The Sharma family stood at the entrance long after the cars had started moving.
Malti kept waving until the vehicles disappeared at the end of the street, while Ram Gopal smiled warmly beside her.
Just before getting into her own car, Avantika walked over to Aprajita and gently squeezed her hand. "We'll talk."
There was concern hidden beneath the smile on her face.
Aprajita understood exactly what her friend meant. She didn't pretend otherwise. Meeting Avantika's eyes, she gave a small nod. "I know."
There was nothing more to say. Some conversations could only happen later. One by one, the remaining cars drove away.
The laughter that had filled the house all morning slowly faded into silence. The reunion was over.
The drive back to Bharadwaj Mansion began in comfortable silence. Aprajita rested her head lightly against the window as familiar streets slipped past outside. The city moved at its usual pace, but her thoughts remained somewhere behind... inside the Sharma house, surrounded by old friends and forgotten memories.
For once... The silence inside the car didn't feel heavy. It simply existed between them.
Rakshit kept his attention on the road ahead, but every now and then, his eyes drifted towards her before returning to the traffic.
Ever since breakfast, a question had been quietly sitting at the back of his mind. Finally, he broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"
Aprajita turned her head and looked at him. "Hmm?"
His fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. "You had opportunities to settle in the US or the UK."
He glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road. "You were close enough to your friends to move with them." After a small pause, he asked softly, "Why didn't you go?"
A smile spread across Aprajita's face, touched with nostalgia. "It was actually our grand plan." She let out a quiet laugh. "On the first year of college, all of us decided we'd stay together forever."
Her eyes remained fixed on the road outside as memories unfolded one after another. "No matter where life took us. We even promised we'd all move abroad after graduation."
Rakshit listened without interrupting.
Her voice carried the warmth of someone reliving happy memories. "For three years, I was completely convinced I'd go."
Then her smile softened. "But during our final year..." She looked out of the window, watching a little girl walking hand in hand with her father along the pavement "...I realised something. I couldn't stay away from Ma and Papa."
There wasn't even a trace of hesitation in her voice. "They're my whole world."
A fond smile touched her lips as she remembered those days. "My friends even tried convincing me. They learnt to cook because they said I didn't have to."
She laughed quietly. "They made spreadsheets to show me I could become financially independent. They even started travelling more so I'd think they could manage without me."
The image made Rakshit's lips curve into a faint smile. "They really wanted you to go. They did."
She nodded gently. "My friends also tried every possible trick.They emotionally blackmailed me.They even stopped talking to me for almost a week."
She chuckled, shaking her head at the memory. "But..." Her expression softened again. "I knew myself. I can't function without Ma and Papa."
There was no embarrassment in admitting it.
"So...I stayed." A peaceful smile settled on her face. "They visit India whenever they can. And if they don't...We have a video call every Sunday."
She smiled a little wider. "Sometimes it lasts for three hours."
Rakshit stole another glance at her. There wasn't a hint of regret on her face.
He found himself asking the question almost unconsciously. "You never regretted it?"
This time, she answered without even needing to think. "Never."
The certainty in that single word surprised him. She wasn't trying to convince herself. She genuinely meant it.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of what if in her voice.
For someone who had willingly given up opportunities many people dreamt about.She seemed completely at peace.
The car fell silent again. After a few moments, Aprajita turned towards him.
"What about you?"Her voice was gentle. "Didn't you have friends?"
The question caught him unexpectedly. For a few seconds, he said nothing.
His eyes remained fixed on the road stretching ahead.
Finally, he spoke. "I didn't."
The answer was simple. Short. Almost emotionless.
Aprajita waited quietly. After another moment, he continued. "I studied.I came home.I looked after Dad." He gave a small shrug. "That was my life."
There was no resentment in his voice.
No self-pity. Only acceptance.
As though that had always been enough.
Aprajita felt an ache settle quietly inside her heart. No wonder, he had looked so uncomfortable that morning.
He had never experienced a room filled with friends who interrupted one another without offence...
Who laughed over embarrassing memories...
