Page 73 of Right Where I Belong
Her mother-in-law stomped toward her, her hand shaking with fury as she pointed a finger at her. “How dare you?”
“Look into your heart and tell me that what I said isn’t true.”
Her mother-in-law went silent, her eyes blazing with anger.
“You know, Ma,” Sabrina continued, “You’ve been so busy keeping Ajay alive that you’ve forgotten about me. About Ahaan. About Aisha. You still hold a grudge against her for marrying Rithwik simply because he’s wealthy, as though that somehow makes her undeserving of all the joy he’s given her… all because she lived that night and Ajay died. And now you’re doing the same to me. Why can’t you just be happy for me?” She smiled thinking about Aditya. “I never thought I’d ever find anyone else in life. But Aditya… He just stormed into my life and refused to let go of me. He cares deeply about me and is doing his best to win my son over, all because my child comes first for me. He’s so good and makes me so happy.”
She looked at her mother-in-law. “He makes Ahaan happy too. So, no matter what you think, Iwillcontinue with thisrelationship. And if you ever use my son against me again, I will take Ahaan and move away from this house. I will not hesitate.”
The older woman gasped, her eyes stricken as she stared at her. But Sabrina didn’t back down. “I am so grateful for everything you once did for me. I am who I am because of you. I’ve always thought of you as my mother. Little did I realize thatyouhave never considered me as a daughter. I’ve waited years for you to make room in your heart for me, but now I know you never will.”
Without waiting for a response, Sabrina turned and walked to the door. As she closed the door behind her, she felt something she hadn’t felt in years—confidence. She had finally drawn a boundary. And this time, she wasn’t going to back down. She would do what was best for herself, for Ahaan, and for their future.
And she knew without a doubt that Aditya was their future.
24
Another week slipped by. It was the weekend again, and Aditya was driving to pick Sabrina and Ahaan for yet another outing—the first T20 match of the season. India was playing New Zealand, and Ahaan was super excited to watch the match and his favorite player, Kohli, play.
Aditya smiled, thinking of Ahaan. The boy and his enthusiasm for everything was absolutely adorable. Added to that, he was polite and kind. Aditya enjoyed spending time with him and getting to know him.
The memory of their last weekend together at the theme park lingered especially strong. He’d enjoyed every second of it, watching Ahaan light up with excitement, riding alongside him, and seeing Sabrina’s face glow as she watched the two of them bond. It had all been wonderful. It was a common conception that being with someone who already had a child was complicated. But with Sabrina, it wasn’t. He loved her. And because Ahaan was a part of her, being with him and getting to know him had come naturally.
He still hadn’t confessed to Sabrina what he felt about her. He’d thought to wait for Ahaan to get to know him better beforehe told her that he loved her and hence took the relationship to the next level. But perhaps now the time had come. Ahaan had begun to trust him, and from the way his face lit up when he saw Aditya, he was certain the boy was becoming fond of him too.
His heart clenched as he remembered the look on Ahaan’s face when the boy had agreed to let Aditya teach him swimming. The boy’s hesitant nod, the way his small shoulders had squared as if he were trying to be braver than he felt—it had stayed with Aditya ever since.
They hadn’t gotten around to it yet, but tonight, hopefully after India won the watch, he would bring up the topic again. Ease Ahaan into it. Maybe promise him that they could start with just dipping his toes in the water.
He could already picture it. Ahaan at the pool’s edge, wary but curious, his smaller hand slipping into his, trusting him to guide him forward. And somehow that thought tugged at him more fiercely than any boardroom victory ever had.
A honk sounded behind him. He was so caught up in the image of Ahaan’s uncertain smile and the chance to be the one to turn it into confidence that he’d totally missed the signal turning green. He moved the car forward.
When he finally turned into Sabrina’s building complex, he found her waiting for him alone.
“Where’s Ahaan?” he asked once she was seated inside.
“He’s at his skating class.” She dropped a backpack on the backseat. “We have to pick him up from there. It’s close by. I’ll guide you.”
Aditya drove in the direction she pointed.
“How is your mother-in-law?” Aditya asked.
Sabrina had told him last week about their fight—how the older woman had even tried to turn Ahaan against him. He’d been furious, hating that she didn’t seem to want Sabrina to find any happiness.
“She’s been… quiet. Pensive,” Sabrina admitted. “I don’t know if she’ll ever come around. I think she’s surprised I finally stood up to her. I’ve never done that before.”
He reached over and took her hand in his. A smile tugged at his lips. “And you did it for me. Why?”
Her fingers tightened around his. “You know you mean a lot to me.”
“Yet you’ve never said it out loud. Tell me what I mean to you.” He guided the car into a right turn, then slowed to a halt in the traffic before he turned to face her.
Sabrina lifted her hand to his jaw, her lips parting to speak, then her gaze flicked forward to the jam of cars ahead. Worry crossed her face.
“This is crazy,” Sabrina said, checking the time on her phone as the line of cars inched forward but then stalled again. “We’ll be late if this doesn’t clear up. His class gets over in ten minutes. And this road is usually free of traffic. I don’t know what’s going on today.”
“Call him. Tell him we’re stuck and running late.”
