Chapter - 29
Shivanya ~
For a good part of the night, I was lying on the bed wide awake, tucked inside the comforter, covering all my head. Sleep was miles and miles away from me. How did I get here, married and all to my boss?
It was abundantly clear that he gets what he wants. He wanted me, yes he did. But the question was, why me?
I mean, why a woman who he hardly gave any attention to for the entirety of three years before randomly popping in my life and now, here we are.
He is my husband.
Okay, that sounds so weird even in my head.
I peaked my eyes out a little from the comforter to look at Mr. Birdbrain.
He was sound asleep. He was always alert, always aware of his surroundings. It's like he had some radar that let him know what was happening, even in the most peaceful of moments.
Slowly, I got up from the bed, careful not to make a sound. My eyes drifted around the room, over the soft light of the bedside lamp and the dark corners of the room. It felt so... still. Too still.
I turned my gaze toward the balcony door. I padded softly across the floor, the cool wooden floorboards beneath my feet adding to the stillness of the night.
I reached the door and gently pushed it open.
There was hardly any noise outside as I leaned a little on the railing, looking around. The cool sea breeze was hitting my face, tangling my hair into knots but it felt too good for me to walk back inside the room.
The cold railing under my hands, the distant hum of the city, everything else still felt like a dream I hadn't woken up from.
I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. No stars. Just the familiar grey glow of Mumbai's night. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. A cab honked, probably impatient as ever. But here, it was quiet.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
And then, I felt it.
That awareness of someone watching.
I turned slightly and there he was.
Vihaan.
Standing at the balcony door, his hair messy from sleep, his eyes half-lidded but sharp enough to catch mine.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
He didn't speak. He just stepped out barefoot, the sleeves of his t-shirt pushed up, pajama pants hanging loosely. There was something oddly... casual about seeing him like that. Too normal. Too human. Too not-boss.
He came to stand beside me but didn't say anything. Just looked ahead at the city, just like I had.
After a pause, he murmured, "You okay Sunshine?"
I nodded. "Couldn't sleep."
He leaned forward on his elbows, mimicking my posture. "You were hiding under the blanket like a scared kitten."
My eyes widened slightly. "You saw that?"
He didn't even glance at me. "I notice everything."
Of course he did.
I didn't say anything after that, what could I? Maybe he meant nothing by it. Maybe he did. I was too tired to untangle the puzzle that was Vihaan Raichand.
After a few seconds, he said, "You overthink."
I turned to him, frowning slightly. "And you... don't?"
He gave a faint, almost amused smile. "If I did, we wouldn't be here standing together Shivanya. I don't overthink, I plan."
"Same thing." I said, ignoring the first part of his sentence.
"No," he said simply, "planning has a goal. Overthinking just keeps you stuck."
The breeze picked up again and I tucked some hair behind my ear, a little annoyed that he had read me so easily.
"You're not easy to read, Shivanya," he said, as if catching my thought.
I scoffed lightly. "You just said I overthink."
"Yes," he replied, finally turning to face me, "but I still haven't figured you out."
There it was again. That quiet, searching intensity in his eyes. It was as if he was trying to crack a code he couldn't quite solve. And I... I had no idea how to make sense of him either.
I felt a little exposed under his gaze, but I didn't look away. I wouldn't. "I'm not a puzzle, Vihaan."
His lips curved into something that could almost be called a smile. "No, you are my wife."
He shifted a bit, stepping closer to the railing but not too close, maintaining that invisible line between us. "I am not trying to figure you out, though," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I just don't want to miss anything."
"Miss anything?" I echoed, feeling a bit of warmth spread across my chest, even though I knew I shouldn't have.
He looked at me again, this time with less intensity, more curiosity, "You are the kind of person who hides parts of herself. I want to know those parts."
My breath caught for a second.
No one had ever said something like that to me before.
"I don't show those parts to people," I said finally, my voice soft. "Most people don't bother to look for them."
"Then most people are idiots," Vihaan replied, without missing a beat.
That pulled a quiet laugh from me. It slipped out before I could stop it. He turned slightly, his gaze flicking to me with something close to amusement.
"There," he said, "that sound. That's one of the parts I don't want to miss."
I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. Mostly because I didn't trust myself not to smile.
We fell into silence again, not heavy or awkward this time. Just... still. The kind of silence that doesn't need to be filled.
A gust of wind tugged at my hair again, sweeping it across my face. Before I could fix it, Vihaan reached out, slow and careful and tucked a strand behind my ear.
My body froze.
His hand lingered for a second too long. Not long enough to be inappropriate, but just long enough to make my heart stutter.
Then he dropped it, like nothing had happened, and looked back out at the city.
I swallowed hard. My cheeks were warm. Was it the breeze? Or him?
Probably him.
I stood still, not moving, not speaking, not even breathing properly. My heart was loud in my ears, too loud for a night so quiet.
I didn't know how long we stayed like that. Minutes? Seconds? Who knows?
Eventually, he stepped back. "You should try to sleep, Sunshine."
