Chapter 22
Naina’s Office
Naina took her seat at the head of the table, arranging her papers with slightly shaking hands. She focused on her agenda, determined not to let him rattle her. She hadn’t known Bakshi and Ruhaan had any connection. How could she? Ruhaan and her never talked about her work or his.
The presentation started, and she took charge, outlining their strategy for the BBB campaign with her usual confidence. Yet every time she glanced around the room, her gaze inevitably met Ruhaan’s, whose eyes never left her. She stumbled once but quickly covered it.
Finally, as Deborah continued explaining their plans, Naina risked a glance at Ruhaan, catching him watching her intently. There was an unspoken apology in his eyes, one she refused to answer here.
After an hour, the presentation concluded, and the group burst into polite applause. Mr. Bakshi beamed at her.
“Well done, Naina. You have a solid grasp of what we’re aiming for here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bakshi,” she replied.
The moment Mr. Bakshi turned his attention to another conversation with Deborah, Ruhaan moved closer, leaning down with a low whisper. “Seems like fate brought us together after all.”
She stiffened. “I don’t believe in fate. Not when it comes to us.”
He raised a brow, a half-smile on his lips. “Maybe it’s time you started.”
Before she could answer, Mr. Bakshi turned to them, breaking the spell.
“Ruhaan, what do you think of this campaign? Anything you would like to add here?”
“Uncle, I …” he paused to glance at Naina once, an idea forming in his head to grab this chance he had to talk to her alone. “I have a few key points to understand before I give my inputs. Maybe Miss Naina can help me understand those.”
Naina clenched her jaw realizing what he was doing.
“Of course, Naina will help you know this campaign better,” Deborah replied. “Right Naina?”
She was caught in a situation where she couldn’t deny openly. This was her job and she couldn’t risk upsetting Deborah or this project.
“Sure,” she replied with a half shrug before shaking hands with Bakshi again who was ready to leave.
A minute later as Deborah led Bakshi out, Naina led Ruhaan down the hallway to her office.
She couldn’t afford to be vulnerable here, not now and especially not in front of him.
But the moment they entered her office, Ruhaan reached out, shutting the door with a quiet thud and blocking any escape as he took hold of her arm and turned her to face him.
“Naina…”
“Don’t, Ruhaan.” She pulled her arm from his grip, stepping back.
She could barely contain her frustration.
“This is my office. You’ve already complicated my personal life enough; I don’t need you to make my work life difficult too.
You don’t care about the details of this campaign.
It’s just an excuse to talk to me. But I don’t want to talk. So, just…leave.”
Ruhaan saw the fury and hurt in her eyes. “I’ll leave, but not until you hear me out.”
“Hear you out?” she scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. “There’s nothing left for you to say. That day, your silence spoke volumes. You chose silence over me…over Neil.”
Her voice cracked. “And I know it’s not your fault.
You made it crystal clear from the start.
This was all casual, right? No strings, no commitments.
I was a fool for agreeing, for even letting you close to Neil.
But I’d warned you that Neil shouldn’t get hurt.
And yet, here we are. That day...we both hurt him.
You, by not saying anything. And me...by letting him believe this would last.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn’t planned to bare her soul, but the floodgates had burst open.
Ruhaan stepped forward, his hands reaching for her face, but she jerked away, swatting at his hands. Yet, this time, he held on firmly, pulling her to meet his gaze.
“You think all this is not hurting me? It is, baby. That day, the way it all happened, I... I couldn’t—”
“Yes, you couldn’t,” she interrupted. “Despite all that happened between us... you couldn’t. That’s the point.”
Fresh tears spilled as she continued. “Your words and actions didn’t match. A silly part of me thought that whatever was happening between us meant something more to you. Because God knows it did to me.”
She fisted his shirt over his chest, her knuckles white with tension.
“I thought you, me, and Neil could be... together... forever.”
“We will,” Ruhaan interjected, his eyes intense.
“That’s what I want too, Naina. But why does it all have to end at marriage?
You don’t understand what I saw growing up in that huge joint family of ours.
A perfect marriage on paper that was nothing but a facade hiding hell behind those closed doors. ”
He paused, his breath catching as memories flooded back.