Who fed each other without asking...
Who teased each other simply because they could.
He had never belonged to something like that. She turned back towards the window. The city outside had begun glowing beneath the soft light of the evening sun.
After a long silence, she spoke. "Then..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You missed a lot."
Rakshit didn't answer. His hands remained steady on the steering wheel.
His eyes stayed fixed on the road. But somewhere deep inside, a thought quietly took root.
For the first time in years, he found himself wondering..if she was right.
💛
The next evening, Aprajita reached Bharadwaj Mansion earlier than usual.
The house was unusually quiet. Most of the staff had finished their work, and the peaceful silence after a long day felt oddly comforting.
After changing into a pair of comfortable clothes, she loosely tied her hair into a messy bun and stood before the dressing table.
She picked up the tube of face mask, squeezed a generous amount onto her fingertips, and was just about to spread it across her face when her phone buzzed on the table.
The screen lit up.
College Idiots ❤️
An involuntary smile spread across her lips. Without wasting another second, she accepted the video call and propped the phone against the mirror before continuing with her skincare routine.
The moment the call connected- "IDIOT!" Varun's voice exploded through the speaker.
Aprajita visibly flinched and immediately pulled the phone a little farther away. "Volume, please."
"You should've told us Rakshit is your boss!"
"I wanted to surprise you all!" she defended herself while carefully applying the face mask over her cheeks. "How was I supposed to know he'd actually come with me?"
"You nearly gave all of us a heart attack," Yash complained dramatically, throwing both hands into the air. "We've spent years listening to your stories about your boss, and suddenly he's your husband!"
The entire group laughed, but Avantika wasn't smiling. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before leaning closer to the camera. "More importantly..."Her voice softened. "Does he know you love him?"
For the briefest moment... Aprajita's hand froze in mid-air. The mask remained untouched on her fingertips.Then, almost immediately, she forced herself to continue applying it as though nothing had happened. "No."
Silence settled over the call. Even Varun stopped smiling. "He still doesn't know?" Yash asked quietly.
Aprajita slowly shook her head. "He talks very little. And we hardly discuss anything beyond what's necessary."
It wasn't entirely true.
But it wasn't entirely false either.
The conversations between them had grown easier over the past week. They shared breakfast. Car rides. The occasional joke.
But none of those conversations had ever crossed the invisible line between them.
Varun stared at her through the screen, looking completely unconvinced. "You stay with him. You work with him. You travel together. You live in the same room."
He paused dramatically before throwing both hands up. "And you're telling me your relationship hasn't moved even one step forward?"
Aprajita smiled weakly. "If only it were that simple."
Only she knew the truth.
The contract.
The carefully drawn boundaries. The promise Rakshit had made that he would never fall in love with her.
"He hardly even looks at me." She muttered so quietly that she almost hoped nobody would hear it.
Unfortunately, Yash heard every single word. He immediately burst into loud laughter. "Of course he doesn't!" He pointed dramatically towards the screen."If you keep applying weird green things like that, the poor man probably runs for his life every evening."
Aprajita gasped in a mock offence. "This is skincare!"
Yash shook his head with complete seriousness. "This," he corrected, "...is a horror movie."
The entire call dissolved into laughter.
Aprajita couldn't help laughing too. "You wait till you come to India." She pointed a warning finger at the screen. "I'll smack you myself."
"I'd like to stay alive, thank you." Yash chuckled, pretending to hide behind his chair.
The laughter gradually settled.
Avantika waited until everyone had calmed down before speaking again. "Appu..." Her tone turned noticeably gentler. "What about the Maldives trip Uncle gifted you?"
Aprajita let out a quiet sigh. "I don't think Rakshit will agree."
Avantika frowned. "Have you even asked him?"
"No."
"Then ask." She smiled encouragingly.
"Maybe...a few days away from the office......away from meetings....away from everyone will help both of you know each other."
Aprajita smiled, but there was sadness hidden behind it. "You all have too much hope."
Varun immediately pointed towards the camera. "And you have too little."
