A week passed.
Surprisingly, there hadn't been a single argument after that night. Neither of them brought up the conversation again.
Neither tried to revisit it.
It simply became one more unspoken thing they chose to leave behind.
Aprajita stopped insisting that Rakshit sleep on the bed. After realising how firm he was about maintaining boundaries, she quietly let the matter go.
Without ever discussing it, they found a compromise of their own. One night, Rakshit slept on the bed while she took the sofa.
The following night, they switched. Then they switched again. The arrangement became so natural that neither of them questioned it anymore.
There were no negotiations. No reminders.
By the end of the week, they instinctively knew whose turn it was. It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement.
But it worked. And for now that was enough.
---
Sunday arrived with an unusual sense of calm. For the first time in days, Rakshit woke up without the shrill sound of an alarm pulling him out of sleep.
A satisfied sigh escaped him as he stretched lazily across the bed, enjoying the rare luxury of not having to rush anywhere.
The room felt unusually peaceful. Sunlight streamed softly through the curtains, filling the bedroom with a warm golden glow.
Instinctively, he turned towards the sofa. It was empty. His brows drew together slightly. Before he could think much about it, a faint humming reached his ears. He looked towards the dressing room.
The door was closed. She's getting ready...
He frowned. It's only seven.
Every weekday had turned into the same routine. Convincing Aprajita to wake up before seven was almost impossible.
She would bury herself deeper under the blanket, mumble incoherent protests, bargain shamelessly for "just five more minutes," and somehow still end up racing through breakfast at the last minute.
The memory brought an involuntary smile to his face. Then another thought followed. Why is she awake so early today?
It was Sunday. The one day she had absolutely no reason to leave her bed.
A quiet chuckle escaped him as he remembered the sleepy expression she wore every morning. His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when the dressing room door opened.
Aprajita stepped out. She wasn't dressed for the office. Instead, she wore a sleeveless red short kurta paired with blue jeans. Her long hair had been left open, falling loosely over her shoulders, and she looked... lighter somehow.
Relaxed.
Comfortable.
For a brief moment, Rakshit simply looked at her. He realised he had never actually seen her dressed like this.
Until now, she had always been in crisp office kurtas, elegant sarees or formal clothes. This version of her felt completely different.
Effortless.
She noticed him sitting up on the bed and stopped in her tracks. "Oh." A small apologetic smile appeared on her face."Sorry... did I wake you up?"
Rakshit blinked, almost as though he'd been caught staring. He looked away before answering."No."
After a brief pause, his eyes returned to her. "Going somewhere?"
She nodded immediately, unable to hide her excitement. "To my parents' house. My college friends are coming today."
She picked up her phone from the bedside table while speaking. "They couldn't attend the wedding, so we planned to meet there."
The excitement in her voice was unmistakable. Her eyes sparkled in a way he hadn't seen all week.
Rakshit simply nodded.
That made sense.
He didn't need to ask anything else. He expected her to respect his personal space. The least he could do was respect hers.
But before he could stop himself, another question slipped out. "Why didn't you invite them here?"
Aprajita looked genuinely surprised by the question. "It was planned before our marriage." She shrugged lightly. "I didn't know if I could invite everyone here."
Before either of them could continue, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen and smiled."They're already on the way." Looking back at him, she adjusted the strap of her sling bag. "I should leave."
She had barely taken a step towards the door when Rakshit swung his legs off the bed.
"I'll come with you." The words left his mouth so naturally that even he was caught off guard.
Aprajita stopped walking. She turned around slowly, surprise written all over her face. "You... will?"
He nodded as though it were the most ordinary decision in the world. "Yes."
She looked at him in confusion. "But..." and frowned thoughtfully. "Don't you have work today?"
Rakshit stared at her for a second before raising an eyebrow. "Today is Sunday."
She blinked twice. Then an embarrassed smile spread across her face. "Oh.. I thought you would work on Sundays too."
The corners of Rakshit's lips lifted despite himself. "I think you're forgetting who you're talking to."
She laughed softly, the sound filling the room. "I guess I am."
Rakshit stood up and reached for the fresh clothes he had kept aside. "Give me ten minutes." Picking them up, he walked towards the dressing room.
Just before entering, he looked back at her. "Your parents won't feel comfortable if I let you go alone while I stay back." He said it in his usual matter-of-fact tone. As though it wasn't a decision. Just common sense.
