Chapter 23
Returning to the Malhotra mansion after Udaipur felt strange.
Different.
Because something had shifted there.
Not openly.
Not verbally.
Dhruv was still cold.
Still emotionally allergic.
Still acted like feelings were a contagious disease.
But now,
There were moments.
Small dangerous moments.
The way his eyes searched for me automatically in crowded rooms.
The way he noticed if I looked tired.
The way silence between us no longer felt empty.
And maybe the scariest part?
Everyone else noticed too.
Especially after Karwa Chauth.
The entire family dynamic had changed subtly after that night.
His uncle and aunt still disliked me.
But now?
They were careful.
Because Dhruv had made one thing terrifyingly clear in Udaipur—
Nobody was allowed to disrespect me openly anymore.
And honestly?
That fact alone kept replaying in my head way too much.
....
Monday morning.
The mansion buzzed with activity again.
Servants moving around.
Phones ringing.
Meetings already starting.
Meanwhile I stood inside my room completely stressed.
Because for the first time ever,
I was wearing a saree to office.
And not just any saree.
A soft ivory saree with a deep red embroidered border because there was a puja at the office today.
Dhruv's mother had practically forced it into my hands earlier.
"Wear this."
"Aunty, isn't it too much for office?"
"No."
She smiled proudly.
"Let them see how beautiful my daughter-in-law is."
Well.
That wasn't helping my nervous system.
I stood in front of the mirror awkwardly fixing the pleats for the fifteenth time.
God.
How did women wear these daily without collapsing?
The saree hugged my waist softly.
The fitted blouse made my figure look way more noticeable than I was emotionally prepared for.
My hair fell in loose curls over one shoulder.
Tiny jhumkas.
Light makeup.
Simple.
Yet somehow,
I looked different today.
Older maybe.
Softer.
Too feminine.
Which honestly made me nervous.
I adjusted the pallu again anxiously.
Then immediately froze.
Because in the mirror,
I saw Dhruv standing near the bedroom doorway.
Completely still.
My heartbeat stumbled instantly.
I hadn't even heard him enter.
Black suit.
White shirt.
Tie loosened slightly because he was probably leaving for work too.
But the moment his eyes landed on me,
He stopped moving entirely.
And suddenly,
The room felt too quiet.
Too warm.
Dhruv's gaze slowly traveled over me.
The saree.
My waist.
The loose curls.
Then finally back to my face.
And God.
The look in his eyes nearly destroyed my breathing.
Not cold.
Definitely not cold.
Something much worse.
Something intensely male.
My fingers tightened nervously around the edge of my pallu.
"Does it look weird?"
Silence.
Dhruv still stared.
Then finally,
Very quietly,
"No."
Just one word.
Yet my heartbeat somehow got worse.
Because the way he said it sounded dangerous.
Like he physically couldn't stop looking.
I looked down quickly trying to hide my nervousness.
"I've never worn a saree to office before."
Dhruv slowly walked closer now.
One step.
Then another.
And every step made my pulse more unstable.
He stopped directly behind me.
Close enough that I could feel his presence surrounding me completely.
My breath caught instantly.
In the mirror,
Our reflections looked unfairly beautiful together.
His dark intimidating presence behind me.
My soft ivory saree.
The contrast itself felt intimate.
Dhruv's eyes dropped toward my waist again briefly.
Then upward.
His jaw tightened faintly.
And quietly,
Too quietly,
"Don't go near Armaan today."
I blinked in confusion.
"...what?"
His expression immediately returned colder.
Like he regretted saying it aloud.
"Nothing."
EXCUSE ME?!
I turned toward him slightly.
"What does that even mean?"
Dhruv picked up his watch calmly from the dresser avoiding my eyes now.
But his voice remained flat.
"That saree is already enough of a problem."
Silence.
My heartbeat forgot functioning.
Oh my God.
OH MY GOD.
Was that,
Jealousy?!
Before I could even process it,
He walked away toward the door already.
Coward.
Absolute emotionally constipated coward.
But just before leaving,
Dhruv paused without turning back.
Then calmly,
"Stay beside the women during the puja."
The concern hidden beneath control warmed my chest instantly.
And just like that,
He left.
Meanwhile I stood there staring at the door like an idiot.
Because somehow,
That tiny interaction affected me more than it should have.
....
Khanna Corporations looked festive today.
Vertex Solutions, the company I work at comes under the Khanna Corporations.
Flowers decorated the entrance.
Employees dressed traditionally.
Soft bhajans played in the background near the puja area.
Everyone smiled warmly while greeting each other.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Until I entered the office lobby.
And suddenly,
Everything stopped.
Actually stopped.
People turned.
Conversations paused.
Even the receptionist blinked at me twice.
My cheeks warmed instantly.
Oh God.
Was the saree too much?!
One girl from HR gasped dramatically.
"Riya ma'am?!"
Another employee whispered loudly:
"She looks stunning."
I immediately wanted to disappear.
Meanwhile I awkwardly smiled and rushed toward the elevators hoping nobody noticed my embarrassment.
