Together Forever

Chapter 27

Anika's POV

I stood at the airport with my family, watching as my parents prepared to depart. My heart felt heavy, burdened by the weight of everything I had been forced to do. Pretending to be strong, pretending to let go of Uday, it was exhausting, and I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up the act.

“Anika, take care of yourself,” Mom said, her voice soft yet firm. Then she added, “And remember what I told you.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from snapping.

I already knew what she was referring to—her endless warnings to stay away from Uday, to focus on the “right” path, to think about family honor.

I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of pretending. Tired of breaking my own heart over and over again.

“Anika, why are you sad?” Akshit asked, his innocent voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts.

I froze, unsure of how to respond. How could I possibly tell him why I was sad? That my world was falling apart, that I was walking away from the one person who made me feel whole?

“Nothing,” Mom interjected before I could speak, her tone dismissive. “She’s just tired.”

I nodded in agreement, unwilling to argue. It was easier this way—to let them believe that exhaustion was the reason for the shadows under my eyes, the dullness in my voice.

But then I felt it, a shift in the atmosphere, a familiar presence that sent a chill down my spine. Slowly, I tilted my head, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was Uday.

He was walking towards us, his eyes locked on me, determination radiating from every step he took. My heart began to race, panic bubbling to the surface.

What is he doing here?

He reached us and stopped, standing directly in front of my parents. The air between us grew tense, thick with unspoken emotions and unrelenting defiance.

“What are you doing here?” Dad asked, his voice low and filled with restrained anger.

“I’ve come to ask for your daughter’s hand for marriage,” Uday said, his voice steady and unwavering.

My breath hitched. The boldness of his words left me stunned. My father’s face darkened instantly, his anger bubbling to the surface.

“Have you lost your mind?” Dad snapped, his tone sharp and cutting.

“Uday, stop it! What are you doing?” I whispered harshly, stepping forward in an attempt to intervene.

But Uday’s gaze didn’t leave my father. “Anika, stay out of this. I’m talking to them, not you,” he said firmly.

My mother’s eyes blazed as she turned to me. “Anika, ask him to leave right now!” she demanded, her voice trembling with anger.

I took a shaky breath and stepped closer to Uday, my heart breaking with every step. “Uday, please… just go,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “You’re only making things harder for everyone.”

He turned to look at me then, his eyes searching mine for something—hope, reassurance, anything. But I forced myself to meet his gaze with cold detachment, even as my heart screamed for me to hold him close.

“I’m not leaving without you,” he said,

“Enough!” Dad barked, stepping closer to Uday. “You have no place here. Leave before I call security.”