Chapter 5
The next morning, I woke up to silence.
Not peaceful silence.
The heavy kind.
The kind that reminded you this house wasn't built with love.
I sat up slowly on the massive bed, sunlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my room.
For a second, I forgot where I was.
Then reality returned instantly.
Malhotra mansion.
Contract marriage.
Dhruv.
The gala.
Everything.
I quietly got ready for work, wearing my usual simple office clothes , a pale blue kurti, black pants, minimal makeup.
Nothing expensive.
Nothing glamorous.
Just me.
When I stepped downstairs, the dining table was already occupied.
Dhruv sat at the head of the table in a crisp black suit, reading something on his iPad while drinking coffee.
His uncle sat nearby discussing business calls.
The atmosphere felt tense even during breakfast.
Nobody really spoke unless necessary.
I hesitated before sitting down quietly.
Dhruv didn't look up.
Not once.
His mother offered me a small smile though.
"Good morning, beta."
I smiled softly back. "Good morning."
Then Dhruv's uncle suddenly noticed my handbag.
"Where are you going?"
"Office," I answered politely.
Finally Dhruv looked up.
A faint crease appeared between his brows.
"You work?"
The question irritated me slightly.
"Yes."
His uncle gave a short dry laugh.
"The Malhotra daughter-in-law travelling for a normal office job."
The insult sat heavily in the air.
I stayed quiet.
Dhruv picked up his coffee calmly. "Let her work if she wants."
Not supportive.
Just indifferent.
I swallowed awkwardly before speaking carefully.
"Actually... can someone drop me on the way?"
The second the question left my mouth,
The atmosphere changed.
Dhruv slowly placed his coffee cup down.
His eyes met mine.
Cold.
Unreadable.
"I'm leaving for a meeting."
"Oh."
The disappointment escaped before I could stop it.
Something flickered in his eyes briefly.
Then disappeared.
His uncle immediately spoke sharply to the staff nearby.
"Did nobody explain the rules yet?"
The servants lowered their heads nervously.
"No driver is assigned to madam unless Mr. Malhotra specifically orders it."
I blinked in confusion.
"What?"
The uncle smiled slightly.
A cruel kind of smile.
"This family doesn't waste resources unnecessarily."
My cheeks burned.
Dhruv remained silent.
Silent.
He could've said one sentence.
One.
But instead he simply checked his watch and stood up.
"I'll be late tonight."
That was directed toward nobody specifically.
Then he picked up his car keys.
The sound echoed painfully in my chest.
I looked at him one last time.
Hoping maybe..
Maybe he'd say something.
Offer something.
Anything.
But Dhruv Malhotra simply walked away.
Like he genuinely didn't care whether I reached safely or not.
The giant mansion doors shut behind him seconds later.
And just like that,
The richest man in the country drove away in a luxury car worth crores...
While his wife stood there figuring out bus routes.
...
The bus stop felt strangely comforting.
Familiar.
Real.
I stood there quietly holding my bag while morning traffic roared around me.
People pushed past each other.
College students laughed loudly.
Street vendors shouted.
Nobody cared who I was here.
And honestly?
That felt nice.
No one stared at me as Mrs. Malhotra.
I was just Riya again.
The bus finally arrived overcrowded as usual.
I squeezed inside somehow, holding the railing tightly while the bus jerked forward.
An old woman beside me smiled kindly.
"First time travelling this route?"
I smiled softly. "No... actually."
Not my first time.
Maybe my last few days had simply made me forget where I truly came from.
The bus stopped suddenly near a signal.
Outside, expensive luxury cars waited beside us.
And then,
My breath caught.
Because right next to the bus,
A matte black Rolls Royce stopped.
Dhruv's car.
I froze instantly.
The tinted window slowly rolled down.
And there he was.
Dhruv Malhotra.
One hand on the steering wheel.
Black sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Perfect expensive suit.
Looking completely out of place beside a crowded public bus.
For one second,
His gaze met mine through the window.
Time stopped.
People around me continued talking.
The city continued moving.
But inside that moment,
It felt strangely quiet.
His eyes travelled over the crowded bus.
The people standing too close to me.
The sweat.
The chaos.
Then finally back to me.
Expression unreadable.
No guilt.
No concern.
Nothing.
The signal turned green.
And without a word,
His car drove away smoothly.
Leaving the bus behind.
Leaving me behind.
Something hurt in my chest unexpectedly.
Not because I wanted luxury.
But because for a tiny stupid second...
I had hoped he might stop the car.
...
By the time I reached office, I was exhausted.
My company building looked tiny compared to the world I was suddenly connected to now.
I entered quietly.
And instantly,
Every head turned.
Whispers spread through the office like wildfire.
"Oh my god that's her."
"She married Dhruv Malhotra."
"Why is she here?"
"Doesn't she own half the city now?"
I lowered my gaze uncomfortably and quickly walked toward my desk.
But before I could sit,
My manager suddenly appeared.
Smiling too widely.
"Mrs. Malhotra!"
I blinked awkwardly.
"You should've informed us earlier!"
The same man who used to scold me over late reports now practically bowed while speaking.
I forced a polite smile.
"It's okay sir, I'll continue working norm-"
"Oh no no no."
He laughed nervously.
"We've shifted you to the executive cabin."
I froze.
"What?"
He leaned closer carefully.
"Ma'am... your husband owns this company."
Silence.
Pure silence.
My stomach dropped instantly.
Dhruv owned this company too?
Of course he did.
He owned practically everything in the country at this point.
Suddenly everything made sense.
The respectful stares.
The panic.
The special treatment.
I looked down slowly.
And for the first time since marriage,
I truly understood the terrifying extent of Dhruv Malhotra's power.
Because even when he wasn't physically present...
The entire world still moved according to him.