His Unrequited Love

Chapter ~ 34

Aadrika returned to the Rajvanshi mansion, choosing not to go to her office and messaging her secretary instead. Upon entering, she noticed the place was empty and quickly made her way to her room. Once inside, she headed straight for the bathroom, realizing that Reyansh was also absent.

After freshening up, she returned to her room and sat on the bed, lost in thought.

"How will I prepare Reyansh for this? Will he be willing to accept it? I don’t want to use him; he still doesn’t know about Adhyansh. Mahadev, please guide me," she pondered.

As Aadrika contemplated how to convince Reyansh to accept Adhyansh, doubts crept in. Was she being selfish? Was this the right thing to do?

"But why would any man willingly accept another’s child as his own?" she questioned, her mind a blank canvas filled with uncertainty about how to proceed.

"I’ll have to tell him. If he’s not ready to embrace this, I’ll suggest we pretend. For his sake, I’ll even offer him a divorce if he feels he deserves someone else," she reasoned, though the mere thought of divorce sent a jolt of pain through her heart.

"Divorce," she murmured, shivering at the weight of the word. Reyansh’s face flashed in her mind, prompting her to close her eyes and whisper to herself,

"Stay strong, Aadrika. You can’t be selfish."

With that affirmation, she nodded resolutely, steeling herself for the challenges ahead.

__________

Aadrika glanced up from her phone when she heard the door click open. Reyansh stepped in, flashed her a brief smile, set his bag aside, and headed straight to the bathroom to freshen up. She watched the bathroom door, letting out a soft sigh.

"You can do this, Aadrika," she encouraged herself, waiting for Reyansh to emerge. After a while, he came back, and she observed him as he approached the dressing table to fix his hair. With a playful grin, he asked,

"Am I looking handsome today?"

Aadrika blinked, responded, "Haan."

He turned to her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Am I looking too handsome today, Patni ji?"

Unconsciously, Aadrika nodded, eliciting a smile from him as he whispered,

"Really."

Her moment of admiration was interrupted, and she looked down, feeling a flush of embarrassment as he chuckled softly and leaned closer.

"It's okay; you have every right to admire your own husband like this," he teased.

Aadrika shook her head gently and called out, "Reyansh."

He turned to her, curiosity written on his face.

"Yes?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, her heart racing, she tried to broach the subject.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Suddenly, his playful demeanor shifted to a serious one as he sat beside her, concern in his eyes.

"Is everything okay, Aadrika?" She nodded but hesitated.

"I wanted to say that..."

He encouraged her with a nod, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"That… what is it, Aadrika?" he prodded gently.

Meeting his gaze, she summoned her courage and said, "Let's go out for dinner together."

Reyansh raised his eyebrows, taken aback by her unexpected request. He had anticipated something different, but after a moment of surprise, he smiled and replied,

"Okay, let's go." He stood up, gesturing with his hand, "After you, my lady."

Aadrika smiled back, rising to her feet and beginning to walk. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a wave of uncertainty wash over her. She wished she could muster the courage to discuss her concerns, but she feared his reaction.

"I'll try again," she thought resolutely as they made their way to the dining room together.

_____________

After dinner, Reyansh and Aadrika returned to their room. Aadrika went to the closet to change into her night clothes, while Reyansh heard his phone ringing. When he checked, he saw that his brother Vihaan was video calling him, and a smile appeared on his face.

He answered the call and heard Vihaan say, "Good evening, bhai."

Reyansh smiled back and replied, "Good morning! It must be morning where you are."

Vihaan grinned and responded, "It's early morning here, bhai."

Reyansh nodded and asked, "So, what made you remember your brother after such a long time?"

Vihaan looked at him, shaking his head as he replied, "Why would you say that, bhai? When have I not thought of you?"

Raising an eyebrow, Reyansh said, "Well, it seems you didn't even have time to come to your brother's wedding. Seriously, Vihaan."

Vihaan sighed, saying, "I'm really sorry for that, bhai. I've been incredibly busy with my career, but I'll be free soon—really soon."

Reyansh smiled and reassured him, "That's okay, Vihaan. Your career is important. Still, I can't deny that I missed having my brother at my wedding."

"Sorry, bhai," Vihaan said.

"It's alright," Reyansh replied.

Vihaan then excitedly shared, "Bhai, the project that I was here to work on got postponed, so..."

Reyansh, sensing what was coming, encouraged him, "So..."

Vihaan beamed and said, "So, I’ll be there in just two days! I can’t wait to see you all, bhai, especially my bhabhi. I wouldn't forget her!"

Hearing Aadrika's name made Reyansh smile as he said, "Okay, and you probably want me to keep your arrival a secret from everyone."

Vihaan nodded eagerly, making Reyansh grin. "Yes, bhai, absolutely."

They chatted for a little more before ending the call.

"Take care, Vihaan," Reyansh said as he hung up. Just then, Aadrika came out and heard Reyansh say Vihaan’s name after so long she heard this name. She looked at his back, and he turned to face her.

"Were you talking to someone, Reyansh?" she asked.

Reyansh nodded and replied, "My brother."

Aadrika considered this, remembering her mother mentioning Reyansh's younger brother. She wondered if she had misheard the name; there could be many people with the same name.

Lost in her own thoughts about how to get Reyansh to accept her son and reveal that she had a son of her own, so she can stay with her Adhyansh forever. She overlooked that their last names also matched.

She simply nodded and murmured, "Good night Reyansh."

Reyansh smiled and replied, "Good night, Aadrika."

Afterward, they settled into their respective spots—Aadrika on the bed and Reyansh on the sofa. Reyansh fell asleep after a little while, while Aadrika stayed awake, her mind heavy with thoughts. However, after an hour, she too succumbed to sleep.

To be continued.........