Chapter 14
Viya
I practically ran back to my desk from Armaan's cabin, my heart thundering in my chest so loudly I was certain everyone in the entire office could hear it.
What had just happened in there?
The way he had pulled me into his lap. The way he had fed me breakfast with such tenderness. The way his thumb had brushed across my lips, and then the way he had licked that tiny crumb.
And then he had leaned in. I was certain he had been about to kiss me.
My first kiss. Technically second.
And I had wanted it. God help me, I had wanted it so badly that my entire body had ached with the wanting.
I sat at my desk and tried to focus on my screen, but the code swimming in front of my eyes made no sense. All I could think about was the look in Armaan's eyes. The heat. The intensity.
About an hour later, after I had finally managed to accomplish at least some work, I remembered I needed to update Vikrant on the presentation outcome. I walked to his office and knocked on the open door.
He looked up from his computer, and immediately I noticed something was wrong. His face was tight, his expression carefully neutral in a way that suggested he was holding back anger or frustration.
"Vikrant sir? I just wanted to let you know that I presented the optimization proposal to Mr. Khanna. He has approved it for implementation."
Vikrant nodded curtly.
"Good. Get started on the integration as soon as possible."
His tone was clipped. Professional but cold. Completely different from his usual warm, encouraging manner.
I wanted to ask if something was wrong, if I had done something to upset him. But something in his expression warned me not to push.
"Yes, sir. I will start right away."
I retreated to my desk, that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach growing stronger.
Had Armaan said something to him? Had he been angry that Vikrant called me in urgently this morning?
I pushed the thought away and threw myself into work, staying at the office later than usual to make progress on the implementation plan.
By the time I finally left, the sun was setting and my body felt heavy with exhaustion. The auto ride home felt longer than usual, and all I wanted was to take a shower and maybe sit with Dadi for a while before dinner.
When I entered the house through the front door, I heard voices coming from the living room. Multiple voices. We had guests.
I walked toward the sound and stopped in the doorway.
Uncle Vinay and Aunty Sangeetha were sitting on the sofa across from Dadi, who was settled in her favorite armchair. They were all engaged in conversation, cups of tea on the table between them.
My heart lifted immediately at the sight of Uncle. I had not seen him since the wedding, and despite everything, I had missed him.
"Uncle!" I called out, walking into the room with a smile.
He stood up immediately, his face breaking into a warm smile as I approached. He pulled me into a hug, his hand coming to rest on my head in blessing.
"Beta, how are you? You look well. Are they treating you nicely here?"
"Very nicely, Uncle. How are you? How is your health?"
Something flickered across his face, too quick for me to identify.
"I am fine, beta. We came to check on Dadi ji's health. We heard about her accident and wanted to see for ourselves that she is recovering well."
I turned to look at Dadi, who smiled at me warmly but with something uncertain in her eyes.
"That is very kind of you, Uncle." I looked around the room. "Did Avija not come with you? Is she still in Paris?"
Uncle's expression shifted slightly.
"She is here. She went upstairs to call Armaan. He should be in your room."
The words hit me like cold water.
Avija. In my room. Calling my husband.
Something twisted uncomfortably in my chest, but I pushed it down.
"Oh. I did not know Armaan was home already. Usually he comes back much later."
Aunty Sangeetha spoke up then, her voice carrying that familiar edge of superiority.
"We called Armaan before coming. He very graciously agreed to leave work early to receive us properly. Since you were not home."
The implication was clear. I should have been home. I should have been the one to receive them.
"I apologize. I was at work. If I had known you were coming, I would have made arrangements to leave early."
There was an awkward pause. Dadi's face had fallen, the joy from earlier completely gone. She looked troubled, almost sad.
Uncle cleared his throat.
"It is alright, beta. You were working. We understand."
But Aunty's expression suggested she did not understand at all.
I looked between all three of them, trying to decipher the strange tension in the room.
"I should go check on Armaan," I said finally, needing to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Let him know I am home."
I turned and walked out of the living room, my footsteps quick as I climbed the stairs. That strange, twisted feeling in my chest was growing stronger with each step.
Avija was in my room. With Armaan. Alone.
I told myself I was being ridiculous. They were probably just talking. About Dadi's health. But the feeling would not go away.
I reached the bedroom door and pushed it open.
And froze.
Avija was standing in front of Armaan, her hands on his chest, her fingers working the buttons of his shirt. Armaan's shirt was open, revealing his bare chest beneath.
They both turned when I entered. But Avija did not move. She stayed exactly where she was, her hands still on Armaan's shirt, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Something hot and painful shot through my chest. Jealousy. Anger. Hurt.
I did not like this. I did not like seeing her hands on him. I did not like the way she was standing so close to him. I did not like any of this.
But before I could say anything, Armaan moved. He stepped away from Avija, putting space between them, and walked toward me.
"Viya, you are back. I was waiting for you." His voice was warm, genuine. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "One of my shirt buttons broke. Avija was just helping me with it since you were not here yet."
The explanation made sense. It was perfectly logical and innocent.
But it still hurt to see.
I forced my voice to remain steady.
"Aunty is calling for you downstairs, Avija. I can help Armaan with the button."
Avija's smile widened slightly, but there was something cold in it.
"Of course. I was just being helpful. But now that you are here..." She trailed off meaningfully, then walked past me toward the door.She left, and the room suddenly felt easier to breathe in.
