Page 178 of Lawfully Yours

Kushal’s Penthouse

Kushal unlocked the penthouse door at exactly seven-ten. He slipped off his shoes, scanning the quiet space. The lights in the living room were dim, the kitchen spotless. There was no sign of her. He frowned slightly. Arundhati had left the office an hour earlier, saying she wanted to reach home before him.

He moved down the hallway, loosening the collar of his shirt. That’s when he heard the faint sound of glass bangles chiming from inside the bedroom door. He turned the knob, pushed it open and stopped.

Arundhati stood before the mirror, draped in another saree, not the one she had worn for work today. This one was a deep red saree, the one she had worn on their wedding. Her hair fell loose down her back, the ends grazing her bare waist as she fastened a pair of gold earrings. The sindoor streak glowed darker against her parted hairline, and her hands were adorned with bangles.

For a moment, Kushal forgot to breathe. She turned, catching his reflection in the mirror before facing him fully. A small, nervous smile tugged at her lips.

“It’s Karwa Chauth today,” she informed softly, taking a step toward him. “And I’ve kept a fast for you.”

His brows lifted in disbelief.

“I know it isn’t a tradition in your family, but in ours, it’s sacred. I wanted to do it… for us. I thought I’d surprise you.” Her smile turned shy, eyes searching his, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

For a long moment, he didn’t move. He could only look at her…the woman who had once walked away from everythingthey’d built, now standing before him, ready to begin again, fasting for him, believing in them.Believing in their marriage.

He closed the distance between them, his gaze locked on hers as his fingers traced the curve of her jaw. “Seeing you like this feels like watching our wedding day all over again. Do you know what went through my head when I saw you walking toward the mandap in that saree?”

Arundhati shook her head, unable to guess. He cupped her face more firmly. “That I should’ve skipped the rituals and taken you straight home. Because all I wanted was to touch what I was supposed to only look at.”

Her blush deepened.

“If only I had known what a hopelessly smitten man I was marrying back then,” she teased, trying to mask her fluttering heart.

He leaned closer, his lips hovering just an inch from hers. “You have no idea,” he said softly. “That hopelessness has multiplied a hundredfold, and tonight, you’ll see for yourself just how much.”

Her hand flew to his chest to push him away, but her fingers betrayed her, clutching his shirt instead, holding him there. “You said that you were planning something tonight,” she reminded him. “What was it?”

His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile as he held her gaze. “It’s Karwa Chauth,” he said quietly. “And I’ve been fasting for you too.”

Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face before softening into awe. “You? You too are fasting? How? I mean… why, Kushal?”

He cut her off gently. “Why not? It’s a sacred tradition at my wife’s side. Besides, I just needed a reason to show you that I am open to everything that keeps us together.”

Her throat constricted. She remembered now how he had denied even coffee this morning in the pretext of a client meeting. And later at work, his easy lie about lunch with Raj Uncle. “You lied about eating?”

He chuckled quietly. “Couldn’t have you worrying. Besides…” His hand moved down, resting at her waist. “I wasn’t really hungry for food.Youare everything I was hungry for.”

Her heart stuttered. “This was the best surprise of my life.”

“The best is yet to come,” he said before turning and opening the wardrobe. He removed a small velvet box from inside. Her breath caught as he flipped it open. Inside gleamed herMangalsutra, the one she had left behind the day she walked out of this house.

“Tonight is the right time to give it back.”

She was clueless about what to say, but Kushal had more to say. It was time for his proposal. With the mangalsutra glinting between his fingers, he smiled at her.

“Aru, the first time I tied this around your neck, I didn’t realise marriage isn’t about promises made once. It’s about choosing the same person again, even after you’ve seen them at their worst.”

He paused, letting the words settle, then continued, his thumb brushing over the gold beads. “We’ve fought in court, we’ve bruised each other with words sharper than any verdict… and yet here we are…still standing, still burning for the same madness.”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

“I thought marriage was about rituals, about saying the right words at the right time. But I was wrong. It’s about waking up every morning and still wanting the same person, even when it hurts, even when pride says you shouldn’t. It’s about fighting, breaking apart, and still finding your way back… because anywhere else feels empty.”

He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that had escaped. “I’ve seen every version of you, Aru…the one who argues like fire, the one who loves like a storm, and the one who hides her pain behind her strength. And I want all of them… every stubborn, impossible, beautiful part of you. Again.”

He leaned even closer, his forehead brushing hers.