Too late.
Because the moment the elevator opened on the executive floor,
Armaan stepped out.
And froze.
Completely froze.
The billionaire genuinely stopped walking.
His eyes locked onto me instantly.
And for one dangerous second,
The entire hallway went silent.
Because unlike Dhruv,
Armaan didn't hide reactions well.
Shock crossed his face openly.
Then something softer.
Warmer.
Almost mesmerized.
My oblivious self smiled nervously.
"Good morning, sir."
Silence.
Armaan still stared.
Like his brain had stopped functioning temporarily.
Then finally,
Very slowly,
He spoke.
"...wow."
My cheeks burned immediately.
Oh no.
ARMAAN.
PLEASE.
Several employees nearby looked between us curiously now.
Armaan recovered slightly before laughing softly under his breath.
"I think half the office forgot the puja exists."
I blinked in confusion.
"What?"
His eyes remained on me while answering.
"They're all staring at you."
My face heated violently.
I looked around quickly.
And unfortunately,
He was right.
Several male employees immediately looked away when caught staring.
OH MY GOD.
Meanwhile Armaan looked almost amused now.
Then quietly,
"You look beautiful, Riya."
The sincerity in his voice made me awkward instantly.
"T-Thank you."
And somehow,
At that exact moment,
I remembered Dhruv's words from morning.
"Don't go near Armaan today."
My heartbeat suddenly became suspiciously uneven again.
And,
The hallway suddenly felt too small.
Too warm.
Too aware.
Because Armaan was still looking at me in a way that made several employees nearby extremely interested in office gossip.
And unfortunately,
I remained completely oblivious to how dangerous this looked.
I awkwardly adjusted my saree pallu nervously.
"T-The puja is starting, right?"
Armaan blinked once like returning to reality.
Then immediately straightened.
Professional mode returning.
"Right."
But even then,
His eyes drifted toward me again.
Briefly.
Long enough to notice too much.
And somewhere far away,
Dhruv Malhotra's future anger probably sensed disturbance in the universe.
...
The office temple area had been decorated beautifully.
Flowers everywhere.
Incense filling the air softly.
Employees gathered around barefoot while priests prepared the puja rituals.
Women in sarees sat together near the front.
Men stood behind.
The atmosphere looked peaceful.
Meanwhile my life clearly hated peace.
Because every five minutes,
Someone complimented the saree.
One woman from finance whispered dramatically:
"Ma'am your husband is lucky."
My stupid heart reacted immediately.
And annoyingly,
Dhruv's face flashed through my mind again.
The way he'd looked at me in the mirror this morning.
The way his eyes had darkened.
God.
That look alone could ruin civilizations.
I sat quietly near the front trying not to overthink anything.
Meanwhile across the room,
Armaan stood speaking to a few board members.
But every few minutes,
His eyes unconsciously returned toward me again.
And several people noticed.
Especially the women.
Office aunties were genuinely terrifying.
One HR lady leaned toward another whispering:
"Sir has never stared at anyone like that."
I nearly combusted hearing it.
OH MY GOD.
No.
Absolutely not.
The puja finally started properly afterward.
Priests chanting softly.
Employees folding hands respectfully.
The atmosphere calming slightly.
And slowly,
My breathing relaxed too.
Until,
The main entrance opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the office floor.
And instantly,
The atmosphere shifted.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
Enough for people to straighten unconsciously.
Enough for conversations to stop.
Enough for the air itself to feel colder.
My heartbeat stumbled before I even turned.
Because somehow,
I already knew.
Dhruv.
I looked up slowly.
And my breath genuinely disappeared.
Black suit.
Dark tie.
Sharp jawline.
Cold billionaire aura fully activated.
He stood near the entrance like he owned oxygen itself.
And unfortunately,
He looked angry.
Not explosive angry.
Worse.
Controlled angry.
The kind that destroyed people quietly.
Several employees immediately greeted nervously.
"Good morning, Mr. Malhotra."
Because of course.
Khanna Corporations and Malhotra Enterprises still worked closely together.
Board partnership.
Investments.
Business meetings.
And unfortunately,
Dhruv had apparently arrived today.
Without warning.
My heartbeat instantly became uneven.
Because the second his eyes found me,
He stopped walking.
Completely stopped.
And suddenly,
The entire world blurred again.
Because God.
The look on his face.
It wasn't shock.
Or surprise.
It was something much more dangerous.
Possession.
Pure masculine possession.
His gaze traveled slowly over me.
The saree.
My waist.
The loose curls.
Then upward again.
And the tension in the room became suffocating.
Because everyone noticed.
Everyone.
The way Dhruv Malhotra looked at his wife right now could've started wars.
Across the room...
Armaan noticed too.
Unfortunately.
The two billionaire men looked at each other for one long second.
And the atmosphere instantly turned lethal.
No smiles.
No greetings.
Just silent tension.
Meanwhile I sat there internally dying.
The priest awkwardly cleared his throat trying to continue the puja.
But honestly?
