His Unrequited Love

Chapter ~ 30

Reyansh returned to the hall, his expression blank as he attempted to mask his thoughts. The moment he stepped inside, his grandmother called out to him.

"Reyansh, come here,"  Without hesitation, he walked toward her, his stride relaxed yet respectful.

As he approached, his eyes inevitably landed on Aadrika, who was standing calmly by his grandmother’s side. Her features calm yet elegant, her presence subtly commanding attention amidst the lively crowd. Noticing his gaze momentarily linger on her, Reyansh composed himself quickly and smiled faintly.

"Yes, Dadi? Do you need something?"

he asked, his voice laced with affection and respect as he looked at his grandmother.

She smiled at him warmly before speaking, "No, beta, I wanted you and Aadrika to meet someone special. My sister is here, as you probably know, and I wanted her to meet my grandson and my lovely granddaughter in law together." Reyansh raised an eyebrow, before responding with a light chuckle,

"Dadi, I’ve met Badi Dadi quite a few times before, you know." He slid a playful glance at Aadrika as he spoke, noticing how she was listening quietly. His grandmother firmly shook her head with a knowing smile.

"Yes, but that was before. Now I want her to meet both of you as a couple—my grandson and his wife."
Hearing the word wife, Reyansh glanced fleetingly at Aadrika, only to catch her gazing at his grandmother with a soft, unreadable expression. He cleared his throat, squashing whatever thoughts seemed to linger in the moment.

"Of course, Dadi," Reyansh replied, moving slightly closer and standing casually beside Aadrika.

Soon after, a brief but pleasant interaction with his grandmother’s sister ensued. Aadrika remained poised, conversing when prompted but largely allowing Reyansh and his grandmother to lead the talk.

_________

As Reyansh walked toward the far side of the hall, Laksh with an excitable aura approached him.

"Reyansh, my man! Sorry, I’m late. Bloody traffic." Laksh grinned sheepishly, clasping Reyansh’s shoulder.

Reyansh shook his head lightly, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips before he quipped.

"Laksh, you need to set a new Lakshya in your life and stick to it—arrive on time for once!"
Laksh chuckled and punched Reyansh lightly on his bicep.

"Alright, alright, no lectures! But tell me. Aren’t you going to introduce me to her?" He wiggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly, glancing toward Aadrika, who was standing nearby, engaged in conversation with a group of elegantly dressed women.
Reyansh followed his gaze and sighed lightly.

"You couldn’t even wait five minutes, could you? Alright, fine." He called out.

"Aadrika."

Aadrika paused her conversation and turned toward Reyansh. Excusing herself with graceful politeness, she approached them. Her eyes briefly scanned Laksh before settling on Reyansh, silently asking what was needed. Reyansh gestured toward Laksh.

"Aadrika, this is Laksh, my oldest, most irritating friend," he introduced with a wry smile. Then, turning to Laksh, he added,

"Laksh, meet my wife—Mrs. Aadrika Reyansh Rajvanshi." There was a distinct note of pride in his tone, subtle but unmistakable. Laksh, ever the charmer, grinned widely.

"Ah, bhabhi it is, then," he said before adding, "You know, I’ve been stuck with this guy since we were kids. A complete tyrant. But don’t worry, I’ve got all the embarrassing stories, and I’ll happily share them."