"Exactly," Yash agreed without missing a beat. We're not asking you to make him fall in love. We're just asking you to give your marriage a chance."
For a moment, Aprajita looked away from the screen.
Her friends waited patiently, unaware of the storm quietly passing through her heart. If only you knew...
She had already given this marriage everything she had.
Her trust.
Her patience.
Her hopes.
And long before that, she had given Rakshit her entire heart. The only person who had never truly given this marriage a chance...Was the man she had married.
💛
Two months had passed since their wedding.
On the surface, very little had changed.
They still travelled to work together whenever their schedules matched.
Inside the office, they maintained the same professional boundaries they always had, speaking to each other only when work demanded it.
At home, they had settled into an unspoken routine. One night, Rakshit slept on the bed while Aprajita took the sofa. The next night, they switched. Neither complained. Neither questioned it.
And every evening, without fail, Rakshit disappeared into his study or buried himself in work the moment he returned home.
The only thing that had truly changed was the Bharadwaj Mansion itself.
The silence that had once settled over every room had slowly disappeared.
Aravind laughed more. The dining table was no longer quiet. Someone always had a story to tell. Someone always had something to say.
And somehow, that someone was almost always Aprajita.
---
It was Friday morning.
The three of them sat around the dining table, enjoying a leisurely breakfast.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows while the newspaper rested beside Aravind's plate.
After folding it neatly, he looked at his son. "Beta..."
Rakshit glanced up from his coffee. "Hm?"
"What happened to the Maldives package Ram gifted you both?"
Rakshit didn't even have to think. "I can't, Dad."
Aravind frowned. "You can postpone work for a week."
Rakshit shook his head without hesitation. "Not now."
He placed his coffee cup back on the table before continuing. "I've been working on the Singhania deal for almost three months. We're finally close to signing it. If I leave now, the entire negotiation will be delayed."
His tone remained calm, practical and matter-of-fact. "So...I'm sorry, Dad.It's not possible."
The conversation ended there.
He stood up, picked up his laptop bag from the chair beside him and turned towards Aprajita. "I'll leave."
She looked up from her plate and gave him a small smile. "Okay."
Without another word, Rakshit walked towards the entrance.
A moment later, the sound of the main door closing echoed softly through the dining room. Silence settled over the table. Aravind watched the closed door for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
Guilt settled visibly across his face.
He turned towards Aprajita. "I'm sorry, beta. He shouldn't have dismissed it like that."
Aprajita instinctively glanced towards the entrance where Rakshit had disappeared only moments ago. Then she looked back at Aravind and smiled.
It was warm. Comforting. "Oh, it's alright, papa."
She gave a small shrug. "He can't leave his first wife for me."
Aravind blinked in confusion. "First wife?"
A soft laugh escaped her. "The office."
She pointed playfully towards the door through which Rakshit had just left. "I think I'll have to wait a few more years before I become his favourite."
Despite himself, Aravind smiled. "You always joke."
"What else should I do?" She asked lightly. The smile remained on her lips.
But it never quite reached her eyes. "If I compete with his office....I'm definitely losing." She laughed again.
The sound was cheerful enough to fool almost anyone.
Almost.
As she lowered her gaze back to her plate, her smile faded for the briefest moment.
Her breakfast remained almost untouched. Quietly, she picked up her spoon and forced herself to take another bite.
Aravind noticed everything.
The joke.
The smile.
The disappointment hidden carefully behind both.
His own smile slowly disappeared. He knew exactly what she was doing.
She was pretending. Pretending for his sake. Pretending so that he wouldn't feel guilty.
And somehow that hurt him far more than if she had simply admitted she was disappointed.
💛
The next evening stretched well past ten.
The Singhania deal was finally ready to be signed in fifteen days. Rakshit rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stepped into Bharadwaj Mansion, exhaustion etched across his face. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and every muscle in his body reminded him of the endless hours he had spent at the office.
All he wanted was a hot shower and a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
He had assumed everyone would have retired for the night.
Instead, as he entered the living room, he found Aravind sitting comfortably on the sofa with the television muted. A glass of warm water rested on the centre table, untouched.
