Chapter - 35
Shivanya ~
By the time I was done with Arunachal Foods and knowing every single detail about them, I was so bored that I had to go out of my cabin for a little walk.
It was day fourteen of working on this and I was exhausted.
"Shivanya bhabhi!" I heard my name and turned around to find Yash sir. (Refresher - Vihaan's best friend and a silent partner in the firm.)
"Yash sir! It's been so long." I said with a smile as he caught up with my steps.
"Haan bhabhi, kya bolun main ab, kaam hi nahi khatam hota hai. Par woh sab toh theek hai, aap mujhe sir kyun bula rahi hain?" He asked.
( Yes, bhabhi, what can I even say now, the work just never seems to end. But all that aside, why are you calling me sir?)
"Toh aur kya bulaayun aapko?" I asked him, confused.
(What else should I call you?)
"Yash." He shrugged.
"Okay then, but you will have to call me Shivanya then." I negotiated.
"Lawyers." He muttered and I laughed.
"Done Shivanya." He agreed.
"Good, Yash." I looked at him, smiling.
"Vihaan kahan hai? Uske cabin se hi aa raha hoon, mila nahi." He asked.
(Where is Vihaan? I am just coming from his cabin and he is not there.)
"Ek meeting thi unki, woh law minister ke secretary ke saath. Wahin gaye hue hain." I told him and he nodded.
(There was a meeting of his, with the Law Minister's secretary. He has gone there.)
"Chaliye phir, coffee pite hain." He said.
(Come on then, let's have coffee.)
"Coffee ke liye toh mana nahi kar sakti mai filhaal." I was craving it and we made our way to the canteen.
( I can't really say no to coffee right now.)
"Preeti kaisi hai?" I asked as we sat down.
(How is Preeti?)
"All good bas, aaj kal kaafi busy rehti hai." He replied.
"Aur uncle, aunty kaise hain?" He added.
"Perfect, bas aaj kal unka bhi schedule busy rehta hai, social engagements and all." I told him.
We were having coffee and talking about things here and there when I got a text, Vihaan's.
"I am back, Sunshine. Come, see me in my office?"
"Vihaan is back." I told him.
"Cool, let's go and see him. I need to talk to him about Arunachal Foods." He said, leaving me surprised.
"You know about it?" I asked. Yash was not usually involved in the legal side.
"Yes, I thought you'd need my help with the financials." He stood up, buttoning his coat.
"We do, it has been like two weeks and my head feels like it will burst if I see any more numbers." I stood up too and texted Vihaan -
"We'll be right there."
Then we walked ahead and stepped into the elevator together.
"I swear." I said, half to myself, "if I see one more spreadsheet, I might actually cry."
Yash smiled. "That bad?"
"That bad," I confirmed. "Arunachal Foods has officially taken over my life."
"Welcome to Vihaan's world," he said easily. "He just pretends not to suffer."
I huffed. "That man doesn't pretend. He decides not to suffer."
Yash laughed under his breath.
The elevator slowed on the sixth floor. The doors opened and a woman walked in, and arguably, one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, her phone pressed to her ear. She was speaking softly, brows drawn in concentration, completely unaware of us for a second.
Then her eyes lifted.
She noticed Yash first.
Her expression shifted, just slightly. Surprise. Recognition.
"Yash, hey." she said, ending her call quickly.
"Kavya." He looked like he was in pain.
What happened?
"I am here for Arunachal Foods, I am the CFO. Besides, it's been so long that I have seen Vihaan. This looks like the perfect opportunity." She replied, as if she was clarifying her presence here.
The elevator dinged softly as it reached the tenth floor where all the conference rooms are.
The doors opened.
She stepped out, walking ahead without waiting, heels clicking lightly against the marble.
Then she was gone as the door closed. Little weird?
"What was that?" I asked quietly.
Yash didn't answer immediately.
"That," he said carefully then, "was Kavya."
I waited.
"She's the CFO at Arunachal Foods as you heard and if this was news to me, it most certainly is news to Vihaan." he continued.
I frowned slightly. "Okay...?"
He glanced at me.
And this time, he didn't look amused. Or casual. Or teasing.
He looked... cautious.
"Bhabhi," he said quietly, "I'm telling you this because I'd rather you hear it from me than connect dots later because I doubt that you will ask about her from Vihaan and I don't think that he will bring it up either because the moment he saw you, every other woman ceased to exist for him in that sense."
My stomach tightened.
"Kavya and Vihaan," he said, lowering his voice even more, "were together. About five years ago. Almost a year."
"Oh." was all I managed to get out and something in my stomach sinked. She was the type of women he has dated before he married me and that thought settled somewhere uncomfortable in my chest.
