Page 189 of Lawfully Yours

Maanya protested sharply, “Your Honour, this is grossly inadequate considering—”

Judge Meera cut her off, tone firm. “This court will not be an instrument for the extortion of monetary advantage through media spectacle, Miss Kapoor.”

A hush fell in the courtroom.

Judge Meera looked at both parties before giving her order. “Given the mutual consent, verified financials, and lack of substantial proof for abuse, the court grants the divorce to Mr. Anant Mukherjee and Mrs. Sadhna Mukherjee, under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act.”

Bang. The gavel fell.

The gavel’s echo still lingered in the air as the courtroom began to empty. Outside the courtroom, chaos erupted. The reporters shouting, cameras flashing. Inside, Anant exhaled a long, unsteady breath, the kind that carried both relief and heartbreak.

He turned to Kushal and Arundhati. “Thank you,” he said quietly at first, then with more conviction. “For fighting for me when no one else believed my truth. For standing by me when the world was too eager to paint me as a villain.”

Kushal gave a small, reassuring nod. “Truth has a strange way of standing its ground, Anant. We just gave it a voice today.”

Anant nodded, glancing once more at his ex-wife, a flicker of what-could-have-been flashing across his eyes before fading. Sadhna and Maanya were already walking out, evading the reporters. Sadhna, though looked pale that the court didn’t approve the alimony in her favour still held her head high.

Arundhati placed a comforting hand on Anant’s arm. “We know what it feels like…to love someone deeply and then lose them to distance, misunderstandings, and time. Separation hurts in ways only the two people inside it can understand.”

Anant’s eyes glistened for a second before he masked it with a faint smile. “Not every couple gets a second chance… You two are lucky.” He paused, looking at the way Kushal’s hand brushed against Arundhati’s as they gathered their files. “I’m happy that you found your way back to each other. You both fought forme, and maybe, through that, reminded me what loyalty in love actually looks like.”

Kushal closed the final file, slid it into his briefcase, and looked toward Anant again.

“Sometimes endings are the only honest way to begin again,” Kushal said.

Anant sighed, agreeing to that before the three of them walked out together, leaving the courtroom behind.

Chapter 37

Two Days Later

Tonight marked the grand celebration of Verma & Associates’ biggest win yet — Anant Mukherjee’s high-profile divorce case, the one that had dominated headlines for months. The firm had rented out one of the city’s most luxurious five-star hotel terraces for the occasion, which now buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and congratulations.

Kushal had been surrounded for hours with senior partners, associates, and clients, all singing praises for both him and Arundhati. Raj Verma, as always, stood proudly beside him, boasting to the rest of the firm’s top lawyers.

“My golden boy,” he declared, raising his glass toward Kushal, “hasn’t lost a single case to date. You want to learn what makes this firm great?” he said, looking at the rest of the team. “Then watch how he works, how he strategises, his preparation, his fire, learn everything from him. That’s how Verma & Associates stays on top.”

Kushal accepted it all with polite smiles and nods, but his eyes weren’t in the group anymore. Somewhere between the congratulations and the applause, he realised Arundhati wasn’t around. She had vanished from the crowd, and his senses noticed her absence instantly.

He scanned the hall, and there he saw her, at the far end, at the open terrace. She leaned on the balcony railing, her gaze lost somewhere beyond the city lights, her glass of winealmost forgotten in her hand. She looked elegant in that black shimmering bodycon dress with a halter-neck, which hugged her like a second skin. Kushal excused himself from the group, set his glass aside, and made his way toward her.

As he reached closer, he saw it…just beneath the strap, on the curve of her shoulder blade, the faint shadow of his mark. His love bite from last night.

Something primal stirred inside him again, realising how, ever since they had been together again and consummated their marriage, the nights had never been the same again. Sleeping next to his Aru and devouring her, breathing the same air she breathed all night, was the only thing he prayed to be constant for the rest of their lives now.

He came up behind her, close enough, before he leaned in, sliding his arms around her waist from behind, claiming her quietly, possessively. His lips found that exact mark on her shoulder and brushed it softly, before planting a kiss there. She shivered instantly.

Her hand, still holding the wine glass, trembled slightly before she steadied it while her other hand instinctively grazed over his forearm that rested firm around her waist.

For a moment, the world around them faded into a blur. It was just them, breathing in sync until he broke the silence.

“You look lost in some thoughts.”

She didn’t turn when he kissed her shoulder again. Just stood there, looking at the skyline, but pressing her back more firmly against his hard chest, almost leaning into him, as if drawing warmth from him.

His arms around her waist tightened instinctively, wordlessly telling her he was listening.

“When we were divorcing,” she said softly, “I was still fine… I could handle it. Even while fighting other divorce cases, I didn’t feel anything. It was just… work.”