His voice was quiet. Not demanding, not distant. Just... soft.
I nodded. "Yeah."
He didn't wait for me to walk in.
I followed after a few seconds, my feet cold from the wooden floor. I slipped under the blanket again, facing away from him this time. My mind was still racing, but my body gave up the fight.
Sleep came slowly, like it was waiting for me to stop overthinking just like he'd said.
I woke up to my alarm I had set last night.
It was almost seven in the morning. Vihaan sir was still sleeping and thankfully, I had been on my side of the bed all night, thank god or else it would have been so so embarrassing!!
I slipped out of bed as quietly as possible and padded to the bathroom. I needed a cold splash of water to reboot my brain.
I had just freshened up and wore a blue suit, wrapped a towel around my head and walked back into the room, towel drying my hair. That's when I saw him stirring. I froze, towel mid-motion.
He blinked against the light and then glanced at me. His voice was thick with sleep, "Radhika said that you hate getting up early in the morning, Sunshine."
I was not surprised that she had told her that. She loved mocking me for my love for sleep.
"I do hate it but I just didn't know how things were here at your place so I decided to wake up early." I shrugged.
"This is your home too Shivanya, you don't have to change yourself here." He said, getting out of the bed. He didn't say anything else, just gave me a sleepy smile before heading to the bathroom.
I pulled the towel off my head, running my fingers through my damp hair, then glanced at the clock. It was still early, but the house was already filled with that soft morning light.
I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering tension in my chest. Stepping into the hallway, I could hear faint voices from the living room. Curious, I walked towards it.
"Aree Shivanya, itni jaldi uth gayi beta?" Uncle asked as he saw me, keeping his tea cup back on the table and the newspaper down.
"Oh Shivanya, you woke up so early, beta?"
"Ji uncle, woh mujhe pata nahi aap logon ka kya routine rehta hai isiliye." I said with a small smile.
"Yes, uncle, I don't know what all of your routine is, that's why."
"Aja, baith mere paas." Aunty shifted, making place for me on the couch and I nodded a little before taking a seat.
"Come and sit with me."
"Dekh beta, kisi ka kuch bhi routine ho, tujhe apna routine badalne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai, abhi toh chalo ghar pe hi ho par jab waapis office jaaogi toh thak jaaogi na." Uncle said, serving me a cup of coffee. I was about to stop him but he shook his head a little, asking me to sit back.
"Look beta, no matter what someone else's routine is, you don't need to change yours. Right now you're at home, but once you start going back to the office, you'll get tired, won't you?"
"Ji uncle." I replied,feeling the warmth Vihaan's parents have usually given me.
"Accha Shivanya, beta tumhe kuch meetha banana aata hai kya? Woh chotti si rasam hai." Aunty asked, referring to my peheli rasoi.
"So Shivanya, beta, do you know how to make something sweet? It's just a small ritual."
"Haan aunty, kheer bana leti hoon mai." I replied, taking a sip of coffee which practically opened my eyes now.
"Yes, aunty, I can make kheer."
"Good, I'll go and tell the cook to keep the preparations ready and then call you." She said and walked to the kitchen after keeping a hand on my head.
Meanwhile, uncle and I were discussing an important upcoming merger which I was handling and he promised me that he is going to review my paperwork and teach me a few negotiation tactics and I couldn't be more grateful, he literally is the best in the business!
We were still talking when Aunty called out. "Beta, the cook is all set."
I excused myself and uncle went back to reading his newspaper and I made my way towards the kitchen where first, I did the chulha pujan and then began with the cooking.
The cook smiled politely and handed me the ingredients. The rice had already been soaked, the milk was set to boil, and dry fruits were kept in a small bowl on the counter.
I tied my hair into a loose bun, washed my hands again just to be sure, and began.
The milk simmered gently in the large vessel as I stirred it slowly. I kept glancing around to make sure I wasn't messing anything up. The cook stayed nearby, ready to help, but gave me space to do everything myself.
"Mujhe Di ki kheer ki khushboo 100 kilometers door se aa sakti hai, yeh toh phir bhi 50 meters door hai." Radhika's voice rang into my ears as she walked inside the kitchen while I had just garnished the dry fruits.
"I can smell Di's kheer from 100 kilometers away, this is just 50 meters."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Di jaldi se bhog chadha do na! Vihaan jiju bhi bahar wait kar rahe hain aapka, uncle unhe aapke paas aane hi nahi de rahe." She giggled, hoping on the counter while I served the kheer in a bowl and Aunty walked in.
"Di, please offer the prasad quickly! Vihaan jiju is also waiting outside for you—uncle isn't letting him come near you."
"Come on beta, let's go to the mandir." She first looked at me and then at Radhika and we followed her.
I carried the bowl back to the dining table, where Uncle was already sitting with a smile.
"Arre wah, kheer aa gayi," he said, rubbing his hands together.
Vihaan was standing nearby, talking to someone on the phone. As soon as he saw me, he ended the call and walked over but uncle pulled him back and himself walked near the bowl I had placed on the table.
