Page 123 of Right Where I Belong
“Will you stop complaining? It’s just a month,” Navya said.
“Too. Long,” Armaan repeated. “If I had my way, we’d already be married,moya tigritsa.”
“If you think yours is too long, mine feels light years away,” Vedant complained. “I’ve told Reina several times that we should just elope, but she refuses.”
Reina rolled her eyes. “Sure, let’s run that plan by Rajiv.”
“The idea of eloping means not telling anyone,moya prekrasnaya,” Vedant said.
Mihir laughed, kissing his wife’s forehead. “I’m so glad it’s not me inthatsituation, Anna.”
It was cute the way her brothers had special nicknames for their girls. She loved to see her brothers happy like this. Life had come a full circle for them. Her brothers had each offered her a huge sum of money as her share of Alexander’s inheritance. She had vehemently refused them. She didn’t need the money; she only needed them.
She smiled, looking at them. Four orphans from Rishikesh had battled the odds and now stood in the center of a glittering world. They had endured innumerable trials and survived. And they had each found someone who loved them beyond measure. Her heart thumping hard, she turned to look for Aditya and found him with Ahaan. She watched the two of them speak. Ahaan said something that made Aditya’s eyes warm, and he scooped Ahaan into a tight hug. When Ahaan wriggled free and dashed off again, Aditya stayed where he was, pure joy written on his face. A sudden, unstoppable urge to go to him swept through her. Without a second thought, she started across the lawn to him.
The day had beenas perfect as it could possibly be. Aditya looked around, marveling at the grandeur of his lawns. His beautiful wife had outdone herself. The food, the décor, the music—everything was perfect.Shewas perfect. His eyes searched the sea of black, finally finding her with her brothers, a striking vision in silver, shining like a beacon in the dark.
His chest tightened as his gaze lingered on her. She looked stunning. Her hair was swept high in an elegant knot, a few loose strands brushing her neck. The silver gown she wore caughtevery glimmer of light, making her seem almost luminous. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Allhis. He couldn’t wait for the night to end and to get her to himself. He pictured undoing each pin in her hair until those glossy waves spilled into his hands. The thought alone made his pulse quicken.
Over the last month, they hadn’t managed to spend a lot of time alone together. After Sabrina’s kidnapping, he’d refused to be parted from her and moved Ahaan and her into his house. And while Ahaan had his own room, Sabrina had stayed in the guest room, out of respect for his mother. Which meant that tonight would be the first time in weeks that he’d have her to himself.
A small smile tugged at his mouth. After the party, they were heading straight to the airport where his jet was waiting to take them to the Maldives for a quick getaway—just the two of them. No crowds. No interruptions. Just time to breathe her in, to revel in the fact that she was now hiswife. He wanted a longer holiday, but Sabrina had to return to Singapore to complete her course. Hence, for now, a week in the Maldives would have to be enough.
Across the lawn, he saw his mother chatting with her friends. She turned to smile at him and then blew him a kiss. He smiled. She really was amazing. She’d welcomed Sabrina and Ahaan and was making an extra effort to get to know them better. She was delighted that their home echoed with the bright, lively sounds of a child. Her support meant the world to him. In fact, she’d even volunteered to help Aisha’s mother watch over Ahaan when Aditya and Sabrina were on their honeymoon. So now the two women would take turns to look after Ahaan.
All of their family and friends were with them, celebrating them tonight. Keya, Kabier, Raashi, Sameer, Rithwik, Aisha, Nirvaan, Rhea—they were all here tonight. He’d met Shauna too. Rohan and Jiya had flown in from Delhi, along with Rithwik’sparents. Rishi and Mehak were here too with their newborn daughter, Ruhaani. Even Diya and VJ were there with their newborn son, Reyansh. She’d given birth only a few weeks ago, but nothing could have kept her from joining their celebrations. He was truly delighted all his friends were here—some had come all the way from Dubai. Sabrina’s brothers and their women, Rajiv, Sheena, the Rajpoots and the Luthras.
But hang on, where was Akash? He scanned the crowd, finally spotting him with Janak Sehgal. Akash was extremely capable, and soon he’d be leaving Aditya to intern with Dev Luthra in Dubai. His heart was bubbling with joy to see all his friends here.
A small hand rested on his arm, and Aditya looked down with a smile. Ahaan stood beside him, dressed exactly like him in a dark grey suit with a charcoal grey shirt and tie. His dark hair was neatly combed, his eyes bright with excitement. He looked strikingly handsome. This kid was going to break so many hearts when he grew up, and Aditya was thrilled that he would be there at every step to guide him and watch him grow into a fine young man.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked Ahaan.
“I’m having the best time,” Ahaan said, his eyes focused in front of him where his friend Neil was playing with Maya. Then his eyes drifted to Sabrina. “My mom looks beautiful.”
Aditya followed his gaze and felt his heart rumble. “She’s the most beautiful woman here tonight.”
“Mom’s so happy to be with her brothers,” Ahaan said. “They’re all great, and my aunts are cool too.”
Aditya smiled.
“Uncle Mihir said that I can spend all my vacations with them in Dubai. Can I?”
Something tightened behind his ribs. Ahaan was looking at him not just as his mother’s husband, but as someone whoseapproval mattered to him. He was so grateful to earn this boy’s trust.
“If your mom agrees, I think that is a wonderful idea,” he said gently. “You’ll have an amazing time.”
Ahaan grinned before taking Aditya’s hand in his. “I want to say thank you.”
“For what?” Aditya asked, puzzled.
“For making my mom so happy,” Ahaan stated simply. “She wasn’t happy, you know. Before you. She never told me, but I understood.”
The words hit him in the center of his chest. He tightened his hold on Ahaan’s hand.
Fighting the sting in his throat, he said, “I promise I’ll keep her happy always.”
Ahaan hesitated, then looked up, his voice barely above a whisper. “Now that you and Mom are married, can I… can I call youDad?”
