Chapter 18
The next morning,
Dhruv Malhotra became unbearable.
Not angry.
Not rude.
Not even sarcastic.
Worse.
Cold.
Terrifyingly cold.
Like the night before had never happened.
Like the kiss.
The confession.
The way he'd touched my face.
None of it existed anymore.
And somehow,
That hurt far more than if he'd simply yelled at me.
I came downstairs around breakfast time wearing a simple buttercup yellow kurti, hair still slightly wet after showering.
Usually by now,
Dhruv would've looked up automatically.
Even for one second.
Just one tiny glance to check if my shoulder hurt or if I'd eaten properly.
But today?
Nothing.
He sat at the dining table reading business documents while drinking black coffee.
Expression emotionless.
Eyes fixed entirely on the papers in front of him.
Like I wasn't even there.
Something in my chest tightened painfully.
Still,
I forced a small smile.
"Good morning."
Silence.
Then without looking up,
"Morning."
Flat.
Polite.
Distant.
The single word landed like ice water.
I slowly sat down across from him.
Trying not to overthink.
Maybe he was tired.
Maybe stressed.
Maybe...
No.
I knew exactly why he was acting like this.
Because last night scared him.
And Dhruv's response to fear wasn't vulnerability.
It was distance.
The servants placed breakfast quietly.
I reached for the juice jug using my uninjured arm.
Usually Dhruv would've stopped me instantly.
Would've poured it himself while insulting my recovery skills.
Today?
Nothing.
He didn't even look up.
I poured awkwardly myself.
The silence at the table became unbearable.
Finally,
I spoke softly.
"Did you sleep late?"
"Hm."
Still not looking at me.
I stared at him quietly.
God.
This was worse than his original coldness.
Because back then,
He didn't care.
Now?
He cared too much and was pretending he didn't.
And somehow that felt crueler.
Dhruv suddenly stood up.
Coffee untouched halfway.
Files in hand.
"I have meetings."
Then he walked away.
Just like that.
No glance.
No pause.
Nothing.
I sat there silently while something heavy settled painfully inside my chest.
Because last night suddenly felt humiliating now.
Like maybe I'd imagined all of it.
Maybe the alcohol had made me hear emotions that weren't really there.
Maybe Dhruv regretted everything.
The thought alone made my stomach twist.
Across the table, Dhruv's mother quietly watched the entire interaction.
And unfortunately,
She noticed everything.
Mothers always did.
She sighed softly after Dhruv disappeared upstairs.
"You two fought?"
I quickly shook my head.
"No."
Which technically wasn't a lie.
Because fighting required communication.
Dhruv had chosen emotional exile instead.
His mother studied my face carefully.
Then gently,
"Riya."
My eyes lifted toward her.
And suddenly my chest hurt more.
Because kindness always made me emotional lately.
She spoke softly.
"Dhruv becomes colder when he's trying to run from something."
I froze slightly.
Her eyes held mine knowingly.
"He did the same after his father died."
Silence.
Then quieter,
"And he's doing it again now."
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
I looked down quickly.
No.
No no no.
I couldn't let myself believe things.
Not with Dhruv.
Not when this marriage literally had an expiry date.
I forced a small smile.
"It's probably just work stress."
His mother looked unconvinced.
But thankfully didn't push further.
...
The next few days only became worse.
Dhruv practically transformed into a machine again.
He left early.
Returned late.
Spent hours locked inside his office.
And every single interaction between us became painfully formal.
"Did you take your medicine?"
"Yes."
"Doctor called."
"Okay."
"Your reports are on the table."
"Thank you."
That's it.
No teasing.
No hidden softness.
No lingering stares.
Nothing.
The warmth from the past few weeks vanished completely.
Like he'd ripped it away from himself forcefully.
And somehow,
The absence became impossible to ignore.
I noticed stupid things now.
Like how quiet the mansion felt without him unconsciously following me around.
How nobody stopped me from carrying things anymore because Dhruv stopped noticing.
How meals felt emptier.
How nights felt colder.
And worst of all,
How much I missed him.
It was horrifying.
