Next morning,
The warmth against his cheek slowly pulled Rakshit out of sleep. He frowned slightly, his mind still caught somewhere between dreams and reality. For a few moments, he simply lay there, trying to understand why something felt... different.
Then he realised. His hand felt unusually warm. Confused, he lowered his gaze. Their fingers were still intertwined.
His breath caught in his throat. Very slowly, he lifted his eyes.
Aprajita was sleeping peacefully beside him. Her hair had spread across the pillow, with a few loose strands resting over her face. One hand remained tucked beneath her cheek while the other was still securely held in his.
She looked completely at peace. Completely unaware of how close they had become during the night.
Rakshit remained still, afraid that even the smallest movement would wake her.
His mind replayed the previous night.
He remembered lying down. Falling asleep. Nothing after that. Then the truth slowly settled in.
It hadn't been Aprajita who had reached for him. It was him. Somewhere in his sleep, he had held her hand... and refused to let go.
A strange uneasiness settled inside his chest. This wasn't supposed to happen.Their marriage had boundaries.
And somehow, he had crossed one without even knowing.
Careful not to disturb her, Rakshit slowly loosened his fingers. His grip relaxed little by little until her hand finally slipped free.
Almost immediately, Aprajita shifted in her sleep. She turned onto her other side, instinctively hugging the pillow against herself before settling comfortably once again.
She never woke up. Rakshit watched her for one quiet second. Then he looked away. "No..." he murmured under his breath, running a tired hand through his hair. "This can't happen again."
He quietly got out of bed and picked up the fresh clothes from the wardrobe before disappearing into the washroom.
---
A little while later, Rakshit stepped out, fully dressed in another charcoal-grey suit. The familiar armour of his workday had returned. His expression was calm.
Only his eyes betrayed that he'd slept far less peacefully than he usually did. He glanced towards the bed one last time.
Aprajita hadn't moved. She was still fast asleep, the morning sunlight softly illuminating her face.
For a brief moment, he considered waking her. Instead, He quietly picked up his laptop bag. It was better to leave before she opened her eyes. Better to avoid an awkward conversation neither of them knew how to have.
Without making the slightest sound, he opened the bedroom door, stepped outside, and gently closed it behind him.
---
Nearly an hour later,
Aprajita stirred awake with a sleepy stretch. She smiled faintly as she blinked against the morning light.
Almost instinctively, she turned towards the other side of the bed.
It was empty.
Her smile lingered. "Already awake..." she murmured softly. She assumed he must be getting ready. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked towards the dressing room.
The door stood slightly open.
No lights.
No sound.
No sign of him.
Realisation slowly dawned on her. "He already left..." The smile faded from her face.
She lowered her eyes. She didn't need anyone to explain why. He must have remembered. He must have realised that he'd spent the night holding her hand.
And knowing Rakshit, he had probably left early to avoid facing her. The thought hurt more than she expected. Not because he had left. But because she understood him well enough to know why.
Taking a slow breath, she pushed the thought aside and got out of bed.
There was no point dwelling on something neither of them had meant to happen. She picked up her saree and walked into the dressing room to get ready for work.
---
A little later, dressed neatly for the office, Aprajita walked downstairs.
Aravind was already seated at the dining table, reading the morning newspaper while sipping his coffee.
The moment he saw her, his face brightened. "Good morning, Appu beta."
She smiled warmly and took the seat beside him. "Good morning, Papa."
A servant immediately placed breakfast before her. As she unfolded her napkin, she casually looked around the dining room. "Where's Rakshit?"
Aravind folded the newspaper and smiled. "He left a few minutes ago."
Seeing the brief flicker of surprise on her face, he added gently, "He specifically told us not to wake you. He said you'd been exhausted these last few days and needed proper sleep."
Aprajita lowered her gaze to her plate."I see..." A small smile appeared on her lips. It looked convincing enough.
Only she knew it hadn't reached her heart. She didn't ask another question.
She had already created the answer in her own mind.
He wanted to avoid the awkwardness.
The thought quietly settled inside her chest.
Unaware of what she was thinking, Aravind continued cheerfully, "The driver will take you to the office."
He pointed towards the window. "Don't bother booking a cab."
She nodded politely. "Okay, Papa."
Breakfast continued with light conversation. Aravind spoke about his next chemotherapy session, the newspaper headlines and a funny incident involving one of the gardeners.
Aprajita listened, smiled whenever required and replied softly. But her thoughts kept wandering back to the previous night.
His sleeping face. His unconscious grip around her hand. The warmth she'd felt when he'd unknowingly pulled her closer.