"She doesn't know about you," Yash added quickly, as if he could sense the shift in me. "And Vihaan didn't expect her today. I know him well enough to say that."
I nodded again.
Yash studied my face for a moment, careful. "You okay?"
"Yes," I lied, probably.
The elevator doors opened again, this time on Vihaan's floor.
I stepped out with Yash beside me, my legs moving automatically, my mind trailing a few steps behind.
He was standing behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, phone in his hand, speaking on his phone and the moment he saw me, his gaze shifted and his shoulders eased, eyes softening just a little.
"That will not be a problem." he said into the phone, gesturing for us to enter even as he finished the call.
He disconnected and set the phone down.
"You are here." he said to me first.
"You texted." I replied.
His mouth curved faintly into a smallest smile.
Then he looked at Yash.
"Didn't know you were coming in today." Vihaan said.
"Surprise," Yash replied. "I thought I'd save Shivanya from drowning in spreadsheets."
Vihaan's eyes flicked to me. "Are you drowning?"
"I am considering it." I said honestly.
His expression warmed. "We will fix that."
"Kavya is here for Arunachal Foods meeting." Yash told Vihaan and just the mention of her name and Vihaan's gaze eyes which had softened were back to their stoic self as he looked at him and then his eyes flickered back at me.
Yash was right, he did not know that she was working for Arunachal Foods and he most definitely did not know that she was going to be here today.
His face did tell me that.
Then he looked back at Yash.
"Which meeting?" Vihaan asked, tone neutral, controlled.
"Four-thirty." Yash replied, looking into his phone. "Conference room three. Finance-heavy discussion."
Vihaan nodded once. "Alright."
That was it, no other reaction.
"Sit," Vihaan said, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk. "Both of you."
Yash took one easily. I followed, settling into the other, placing my folder on my lap.
Vihaan moved around his desk and leaned against it, arms crossed, but his posture was still a little rigid.
"Yash," he said, "you were saying you wanted to look at the financial structure?"
"Yes," Yash replied. "Especially the debt layering. There are assumptions here that need a second look."
"Good," Vihaan said. "Shivanya's been buried in this for two weeks. Fresh eyes will help."
He looked at me again. "You okay to walk us through it?"
"Yes," I said quickly. Too quickly.
He noticed.
His brow furrowed just a little. "You sure?"
"Yes," I repeated, steadier this time.
He didn't push as I began explaining.
I spoke clearly. Professionally. The way I always did.
But somewhere in the back of my mind, Kavya's voice echoed.
It's been so long that I have seen Vihaan.
The way she had said his name, so casually.
I hated myself for replaying it.
When I finished, Yash nodded. "Yeah, this confirms what I suspected. We'll need tighter projections."
Vihaan listened, then turned to Yash. "Can you stay back today? Work through this with Shivanya."
"Of course," Yash said.
Vihaan nodded once. Then, almost as an afterthought, he said, "I will join the client meeting later."
Later.
Which meant Kavya and I would be in the same room before him.
The thought sent a strange ripple through me.
Vihaan straightened. "Anything else?"
"No," Yash said. "We're good."
"Alright," Vihaan replied. "I have another call. Conference room three at four-thirty."
He glanced at me once more before picking up his phone.
"Sunshine, stay back for a minute?" he asked.
I nodded, not trusting myself with words as Yash excused himself after I told him that all the files are in my cabin and he is free to go through them.
As he left and the door closed behind him, Vihaan walked over to my side and kneeled before me, taking my hands in his own.
"Shivanya, Kavya and....." he started but I cut in,
"I know."
I lifted my chin slightly, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "Yash told me."
He studied my face, his gaze sharp, assessing, the way it always was when he was trying to understand something without asking directly.
"And?" he asked.
"And what?" I said.
"And how do you feel about it?" he asked quietly.
I shrugged, a little too casual for my own liking. "It doesn't matter."
Something shifted in his expression but it was not anger or even irritation.
It looked like desperation.
"Shivanya," he said gently, "I wasn't planning on having this conversation in the middle of a workday, but....."
"It's really okay," I said quickly. "It's the past. You had a life before me. I know that. I'm not... I'm not bothered."
I smiled, even. A small one. Convincing, I hoped.
"It's nothing."
He did not smile back. Instead, he stood back up on his feet and then pulled me up too, both my palms pressing to his chest for balance as he did while he wrapped both his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer.
"Aapko jhoot bolna zaraa bhi nahi aata hai Shivanya aur mere saamne toh bilkul nahi." he said again, calm and sure.
(You don't know how to lie, Shivanya and you are even worse at it with me.)
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "I'm not lying," I said quietly. "I'm just... not making a big deal out of it."