Absolutely horrifying.
Because somewhere between contract marriage and bullet wounds and midnight conversations...
Dhruv Malhotra had become important to me.
Too important.
Meanwhile,
Dhruv himself looked worse every day.
No one else noticed probably.
But I did.
The dark circles under his eyes had deepened.
He barely ate.
Worked nonstop.
And every time our eyes accidentally met,
He looked away first.
Immediately.
Like even looking at me too long had become dangerous.
Which honestly only hurt more.
...
Three days later.
Night.
Almost midnight.
Rain poured outside again while I sat alone in the living room reading quietly.
Or pretending to read.
Mostly I was thinking about Dhruv.
Unfortunately.
The mansion doors suddenly opened.
I looked up instinctively.
And froze.
Dhruv walked inside looking exhausted.
Tie loosened.
Hair messy.
Phone pressed against his ear while speaking coldly to someone from work.
"Fix it before morning."
Silence.
Then colder,
"I don't care how."
He ended the call sharply.
Only then noticing me sitting there.
Our eyes met briefly.
And immediately,
That familiar tension returned.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Dangerous.
I looked down quickly at my book.
Pretending to read.
Dhruv stayed still near the entrance for one long second.
Then quietly,
"You're awake."
I nodded slightly.
"So are you."
Silence again.
He looked exhausted enough to collapse honestly.
But instead of going upstairs,
Dhruv suddenly walked toward the kitchen.
A few minutes later he returned with water.
And for one tiny second,
His eyes shifted toward the untouched dinner tray beside me.
His jaw tightened faintly.
"You didn't eat."
The sentence came automatically.
Instinctively.
Like old habits escaping before he could stop them.
My chest tightened immediately.
Because there he was.
The real Dhruv.
Still hidden underneath all the distance.
I answered softly.
"I wasn't hungry."
Silence.
Then flatly,
"That's unhealthy."
And just like that,
The wall returned again.
He started walking upstairs.
But before disappearing,
He stopped briefly.
Without turning around, he spoke quietly:
"Don't stay awake too late."
Then he left.
And somehow,
Those five words hurt more than all the silence combined.
Because they sounded exactly like care trying desperately to disguise itself as indifference.
....
Three weeks later—
My shoulder had finally healed properly.
Not fully.
But enough for me to return to work.
And honestly?
I needed it.
Because staying inside the mansion with Dhruv acting colder than Antarctica was slowly destroying my sanity.
At least office distracted me.
At least there,
I could pretend my life wasn't emotionally collapsing.
The huge glass building of Vertex Solutions buzzed with energy as I entered that morning.
Employees rushed everywhere.
Phones ringing.
Meetings happening.
Coffee machines practically fighting for survival.
Normal.
Busy.
Safe.
And unlike Malhotra Mansion,
Nobody here looked at me with pity.
Or tension.
Or unspoken questions.
I smiled softly while entering my cabin.
"Good morning, ma'am!"
My team greeted warmly.
My heart warmed instantly.
God.
I missed this.
Work actually made sense.
People either liked your ideas or didn't.
No emotional warfare involved.
Unfortunately,
Peace never lasted in my life.
Around noon,
The manager suddenly rushed into my cabin looking stressed.
"Riya, conference room. Now."
I blinked.
"What happened?"
"Malhotra Enterprises meeting."
My stomach dropped instantly.
Excuse me WHAT.
The manager continued panicking.
"Mr. Khanna wants you there."
My eyes widened.
"ME?!"
"Yes!"
He looked equally confused honestly.
"Just come quickly."
Oh God.
OH GOD.
I stood up immediately, nervously fixing my formal beige shirt and black trousers.
Why would Armaan include me in a Malhotra board meeting?!
This was huge.
Too huge.
People with twenty years experience barely got invited to these discussions.
Meanwhile I still got excited over free office coffee.
Five minutes later,
I entered the massive boardroom nervously.
And immediately froze.
The room looked terrifying.
Long black conference table.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
Executives seated everywhere.
Some of the biggest businessmen in the country.
Senior directors.
Investors.
Board members.