Rakshit frowned slightly as he walked over. "Dad..." he said, loosening his tie even further. "You're still awake?"
Aravind looked up and smiled. "I wasn't feeling sleepy." His eyes briefly shifted to the wall clock before returning to his son. "And you're coming home now?"
Rakshit let out a tired breath and dropped onto the sofa beside him. Leaning back, he closed his eyes for a moment before answering.
"In a few days we're signing the Singhania deal. There were a few last-minute changes."
Aravind nodded with understanding. " You work too hard, Rakshit."
A faint smile crossed Rakshit's face as he opened his eyes again. "It's just another day."
"No." Aravind shook his head gently. "It's been two months since your marriage. And you've hardly spent time at home."
Rakshit rested his head against the back of the sofa and sighed softly. "Dad..." he murmured. "I know what's coming."
A quiet chuckle escaped Aravind. "Then hear me out before refusing."
Rakshit didn't interrupt him. He simply waited. "Once the Singhania deal is signed..." Aravind began patiently, "...take a break. Go somewhere. Just for a few days."
Rakshit turned his head to look at him. "Dad... Not again. I can't. There are already three new projects lined up after Singhania. I don't have the time."
Aravind sighed, though there was no disappointment in his expression-only concern. "I'm not forcing you. I'm only asking you to think from her side."
Rakshit remained silent.
Aravind continued quietly, choosing each word with care. "She comes home before you every day. She eats dinner with me. And then waits in that room while you return close to midnight."
He paused for a moment before adding softly, "She must feel lonely and every time the honeymoon comes up......you refuse."
Rakshit lowered his gaze to his clasped hands. "She understands," he replied quietly. She has never complained."
A sad smile touched Aravind's lips. "No. She never will."
Silence settled between them.
Only the faint ticking of the clock echoed through the spacious living room.
After a few moments, Aravind smiled to himself as though remembering something. "Do you know what she called your office yesterday?"
Rakshit looked up, slightly puzzled. "What?"
Aravind laughed softly. "Your first wife."
Rakshit's eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"She said...He can't leave his first wife for me.'"
For a brief second, Rakshit simply stared at his father. Then, despite himself, the corner of his lips curved into a smile. "She actually said that?"
"Hmm." Aravind nodded with an amused smile. "She laughed while saying it."
His expression slowly softened. "But I could tell.....it hurts her."
The smile on Rakshit's face gradually disappeared. He looked away, his thoughts suddenly becoming much heavier than they had been a moment ago.
Aravind slowly rose from the sofa. Before leaving, he rested a reassuring hand on Rakshit's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm going to sleep. I won't force you. But..." He looked directly into his son's eyes. "Think about it."
"Not as my son. As her husband." With that, he turned and quietly walked towards his room.
Rakshit remained seated on the sofa long after Aravind disappeared down the hallway.
The living room had fallen silent again.
His eyes rested somewhere in the distance, but he wasn't really looking at anything. One sentence kept replaying in his mind.
He can't leave his first wife for me.
When he had first heard it, it sounded amusing. Now, it no longer felt like a joke.
For the first time since their marriage, Rakshit found himself wondering if he had unknowingly made Aprajita feel as though she would always come second to his work, his responsibilities... and everything else in his life.
💛
Later that week,
Aprajita left the office before sunset. Instead of asking the driver to head straight home, she leaned forward slightly and smiled.
"Bhaiya... could you stop at the nursery near Green Avenue?"
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "The plant nursery, ma'am?"
"Yes. I'll only take ten minutes."
"Of course, ma'am."
A few minutes later, the car pulled up outside a large nursery overflowing with rows of colourful flowers and lush green plants.
The moment Aprajita stepped inside, the earthy scent of wet soil and fresh leaves greeted her.
She smiled unconsciously. She had always loved plants. Not because she was particularly good at taking care of them...
Quite the opposite.
She laughed quietly to herself. "If I buy delicate ones.....they'll file a complaint against me."