I held out my hand, a silent request. He dropped the broken button into my palm, but as he did, his fingers lingered against mine for a heartbeat too long, sending a jolt of heat through my veins.
I turned to my dresser, my hands trembling as I threaded the needle. I wasn't just mending a shirt; I was trying to mend the fraying edges of my own composure.
"Come closer," I whispered, my voice barely holding steady.
Armaan stepped into my space, his presence massive and overwhelming.
As I reached up to his chest, the scent of sandalwood and expensive cedarwood wrapped around me like a velvet shroud.
My fingers moved with the muscle memory of a girl who had spent years mending the old clothes of her relatives, but today, the fabric felt like live wire.
I could feel the steady, heavy thrum of his heart beneath my knuckles. With every stitch, his breath fanned across my forehead, warm and uneven. I kept my gaze fixed on the thread, terrified that if I looked up, I would lose myself in the intensity of his stare.
"Viya—"
"It’s just a button, Armaan," I interrupted, the words caught in my throat. "It happens."
"That’s not what this is," he murmured, his voice a low vibration I felt in my own chest.
I tied the knot and bit the thread—a sharp, final snap. But before I could retreat, his hand shot out, his fingers encircling my wrist like a warm shackle.
"Viya. Look at me."
I did not want to. I did not want him to see whatever expression was on my face right now. I did not want him to see the hurt and confusion and jealousy.
"We should go back downstairs," I said softly. "Your guests are waiting."
He nodded and released my hand, though I could tell he wanted to say more.
We went downstairs together. Uncle, Aunty, and Avija were all standing near the door, clearly preparing to leave.
I walked them out, making appropriate small talk about their visit and Dadi's recovery. Uncle hugged me again before leaving, whispering, "Take care of yourself, beta," in a voice that sounded worried.
After they left, I helped Dadi back to her room and made sure she was comfortable before retreating to my own room.
Armaan was already there, changed into comfortable clothes. He looked like he wanted to talk, but I could not. Not yet. The image of Avija's hands on his chest was still too fresh, too raw.
I took a shower and changed into my pajamas, then sat on the bed with my laptop, pretending to work even though I could not focus on anything.
The night passed in uncomfortable silence.
◆◆◆
The next morning at work, Akshita came bouncing over to my desk with excitement written all over her face.
"Viya! Did you hear about the party this Saturday?"
I had heard the gossip circulating through the office but had not paid much attention.
"What party?"
"The joint venture celebration! Mr. Randhawa is throwing this huge party for all the staff. It is going to be at that fancy hotel downtown. Open bar, DJ, the works."
"That sounds nice."
"Nice? It is going to be amazing! And the best part is it is a couples event. We need to bring partners. Do you have someone you can bring?"
My heart sank.
A couples event. Which meant I should bring my husband.
Except I could not. Because nobody knew we were married.
"I... I am not sure."
Akshita grabbed my arm.
"Come on, you have to come! It will not be the same without you. If you do not have anyone, just bring a friend. I am bringing my boyfriend, but it does not have to be romantic or anything."
A friend.
Puneet. I could ask Puneet to come with me. He would understand. He always understood.
"Let me make a call," I said, pulling out my phone.
I stepped outside to the hallway for privacy and dialed Puneet's number.
He answered on the second ring.
"Viya! To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Hey, Puneet. I have a favor to ask. My office is having this party on Saturday, and I need to bring a plus one. Would you be willing to come with me? Just as friends, of course."
"Of course I will come! You know I never turn down free food and alcohol. Plus, I get to see where my brilliant friend works."
Relief flooded through me.
"Thank you. You are a lifesaver."
"Anything for you, Viya. You know that."
We chatted for a few more minutes before I hung up and went back inside.
Akshita was waiting eagerly.
"So? Did you find someone?"
"Yes. My friend Puneet is going to come with me."
"Perfect! Now we need to go shopping. We both need new dresses for this party. Something stunning. This is the social event of the season."
The next evening, after work, Akshita dragged me to a shopping district I had never been to before. The stores here were upscale, the kind of places I usually avoided because the prices made my stomach hurt.
But Akshita was on a mission.
We went from store to store, trying on dress after dress. Everything Akshita picked out for herself was bold and daring. Finally, she settled on a stunning gold dress with a backless design that looked incredible on her.
"Your turn," she said, turning to the racks with determination. "We need to find something that will make jaws drop."
She pulled out a beautiful dress and held it up against me.
It was gorgeous. Elegant but with just enough edge to be interesting.
"Try it on. Trust me."
I took the dress into the changing room and slipped it on. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman looking back at me.
I looked beautiful. Confident. Like someone who belonged at fancy parties.
When I stepped out to show Akshita, her eyes went wide.
"Oh my god, Viya. That is the one. You have to get it. You look absolutely stunning."
I looked at the price tag and winced, but Akshita was already pushing me back toward the changing room.
"No arguments. You are getting that dress."
As I changed back into my regular clothes, I thought about Saturday night. About going to this party with Puneet. About seeing Armaan there.
Would he bring someone? Would he have to pretend we did not know each other beyond the professional?
The thought made that twisted feeling return to my chest.
But I pushed it down and focused on the present.
I would go to this party. I would wear this beautiful dress. I would have fun with my friend.
And I would try not to think about the fact that my husband would be in the same room, and I could not claim him as mine.