“My uncle—” his voice cracked, “—he was everything society praised. The model husband in public. Religious, successful, respected. The perfect head of the family. But at home?” A bitter laugh escaped him.
“He made my aunt’s life a living nightmare.
And she stayed, Naina. She stayed trapped in that cage because of that sacred institution called marriage. ”
His hands trembled as he continued, “Their son, my cousin brother... God, he was just sixteen when he couldn’t take it anymore.
Watching his parents destroy each other daily, being caught in that crossfire of hatred and ego.
.. he just... disappeared one night. Ten years, Naina.
It’s been ten years, and we still haven’t found him.
” His voice broke. “The police have given up. Most of the family has given up. My aunt... she couldn’t bear losing her son.
The trauma of that loss, coupled with years of abuse.
.. it just... it consumed her. She died waiting for her son to return, blaming herself, blaming that marriage that kept her bound to her misery. ”
His hands cupped her face, but they were shaking now.
“You think I’m against marriage without reason?
My sister…my brilliant, beautiful sister who’s built such a successful career in UAE.
.. You should have seen her wedding. Seven pheras, elaborate promises, destination wedding.
But did those sacred vows stop my brother-in-law from betraying her when they found out she couldn’t have children?
Did it protect her from the snide remarks, the humiliation? ”
Pain etched deeper lines around his eyes as he spoke.
“He cheated on her. Yes, they say he ended that affair when the family found out. Yes, they all ‘forgave’ him, swept it under the rug like these things never happened. But you should see my sister now. This... this institution of marriage... it’s like handcuffs.
Golden, society-approved handcuffs that took away their right to walk away when they should have.
It stole their dignity, their self-respect, their ability to say ‘enough’ and leave. ”
His thumbs gently wiped away the tears that had begun falling down her cheeks.
“That’s what terrifies me, Naina. Not commitment, not love, but this trap called marriage that makes people endure the unendurable just because some papers and vows say they should.
You think only by marrying you and legally becoming his father I can love Neil more than I already do? ”
He gripped her face harder. “No, Naina. A societal tag like marriage cannot decide what I have for you and Neil. Let me talk to Neil. I know he’s hurt, but I’ll fix this. I’ll show both of you that real love, real commitment doesn’t need the chains of marriage to prove itself.”
The mention of Neil snapped her out of her stupor. She broke free from his grip with force.
“And what exactly do you plan to tell Neil? That everything he’s been dreaming of, the idea of having you as his father, isn’t possible?
That none of this...will ever be real?” Her voice rose with each word.
“Neil is seven, Ruhaan. He’s a kid. The more you stay around, the more he’ll suffer because.
..no matter how you slice it, you and I both know you don’t want to be his father. ”
She hugged her arms to her chest, struggling to maintain her composure.
“I understand your past, Ruhaan. I truly do. But Neil doesn’t deserve to pay the price for your uncle or brother in law’s sins.
And yes, a societal tag called marriage is a must for a woman like me to share her life and son with a man.
Any other relationship between us apart from that is going to affect Neil, and I am not going to let that happen.
” Her voice hardened with determination.
“I can take the dirt on me but not let my son have it on him. Society isn’t as understanding of ‘alternative arrangements’ as you’d like to believe.
So, if you’re not ready for any of this, then please stay away from us. That’s for everybody’s good.”
He wanted to deny it, to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but what could he say?
“Don’t do this, Naina. Don’t shut me out like this. You can’t just decide everything on your own. What we have—”
“What we have?” She whirled around. “What exactly do we have, Ruhaan? A relationship that we can’t even define?
A love story that has to hide in shadows because you’re too scared to give it a name?
” Her laugh was hollow, bitter. “What should I tell Neil? Should I tell him that the man he wants to become his father figure is too damaged by his past to actually become one?”
“No, Ruhaan. This isn’t a choice anymore.
I’m not interested in any more of the casual arrangement you want between us.