Without waiting for her reply, he stepped inside the dressing room. The door clicked shut behind him.
Aprajita remained exactly where she was, her phone still in her hand. A slow smile spread across her face.
Why are you coming, Rakshit?
To make Papa and Mumma happy...
Or because you wanted to?
She shook her head almost immediately, trying to silence the thought before it could grow into hope. "No..." she whispered to herself. "Don't overthink."
But no matter how many times she told herself that, the question refused to leave her mind.
It stayed there quietly, until Rakshit walked out, ready to leave with her.
💛
As soon as they stepped inside the Sharma house, loud laughter spilled out from the living room, filling every corner of the house with warmth.
Rakshit instinctively slowed down near the entrance. The cheerful chaos inside was so different from the silence he was used to that he paused without even realizing it.
Aprajita noticed him stop and turned back. "What happened?"
He shook his head lightly. "Nothing."
Together, they walked into the living room. The sight before Rakshit caught him completely off guard.
There were three...people scattered around the room. One occupied the sofa while others sat comfortably on the carpet with cups of tea in their hands along with Ram Gopal. Everyone seemed to be talking at the same time, interrupting one another, laughing without any restraint, and somehow still understanding every word being spoken.
The room was alive. "Appu!"
The moment Aprajita stepped inside, every head turned towards her. Before she could even say hello, the three rushed forward and surrounded her.
"You idiot! You finally got married!"
"You didn't even invite us properly!"
"I missed you so much!"
Their voices overlapped as they pulled her into a tight group hug.
Aprajita laughed helplessly, trying to free herself from the middle of the crowd. "I can't breathe!"
The room erupted into another round of laughter. Standing quietly near the entrance, Rakshit watched the scene unfold. For the first time in a very long while he felt completely out of place.
If someone had put him in a boardroom with twenty investors demanding answers, he would've handled every question without blinking.
But this, a room overflowing with laughter, shared memories, inside jokes and effortless affection...
He didn't know what to do with it. Growing up, he had never really had friends. There had only been his father.
His studies.
His responsibilities.
And later...
His company.
Ram Gopal noticed the hesitation on his face almost immediately.
With a gentle smile, he walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Rakshit's shoulder. "Come, beta."
He guided him towards the sofa before gesturing towards the lively group still surrounding Aprajita.
"They're all Appu's college friends. They're settled in the US and UK now."
Rakshit nodded quietly, listening.
"They had already planned this reunion long before the wedding," Ram continued with a fond smile. "All of them wanted Appu to move abroad with them after graduation."
His eyes shifted towards his daughter with unmistakable pride. "But she chose to stay."
Almost unconsciously, Rakshit's gaze followed.
Aprajita was laughing at something one of her friends had said, her eyes sparkling with genuine happiness.
He had never seen her laugh like that.
Not once.
Not in the office.
Not at the mansion.
Not even during the wedding.
This laughter wasn't polite.
It wasn't controlled.
It was free.
"Hi!" The sudden chorus of voices pulled him back to reality.
Every single one of them had turned towards him. Rakshit blinked before offering a polite smile. "Hello."
A tall man stepped forward first and extended his hand. "I'm Varun."
Rakshit shook it firmly. "Nice meeting you...." Before he could reply, a woman with bright eyes and an easy smile introduced herself.
"I'm Avantika. Happy to meet you..."
Rakshit smiled politely. "Likewise."
Another friend, Yash, chuckled as he folded his arms. "We honestly thought Appu would come with us. But madam refused every opportunity."
Once again, Rakshit's eyes drifted towards Aprajita. She only smiled, choosing not to explain.
At that moment, Malti walked out of the kitchen carrying another serving bowl. She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Enough talking. Breakfast is ready."
The announcement was met with immediate cheers. Within seconds, everyone began making their way towards the dining table, laughing and teasing one another all over again.
---
If Rakshit had thought the living room was noisy, the dining table proved him wrong.
Conversations bounced from one end of the table to the other while everyone tried talking at once.
Ram Gopal intentionally seated Rakshit beside him, making sure he wouldn't feel isolated amidst the familiar group.
Meanwhile, Malti and Aprajita moved around the table, serving breakfast to everyone.
Before Aprajita could even pull out her chair Varun scooped up a spoonful of poha and held it in front of her. "Open."
She looked at him in disbelief. "Varun..."
He didn't budge. "Open."
