
With a casual shrug, Aanya stepped forward. Nani circled the thali around them, then gestured for Aanya to push the rice kalash and step inside.
Aanya hesitated, unfamiliar with the ritual. She’d never done this before, not even after they were married. Their first night as husband and wife had been organized in a seven-star hotel room. The next morning, they’d had the ugliest argument of their lives, and their paths had split since.
“Come in,” Nani instructed.
Aanya suddenly smirked. “Isn’t the groom supposed to carry his bride in?”
Reyansh stared at her like she’d grown horns. “What?”
“I’m just saying,” she shrugged. “We’re following all the rituals for your sister’s sake, right? So why not this one too?”
Nani looked away, clearly offended. Reyansh exhaled sharply. “You think this is funny?”
“I think it’s hypocritical. Whenyouask me to perform these rituals, it’s culture. WhenIsuggest one, it’s a joke.”
He could already tell these three months were going to test his patience to the core. She wasn’t going to let a single opportunity pass to poke and prod.
