Ranjith arrived at the mansion and found Aryan seated in the living room. Without exchanging much, he gestured for Aryan to follow him outside. They walked to the garden, knowing well that bugs were placed at many places in the mansion.
“What happened?” Aryan asked, his voice low and direct.
“Mask is ready,” Ranjith replied quickly. “You can start our next plan. Only then will Rajesh come out for me to abduct him.”
“Good then,” Aryan said, eyes sharp with purpose. “Call Pradeep and tell him to come to the airport and wait for me.”
Ranjith nodded. “Hmm, sure sir.”
“Let’s go inside and start now.”
The two returned to the mansion, and Aryan launched into the staged conversation for their hidden audience.
“Ranjith, get the jet ready to fly to Delhi. I have some business to address with the dealer there.”
Ranjith tilted his head. “Are you sure to travel now, sir?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Just get things ready for this evening.”
“Sure, sir.”
Unbeknownst to them, Rajesh had been listening to them and as soon as he heard Aryan’s mention of Delhi, he hurriedly dialed Chandrasekar and conveyed the details.
“No, Rajesh,” Chandrasekar responded after hearing the update. “He’s planning something. He will not leave when his wife is in danger with our threats.”
“Sir, I will personally go to the airport and check the details,” Rajesh offered.
“That will be good.”
Rajesh hummed in agreement and walked out of the room to act on his plan.
That evening, Pradeep wore the facial mask and made his way to the airport, as instructed. Around the same time, Aryan and Ranjith arrived at the airport. Rajesh was already there, keeping watch from a distance, and spotted Aryan as he entered the terminal.
Aryan took a seat in the waiting lounge. Moments later, when Pradeep arrived, Aryan casually walked toward the restroom. Inside, the switch happened quickly—shirts were exchanged, and Pradeep, now masked as Aryan, emerged and walked confidently with Ranjith toward the private jet terminal. Rajesh followed them carefully, convinced he was tracking the real Aryan.
Meanwhile, the actual Aryan, now in a plain disguise with a standard face mask, exited the restroom quietly and boarded a separate private jet unnoticed.
Rajesh, needing confirmation, approached one of his men working in airport security. After double-checking the flight details and receiving confirmation that Aryan had boarded the flight to Delhi, he left the airport and updated Chandrasekar.
Chandrasekar, still suspicious, ordered, “Arrange for some men to follow Aryan everywhere in Delhi.”
But the real twist had already played out. Pradeep flew to Delhi. Aryan flew to Trichy.
Late at night, Aryan landed in Trichy. A car had already been arranged for him by Ranjith. Keeping his identity hidden, Aryan drove himself toward the house.
Back home, Sanju had finished her dinner. Banu was gently massaging her head, helping her relax. Sanju laid on the bed quietly while Banu continued to caress her hair, patting her lovingly until she seemed asleep. Once Sanju’s breathing settled, Banu stood up slowly, walked to the door, and softly closed it behind her.
The click of the door reached Sanju’s ears. Her eyes opened slowly, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
Sorry, Banu, she thought silently. ” I don’t want to trouble you, that’s why I had to pretend. But… I don’t know why… I feel like my Aryan is near me today. So close. My heart is beating the same way it always does when he’s around “
Just then, the soft creak of the door opening reached her ears again. She quickly closed her eyes and stilled her breath, pretending to sleep.
The bed dipped gently beside her, and her body felt the shift as someone laid down. The familiar scent, the cologne she could recognize in a crowd, wrapped around her. A strong, familiar hand slipped around her waist and pulled her close, her back pressing against a firm chest that radiated the warmth she had missed desperately.
Tears escaped her closed eyes as she heard that voice—deep, warm, and achingly familiar—whisper sweet nothings.
“Sanju sweetheart, I love you baby. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t speak, only let the tears flow silently.
“Baby,” his voice cracked softly, “please turn around. I want to see you. Please, baby.”
Her voice trembled, “What if you disappear if I turn?”
“I’m here for you and our baby. In real. Please… I love you.”
Slowly, hesitantly, she turned to face him. That was all it took—her dam of emotions broke. She threw her arms around him and cried, hiccupping against his chest. He held her tight, stroking her hair and placing gentle kisses on her forehead and hairline.
“Shhh… it’s okay, love. I’m here for you,” he whispered.
“I love you, Aryan. I missed you so much,” she sobbed into his shirt.
“I missed you too.”
Grabbing his collar, she pulled him into a deep kiss, pouring all her pain and longing into it. He responded with equal intensity, both of them losing themselves in the raw emotion that had been bottled up for days.
“I love you,” she whispered again.
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
“Will you leave me again?” she asked, her voice small and scared.
“We’ll speak about that in the morning,” he murmured. “Now sleep.”
He held her close, her head resting on his chest. Their breaths aligned, their hearts finally at peace, and slowly they drifted into sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.
The morning light seeped gently into the room as Aryan woke up, finding Sanju still peacefully asleep in his arms. He didn’t move. He lay still, unwilling to disturb her, wanting her to see him when she opened her eyes. He knew the weight her mornings had carried without him, he didn’t want her to wake up to emptiness again.