Even God probably felt uncomfortable at this point.
Dhruv finally started walking again.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Terrifyingly calm.
And instead of joining the businessmen,
He walked directly toward me.
Every employee watched openly now.
Phones probably mentally recording everything.
My pulse became violent the closer he got.
Then finally,
Dhruv stopped beside me.
Without a word,
He removed his blazer calmly.
And before I could even process it,
He draped it around my shoulders.
The entire room went dead silent.
Because his blazer completely covered my exposed waist and blouse from the side.
My breath caught instantly.
Dhruv adjusted the fabric once over my shoulder.
Slow.
Possessive.
Intimate.
Then quietly,
Too quietly,
"You're cold."
LIAR.
THE AC WASN'T EVEN ON.
But before I could answer,
A female employee literally gasped behind us.
Meanwhile Dhruv finally looked up.
Directly at Armaan.
And God.
That gaze carried a warning.
Not spoken.
Still painfully clear.
Mine.
Armaan's jaw tightened faintly.
But his expression remained composed.
Professional.
Only his eyes darkened slightly.
The priest looked deeply stressed now.
"Shall... shall we continue?"
Nobody answered.
Because the tension between Dhruv and Armaan had become visible enough for the entire office to feel it.
And unfortunately,
I remained emotionally confused in the center of it.
Dhruv finally sat down beside me.
Beside me.
Not with the businessmen.
Not across the room.
Beside me.
The movement itself shocked half the employees.
Because Dhruv Malhotra voluntarily sitting through a puja was already suspicious.
Sitting beside his wife looking like a jealous husband from a Bollywood movie?
National emergency.
The chants resumed softly afterward.
But honestly?
Nobody focused anymore.
Not when Dhruv's hand rested dangerously close beside mine the entire time.
Not when his blazer still smelled like his cologne around me.
Not when every few minutes,
I could physically feel his eyes on me again.
And maybe the worst part?
I liked it.
God.
I liked it too much.
....
The puja finally ended after almost an hour.
Employees slowly stood up greeting each other again.
The atmosphere became noisy once more.
Except around us.
Around us,
The tension remained.
I stood carefully adjusting Dhruv's oversized blazer around myself.
Then softly toward him:
"You didn't have to do that."
Dhruv looked at me blankly.
"You were uncomfortable."
I blinked.
"What?"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Half the office was staring."
Oh.
OH.
The realization hit instantly.
Jealous.
Again.
Before I could answer,
Armaan suddenly approached us.
And honestly?
The air itself became dangerous.
Several employees immediately pretended to work while secretly listening.
Armaan stopped in front of us calmly.
Professional smile in place.
But his eyes briefly flicked toward Dhruv's blazer wrapped around me.
Then back upward.
"I wasn't aware there was a dress code update."
Silence.
Dhruv answered flatly.
"There isn't."
The tension sharpened instantly.
Armaan looked at me gently instead.
"The puja arrangements went well because of you."
I smiled softly.
"Thank you, sir."
Dhruv's expression darkened slightly hearing sir in my soft voice.
Oh God.
Armaan noticed immediately too.
And unfortunately,
That man looked entertained now.
He tilted his head slightly toward me.
"You should wear sarees more often."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Because beside me,
Dhruv had gone completely still.
My heartbeat instantly panicked.
Meanwhile Armaan looked completely calm saying it.
Which somehow made it worse.
Several employees nearby physically stopped breathing.
Dhruv finally spoke.
Cold.
Sharp.
"Careful, Khanna."
The entire hallway froze.
Because that tone?
That tone belonged to the dangerous Dhruv Malhotra.
Armaan's eyes held his evenly.
And quietly,
"About?"
Silence crashed between them.
Then Dhruv answered.
Very calmly.
"The things you look at too long."
Before Armaan could answer, an executive called him,
"Excuse me" he turned to me saying,
And left.
Just then, Dhruv turned towards me saying,
"You spend a lot of time around him."
The sentence came quiet.
Controlled.
But underneath?
Something raw.
I swallowed nervously.
"He's literally my boss."
"And that's the problem."
OH MY GOD.
My heart crashed violently against my ribs.
Because he sounded jealous.
Not subtle jealous.
Territorial jealous.
The kind that ruined lives.
I stared at him breathlessly.
Meanwhile Dhruv stopped directly in front of me now.
Too close.
Way too close.
The sunset light behind him softened the sharpness of his features slightly.
But not the intensity in his eyes.
Never that.
Then suddenly,
His fingers lifted toward my shoulder.
And before I could react,
He adjusted the edge of my saree pallu softly where it had slipped slightly.
The touch burned instantly.
Gentle.
Careful.
Intimate enough to destroy my remaining sanity.
Dhruv's hand lingered one dangerous second too long near my waist afterward.
And God,
The tension became unbearable.
My breath came uneven now.
Because the way he looked at me,
Like he was fighting himself,
Ruined me completely.
Then quietly,
Almost like a confession he didn't mean to say,
"I don't like other men staring at what's mine."