For him, it had been an accident.
For her, it had become a memory she knew she'd carry for far longer than she should.
After finishing breakfast, she stood up and picked up her handbag. "I'm leaving."
Aravind smiled warmly. "Have a good day, beta."
"You too, Papa."
A few minutes later, the car rolled out through the gates of Bharadwaj Mansion.
Aprajita rested her head lightly against the window as the city slowly came to life around her.
💛
Aprajita stepped into the office with the same gentle smile she greeted everyone with every morning. The receptionist smiled back, wishing her good morning, and she returned it before making her way towards her desk.
She had barely crossed the pantry when a familiar word caught her attention.
Her name.
She didn't mean to listen, but her feet slowed on their own.
"I told you, didn't I?" one of the employees whispered with a quiet laugh. "Her magic has faded."
Another voice joined in immediately. "Obviously. Before the wedding, sir used to call her into his cabin every other hour. Now I barely see her going inside."
Someone else chuckled. "And did you notice? They came to the office together for the first two days after the wedding. Today they arrived separately."
"I think reality has hit," another person added. "Maybe marrying the boss isn't as dreamy as everyone imagined."
A few muffled laughs followed. For a fleeting moment, Aprajita stopped walking.
Months ago, she would've marched straight into the pantry and asked them to mind their own business. She wasn't someone who tolerated gossip.
But life has changed. She had bigger things to protect now. Taking a slow breath, she resumed walking without so much as turning her head, her expression calm enough that no one would guess she'd heard every single word.
By the time she reached her desk, the smile had returned to her face. Only she knew how much effort it had taken.
---
A few minutes later, she collected the project files that required Rakshit's approval and walked towards the CEO's cabin.
Her knuckles tapped lightly against the wooden door.
"Come in." His voice was steady.
Professional.
Exactly the way it had always been. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Rakshit looked up from his laptop for the briefest moment. Their eyes met, but only for a second, before both of them instinctively looked away.
"Good morning, sir," she said, placing the files neatly on his desk.
"Good morning." He opened the first file without another word.
"The Singapore proposal has been revised?" he asked, scanning the documents.
"The finance team approved the updated budget this morning," she replied. "I've attached the revised projections as well."
He nodded once before turning the page. "What about the Jaipur project?"
"The client accepted the final layout. They're expected to send the agreement by evening."
"And the marketing presentation?"
"It'll be ready before lunch."
"Hmm." He scribbled a short note in the margin before moving on to the next document.
The discussion continued for several more minutes. Project timelines. Budgets. Client meetings. Deadlines.
Nothing outside work entered the conversation. Not the awkward silence after waking up in the same bed.
Inside these four walls, they were simply the CEO and his employee again.
When Rakshit finally closed the last file, he looked up. "Anything else?"
Aprajita shook her head. "No, sir."
"You may leave."
"Thank you." She turned and walked towards the door, her fingers already reaching for the handle.
For a brief second, she could feel his gaze resting on her back. It disappeared before she could convince herself to turn around.
The cabin door closed softly behind her. Only then did she release the breath she'd been unconsciously holding.
She leaned lightly against the corridor wall, closing her eyes for a moment."So this is how we're going to do this," she murmured to herself with a faint, humourless smile. "Pretend nothing ever happened."
Inside the cabin, Rakshit remained exactly where he was. He reached for the next file on his desk and opened it automatically. His eyes moved over the first paragraph. Then the second.
A full minute passed before he realised he hadn't absorbed a single word.
His mind wasn't on the report. It was still lingering on the quiet "Good morning, sir."
As though the woman who had fallen asleep with her hand in his only a few hours ago had suddenly become a stranger again.
---
It was nearly noon when everyone gathered inside the conference room. The low hum of conversations gradually died down as people settled into their seats. At the front of the room, Aprajita connected her laptop to the projector, and within seconds, the presentation lit up on the screen.
Rakshit sat at the head of the table, his posture relaxed yet commanding, his expression as unreadable as ever. He glanced at the presentation once before looking at her. "You may begin."
Aprajita gave a small nod and turned towards the room. "Good afternoon, everyone."
For the next hour, she led the presentation with quiet confidence. She walked everyone through the market analysis, projected growth charts, competitor research, and the complete marketing strategy for House of Bharadwaj's upcoming project.
Whenever a board member interrupted with a question, she answered without hesitation. Every point she made was backed by data, every recommendation supported by logic and careful research.
She wasn't trying to impress anyone.
She simply knew her work.