After a while, Sanju stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. Her gaze landed on Aryan beside her. Her lips curved into a soft smile as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her temple, then pecked her lips. She responded with a warm hug, returning his kiss.
“Good morning, wifey,” Aryan said softly.
“Good morning, husband,” she whispered back.
Smiling, Aryan moved down slightly and lifted the hem of her top, kissing her baby bump with care.
“Baby, I love you. Sorry daddy couldn’t kiss you these days, but we’ll be together soon,” he whispered. Then he looked back at Sanju. “Now, wifey, let’s get fresh and I will feed you breakfast today.”
Sanju was tempted to ask him about the chaos back home—the threats, Maya, and everything that had shaken her life—but she stopped herself. This moment was theirs. She decided to save her questions for later.
After freshening up, they walked to the dining area and saw Deepa and Banu waiting for them.
“Hello, Aryan sir,” Banu greeted warmly.
“Hello, doctor. How are you? Hope I didn’t burden you,” Aryan replied.
“Absolutely not, you need not feel about that,” Banu said with a smile.
Aryan turned to the older woman beside her. “Deepa aunty, how are you?”
“Sir, I’m fine. Finally, we could see Sanju smile,” Deepa replied, her voice full of affection.
Sanju smiled gently and held Aryan’s arm.
Aryan looked at Banu with concern. “How is her health, Losh?”
“She has lost weight and needs to take more nutrition,” Banu informed honestly. “But she appears to be lost always, in spite of us trying to persuade her.”
“Sanju, what is this?” Aryan asked softly, a note of worry in his voice. Then he turned to Deepa. “Deepa aunty, please serve the food.”
Deepa served the meal, and Aryan kept his word—he fed Sanju with his own hands. She ate fully for the first time in a week.
“Thank you so much, aunty,” Aryan said, grateful.
“Sir, you take care of everyone around you and work for you… this is the least I could do for you,” Deepa responded, touched by his gratitude.
“Aryan, you too eat,” Sanju said, picking up food and feeding him in return.
Banu chuckled. “Should I remind that I’m here too?”
Deepa smiled at her. “Doctor, come, let’s have the food.”
After breakfast, Aryan took Sanju by the hand and led her into the garden. He made her sit on the swing and pushed it gently, letting her enjoy the cool morning breeze.
“Sanju, did you like this place?” he asked.
“My dream home,” she whispered, looking around. “But why did you not tell me about this?”
“Because I wanted to surprise you.”
“So, you knew that one day we would end up in this situation, is it?”
“I made this as a surprise for you,” Aryan admitted. “I knew this day would come but I tried my best to skip it. But you know… fate plays ahead of us. Maya was supposed to leave the country in a day, but everything collapsed. I wanted to bring you here personally… but sorry that didn’t work. Tell me, did I miss anything that you wished here?”
Sanju looked at him softly. “Everything is perfect… except you were not there.”
Aryan sat beside her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Aryan, are you going to leave me again?” she asked in a low voice.
“Sanju, just a few more days, love. I will take you with me and there will be no one to disturb our life anymore. I can’t risk your life.”
“What if something happens to you?” she asked, her voice quivering.
“Do you think your husband is that coward to get killed so easily?” he smiled faintly. “I can protect you too, but I want to solve all the problems around us and I can’t risk you in that process.”
“But how long do we have to live like this?”
“You know, right, how difficult it would be for me to live without you? Trust me, I’ll be back as soon as possible. I have some important things to handle, so I’ll leave tonight.”
Tears welled in Sanju’s eyes, but she didn’t let her emotions hold him back.
Aryan looked at her, waiting. “Say something.”
“Come soon. I will be waiting for you.”
“Next time I come here would be to take you back with me. I promise.”
“Give me your warmth until you come back,” she whispered.
Without another word, Aryan lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed, pulled off his shirt, and wrapped his arms around her. Sanju snuggled into his bare chest and kissed the small mole near his heart.
“Won’t you give warmth to me?” he asked playfully.
Sanju didn’t answer in words—she removed her top and hugged him tightly. Their lips found each other, melting into a deep, passionate kiss. Their love, buried under separation and longing, unfolded in gentle waves.
Later, he carried her to the washroom, and they washed together, sharing quiet intimacy. Dressed once again, they returned to the bed, leaning comfortably against the headboard.
“Wait, let me get you something to eat,” Aryan said, getting up.
“No, stay with me,” Sanju pleaded softly.
“Few minutes. I’ll be back,” he promised.
True to his word, he returned with pastries and a milkshake and made her eat.
“Sanju, you should eat well and be happy,” he said, brushing a crumb off her lips.
“You should also eat and sleep well. You seem to have not eaten well all these days,” she replied, concern evident in her eyes.
“Fine. I’ll eat. Don’t worry,” he assured.
Once they were done, he pulled her gently onto his lap, nuzzling into the crook of her neck, seeking peace in her presence as much as she did in his.