His hold on me tightened just a fraction, just enough to make sure I stayed exactly where I was.
"That," he said softly, "is you making a big deal out of it in your own head."
I looked away, my gaze drifting to the glass wall behind his desk, unable to meet his eyes.
"She's beautiful," I said before I could stop myself.
His chest rose with a slow breath beneath my hands.
"Yes," he said simply.
That honesty stung more than denial would have.
"And confident," I added, my voice steady even though something inside me wasn't. "And she walked into the elevator like she belongs there."
He didn't interrupt. He just listened.
"She said your name like it was... familiar." I continued, hating myself a little for replaying it again.
He sighed, just a little before one of his hand moved away from my waist to the back of my head, his fingers entwining with my hair as he pulled my forehead to his, touching.
His eyes were closed, and so did mine.
"Sunshine, whatever she was to me back then ended within the hour you walked in my office for your job interview. I am not proud of my past and my past patterns but when I tell you that there has only even been one woman who has made me look at her once and then again and then made me want to keeping looking at her until my life is no longer mine, is you. Just you." Every single word of his rang into my ears while our eyes were still closed.
I stayed very still, afraid that if I moved even a little, the moment would slip away.
His forehead was still pressed to mine, his breath warm and steady, his words settling slowly into places inside me that had been loud and restless only minutes ago.
When I opened my eyes, he did too.
He didn't pull away.
He looked at me like he had all the time in the world and no intention of using it anywhere else and that made my heart beat faster than it ideally should.
I felt his breath slow against mine before he spoke again.
"Shivanya," he said quietly, his voice lower now, "Aapko pata hai mujhe sabse zyada kiss baat ka bura lag raha hai?"
( Shivanya, do you know what hurts me the most?)
I didn't answer. I just waited.
"Ki aap yahan khadi hain," he continued, one hand still firm at my waist, the other resting lightly at the back of my head, "aur khud ko kisi se compare kar rahi hain, mere liye jab ki mai hi apke laayak nahi hoon. Mujhe darr lagta hai."
( That you are standing here and comparing yourself to someone else for me, when I am the one who is not worthy of you. That scares me.)
I frowned. "Darr?"
"Haan, darr." he said softly. "Iss baat se darr lagta hai ki ek din aisa aayega jab aap yeh jaan lengi ki aap mujhse kayi better deserve karti hain par mai hi hoon jo aapko apne se door nahi jaane de raha hoon kyunki mai bohot selfish hoon."
( What frightens me is the thought that one day you will realize you deserve someone far better than me, and that I am the one holding you back from walking away because I am deeply selfish.)
"Vihaan," I whispered, instinctively tightening my hold on his shirt, "don't say that."
He opened his eyes fully now, searching my face like he was looking for something he was afraid of finding.
"I mean it, Sunshine." He said.
He leaned in, just slightly, his thumb brushing my cheek in a way that sent butterflies in my stomach.
"Shivanya," he murmured, "main aapse yeh umeed nahi rakhta ki aap kabhi kisi bhi baat ko lekar pareshaan na rahein. Par Haan, yeh zaroor chahta hoon ki jab bhi aap pareshaan ho, toh mujhe bata dein jisse mai woh pareshaani aapse door le jaa sakun."
(Shivanya, I do not expect you to never be worried about anything. But yes, I do want that whenever you are worried, you tell me, so that I can take that worry away from you.)
My throat tightened. "I didn't want to sound... unreasonable."
He let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh. "Aap meri biwi hain. Aapki koi baat unreasonable nahi ho sakti mere liye."
(You are my wife and nothing you say can ever be unreasonable for me.)
I was about to respond when there was a knock on his door.
For half a second, neither of us moved. His hand was still at my waist, mine still clutching his shirt. His forehead was no longer touching mine, but the closeness lingered.
"Come in." He said as I eventually took one step away from him after making him reluctantly leave me.
"Sir?" came Meera's voice came. "Sorry to interrupt. Everyone from Arunachal Foods have arrived and are waiting in conference room 3."
Vihaan closed his eyes briefly, a controlled exhale leaving him.
"Of course they have." he muttered under his breath.
"Finish up your call, I'll see you in the conference room." I told him before I left with Meera and I could literally feel that my cheeks were still flushed because how close he was to me.
But I kept my eyes forward, listening to Meera explain who had arrived early and what they wanted to discuss first.
By the time we reached conference room three, my face felt composed again, even if my palms were still warm from where they had been pressed against Vihaan only minutes ago.
The room was already full.
Arunachal Foods' senior team sat on one side of the long table, papers spread neatly, laptops open, water glasses untouched. Their advisors occupied the seats beside them, murmuring quietly to each other. And at the center of it all, seated with an easy confidence that made it seem like she had always belonged in rooms like this, was Kavya.