By the time she reached the final slide, the room had fallen into thoughtful silence. Rakshit picked up the report lying in front of him and flipped through the last few pages before lifting his gaze to meet hers.
"Excellent." It was only a single word.
Yet it made everyone around the table look at him. He closed the file and placed it neatly on the table. "We'll proceed with this strategy."
Turning towards the rest of the board members, he added in the same composed tone, "If anyone has any clarification, discuss it directly with Aprajita. She has complete knowledge of the project."
For the first time during the meeting, surprise flickered across Aprajita's face.
A small smile found its way to her lips. "Thank you, sir."
Rakshit simply acknowledged her with a brief nod.
With that, the meeting came to an end, and the board members slowly began leaving the conference room, discussing the presentation among themselves.
---
A little while later, Rakshit picked up a cup of black coffee from the pantry and started walking back towards his cabin.
As he crossed the corridor, two employees standing near the photocopier lowered their voices. Unfortunately not enough.
"I knew he'd approve it," one of them said with a knowing smile.
"Why wouldn't he?" the other replied with a casual shrug. "She's his wife."
He laughed quietly before continuing, "If one of us had presented the same thing, sir would've questioned every single slide."
"Exactly," his colleague agreed. "He didn't ask anything today."
"Marriage has its benefits."
Rakshit stopped walking. His grip tightened ever so slightly around the coffee cup as the conversation continued.
"I guess that's what happens when the CEO's wife presents."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. They didn't know the truth. They had no idea what his marriage actually was. But that wasn't what bothered him. What angered him was something else entirely. An entire hour of Aprajita's hard work reduced to a single word.
Wife.
He hadn't approved the proposal because she was married to him. He had approved it because it deserved to be approved.
Without another thought, he turned and walked towards them. The moment the two employees noticed him, both of them stiffened. "G-Good afternoon, sir."
Rakshit looked at them steadily, his expression calm but impossible to misread. "If anyone believes today's proposal was approved because of my relationship with Aprajita..." he began, his voice even and controlled, "...my cabin is open."
The entire corridor fell silent.
"You may collect the presentation, prepare a better strategy with stronger research, better financial projections and a more convincing market analysis."
He paused just long enough for his words to settle. "If you succeed...I'll approve yours instead."
Neither employee could bring themselves to meet his eyes.
Rakshit continued, his tone never rising. "I don't reward relationships. I reward competence."
His gaze remained fixed on them. "And in this company....every employee earns their place."
There was another brief pause before he added firmly, "That includes my wife."
The two employees lowered their heads almost immediately. "We're sorry, sir."
Rakshit didn't wait for another apology.
Without another word, he turned around and walked away, leaving the corridor in complete silence.
---
From the far end of the corridor, near the records room, Aprajita stood frozen with a file still clutched in her hands.
She had heard everything.
Every word.
She wasn't sure what surprised her more.
The fact that he had defended her or the way he had done it. For the first time since their marriage, he hadn't referred to her as an employee. He hadn't spoken of her as his employee.
He had simply said...*"My wife."*
The words echoed quietly in her mind long after he had disappeared into his cabin. A gentle warmth spread through her chest, making the corners of her lips lift into the faintest smile. She knew those two words didn't change the contract between them.
"Ouch!" Aprajita let out a startled yelp as someone pinched her arm.
She spun around immediately, only to find Reshmi standing there with her arms folded and a thoroughly satisfied expression on her face.
"What was that for?" Aprajita demanded, rubbing the sore spot on her arm.
Reshmi didn't look the least bit guilty. "I've been calling your name for the last two minutes." She tilted her head and studied her friend suspiciously. "You were standing here smiling at absolutely nothing."
Aprajita let out an exaggerated sigh as she continued rubbing her arm. "You've become violent."
"I had to." Reshmi stepped closer, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Looks like your husband is doing a better job defending you than you ever could."
A smile tugged at Aprajita's lips despite herself. "He was just clearing a misunderstanding."
"Oh, please." Reshmi rolled her eyes dramatically "He practically gave those two employees a corporate funeral."
Aprajita couldn't help laughing as they began walking back towards their desks together.
Employees moved around them, discussing the meeting, while the office slowly settled back into its usual rhythm.
Reshmi bumped her shoulder playfully.
"And did you notice something else?"
Aprajita glanced at her. "What?"
"He didn't take his eyes off you during the entire presentation."
Reaching her desk, Aprajita placed her laptop down and switched it on before looking back at Reshmi. "He was invested in the presentation."
Reshmi clicked her tongue in disagreement. "No." She leaned forward with complete confidence. "He was invested in you."
