Her Deviant Husband | [✓]

Chapter 40 (M)

(Mature: Smut pt-1)

Athira's pov.

The rain still poured as if the heavens refused to let us go, soaking us to the bone.

I don't remember how we made it back.
Was it his car? Mine? It didn't matter.

The world blurred, fading into a haze of emotions. All I knew was the warmth of his hand never leaving mine, the steady beat of my heart thrumming so hard.

I remember what my family told me about love. It felt exactly like this—wild, consuming, terrifying, and beautiful all at once.

A memory surfaced, vivid and bright, of my Dadi smiling knowingly as she predicted my fate with her usual dramatic flair.

She had always said that I would be the worst among them when it came to love—head over heels, hopelessly smitten, and utterly incapable of restraint. And now, as I sat beside Reyansh, my heart so full it felt like it might burst, I realized how right she had been.

A soft giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"What's so funny?" Reyansh's voice was low and curious, his eyes briefly flicking to mine before returning to the road. He drove with one hand, his other still holding mine as though letting go wasn't an option.

I shook my head, my lips curling into a smile. "I was just thinking about something Dadi used to say. She always told me I'd be worse than anyone else in the family when I fell in love. Completely hopeless, she called it. And now I know she was right."

His gaze softened, his features shadowed by an expression I couldn't quite place.

"You miss them, don't you?" he asked, his voice gentle, almost hesitant.

"Of course," I replied, my chest tightening at the thought of my family. "As you once said, only truly blessed people get a family like mine."

His jaw clenched slightly, and he looked down for a fleeting moment before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, Athira. For everything. I shouldn't have doubted your family. Especially after all the love your mother and Dadi showed me. And everything your father, dadu, brothers and everyone else did for me... I was wrong. I've wronged them. And you."

I reached out instinctively, placing a finger on his lips to silence him.

"Shh... It's okay, Reyansh," I murmured, my tone soft but firm. "You had your reasons. You were ignorant, and yes, you didn't check things thoroughly. But you're here now, and you've apologized. You need to apologize to them till they forgive you. But I forgive you. After all, you're my family too."

Something shifted in his expression—a mixture of relief and disbelief.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if savoring the weight of my words, letting the reality of having a family sink in. When he opened them again, his gaze was brighter, more certain.

"I love you," he said again, his voice steady and resolute, as if he needed me to understand the depth of his feelings.

I laughed softly, shaking my head.

"Reyansh Sehgal, first you wouldn't say it. And now you won't stop saying it. You truly know no moderation, do you?"

A mischievous smile tugged at his lips, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the tension between us melted into something lighter, something warm.

"Biwi tumhari jaisi ho toh pyaar hadh mein kaise karu?" he quipped, his tone teasing but his eyes glinting with sincerity.
("If I have a wife like you how can I love in moderation?")