She let out an exaggerated sigh before finally opening her mouth. Varun grinned triumphantly and fed her the spoonful. The entire table burst into laughter. " it's your favourite and every time I have poha, I remember you " Varun said.
Aprajita shook her head, trying not to smile. Before she could even respond, Avantika leaned forward with a piece of jalebi. "My turn."
Aprajita laughed helplessly. "You people haven't changed."
Avantika winked. "Neither have you."
She accepted the bite, and yet another round of laughter followed.
Throughout it all, Rakshit quietly continued eating his breakfast.
He wasn't jealous. Not even slightly.
He was simply Observing.
This Aprajita felt like a completely different person. The woman who sat outside his cabin every day was calm, composed and endlessly professional.
This one, she laughed loudly.
Argued dramatically.
Teased everyone without hesitation.
She looked...
Happy.
A thought crossed his mind before he could stop it.
When had she stopped smiling like this?
Just then, Varun turned towards him with an amused expression. "So...How do you manage her?"
Rakshit looked up from his plate. "I'm sorry?"
Varun laughed. "Our Appu. She never has time for anything except office."
Everyone nodded knowingly.
"Whenever we call her.....all she talks about is her boss."
The entire table burst into laughter.
"Varun..." Aprajita warned, shooting him a sharp look.
He ignored her completely. "Every phone call starts with-"
He began counting dramatically on his fingers. "'My boss made me stay till nine. My boss rejected my presentation. My boss gave me another project. My boss doesn't know weekends exist.'"
Malti and Ram exchanged amused glances while trying to hide their smiles.
Across the table, Rakshit slowly turned towards Aprajita. She had suddenly become very interested in the contents of her plate. She refused to meet his eyes.
A smile tugged at the corner of Rakshit lips. "I think..." he said calmly, "...her boss is quite a reasonable man."
Aprajita almost dropped the spoon in her hand.
The entire table exploded with laughter.
Avantika happily joined in. "There were days she'd call us just to complain about him."
"Avantika!" Aprajita glared at her.
"What?" Avantika laughed. "It's true."
Rakshit leaned back slightly, folding his arms as though considering this new information. "So...She complained about her boss?"
"Oh, all the time."
Yash nodded enthusiastically. "Poor fellow. We've never even met him, but we knew exactly how strict he was."
Rakshit's eyes slid sideways towards Aprajita. She was frantically signalling all of them to stop talking before they revealed anything more.
His smile deepened almost imperceptibly. "I see."
Varun suddenly smirked as another thought struck him. "You know...We never thought she'd get married. She was hopelessly-"
Before he could finish...Aprajita grabbed the nearest jalebi and stuffed the entire thing into his mouth. Varun's eyes widened in horror.
The table erupted into uncontrollable laughter.
Smiling as innocently as possible, Aprajita looked around the table and completed his sentence herself. "...a workaholic."
She nodded with exaggerated confidence.
Varun glared at her while struggling to chew the oversized bite, making everyone laugh even harder.
Rakshit looked at her quietly.
He knew that wasn't the word Varun had been about to say.
And for the first time, he found himself wondering what the real sentence had been.
Aprajita silently let out the breath she had been holding.
Thankfully Varun hadn't completed his sentence.
Had he said "hopelessly in love," everything she had hidden for years would've fallen apart in a single moment.
The carefully built wall around her secret would've crumbled right in front of Rakshit.
Silently, she thanked every god she knew. Somehow, she had managed to escape.
---
After breakfast, everyone gradually drifted back into the living room.
The easy chatter resumed almost immediately, filling the house with laughter once again.
Unlike when he had first walked in, Rakshit no longer felt like an outsider. He had relaxed enough to respond to a few conversations and had even smiled at some of Varun's completely ridiculous college stories.
It surprised him. He wasn't someone who blended into groups easily. Yet these people had made him feel welcome without trying too hard.
Still Varun's unfinished sentence refused to leave his mind.
"We never thought she'd get married because she was hopelessly..."
His thoughts wandered on their own.
Was she in love with someone during college?
He remembered something Aravind had casually mentioned a few days ago. Aprajita had rejected several marriage proposals over the years.
At the time, he hadn't given it much thought. Now the pieces seemed to fit together differently.
If there really had been someone...
Then why did she agree to marry me?
Especially when she knew exactly what this marriage was.