Aprajita simply shook her head, unable to take her seriously. "You're impossible."
"I'm serious!"Reshmi insisted, refusing to let the topic go. "He was watching every slide you presented."
"Because it was my project."
"Because it was you presenting it." Reshmi reasoned.
Aprajita looked at her with an amused smile. "You watch too many romantic movies."
"And you are painfully blind." Reshmi sighed dramatically before picking up her coffee mug and heading back to her workstation.
Just before sitting down, she turned around one last time. "I'm telling you..."
She pointed discreetly towards the glass cabin at the end of the floor. "That man is falling."
Aprajita watched her walk away before her gaze slowly drifted towards Rakshit's cabin. Through the transparent glass, she could see him already immersed in another file.
His attention was fixed on the documents in front of him, his expression calm and unreadable, as though nothing unusual had happened all day.
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "If only it were that easy..." she whispered to herself. She knew the truth better than anyone.
Even if the earth stopped spinning...
Even if the sun forgot to rise...
Rakshit Bharadwaj would never allow himself to fall in love with her.
Not because he couldn't.
But because he had promised himself...
He never would.
💛
Rakshit closed the file in front of him but didn't immediately reach for the next one. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping absently against the armrest as his gaze drifted towards the glass wall of his cabin.
His own words replayed in his mind.
"That includes my wife." He frowned slightly.
Why had he reacted like that?
Office gossip wasn't new to him. Over the years, he had heard employees speculate about promotions, business decisions, management, and even himself. He had always ignored it. As long as the work wasn't affected, idle conversations had never been worth his attention.
Then why...
Why had those few careless comments made him stop in the middle of the corridor?
Why had he felt the need to defend Aprajita?
He rubbed a hand over his forehead, trying to organise his thoughts. "They questioned my judgment."
The explanation came quickly, almost as if he had been waiting to convince himself. "They insulted my decision as the CEO."
That had to be the reason.
Nothing more.
He repeated the thought once again until it sounded convincing enough.
Then he straightened in his chair, pulled the next file towards himself and forced his attention back to work.
---
Outside his cabin, the office slowly settled into its usual rhythm.
Phones rang.
Keyboards clicked.
Employees hurried between departments as another busy workday in House of Bharadwaj continued.
By evening, Aprajita finished the last of her pending tasks and saved the final document.
She stretched her tired shoulders before shutting down her laptop. Almost instinctively, her eyes wandered towards Rakshit's cabin.
The lights were still on.
Through the glass, she could see him seated behind his desk, completely engrossed in his work. His attention remained fixed on the files in front of him, unaware of everything happening outside.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Some things really never changed.
Picking up her handbag, she made her way downstairs.
The company driver was already waiting near the entrance.
The moment he saw her, he stepped forward respectfully. "Shall we leave, ma'am?"
She nodded with a small smile."Yes."
A few moments later, the car rolled out of the office premises, leaving behind the steadily emptying parking lot.
---
Nearly many hours later, Rakshit finally leaned back from his laptop and glanced at the clock on the wall.
8:45 p.m.
Without thinking, his eyes shifted towards the glass wall overlooking the workstations outside.
Aprajita's desk stood empty. Her chair had already been pushed in neatly.
He reached for the intercom. "Dubey ji"
The response came almost instantly. "Yes, sir?"
"Aprajita..." The words paused on his lips for the briefest moment before he continued in his usual composed tone. "...has she left?"
"Yes, sir. The driver dropped her home about an hour ago."
"I see." Rakshit disconnected the call and quietly placed the receiver back.
For reasons he couldn't explain, a strange feeling settled inside him.
Relief.
She had reached home safely. And something else, he wouldn't have to face her today. Not after everything that had happened. Not after defending her in the corridor.
Not after waking up beside her that morning.
He stared at the laptop screen for a long moment before giving his head a slight shake.
"No..." he murmured under his breath.
"I'll finish the remaining work." He pulled another file towards himself.
Finished it.
Reached for another.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
One by one, the lights across the office floor went out.
Employees left.
The conversations faded.
Soon, only silence remained.
The empty office had always been his favourite place to work.
He told himself that was exactly why he had stayed back tonight. And not because, somewhere deep inside, he was avoiding the woman waiting for him at home.
💛
It was a little past eleven.
The Bharadwaj Mansion had long fallen silent.
The lights in the corridors had been switched off, and the only sound that occasionally drifted into the room was the distant rustle of leaves outside the window.
Aprajita sat against the headboard with a novel resting on her lap. The book was open. Her eyes were fixed on the page.
