---
**Chapter 22: Tides That Turn**
Aanya stood on the balcony of her parents' house, her fingers curled around a warm mug of tea as the soft breeze rustled, yet her eyes were far away—thousands of miles, in fact. Europe. The name alone felt like a breath of fresh air, like a promise wrapped in hope.
Her phone pinged on the balcony table. An email from the university.
*Subject: Congratulations on Your Admission.*
Aanya stared at it for a moment before clicking open. The official acceptance letter smiled back at her, complete with program dates, scholarship information, and next steps. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her heart raced with something she hadn't felt in a long time—excitement.
She had done it. Despite the emotional whirlwind, despite the strained marriage, despite Arjun's overbearing love, *she had done it.*
Just then, her mother walked onto the balcony with a gentle smile. "Everything okay?"
Aanya turned the screen toward her. "I got in. Europe. The MBA program."
Her mother blinked and then wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so proud of you."
For the first time in weeks, Aanya let herself smile without guilt.
---
Arjun sat in the conference room of his Hyderabad office, sleeves rolled up, eyes fixed on the whiteboard cluttered with projections, timelines, and team expansions. His co-founder Raj was talking, but Arjun's mind wandered.
"We've already secured interest from two major VCs," Raj was saying. "If we hit the next milestone, this could be our chance to expand globally."
Arjun nodded absently. Startup growth was everything they had dreamed of—but now that it was happening, it didn't feel as fulfilling as he'd imagined. His thoughts kept drifting back to Aanya.
She hadn't returned home. She hadn't called. All he had was the echo of her voice saying, *"I want to want to be with you."*
His phone buzzed. A message from Shruti.
**Shruti:** *Talked to Aanya's mom today. She got into some MBA program. Abroad. Europe, I think.*
His breath caught.
Europe?
He stared at the message, rereading it. The thought of her leaving the country, of being far beyond his reach, filled him with a cold dread he couldn't shake. He should be happy for her. But all he felt was panic.
He messaged her, hesitating before he hit send.
**Arjun:** *I heard about your admission. Congratulations.*
She replied five hours later.
**Aanya:** *Thank you.*
So flat. So final.
---
The news spread like wildfire through the family grapevine.
Aanya's aunt from Mumbai called her mother. "MBA in Europe? How modern these girls are becoming. No sense of marital duty."
Arjun's mother wasn't pleased either. She cornered him at breakfast the next day. "So she's leaving the country now? And you're just letting her?"
"She's not 'mine' to let or not," Arjun muttered.
"You've changed since this marriage, Arjun. We hardly see you. You were never like this before."
"I *am* married, Ma. Things change. People change."
"Not like this," she huffed, shaking her head.
His father, however, was more measured. "Let her go. Let her chase her dream. If your marriage means anything, it will survive."
Arjun wanted to believe that. But fear gnawed at his insides like acid.
---
Back in her room, Aanya sat at her desk, the acceptance letter still open on her laptop. She stared at it again, her thumb brushing the edge of the screen.
Could she really do this?
Live alone in a foreign land, build a new life, rebuild herself?
Yes, she could. She had survived worse.
Her father knocked gently before stepping inside. "I heard," he said with a smile. "Europe. That's big."
"I'm scared," she confessed.
"That means it matters."
They sat quietly for a while before he added, "You're not running away, you know. You're choosing yourself."
She nodded. That was exactly it.
Later that evening, as she packed her documents in a folder, her phone lit up again.
**Arjun:** *When are you leaving?*
**Aanya:** *Three months from now.*
**Arjun:** *Can I see you before that?*
She hesitated. Then replied: *Maybe.*
---
The days passed slowly, stretched thin by tension and distance. Arjun buried himself in work—pitch decks, investor meetings, strategy sessions. His startup was poised to enter new markets, but every milestone felt hollow when Aanya wasn't there to share it.
One night, long after the team had left the office, he opened a file named *Proposal: EU Expansion.* But instead of reviewing market strategy, he stared at the word "Europe" and thought only of her.
---
On a quiet Sunday afternoon, Aanya agreed to meet him.
They chose a small café near Jubilee Hills. Public. Neutral.
Arjun arrived first, dressed in a simple navy shirt, hair slightly tousled, eyes tired.
Aanya walked in ten minutes later, wearing a white kurta and jeans, her face calm but unreadable.
"Hi," he said, standing up.
"Hi."
They sat.
There was an awkward silence as they both looked around instead of at each other.
"I wanted to congratulate you in person," he finally said. "You've worked hard for this."
"Thank you."
"I'm proud of you," he added, his voice lower. "Even if you don't believe it."
Her eyes flicked to his. "I believe it."
They sat in silence again.
Arjun exhaled. "Do you really plan to go?"
"I do."
"Even if it means we…" he trailed off, unable to say the word.
"Even if it means that," she said, softly but firmly.
He looked at her, pain in every line of his face. "Then I want to be honest with you."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I've been wrong. I know that. Possessive, overbearing, jealous. I acted out of fear. I was so afraid of losing you, I didn't realize I was already pushing you away."
Aanya didn't respond.
He leaned forward. "But I'm working on it. I'm trying to fix it. For real this time. I'm seeing someone—a counselor. Shruti helped me find her."
That surprised her.
"I don't want to control you anymore," he continued. "I just… want to be someone you can choose. Not someone you feel trapped with."
Her throat tightened. She hadn't expected this version of him—so raw, so unguarded.
"I'm not asking you to stay," he added quickly. "But if there's even the smallest chance you'll come back… I'll wait. I'll never stop waiting."
Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away. "That's the thing, Arjun. I don't want you to wait. I want you to live. Build your company. Grow. Be your own man. And maybe... if we ever find ourselves on the same road again, then maybe we'll try."
He nodded, swallowing hard. "Maybe."
They walked out together but didn't hold hands.
At her car, she turned to him. "Thank you for not stopping me."
"I'll never stop you again," he said. "But I'll always hope you come back."
---
That night, Aanya sat alone in her room, passport and visa forms spread out in front of her.
And far away in his office, Arjun looked out at the city lights, clutching a photo of them from early in their marriage.
---
**[End of Chapter 22]**