A LOVE UNBOUND

Chapter 21: Threads of Love and Longing

AUTHOR POV:

The next morning, Rajveer was the first to wake up. He lay still, watching Siya sleep peacefully in his arms, her face calm and relaxed. Overcome with affection, he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, then each of her cheeks, and finally, the tip of her nose. As he kissed her nose, Siya began to stir, her eyes slowly fluttering open to find Rajveer gazing at her with a gentle smile.

“Good morning,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he replied, gently brushing his lips against hers.

Siya’s face turned pink, and she shyly murmured, “We should get up…”

But Rajveer pulled her close, teasing her. “Not so fast. Where’s my morning kiss? I’m going to need one every morning, darling.”

She laughed, playfully pushing him away. “Shut up, Rajveer. I need to see my daughter—Raha’s coming, right?”

Rajveer grinned, nodding. “Yes. Mom called and said Raha insisted on seeing you before school. She wouldn’t even get ready without you. So, hurry up and give me my kiss before Raha arrives.”

Siya tried to get out of bed, but Rajveer swiftly caught her wrist, pulling her back down. Now pinned beneath him, her heart raced as he leaned closer.

“I’m waiting, Siya,” he whispered with a smirk. Blushing deeply, she gave him a quick peck on the lips, but he raised an eyebrow in mock disapproval.

“Not like that,” he teased. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Rajveer leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss, and Siya melted into him, returning the kiss with growing intensity. When they finally pulled back, breathless, he chuckled softly. “Next time, kiss me like that when I ask, okay?”

Thoroughly flustered, Siya quickly pulled away. “I’ll… shower in my room,” she stammered, escaping the room as Rajveer chuckled, watching her retreat.

After they both freshened up, they went downstairs, where Raha was already waiting for them. As soon as she saw Siya, she ran over and threw her arms around her mother.

“Mommy, I missed you!” she said, hugging her tightly.

“I missed you too, my love,” Siya replied, hugging her back just as fiercely.

Rajveer chuckled, feigning disappointment. “Oh, so no one missed me, I see.”

Raha turned to him with a grin. “No, Papa, I missed you too!” She reached out, and he scooped her up, kissing her on the forehead.

The three of them had breakfast together, Raha excitedly sharing everything she had done with her grandparents. Rajveer’s mother caught his eye during breakfast, silently inquiring how things had gone. Rajveer responded with a thumbs-up, which made her nod approvingly.

Rajveer’s mother then turned to Siya, saying warmly, “Thank you, Siya, for accepting my Rajveer.”

Siya blushed, replying, “I should be the one thanking you for accepting me, especially with everything in my past.”

Just then, Raha looked up with a puzzled expression. “What are you all talking about?”

Everyone laughed, and Rajveer ruffled her hair. “You’ll understand soon, Raha, but not just yet.”

They dropped Raha off at school, where Aryan and Jennifer noticed Siya and Rajveer’s closeness. Jennifer felt a pang of jealousy, thinking, *How did she end up with someone better than me?* Aryan, however, was still convinced Siya had lingering feelings for him and found himself resenting his situation with Jennifer.

When Rajveer and Siya arrived at the office, they settled into their work. Shortly after, Rajveer’s best friend Abhimanyu entered, announcing dramatically, “Rajveer, baby! I missed you!”

Startled, Siya looked up as Rajveer rolled his eyes.

“Honestly, Abhi, I didn’t miss you at all. My office was peaceful without you lounging around,” he teased.

Abhi’s attention turned to Siya, his interest piqued. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce me to this beautiful woman here?”

Rajveer quickly interjected before Abhi could flirt. “Siya, this is Abhimanyu Shekhawat, my best friend, and a master at hiding from his father in my office. Abhi, meet Siya Raichand—my girlfriend and Raha’s mother.”

Abhi’s face lit up with realization. “Oh, so you’re the famous Siya. Raj has been a different man since you came into his life.”

Siya smiled. “Nice to meet you, Abhi.”

Abhi leaned closer to her. “But seriously—what did you see in him? This guy is a workaholic, barely romantic…”

Siya held back a laugh, knowing a much warmer side of Rajveer but decided to keep that to herself.

Rajveer cleared his throat. “Did you come here for a reason?”

Abhi’s face turned serious. “Remember Nick? Word was that his company was going bankrupt. Well, turns out it was all a setup by his family. His wife was a gold digger manipulating him, so they staged the bankruptcy to expose her. She filed for divorce, left him with their child, and returned to her ex, who’s married and apparently supporting her now.”

Rajveer smirked. “You have all the gossip, don’t you?”

Abhi shrugged. “Nick wanted me to ask if you’d be interested in a potential business collaboration. He’ll bring his proposal next week if you’re open to it.”

“We’ll see what he has to offer,” Rajveer replied. They continued chatting, eventually sharing lunch, during which Abhi praised Siya’s design work and mentioned hiring her to design his future home.

After lunch, Rajveer and Siya wrapped up their work early to pick up Raha from school. When they arrived, Raha ran into their arms, hugging them both. Advik, watching them, felt a pang of loneliness. He’d noticed that his mother, Jennifer, had grown increasingly distant, prioritizing his half-brother Cody over him.

When Aryan arrived to pick up Advik, he apologized, explaining that he had to send Advik home with the driver. Once home, however, Advik faced Jennifer’s anger, accusing him of causing Aryan to block her credit card. Ignoring his attempts to explain, she left with Cody for a shopping trip, leaving Advik to manage on his own.

Alone, Advik struggled through simple tasks, missing the caring gestures his mother once showed him. His dinner was cold takeout, a stark contrast to the homemade meals he was used to. Later, feeling neglected, he retreated to his room, clutching a photo of his mother, quietly crying himself to sleep.

Meanwhile, Rajveer, Siya, and Raha had a warm, lively dinner together. Raha excitedly shared stories, her confidence and happiness shining through, much to Rajveer and Siya’s delight. Raha was blossoming in her newfound security, even greeting the household staff each morning.

That night, after Raha went to bed, Rajveer helped Siya move her belongings into his room, planning to surprise Raha with the news in the morning. After everything was settled, Rajveer and Siya lay in each other’s arms, drifting off to sleep with a sense of contentment and excitement for the future they were building together.

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