I’m Neil’s mother first. And I can’t let him grow up thinking that love means living in uncertainty, that commitment is optional, that family is something you can have without fully claiming it. ”
Ruhaan’s fists clenched at his sides, knowing he’d already lost control of this situation. Naina stormed out of her office cabin, feeling suffocated by his presence, by the crushing reality of what would never be.
*****************
Ruhaan left Naina’s office after that but that same evening, the urge to fix everything became too much to ignore.
Against his better judgment, he found himself back at her office building, parked a safe distance away as he watched her car pull out.
He followed at a discreet distance, winding through the city until her car turned into a residential building.
Finally, he knew where she lived, but just knowing didn’t feel like enough.
He parked near her building, waiting in his car as he wrestled with whether he should go up or not.
The mess they were in needed fixing, and more importantly, he needed to see Neil.
He sat in his car for over an hour, watching the elegant apartment building, debating whether to simply walk in as a visitor.
That’s when he spotted Neil in the garden, his small figure darting between other children as they played.
Ruhaan’s heart leaped at the sight. Without thinking twice, he got out of his car and approached the security gate. The elderly watchman stopped him with a raised hand.
“Sir, which flat number?” the watchman asked.
Ruhaan hesitated, knowing he couldn’t provide Naina’s flat number. Even if he mentioned Naina Bhalla’s name, the watchman would call her, and she would definitely deny him entry. Left with no choice, he called out loudly, “Neil!”
The boy froze mid-play. His eyes widened as he spotted Ruhaan at the gate, and for a moment, he seemed torn between running toward him and staying put.
Ruhaan knelt down, his heart aching at Neil’s hesitation. “Won’t you give me a hug, champion?”
The elderly watchman observed the scene with curious eyes, trying to piece together how this stranger knew Neil. Before he could intervene, Neil’s face broke into a wide smile, and he ran toward Ruhaan, throwing himself into his arms.
“I missed you so much,” Neil whispered, his small arms tightening around his neck.
Ruhaan hugged him closer. “I missed you too, buddy. So, so much.”
When they pulled apart, Neil’s looked down sadly. “Mom said... you don’t want to be my daddy.”
Ruhaan gently lifted Neil’s chin, forcing himself to meet those innocent eyes. “Being a daddy... it’s a big responsibility, Neil. And sometimes... sometimes grown-ups need time to be sure they’re ready for such important things.”
Neil’s lower lip trembled slightly. “So you don’t want to be?”
“Hey, look at me,” Ruhaan said softly, his hands on Neil’s shoulders. “I promise you this – I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here for you, whenever you need me. That’s a promise.”
A weak smile crossed Neil’s face, though confusion lingered in his eyes about what this meant for their relationship.
“Neil!” Naina appeared suddenly, rushing forward to pull Neil away from Ruhaan. “What do you think you’re doing here? Did you follow me?”
“You didn’t give me a choice.” He stood up. “And no matter what you say, I’m not going to stop coming. I can’t. I know this is complicated, but I can’t pretend none of this matters. That you and Neil don’t matter.
“Please,” Naina’s voice cracked slightly. “Don’t make this more complicated than it already is.” She turned to Neil. “Neil, you cannot meet Ruhaan like this without my permission, okay? Come on, let’s go up.”
Neil nodded slowly. She squeezed his hand and turned back to Ruhaan. “And you need to stop this right away. Stop coming here and disrupting our lives.”
As she began leading Neil away, Ruhaan felt desperation rise in his chest. “I’m not leaving, Naina!” he shouted after them. “I’ll stay right here at your security gate all night if I have to, until you accept what we have for each other!”
Naina didn’t turn back, but her steps faltered for a moment. She tightened her hold on Neil’s hand and continued walking, telling herself that Ruhaan wouldn’t actually stay. This drama would end soon enough.
The watchman looked uncertainly between Ruhaan and Naina’s retreating figure, decades of experience telling him this was more than just a casual dispute. As darkness began to fall, Ruhaan settled himself on the stone bench near the security gate, making it clear he meant every word he’d said.
He watched as lights came on in various apartments, wondering which window belonged to Naina and Neil, wondering if they were thinking about him too.
The evening traffic buzzed behind him, but his focus remained fixed on the building that held the two people who had become his world, even if one of them was currently trying to push him away.