"Vihaan beta baat aisi hai ki bahu hai yeh meri toh sabse pehele toh mai hi yeh kheer taste karunga." He said without even looking at Vihaan and I couldn't help but join the others as they laughed at him.
"Vihaan, beta, the thing is, she's my daughter-in-law, so I'll be the first one to taste this kheer."
Uncle took the first spoonful of kheer like a judge on a cooking show. Everyone watched him silently as he tasted it slowly.
"Bilkul perfect!" he announced, grinning. "Shivanya, beta, aaj se tum officially is ghar ki Lakshmi ho."
"Shivanya, beta, from today you are officially the goddess Lakshmi of this house."
Aunty clapped softly, and Radhika gave me a playful wink. I smiled shyly as Vihaan walked up, looking at the bowl, then at me.
"Ab isse khila do Vihaan ko bhi." Aunty said, nudging my arm.
"Now feed this to Vihaan as well."
I looked up, startled. "Mai?"
"Me?"
"Toh aur kaun?" Radhika deadpanned.
"Who else?"
I picked up the spoon slowly, my fingers feeling slightly cold around the handle. Everyone was staring at us, smiling, waiting.
I looked at Vihaan. He was standing there, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on mine.
I held the spoon out, my hand slightly shaky. He didn't move at first, just kept looking at me like he was trying to see right through.
Then finally, he stepped closer.
"Shivanya," he said under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear, teasing me, "Aap itna sharmayengi toh mai toh sirf aapko hi dekhta rahunga na."
"If you keep blushing like this, I won't be able to look at anyone or anything else but you."
I looked away, cheeks burning, trying not to smile. "Mai sharma nahi rahi hoon." I muttered under my breath.
Vihaan leaned in just a little, not enough for the others to notice, but enough for me to feel the warmth of his presence. "Ab yeh toh hum dono ko hi pata hai ki ab jhooth bol rahi hain aap. " he whispered with a smirk.
"Now you and I both know that this is a lie."
I rolled my eyes at him and finally lifted the spoon to his mouth. He took the bite, slow and deliberate, his eyes still locked with mine.
I was the first one to look away.
"Perfect." As was he said, making me look at him again.
I could feel my heart doing small flips in my chest. Aunty and Uncle were still smiling, clearly pleased with the way things had gone. Radhika leaned in and whispered loudly, "Ab yeh kheer wala ritual bhi tick ho gaya."
I gave her a mock glare but couldn't stop smiling.
After a few more laughs and teasing comments, everyone got up from the table after breakfast. Aunty said she'd take care of cleaning up, even though I offered to help. She waved her hand and told me to go rest instead.
"Take a little time for yourself, beta. Go and rest."
I walked back to the room slowly. The house felt warm and full, but in a comforting way. Radhika had to go back home because Taran couldn't find his laptop and Vihaan stayed back with uncle, they were discussing some case I wasn't a part of.
I first went to wash my face and then stood in front of the dressing table, running my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what to wear. I hadn't noticed when Vihaan had entered the room, but as soon as I turned to grab my suitcase, I saw him standing there, looking at me.
I didn't know what to say, so I just turned back to my suitcase, trying to focus on picking out something to wear, but my fingers were trembling slightly. Maybe it was the way he was looking at me, or maybe it was my brain playing tricks, I couldn't figure.
My thoughts were racing when suddenly, my heel caught on the edge of the suitcase, and I started to lose my balance.
A gasp slipped from my lips as I felt myself stumbling backward, and before I could even register what was happening, he was there. His hand shot out, steadying me before I could fall.
"Careful, Sunshine." he murmured, his voice low and warm. His fingers gently gripped my waist, pulling me toward him, his other hand still resting on my arm.
I felt my heart race as his hands touched me, steadying me. My breath caught in my throat.
Vihaan didn't say anything right away. His fingers lingered on my waist, just for a second longer than necessary, before he slowly pulled his hands back. He didn't seem in any rush to leave, though. He stood there, looking at me with a softness I wasn't used to seeing.
"Theek hain aap?" he asked, his voice soft, almost like he wasn't sure if I was, or if he was.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded, but the truth was, I wasn't sure. There was a warmth that lingered from the touch, a kind of heat in my chest that made me want to say something, anything, just to break the quiet. But I didn't.
"Ji....thank you." My voice was quieter than I expected.
He looked at me for a moment, then gave me that same soft smile, like he knew exactly what I was feeling. "Anytime, Sunshine."
I nodded again, though my mind was still racing. He'd called me that again, in that teasing way of his, and it made something flutter inside of me. I couldn't figure out what, but it was there, making my chest tighten in a way I wasn't sure I liked.
Vihaan didn't stay long. He turned and walked out of the room, leaving me standing there, my heart still hammering in my chest. I didn't know if it was from the fall or something else, but I couldn't shake the feeling of his hands on me, his eyes on me. It wasn't something I was used to, and yet I wanted more of it.
No No No No Shivanya.
No, you want nothing more, shut up!
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