A contract. One that would end in two years. The question lingered in his mind longer than he wanted to admit.
Before he could think any further, Avantika smiled at him from across the room. "So tell us honestly...How did you convince Appu to say yes?" She laughed before adding, "We were convinced she'd stay single forever."
Rakshit instinctively looked towards Aprajita.
She was already watching him, curiosity written across her face.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe.... She was scared she'd lose her job." He delivered the sentence with such complete seriousness that nobody reacted at first.
The room fell silent. Aprajita stared at him in disbelief. For one long second, everyone simply blinked.
Then she immediately stepped in before anyone could misunderstand."Actually..."
She let out a small, awkward laugh. "You all kept complaining about him without even knowing who he was."
Curious eyes immediately shifted towards her.
Aprajita took a slow breath before speaking. "Rakshit is my boss."
Silence settled over the room. No one had expected that.
She continued before anyone could interrupt. "I accepted the proposal because his father wanted him to get married as he is undergoing cancer treatment ."
Her eyes briefly met Rakshit's. "He proposed me......and promised to make this relationship work."
Half truth.
Half lie.
Enough to satisfy everyone's curiosity. She knew exactly why she had revealed it now. If she hadn't... Someone among her friends would've eventually mentioned the truth. That she had loved Rakshit long before becoming his wife.
She couldn't allow that to happen.
Not in front of him.
Not ever.
The room remained unusually quiet.
Rakshit watched her for a long moment.
Her explanation had come effortlessly.
Something about it felt rehearsed.
Before the silence became uncomfortable, Rakshit smiled lightly.."I hope I'm not as terrible as you've imagined."
A few nervous laughs immediately filled the room. Avantika shook her head with an embarrassed smile. "No, no... that's not it." She searched for the right words. "It was just......unexpected."
She exchanged a quick glance with the others.
The atmosphere slowly returned to normal.
Varun casually slipped an arm around Aprajita's shoulders while laughing at something Yash had whispered.
Without thinking, she leaned comfortably against him, still smiling.
It was an old habit. One born out of years of friendship. Rakshit's gaze shifted towards them almost unconsciously. He noticed how naturally they interacted.
No hesitation.
No awkwardness.
No need for explanations.
Entire conversations seemed to happen between them with nothing more than a glance.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside him.
A feeling he couldn't quite identify. He looked away almost immediately.
They're just friends.
The explanation was perfectly logical. Then why... didn't it feel completely convincing?
Before he could dwell on it any further, Yash clapped his hands loudly. "Alright."
Our flight won't wait for emotional reunions."
A chorus of groans echoed through the room. "So soon? We'll come again." This time you two have to visit us."
The room filled with hugs, laughter and endless promises to stay in touch.
One by one, they handed beautifully wrapped gifts to Rakshit and Aprajita.
Finally, Avantika looked towards Ram Gopal with an excited smile. "Uncle!" One group picture before we leave."
Ram happily took out his phone. "Come on, everyone."
The entire group immediately gathered together. People shuffled around, trying to squeeze into the frame.
"No, move a little."
"Stand closer."
Amidst the cheerful chaos, Aprajita found herself standing between Varun and Rakshit.
Ram adjusted the phone and looked up. "Move a little."
"No, the other side."
"Perfect."
"Everyone smile!"
Just as he lifted the phone...
Aprajita suddenly felt a warm weight settle gently across her shoulder.
Her breath caught.
Slowly... She turned her head.
Rakshit's arm rested comfortably around her shoulders. There was nothing dramatic about the gesture.
No hesitation.
He simply stood there, looking straight at the camera with the same composed expression he always wore.
As though placing his arm around his wife for a photograph was the most natural thing in the world.
For everyone else...It probably was.
But for Aprajita... It wasn't.
Not once...
Not even during their wedding rituals, he had voluntarily touched her like this.
Her heartbeat stumbled inside her chest.
Almost instinctively, she looked up at him.
He never looked back. His attention remained fixed on the camera in front of them.
"Smile!" Ram called out cheerfully.
Aprajita slowly turned her face towards the camera again. A smile bloomed across her lips. Not because they were taking a photograph. But because, for one fleeting, unguarded moment...
Rakshit had chosen her shoulder, without even realizing he had done it.
"Done!" Ram announced happily.
Rakshit immediately lowered his arm and stepped aside, completely unaware that the simple gesture had just become one of Aprajita's most cherished memories.
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