And at the center,
Dhruv Malhotra himself.
Black suit.
Cold expression.
Sharp jawline.
Absolute disaster for my emotional stability.
The second I entered,
His eyes lifted toward me automatically.
And for one tiny moment,
Something flickered there.
Surprise maybe.
Because clearly,
He wasn't expecting me here either.
Armaan noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
That man noticed everything.
He stood near the screen calmly.
"Perfect timing."
My heartbeat sped nervously.
Armaan gestured toward the empty chair beside him.
"Sit."
I obeyed immediately because billionaire CEOs were terrifying.
Meanwhile I could physically feel several executives staring at me curiously.
Probably wondering why some junior employee sat inside this meeting.
Honestly same.
Dhruv's expression remained unreadable across the table.
But those eyes?
Still on me.
Briefly.
Before he looked away again.
Back to cold mode.
The meeting started quickly afterward.
Numbers.
Business projections.
International expansion discussions.
Most of it flew over my head initially.
Until suddenly,
Armaan looked toward me.
"Riya."
I nearly stopped breathing.
"Present your strategy."
Excuse me WHAT.
My eyes widened instantly.
Around the table several executives looked confused too.
One even frowned slightly.
Clearly doubting this decision.
Meanwhile Dhruv slowly looked up again.
Actually paying attention now.
Armaan remained calm.
"You prepared the analysis. Present it."
My palms turned cold instantly.
Oh God.
OH GOD.
But somehow,
Once I stood near the screen and opened the presentation,
Something shifted.
Because this?
This I understood.
Work.
Logic.
Ideas.
My nervousness slowly disappeared while explaining the market strategy carefully.
Expansion risks.
Consumer behavior patterns.
Investment projections.
Alternative approaches.
The room gradually became quieter.
Not bored quiet.
Focused quiet.
People listening.
Actually listening.
And slowly,
Confidence returned.
I explained the final slide before finishing softly:
"So instead of aggressive expansion immediately, phased acquisition would reduce long-term operational risk while increasing market adaptability."
Silence filled the room afterward.
My heartbeat pounded nervously.
Did I mess up?!
Then suddenly,
One senior executive nodded slowly.
"That's actually smart."
Another agreed immediately.
"The phased approach makes more sense financially."
Someone else added:
"Lower risk. Better public response too."
Shock crossed my face instantly.
Wait.
They agreed?!
Around the table, discussions started rapidly now.
Positive discussions.
My chest tightened in disbelief.
And then,
My eyes accidentally lifted toward Dhruv.
Mistake.
Huge mistake.
Because he was already staring at me.
Not cold this time.
Not distant.
Something else.
Something intense.
Like he was seeing me differently right now.
And somehow,
That look alone nearly ruined my breathing.
One executive finally looked toward Dhruv directly.
"Mr. Malhotra?"
The room quieted instantly.
Waiting for his opinion.
My heartbeat stopped.
Because honestly?
If Dhruv rejected the strategy, nobody else's approval mattered.
Silence.
Dhruv's eyes remained on me for one long second before finally shifting toward the presentation screen.
Then calmly,
"We'll proceed with her model."
The room instantly relaxed.
Discussion resumed immediately afterward.
But I barely heard anything anymore.
Because somehow,
Hearing Dhruv publicly approve my work felt far more dangerous than it should have.
And worse,
There had been pride in his eyes.
Actual pride.
Which terrified me more than his anger ever could.
...
The meeting finally ended almost an hour later.
Executives slowly started leaving the boardroom while discussing plans amongst themselves.
I remained frozen near my laptop honestly still processing what just happened.
Armaan approached first.
And unlike Dhruv's unreadable silence,
Armaan looked openly impressed.
"That was good."
I blinked nervously.
"Really?"
He laughed softly.
"Half the room changed their stance after your presentation."
Oh.
Oh God.
I smiled shyly.
"Thank you."
Armaan looked genuinely pleased now.
"You've worked hard these past weeks."
Then casually,
Far too casually,
"I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
Silence.
Pure silence.
And instantly,
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Because across the table,
Dhruv had gone completely still.