But she had read the same paragraph at least four times without understanding a single sentence.
Her mind wasn't in the story. Every few minutes, she found herself glancing at the clock on the wall. Then, almost unconsciously, her gaze shifted to the bedroom door.
"He still hasn't come..." The words escaped in a soft murmur. She let out a quiet sigh and reached for her phone lying beside her. For a long moment, she simply stared at Rakshit's name on the screen.
Should she call him?
Would he even appreciate it?
Or would he think she was interfering again?
Her thumb hovered uncertainly over his contact.
Just then, the bedroom door clicked open. Startled, she quickly locked her phone and placed it beside her, pretending she hadn't been waiting at all.
Rakshit walked inside. One look at him was enough to tell how exhausting his day had been.
His shoulders looked heavy with fatigue, and he absentmindedly loosened his tie as he walked into the room.
Their eyes met briefly. He acknowledged her with a small nod before heading straight for the dressing room without saying a word.
A few minutes later, he walked back out. He had changed into a plain black T-shirt and grey track pants, his damp hair suggesting he had taken a quick shower.
Without looking in her direction, he walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and took out a pillow and a neatly folded blanket.
Aprajita watched him in confusion. When he turned towards the sofa with both in his hands, she finally spoke. "Why are you taking those?"
Rakshit stopped in his tracks. He looked at her over his shoulder. "To sleep."
She frowned slightly and glanced towards the large king-sized bed that occupied most of the room. "Why?"
For the first time since entering the room, he looked at her properly. His expression remained calm.
Almost unreadable. "Because we know the reality of this marriage." His voice carried no emotion. It was simply stating a fact."The rest of the world may believe we're husband and wife in every sense..." He paused for a brief moment before finishing quietly, "...but we know we're not."
Silence settled between them. Neither of them looked away.
"We don't have to sleep on the same bed."With that, he adjusted the blanket in his hands and took another step towards the sofa.
Aprajita lowered her eyes for a moment before gathering the courage to speak again. "We can keep cushions in between." Rakshit stopped once more.
She looked at him carefully. "A line of pillows." She gave him a small, uncertain shrug."You'll have your space and I'll have mine, there won't be any problem."
For a fleeting second, he actually considered it. His eyes drifted towards the bed. Then, without warning, the memory of that morning returned.
Waking up. Finding her hand in his. Realising that he had been the one who had unconsciously pulled her closer.
The thought tightened something inside him.
He looked away almost immediately. "No."The answer came quietly. Firmly. "But..." He drew a slow breath before continuing "Let's keep things the way they are."
Aprajita didn't argue. She simply lowered her gaze and nodded faintly.
Rakshit tightened his grip on the pillow before speaking again. "And, Aprajita..."
She looked up. His expression hadn't changed.
But there was an unusual seriousness in his eyes. "Don't try to make room for yourself in my life."
The words were measured.
Controlled.
Yet they landed with unexpected weight.
"I don't want either of us to forget why we got married."
A brief silence followed.
It felt as though he was choosing his next words very carefully.
When he finally spoke again, his voice was softer.
Almost as though he was reminding himself of a promise he had made long before this marriage. "I will never fall in love with you." The room became unbearably quiet.
Aprajita felt her fingers tighten around the edges of the book resting on her lap.
She had always known that. From the day he had placed the contract before her.
From the moment she had signed it without reading a single clause.
She had known exactly what this marriage would never become.
She had promised herself she wouldn't expect anything.
Wouldn't hope.
Wouldn't dream.
And yet...Hearing him say the words aloud hurt in a way she hadn't prepared herself for.
It felt as though someone had quietly taken every unspoken hope she had hidden inside her heart... And gently closed the door on it. She forced herself to smile.
It was small.
Fragile.
Almost invisible. "I know." Her voice was steady. There was no accusation.
No disappointment.
Only quiet acceptance.
Rakshit looked at her for a long moment.
Then, without saying another word, he turned away. He spread the blanket neatly over the sofa and placed the pillow beneath his head. Facing the wall, he closed his eyes.
Behind him, Aprajita reached for the bedside lamp. The soft yellow light disappeared, leaving the room wrapped in darkness.
Neither of them spoke again. Only the silence remained. As she lay staring at the ceiling, one thought echoed over and over inside her heart.
You never had to tell me, Rakshit...I've loved you knowing exactly that.
A single tear slipped silently across her temple before disappearing into the pillow. She wiped it away before anyone could ever see it.
Even though, there was no one looking.
Write a comment ...