I try to hide it as best as I can, but the smile that curves up my lips can be recognized from a mile away. Not many people have taken my stand in front of people, let alone my own family, so the fact that Reyansh did it not because he had to but because he wanted to is something so special I can’t even express in words.
“That’s good,” I say, clearing my throat, and they give me a look. “I mean, it’s the bare minimum.”
Mom shrugs. “True. I cannot disagree.”
“But how many people do the bare minimum in your generation?”Maaasks, giving me a pointed look.
“Yes,Maa. We know you are the founder and CEO of the Reyansh Carter fan club.”
“Ha ha,” she says. “Very funny.”
Mom laughs, coming to hug me. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I am the owner of the Aisha Kapoor fan club.”
“Aw,” Reyansh’s voice comes from behind, and I turn to look at him, still in Mom’s arms, and his eyes drop down to her hands holding onto me. He is in his work clothes. An olive green shirt with brown trousers that makes him look exceptionally hot. I can’t deny, even at moments I don’t want to like him for his personality and actions, his looks compensate for it. I mean, how can I hate them when he looks like a five-course meal?
His eyes squint as he stares at us before coming back to my face. “Such a sweet moment that I hate to interrupt, but I am leaving for work.”
“Why?” The question flows out of my mouth before I can stop myself, and I don’t miss how his lips tilt slightly in a smirk.
“I meant,” I correct myself, pulling away from Mom’s hold. “Didn’t you say you were going to stay home?”
“Yes,” he says with a smile. “I have an urgent meeting. It will be late when I get back home today.”
I don’t know why my heart falls as if he has said he won’t come home for the next week, but it does, and I know that is nowhere a good sign.
“Okay” is all I manage to say when he comes up to me.
I pass him a smile as I stare up at him to show that I am okay, but the way he looks at me tells me that he knows what I am feeling. Because maybe somewhere he is feeling the same way too.
For a moment I forget that our mothers are here too as he dips his head to press a firm kiss on my forehead. Just like he used to before, and the feelings that come up in my heart are oddly familiar.
“I will see you soon. I love you.”
I don’t say the words back, but that is not what disappoints me.
What does is how much my heart wanted to say those words back to him.
Reyansh Carter
There’s this thing about being in a relationship long enough, and that is that you learn each and every tic of your partner. By now, I am attuned to every tic, every movement of Aisha’s. Sometimes what she can’t say with words, I can hear by looking at her face, the way her eyes move, the way her breath hitches or falls, and the way her heart beats so loud you can hear it out loud.
Saying “I love you” yet again made my chest tighten. I knew she already knew, but speaking it aloud still carried the risk of rejection, the risk of her throwing it back at me—and that hurt was impossible to hide.
But our conversation today felt so different, like we were back to the 21-year-old Aisha and Reyansh—the ones that didn’t hide anything from each other.
Just one conversation of us being raw and unfiltered with each other changed so much. I hope we keep doing that for as long as possible. Forever, if need be. I just need her close to me, that’s all.
So, when I said the three magical words to her again, this time in front of our mothers, I held my breath, awaiting her reaction, only for her to stand there, rooted in shock. And that wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I will keep saying the words to her over and over again for the rest of my life till I rewrite the meaning of them in her mind.
“Henry,” I ask as soon as I reach my office. “Is my cabin ready?”
“Yes,” he says, eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you look like you’re in such a hurry?”
I glance at my watch—one hour since I left the house, and I already miss her. God, how could I ever live without her?
Her effect on me has been crazy. My obsession and attachment with her has always affected me in this way—which is why when I started building this firm, I slowly started detaching from her. Not the best decision, but I wanted to give her the best life, where she didn’t have to worry about anything. I wanted her to get whatever she wanted without ever having to look at the bill or think about what she should or shouldn’t do.
