Page 74 of One Hellish Wedlock
He wouldn’t push again tonight. Maybe tomorrow, when she was ready, they could talk. For now, he let the silence stretch between them, heavy with everything they couldn’t yet say.
The Next Morning – Singh Residence
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Aanya,” Navya groaned, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she sat up in bed. “You really barged in at seven in the morning just to say this?”
Aanya sat cross-legged on the bed, munching on a biscuit she had hastily shoved into her purse before leaving home. Skipping dinner had left her ravenous.
“I had to,” she replied calmly. “I needed to tell you in person. I’ve made up my mind, Navya.”
“Okay,” Navya sighed. “You’re clearly furious and in shock. Just… don’t make big decisions while you’re in this state, alright?”
Aanya’s expression hardened.
“No. I’ve decided. I’m done living under someone else’s name. I’m going to stand on my own feet. I’ll show Reyansh Chopra exactly where I stand and what I’m capable of.”
Navya tossed the duvet off and reached for her hand.
“Are you even listening to yourself? You’ve always been a free spirit. How will you adjust to working under someone?”
“I’m not free, Navya,” Aanya snapped. “If I were truly independent, I wouldn’t be relying on my father or my husband to pay for my basic needs. That ends today. I want to earn. I want to build something of my own.”
Navya blinked, surprised by the conviction in her friend’s voice.
“Well then,” she said after a pause. “Why don’t you ask your dad? He must have something available at his company. It’s your inheritance anyway. You’ll run it one day.”
“I don’t want his help,” Aanya said sharply. “I don’t wantanyone’shelp. I want to do this on my own terms. No favours. No shortcuts.”
Navya exhaled heavily. “On your own? How? You can’t just walk into random offices and ask if they’re hiring. Everyone knows who you are Reyansh Chopra’s wife, and Anand Malhotra’s daughter. Even if someonedoesoffer you a job, it’ll be because of your surname, not your skill set. Are you prepared for that?”
Aanya’s lips pressed into a defiant pout. She stood and picked up her purse.
“I don’t know how, but I’ll do it. I’ll find a job. I’ll earn my own money. I’ll prove to this damn world that I don’t need a man, whether it’s my father or my egotistical husband to survive. Will you help me or not?”
Navya stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding.
“I will, baby. Whatever it takes, I’m with you. Let’s figure it out. We’ll start hunting right away, alright?”
Relief swept across Aanya’s face. She wrapped Navya in a tight hug, holding onto the only anchor she had right now. The fire in her chest was real. For the first time in years, she had taken a real decision forherself. It wouldn’t be easy. But then again, nothing worth fighting for ever was.
She was determined to prove her worth to herself, and to the world that had so easily underestimated her.
Chopra Mansion
“Aanya, what’s going on here?” Radhika asked, pausing at the doorway with a curious gaze locked on the heap of newspapers scattered across the bed.
Aanya flinched slightly, caught red-handed. It was far too late to hide the mess now. She hastily pushed the newspapers aside, clearing space for Radhika to sit.
“Nothing, Di. I was just reading,” she lied, forcing a casual shrug.
Radhika arched a sceptical brow. “Reading? That many newspapers? I doubt it.”
Aanya pouted, attempting to change the topic. “Di, forget this. Tell me, did you take your medicine?”
“I won’t say a word until you tell me what all this is about.”
Aanya bit her lower lip, debating whether to tell the truth. After a pause, she exhaled sharply and confessed.
“I’m looking for a job.”