An elderly shopkeeper walked over with a welcoming smile. "Looking for something specific, madam?"
"Plants that are difficult to kill."
He blinked. "I'm sorry?"
She laughed. "I forget to water them. Quite often. So... I need plants that can survive my negligence."
The old man chuckled knowingly. "I understand. I have exactly what you need."
He guided her through the nursery, pointing at different pots. "This is a snake plant. It can survive even if you forget about it for days."
She nodded approvingly. "I like this one."
"And this is a ZZ plant. Very low maintenance."
"Perfect."
He showed her another. "Jade plant. Money plant."
"Peace lily..." She showed him.
He hesitated. "This one needs a little more attention."
Aprajita immediately shook her head. "No. It deserves a better owner."
The shopkeeper laughed heartily.
After nearly twenty minutes of carefully choosing, she stood looking at six small pots lined together.
A tall snake plant.
A glossy ZZ plant.
A trailing pothos.
A tiny jade plant.
A pot of aloe vera.
And a small succulent that looked almost too adorable to leave behind. She smiled with satisfaction. "These should survive me."
The shopkeeper packed them carefully before helping the driver place them inside the car.
As they drove towards Bharadwaj Mansion, Aprajita looked at the tiny forest occupying the back seat.
"They're going to make that balcony look less..." She searched for the right word. "...corporate."
---
The moment she reached home, she didn't even change out of her office clothes.
She carried the smaller pots upstairs herself, refusing the servants' help. The balcony outside their bedroom overlooked the garden below.
It was spacious.
Elegant.
And painfully empty.
Everything inside Rakshit's room reflected him.
Grey walls.
Black furniture.
White curtains.
Minimal decor.
Perfectly organised.
Beautiful...but completely lifeless.
Aprajita crouched beside the balcony railing and began arranging the pots one by one. The tall snake plant went into the corner. The pothos was placed where its vines could eventually trail along the railing.
The jade plant found a sunny spot near the edge. She stepped back, tilted her head, then immediately shifted two pots again. "No... This looks better."
She spent another fifteen minutes rearranging them until she was finally satisfied.
The balcony looked..alive.
A soft breeze stirred the leaves, making them sway gently. A smile spread across her face. "Welcome home." She whispered to the plants as though introducing them to the house.
Then, remembering something, she took out her phone and set recurring reminders.
Water plants - Every Tuesday & Friday.
She looked at the notification and nodded proudly. "There. Now none of you can blame me."
With one last contented look at her little green corner, she finally went downstairs.
---
It was nearly eleven when Rakshit returned home.
The house was quiet.
After exchanging a few words with Aravind, he made his way upstairs.
He unlocked the bedroom door and stepped inside.
The room looked exactly the way he had left it.
Neat.
Silent.
Orderly.
He loosened his tie as he walked towards the dressing room. Then something caught the corner of his eye.
He stopped. Slowly, he turned towards the balcony.
For a brief moment, he simply stood there. The once-empty space had changed completely. Soft green leaves sway gently in the cool night breeze.
The moonlight filtered through them, casting delicate shadows across the balcony floor.
The room suddenly felt...Different.
Warmer.
Less rigid.
Without realising it, Rakshit walked towards the glass door and slid it open.
A cool breeze brushed against his face. His eyes moved from one plant to another.
None of them looked extravagant. They looked comfortable. Lived in.
His gaze lingered on the tiny arrangement for several silent moments. Then, almost unconsciously, he reached out and lightly touched one of the leaves.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "So..." he murmured quietly, "...this is what was missing."
He didn't know much about plants. He had never thought about decorating the balcony. Until today, he hadn't even noticed how empty it had been.
Now, Looking at the greenery gently dancing in the night breeze, his black-and-white room no longer felt like just a place to sleep.
For the first time in years, It felt a little more like a home. From downstairs, he could faintly hear Aprajita laughing at something Aravind had said.
His eyes drifted back to the plants. She hadn't bought anything expensive or asked permission.
She had simply filled an empty corner with life. And somehow...
Without changing the room at all, She had changed the way it felt.
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