Page 89 of One Hellish Wedlock
She had endured too much too soon: the loss of a mother, the betrayal of a father’s remarriage, and now this constant fight to prove her worth to a world that had already labelled her. And yet, she hadn’t crumbled. She was standing.
“Reyansh?” Nani’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She clicked her fingers sharply. “Your coffee’s gone cold.”
He blinked and raised the cup to his lips, though the taste barely registered. His eyes, however, didn’t leave Aanya.
“Di, I should get going,” Aanya finally said, adjusting her handbag over her shoulder. “I don’t want to be late on my first day.”
“Yes,” Radhika replied with a smile. “Heard Reyansh arranged the car for you.”
Aanya’s gaze shifted to her husband. He met her eyes for a fleeting second before looking away and standing.
“I’m dropping her today,” he said, reaching for his blazer. “Tomorrow, the driver will handle it.”
Aanya hesitated. “Are you sure? Won’t you be late for work?”
“No,” he replied curtly. “Let’s go.”
Radhika watched them with a proud glimmer in her eyes. Maybe it wasn’t the grandest gesture of love, but she liked that her brother was taking a step, however small, toward being a good husband.
As they were ready to leave, Radhika nudged Aanya to seek Nani’s blessings.
“She doesn’t like me,” Aanya whispered, hesitant to do so.
“You do your part,” Radhika said firmly. “Leave the rest to God. Seeking blessings from elders is never wasted.”
Aanya forced a smile and leaned to touch Nani’s feet, but the older woman pulled back coldly.
“Nani,” Radhika hissed under her breath.
With a sigh, Nani placed her hand half-heartedly over Aanya’s head. It was enough for now. Aanya straightened, murmured a thank you, and followed Reyansh outside.
The car ride began in silence. The driver drove while the couple sat in the backseat, worlds apart despite the short physical distance between them.
“You’ll mostly find young staff at your office,” Reyansh finally spoke. “Be careful. Competition is everywhere. Don’t let them overpower you just because you’re new.”
Aanya arched a brow. Advice from him? Unexpected. But she nodded.
“I’ll mind my work. And I’ve dealt with competition before in college. No one shakes my confidence that easily.”
Reyansh rolled his eyes. “It’s easy to talk in theory. This is the real world now.”
“I can handle it, Reyansh,” she snapped. “And stop sounding like an overprotective father watching his only daughter step into college.”
“Father? God, no. I’m not ready for kids anytime soon,” he muttered. “And frankly, I’m not very good with them.”
“I’m not ready to be a mother either,” Aanya retorted, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t like kids. I love them, their innocence, their smiles, their messy cuteness. Aww.”
“Innocence?” Reyansh scoffed. “They’re tiny terrors. They scatter things everywhere, wreck the house, and leave their parents half-crazed. No, thank you.”
She turned to him, exasperated. “Maybeyouwere like that. Doesn’t mean everyone else is. I was a shy, quiet child. So quiet, my mother used to worry I’d never make friends.”
He raised an incredulous brow. “You? Shy and quiet? Impossible.”
She gritted her teeth. “Why am I even explaining myself to you?”
“Because,” he smirked, “they say children inherit their parents’ genes. I just hope ours gets more of mine, at least the brain.”
“Excuse me? You think I lack brains?”
