Page 151 of Lawfully Yours

And then, another realisation struck her.Uncle Raj.She had left him waiting downstairs, promising she would message once she was safe inside. Frantic, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand only to find the message already sent to him. By Kushal. A shaky sigh of relief slipped from her lips.

She needed to see Kushal desperately, but not like this. Not dishevelled, not with last night’s haze still clinging to her. She darted into the bathroom and stood under the shower, letting the water wash away the remnants of alcohol and restlessness.

When she finally stepped out, wrapped in a bathrobe, another thought struck her. What about her clothes? She still had a few here, but they were intheirbedroom, not the guest room. Which meant she’d have to walk in like this, clad only in the robe.

Once, that would have mortified her. To walk in a robe before him. But now… things were different. She was still his wife, and more than that, she wanted this marriage.Wanted him.There was no room for hesitation, no reason to shy away.

Squaring her shoulders, she stepped out and headed straight for their bedroom, where her husband was.

Kushal stood at the dressing mirror, already half-ready in a tailored grey suit. Suddenly, as if sensing her presence, his eyes flicked up in the mirror reflection and met hers.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. He was devastating. The man she wanted back, the man she knew she would fight for, even if he made it hellishly difficult.

The good part was that he wasn’t immune to her morning charm either. His intense dark gaze lingered, traveling over her damp hair clinging to her shoulders, the bathrobe cinched to her body, and her bare feet pressing into the wooden floor. His pupils widened, and she caught the subtle bob of his Adam’s apple as if he were swallowing something back…desire, frustration, need?Whatever it was, his eyes betrayed it before he forced himself to look away, back at his own reflection, slipping into his armour of indifference.

She stepped inside. “My clothes are here,” she said softly.

“The closet’s unlocked,” he replied, not sparing her another glance as he fastened the cuffs.

He turned around to walk out. But she moved quickly, blocking his way.

“I’m sorry.”

He exhaled. “You don’t owe me an apology. In fact, you don’t owe me anything anymore.”

“Yes, I do,” she cut in. “I owe you an apology for showing up drunk at your door last night, for every wound I’ve carved into you, for being too blind, too arrogant to see what you were trying to save.” Her eyes burned as she went on. “Uncle told me you rejected leading Verma & Associates after he steps down—”

Now his face twisted with anger. “Oh, so he told you. No wonder you’ve suddenly changed your mind about the divorce.”

Her temper flared. “No! That’s not why. He told meaftercourt, Kushal. After I’d already decided I couldn’t lose you.”

But he only stepped back in frustration. “Look, Arundhati, I’m done with these conversations about our marriage. Yesterday, I told the court I wanted the divorce. I still stand by that. You can change your mind all you want, but I won’t. Now get dressed and book a cab. Go home.”

She blocked him again as he tried to leave. “I’m not leaving.”

His eyes locked on hers, again, this time blazing.

“This ismyhome too,” she said, her chin lifting. “And I am still your wife. I’m staying here.”

He let out a long, ragged sigh, dragging a hand over his face. “You’re making this difficult for both of us, Aru.”

He called her Aru?No matter how much he said he didn’t want her, she knew the truth.

She stepped closer, pressing her palms gently against the hard planes of his chest, leaning into his heat. Their eyes refused to break as she pleaded. “Give us a last chance, Kushal. Please.”

But before her hands could slide up to his neck, he caught her wrists in a firm grip.

“I didn’t stop you when you walked out of this house ten months back. And I won’t stop you either if you want to live here again. But don’t think for a second it changes anything between us. You know me, Arundhati. When I make up my mind, I canbreak my own heart, but I won’t break my word. And between my heart and my ego, my ego always wins.Always.I made the mistake once of letting my heart rule me—to try and win you back. Never again. So, you living here and hoping things to change is just going to waste your time. And if you still want to live, then shift your stuff in the guest room, or I will shift mine when I return home.”

With that, he shoved her hands off and strode past.

Her vision blurred with tears, but she shook her head violently, wiping them away.No.This time, she wouldn’t let egos decide their fate. She would fight until it was their hearts that won, because she knew, no matter what he said, his heart still beat for her.

****************

Kushal drove alone toVerma & Associates. The moment he stepped through the glass doors, conversations faltered. And every pair of eyes followed him.

Everyone in this firm knew what had happened in court yesterday. They weren’t just employees. They were family, bound to both him and Arundhati. They had rooted for them all along, prayed for their reconciliation. But now, with Arundhati ready to fight for their marriage and Kushal the one refusing… the tables had turned. Confusion clouded their faces, and in a few, he even saw a silent plea, as if they were standing with Arundhati, begging him to give her a chance.