Page 71 of One Hellish Wedlock
“Reyansh,” Shagufta joined them with a sultry smile.
Great. Now he had to juggle two women, one of them playing drunk and the other genuinely throwing herself at him.
“Shagufta Khanna,” Aanya muttered, pretending to recognize her.
Shagufta smiled stiffly. “Hi, I’m Reyansh’s close friend,” she said, with just enough arrogance to earn a reaction.
“And I’m hiswife,” Aanya replied sweetly, practically gluing herself to Reyansh’s side. He steadied her, just in time to stop her from toppling over.
“Yes, I know. Aanya Malhotra, right?” Shagufta raised a brow.
“Aanya ReyanshChopra,” Aanya corrected with a smug grin.
“Okay now,” Reyansh intervened sharply. “We need to go inside. Excuse us, Shagufta.”
“Of course,” she stepped aside, clearly ruffled.
“Bye, Shagufta,” Aanya added with a sugary smile. “We should totally catch up sometime.”
“We will.”
Before Aanya could cause more of a scene, Reyansh scooped her into his arms. He’d had enough. She shouldn’t have touched alcohol.
Aanya stiffened slightly in his arms. She wasn’t expecting him to carry her, but since she was already too deep into her charade, she let it slide. Actions had consequences. She had irritated him enough; now she had to brace herself for the aftermath.
Reyansh kicked open their bedroom door and marched inside, tossing her onto the bed.
“Ouch,” she whined, rubbing her back.
“Don’t you dare step out of this room again,” he barked.
For a moment, she kept quiet. Maybe shehadtaken it too far.
“I should’ve known,” he snapped. “You’re not serious about anything, least of all this deal. What is wrong with you, Aanya? Why can’t you treat life with some goddamn seriousness? I’m done with this attitude of yours.”
Aanya stood and faced him. It was time to end this.
“Stop yelling,” she said.
Reyansh froze. Her tone had shifted. Her expressions, her posture, everything screamed like she wasn’t drunk at all. She was sober.
“You were acting?” he asked, stunned. “This entire thing was fake?”
“Yes,” she admitted unapologetically. “And now that you know, you should be thanking me. I didn’tactuallydrink. I didn’t break your stupid clause.”
He strode to her, gripping her forearm and yanking her closer.
“Thank you?” he seethed. “You want me to applaud your acting skills? Do you have any idea how worried I was watching you pretend to be drunk?”
“Relax,” she shrugged him off. “No one noticed except Di and your jealous friend Shagufta.”
“She wasn’t jealous.Youwere. That’s what this was all about, wasn’t it?”
Aanya crossed her arms, unflinching. “Wouldn’tyoube, if I whispered into some man’s ear and tried to drag him away for a drink? Wouldn’t you be furious if I flirted with someone the wayshedid with you?”
Reyansh was speechless.
“Rules should be the same for us, Reyansh,” she continued. “I know it’s not your fault she threw herself at you, but someone had to remind her where she stands and whereIdo.”