She looked up as Meera and I entered.
Our eyes met for a brief second.
Her gaze was sharp but polite, curious in a way that made me feel like I was being measured and filed away under a neat mental category before she smiled at me.
I returned it.
"Good afternoon," I said, pulling my chair out and settling into my seat.
"Good afternoon," she replied smoothly. "You must be the co-counsel with Vihaan."
"I am," I said. "Shivanya."
"Kavya," she said, extending her hand across the table.
I shook it. Her grip was firm, confident.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Yash take his seat beside me, giving me a brief look that felt both encouraging and protective. He leaned slightly closer.
"You good?" he murmured.
"Yes," I said quietly. And this time, it wasn't entirely a lie.
Introductions were made, agendas confirmed and documents circulated. I was explaining structures, clarifying clauses and responding to questions. It helped that I knew this file better than my own reflection at this point.
Kavya spoke when required and she wasn't careless or dismissive, and that almost made it harder, because it would have been easier if she was arrogant or rude or trying too hard to prove something.
Instead, she was simply competent. At one point, she turned slightly toward me.
"There's a concern from our board about employee retention post-merger," she said. "Especially at the mid-management level."
I nodded. "We've flagged that as well. Our suggestion is to include clearer communication timelines and retention incentives in the scheme itself, so employees aren't left guessing."
She looked thoughtful. "That would help manage uncertainty."
"It usually does," I replied. "People handle change better when they feel informed, not cornered."
Her lips curved into a small smile. "I agree."
I was taking a few more questions about some issues when Vihaan walked in at fifteen minutes post five and I straightened without meaning to.
"I apologise for the delay," he said, taking his seat. "Let's continue."
Kavya looked up at him then.
Her expression changed, just a fraction.
"Vihaan," she said. "It's been a while."
"It has." he replied evenly. "Meera, go on."
He turned his attention to the documents in front of him, listening as Meera summarised what had been discussed so far.
The meeting wrapped up after another hour, action items assigned, timelines agreed upon.
As people began to stand and gather their belongings, Vihaan spoke again.
"Shivanya will be your primary point of contact on employee and minority shareholder matters." he said clearly. "If anything needs my input, she'll escalate it."
One by one, everyone left the conference room, leaving Vihaan and me behind.
"Vihaan if there is nothing that is urgent, I'd like you to take me home." I said, picking up my laptop as I looked at him.
"Chaliye," he said simply. "Ghar chalte hain, Mrs. Raichand."
(Let's go home, Mrs. Raichand.)
I gave him a smile and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, picking my laptop up and we walked out together.
His arm came around my shoulders with an ease that made my breath hitch just a little.
"Laptop." he said quietly.
I glanced up at him.
Before I could respond, his other hand was already reaching for it, fingers curling around the handle. I let go without protest, my shoulder pressing more fully into his side.
We moved like that through the lobby, his arm firm around me, my steps syncing with his. There were a few people around, associates finishing up late, someone from admin heading out, but no one stared. No one dared.
Outside, the evening had cooled, the sky deepening into blue-black, streetlights flickering on one by one. He guided me toward the car, hand still steady on my shoulder, the other holding my laptop like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He opened the passenger door for me.
As I turned to sit, he leaned down, just slightly, and pressed a soft kiss to my hair.
I closed my eyes for a second, letting it sink in.
When I looked up at him again, he was already straightening, expression composed, but his eyes were softer than they had been all day.
"Seatbelt." he said.
"Yes, sir!" I replied lightly.
His mouth curved, just faintly, as he shut the door gently and walked around to the driver's side.
As the engine started and we pulled away, I rested my head against the window, watching the city blur past.
"Vihaan let's stop, please?" I asked as I spotted a small vada pav stall and I could feel his eyes follow mine for a second.
He slowed down immediately, indicator clicking on as the car eased to the side of the road and got out before I could unbuckle my seatbelt.
I watched him walk up to the stall, sleeves still rolled up, posture relaxed in a way I rarely saw at work. The vendor said something, Vihaan nodded once, paid, and came back with two paper plates, and handed me one through my window.
He handed one to me. "Here and hold it carefully, it's hot."
Then he walked to the other side and sat inside again.
He ate beside me, unhurried, leaning back slightly, one arm resting on the steering wheel. When a bit of chutney landed on the sleeve of mt shirt, he reached over, wiping it away with the tissue he'd kept folded in his hand.
When we were done, he took both plates, stepped out again and disposed of them, then returned and started the car.
As we pulled back onto the road, I rested my head against the window again and his hand found mine without looking, fingers threading through mine as we took the next turn to home.
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