Chapter 23
Ariya spent a beautiful evening with Veer and his parents. She felt like she was in a dream state every moment she spent in their company. The love and respect his parents had for one another and the doting parents they were, Ariya wanted to be part of that family in any capacity. Veer gave her a searing look when she laughed with his parents as they made fun of his silliness as a child, while they enjoyed dinner on the patio.
After dinner, Ariya followed Veer’s mom to the garden in the backyard. The space was pleasant with the sound of a water fountain in the distance.
“It’ so peaceful here.” Ariya smiled looking up at the sky.
“I come here every night after dinner. Varun and I take a walk and enjoy the smell of the flowers… I don’t know how much longer we will be blessed with the togetherness.” The elderly woman’s words made the pit in Ariya’s stomach twist painfully.
“Please don’t say that. Veer told me you are all recovered.”
She smiled. “He keeps telling me that, too, so I don’t worry too much, but I know we are completely not out of the woods. I still have one more checkup to go before they declare me cancer-free.”
“You will live a long, healthy, and happy life.” Ariya smiled.
Veer’s mom cupped her hand on Ariya’s cheek. “Thank you, dear. When I was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, my first thought was of Veer. I was so worried about him, and I was until I met you.”
Ariya smiled at her but did not say anything.
“Do you love him, Ariya?”
She blushed and nodded. “Very much.”
“Will you promise to keep him happy?” Ariya nodded unable to handle the intensity of the moment.
“I hope you didn’t mind me asking for grandkids. After what we have been through, I realized life is too short to have regrets.”
“I didn’t mind at all.” Ariya smiled.
“Just so you know, I wasn’t kidding when I asked for grandkids.” She laughed, and Ariya laughed with her.
“I figured it wasn’t the first time you were teasing him about wanting grandkids.”
“Yes. When he told his father and me about you, I asked him the same question I ask him when he talks about a woman he is seeing. For the first time in years, he was silent when I asked him ‘Is this the woman who is going to make us grandparents?’ All the other times, he would either snarl or yell back at me, but this time he was silent, and I knew you were the one.” The woman laughed and wiped the edge of her eye.
Ariya looked at the woman’s eyes and realized how beautiful they looked when they were glistening with happy tears with her thick eyelashes framing them. The happiness she saw in her eyes gave her immense joy. “I’m sure Veer will do everything in his power to make your dreams come true.”
Veer had his mother’s eyes, and the woman’s happiness reminded her of how her heart fluttered when she saw the happiness in his eyes.
“Veer has been my strength throughout the treatment… He walked away from what he loves to do to take care of business so Varun could be with me. Varun was such a mess after the diagnosis, and Veer… my baby took care of me like I was his child.” She smiled, and her words started a deep rumble inside her, deep in her womb.
Did she want a child? Veer’s child.
Ariya stood in the middle of the garden with his mom as she showed her the patch of medicinal plants she had planted. Veer came by and put his arm around Ariya’s waist.
“Ma, do you mind if I steal Ariya from you.”
“She is yours, and I’m not fighting you.” His mother laughed as he kissed her on the cheek.
“I’m not done with my tour, Veer,” Ariya teased.
“Yes, I am taking over as the tour guide,” he said taking her back into the house by her hand.
“Veer, where are we going?”
“I need to show you something.” He pulled her closer to him.
“What?” She laughed as he led her up a grand, curved staircase.
He halted at the top of the staircase and looked at her. “What do you see?”
She looked straight ahead, and her lips parted in a gasp. On the wall to the far end of the open space was the picture of Veer covering the entire wall, the picture of him on the horse, his long hair bouncing, and his eyes on her. The very first picture of him she took, even before she started the assignment.
“That man is so sexy,” she whispered and felt the sweet pain from his fingertips sinking into her delicate flesh.
“Too bad you are stuck with this man.” He laughed pointing a finger to his chest.
“Who said I don’t love this man more,” she said and went on her toes to kiss his cheek.
“My mom wanted this picture, and I never thought she would blow it up to be so big.” He led her away from the open space and walked toward the double doors at the end of the hallway.
“Now, where are we going?”
“I have one more thing to show you.” He pushed open the doors, and the lights came on so brightly, she had to squint.
“Welcome to my space in my parents’ house.” He laughed showing her the murals and his things from when he was a boy. They moved around, and he showed her a picture on the wall.
He pointed to a young Veer holding a puppy and said, “That’s Zoey.”
“You look so cute.” She ran her fingers over the picture and looked at another picture of him, a little older than the other one holding an identical picture. “Is that Enzo?”
“Yeah… Zoey and Enzo look so alike and…”
“The puppy that came to the clinic a month back… looks just like Enzo and Zoey.” She put her arms around him, and he held her close to him.
