Page 100 of Lawfully Yours
She was angry at herself.
Because some part of herwantedto open that door. Wanted to believe him and give life a chance.
But she couldn’t.
“Arundhati?”
The familiar female voice startled her from the fog. She turned and blinked.
Walking toward her was a woman in blue denims, white top, and a maroon shawl with a knowing smile.
“Ananya?” Arundhati’s face lit up in surprise. Ananya Mathur…no, Mrs. Ananya Chopra was here. One of her clients in the past.
They embraced each other. “What are you doing here?” Arundhati asked, pulling back.
“I should be askingyouthat,” Ananya teased. “What istheArundhati Verma doing at a romantic mountain resort? The fierce, sharp-tongued, stone-cold divorce lawyer with zero tolerance for nonsense—you? At such a romantic place?”
Arundhati blinked. “Is that really how people describe me?”
Ananya grinned. “Yes. Apart from being smart, stylish, terrifying in court, always in control, and allergic to sentiment. So, yeah, pretty much that’s what everyone says about you.”
Arundhati forced a laugh but couldn’t help the sting.Is that what people saw? A woman incapable of softness?She quickly shook off the thought. “I’m here for work,” she said simply.
“And I’m here for a weekend getaway,” Ananya beamed.
Arundhati raised an eyebrow. “A solo getaway?”
“Oh god, no. With Rajveer.”
Arundhati’s lips curled into a knowing smile. That name brought back memories. Rajveer and Ananya were childhood rivals turned into reluctant spouses. Neighbours in Delhi, infamous for bickering like sworn enemies, their parents had married them off more in hope than logic. He had moved to Australia, she to New York. Even after marriage, they lived apart for ten months, barely speaking except to argue. Their marriage had been a marriage of convenience on paper and a disaster in practice.
When they decided on a divorce, it wasn’t dramatic. It was mutual. Arundhati had represented Ananya. Kushal, ironically, had been Rajveer’s lawyer.
But something shifted. Living under the same roof again during the cooling-off period, childhood resentment hadmorphed into playful banter, and then into something much hotter, much harder to ignore. Passion had bloomed where none was expected.
And then one day, Arundhati got a call from Ananya saying she wanted to call off the divorce. That she was flying to Australia to chase down the man she once hated… because now she couldn’t imagine her life without him.Turns out, the person who annoys you the most might just be the one who understands you best.
Ananya clicked her fingers in front of Arundhati’s face, dragging her out of her thoughts. “Hey, you look completely zoned out.”
Arundhati forced a smile and shook her head. “Nothing. Just... the weather.”
Ananya wasn’t convinced. She gently took Arundhati’s hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. “We never really spoke after that last call, did we? I guess it must’ve come as a shock to you... me suddenly saying I didn’t want the divorce.”
Arundhati nodded slowly. “It did. I mean, you were so sure when we filed. So clear-headed. I honestly didn’t expect the U-turn.”
“I didn’t expect it either,” Ananya admitted, her eyes sparkling with something more honest than words. “But life... well, it had other plans.”
Just then, Rajveer walked up from behind, a little surprised to see Arundhati standing there. “Hey,” he greeted, then casually slipped his arms around Ananya’s waist and pulled her in. She leaned into him without hesitation, the kind of closeness that didn’t need to be explained.
Watching them, so effortlessly in sync, so quietly in love, brought a strange tightness to Arundhati’s chest. She wasn’t envious, exactly. In fact, a part of her felt proud. As a divorcelawyer, she and Kushal had always told couples to try everything before giving up. To fight for what was worth saving.
And here they were—Ananya and Rajveer. Proof that love didn’t always end with signatures and stamped court papers. Proof that sometimes, letting someone back in wasn’t foolish... it was brave.
She swallowed hard.
And then, as if summoned by thought alone, Kushal walked in.
He paused, too, when he saw Rajveer and Ananya, his brow lifting in pleasant surprise. “Well, this is unexpected,” he said with a grin.
