Page 147 of The Redemption
Can I ever fit into something like this? Can I become what Meher seems to be so effortlessly… a daughter-in-law who belongs here and carries this family’s joys, worries, and responsibilities as her own? I honestly don’t know. And I’m not sure if that uncertainty scares me or intrigues me.
Raghav barely participates in the conversation. Most of his attention seems fixed on Kailash Uncle, answering only when spoken to. I lower my gaze to my plate. The dosa on it is almost finished.
Without even looking at me, Raghav reaches for the serving platter between us and slides the last fresh dosa onto my plate. The movement is so instinctive that I don’t think he even realises he has done it. His attention never leaves Kailash Uncle.
“We’ll be flying a day before the ceremony,” he says to Uncle. “For three days, maybe.”
I stare at the dosa now sitting on my plate. Nobody else seems to notice. Or maybe they do and are pretending not to. Honestly, my mind is already struggling to process far too many things at once. This family. Their warmth. Their effortless way of including people into their circle and making them feel as though they belong.
And then there’s Raghav.
A man I should hate without question. Yet every now and then, he does these small, instinctive things without even thinking about them. And even if those gestures are not grand, they are enough to charm any woman, leaving me all the more confused. Because I don’t know what to do with them.Or with him.
CHAPTER 28
SIYA
Post Breakfast @ RK Villa
After breakfast, I finally find Ayaan alone in one of the sitting rooms overlooking the gardens. He’s standing near the window with a cup of coffee in his hand, his attention fixed somewhere outside.
As soon as he notices me entering, he straightens. “You wanted to talk to me?” he asks.
“Yes.” I nod, walking further into the room. “I know you’re not exactly happy that Raghav married me.”
Ayaan merely raises an eyebrow.
“And I understand why,” I continue. “You didn’t want your brother to get involved with a mafia princess. But unfortunately, none of us can change that now.”
“I don’t have a problem with you, Siya,” Ayaan replies, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “I have a problem with the world you belong to… the underworld. Because sooner or later, they’ll come looking for my brother. And that’s exactly what I was trying to prevent.”
I lower my gaze. The words are blunt, brutal, and exactly what I expected from him.
“I know this is not your fault,” he adds. “But no matter how hard I tried to keep him away, he still got involved, and now the entire underworld knows he’s alive.” He exhales heavily andshakes his head in disappointment. “As his brother, I just want him and this family to be safe.”
“I want that too,” I reply. “I don’t want this family or Raghav to suffer because of me, which is why I need your help.”
“Help?” His eyes narrow immediately. “With what?”
I take a deep breath before answering. “Your plan to send Mom and me to Queenstown was already in place. We were ready to leave. If Raghav hadn’t intervened, we would probably be there by now, starting a new life the way we wanted.”
The confusion on his face disappears instantly. There’s no point dancing around the subject, so I ask directly. “Is that option still available?”
Ayaan simply stares at me, as if he genuinely cannot believe what I just said. “You still want to get away?”
“Yes. More than ever.”
“Siya…” His jaw tightens.
“I can’t live like this,” I blurt out. “This isn’t the life I envisioned for myself. I had plans, and an entire future mapped out for myself. And none of it includes becoming somebody’s wife overnight.”
Ayaan remains silent, so I continue.
“I still want that fresh start for Mom and me, and right now, you’re my last hope.”
Ayaan lets out a slow breath and looks away, thinking, but I continue. “You just told me you want Raghav and your family away from the mafia mess. So this is your best chance.”
That makes him look back at me sharply.