“I’m sorry, you lost both of them.”
He didn’t respond but planted a kiss on the top of her head. It surprised Ariya how sensitive Veer was with his pets he lost. A man with the mane of the lion had the heart as soft as velvet. He deserved every happiness in the world, and she was ready to do whatever she could to see him smile. His parents loved him for the beautiful person he was on the inside. She saw the way he interacted with his father, the love and respect she saw in his eyes for the older man was very evident in his manner. His parents were more like his best friends, and she had that, and how much ever her aunt loved her, it was never the same.
“Veer… I’m so jealous.”
He chuckled and pulled back to look down at her. “Why?”
“I want what you have. I love my mom and my sister and my uncle who was a great father to me, but I miss what you have with your mom and dad.” She fought back happy tears.
“Sweetheart…” He wiped the moisture from her cheeks.
“It makes me so jealous… I want what you have.”
He laughed, hugging her.
She pushed back to look at him. “I’m in love with the idea of your mom and dad loving me. I would do anything to make them happy.”
He shook his head smiling. “You sound so silly right now.”
“I know it is silly, but I… I would have a baby if that would make your mom happy,” she blurted.
His eyes darkened, and a beautiful smile formed on his lips. “You want a baby?”
“I want our baby,” she said, nodding with overwhelming happiness.
Veer kissed her on her forehead and slowly trailed his lips lower, to brush against her lips. “That would make you mine, forever.”
“I’m yours, Veer. I cannot imagine my life without you. I want to be part of this beautiful life.”
“Sweetheart, it’s not always beautiful.”
“I know, but the beauty is in being there for each other… you being there for your mom even when you are not with her, you walking away from what you love to keep the promise you made to your father. I want that… you are my strength, and I want to be there for you like you have been there for me. I will do anything to keep you happy,” she whispered.
“Ariya, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Veer. I want to be the mother of your child.” She smiled.
Veer kissed her on her cheek, his warm breath tingling her skin. “We need to take care of something else before that.”
She smiled, rolling her eyes. “I’ll stop the birth control.”
Veer smiled and took a step back and reached for the large chest and opened the small top drawer and took out a small velvet box. He opened the small box and went down on one knee.
“Ariya, will you marry me and be mine forever?” He smiled looking up at her shocked expression.
“Veer… I… yes, yes, yes.” She cried as he slipped the beautiful ring with a cushion diamond on her finger.
Veer stood up and took her into his arms, his mouth claiming hers in a devouring kiss. “Ariya, be mine forever, and I promise never to let happiness leave your heart.”
“I’m yours, Veer.” She smiled looking up at him.
“Do you want to make a baby first or get married first?” he nuzzled her cheek.
She smiled, looking up at him. “What do you want?”
“I want you.” He pulled her closer to him.
“Can we get married after we are finished with our current assignment?” Her voice was filled with excitement.
“You want to get married when your sister gets married?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “My mom will go nuts… let’s get married after we get back from India.”
“Whatever you want, love.”
“Veer…” her voice trailed off unable to continue.
“Baby, what is it?”
She looked up at him, her lips trembling. “I feel bad about not telling my mom and sister about us.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy about us getting married.”
“I want them to meet you first before I tell them we are getting married.” She smiled.
“When do I get to meet your mom and ask her for your hand?” he teased.
She went up on her toes and smiled at him. “Too late for that, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, but you don’t want them finding out from the show, do you?”
“You’re kidding.” She looked at him her eyes glowing under the light
“No, Andy wants us to be part of the show, and I can’t wait to show everyone the woman I fell in love with… crazy love.” He placed his forehead on hers.
She took a deep breath. “I can’t wait.”
“Are you good with being on the screen with me?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
“Why surprise?”
“Veer, you are not who I thought you would be… a typical celebrity, but you… I trusted you, but I had seen enough to think all men in show business were cheating bastards…” Her words got muffled into his chest when he pulled her into a hug.
“I know…”
“Veer, I will tell my mom and sister when you come to India for the wedding. We can probably get engaged there and come back and get married here?” She winked.
“Sounds good… does that mean you will give me back the ring?”
“Never, I promise never to take it off. I will wear it at all times even if it is not on my finger.”
“Huh?”
She smiled and turned around and pushed her hair aside. “Can you unhook the hook on my necklace?”
He unhooked the thin chain of gold and held it in his hands. She slid the ring off her finger and ran the chain through the ring. She held the thin chain with the ring hanging as a pendant. “I never take off this chain, even if I was wearing another one because it belonged to my mom.”
He smiled, kissing her gently on her lips, unable to wait for her to be his in every way.