13
The soft hum of the kitchen exhaust fan was the only sound in the otherwise still apartment that morning.
Dhruv stood by the stove, his sleeves rolled up, eyes fixed on the bubbling pot of chai.
He measured the sugar by memory, added the grated ginger and a few crushed cardamom pods the way he had seen his mother do countless times.
It had been a while since he'd made tea - maybe even longer since he had made it for someone else.
The sun poured into the apartment through the tall windows, and for once, it felt like a slow morning.
He heard the bedroom door click softly and turned slightly to see her stepping out.
Vaani.
Dressed in a tailored beige formal top with black cigarette pants, a sleek watch, and a delicate chain on her neck. Her hair was neatly tied back into a low ponytail, and she looked polished and composed. Her kajal was sharp. Her heels clicked gently against the floor as she moved.
She looked beautiful. Poised. Unshakeable.
But something in her eyes faltered.
"I made chai," he said quietly, gesturing toward the cups he'd already poured.
She blinked, a little surprised. "Oh... thank you," she said, offering a small smile, taking the cup.
He noticed it - the hesitation, the dull tiredness masked under eyeliner and effort. Something was... off. She was pretending, and maybe not even consciously.
"You okay?" he asked, keeping his tone casual but not careless.
"Huh?" She looked up from her cup.
"Just asking. You seem a little... quiet,"
She blinked quickly and looked away. "No, no, I'm fine," she replied. "Just a long week ahead"
He nodded. Didn't push.
She moved to the small dev ghar - the little prayer space she had lovingly created from the storage room. She folded her hands, eyes shut, lips murmuring her morning mantra under her breath. The silver necklace gleamed faintly against her top. She looked calm there, still.
As she turned to leave, already checking her phone and slinging her purse over one shoulder, Dhruv looked up again. "Vaani," he said.
She stopped and turned back. "Yes?"
He gestured behind her. "You forgot your laptop bag."
She turned and blinked. "Oh, right," she said, embarrassed for a moment. "Thanks."
He gave a soft nod and turned his attention back to the TV.
She stood there for a moment, unsure if there was anything else to say. "Okay... I'll head out now."
He glanced at her over his shoulder. "See you soon."
Her eyebrows lifted faintly. See you soon? She didn't question it, just smiled lightly and replied, "Yeah."
But in her head, the words lingered strangely.
See you soon...?
You'll probably come home after I sleep, as usual.
Still, she didn't let the thought stay too long. She slipped her laptop bag on properly, gave him one last glance - he was already half-absorbed in the news again - and left.
The door closed with a quiet click.
Dhruv watched the screen for another moment, but he wasn't really paying attention. The apartment already felt still again.
He exhaled slowly, turned off the TV, and went to get ready for his workday.
~·~
Dhruv adjusted the cuffs of his crisp white shirt as he stepped out of his car, the warm Abu Dhabi sun reflecting off the sleek glass facade of the new office building.
The air was dry but fresh, and the city hummed quietly around him as he walked into the almost-finished high-rise.
The security guard nodded at him with familiarity, and the receptionist offered her usual smile as he passed.
"Mr. Deshmukh," one of his team members greeted as he entered the elevator.
"Hmm?" Dhruv glanced at him.
"They should be on their way. The team from NestForm Studios."
He nodded. "Alright. Let me know when they get here."
He stepped out onto the 18th floor - still in progress, with exposed ceilings, stacked plywood panels, and workers going about their tasks.
He walked toward his temporary glass cabin, dropped his bag, and switched on his screen.
There were emails to answer, drafts to review, and timelines to approve.
He settled into his work, his mind slowly slipping into focus.
An hour passed.
Then came a knock and the slight slide of the cabin door. "Boss, they're here," one of his assistants said.
Dhruv stood, dusted his hands, and adjusted his collar slightly as he made his way out.
The main lobby of the office floor was bustling with quiet movement - NestForm's team had arrived with their camera equipment, iPads, sketchbooks, and swatches. He walked past a few of the workers, then paused slightly as he spotted her from a distance.
Vaani.
She stood in front of the large glass windows near the entrance, deep in conversation with Mark - one of Dhruv's senior project leads. She had a notepad in one hand, and her phone held up as she clicked pictures from different angles, gesturing with focus toward the lighting and space layout.
She didn't see him coming - not yet.
Mark was saying something animatedly about how the light from 3 to 5 PM was going to be a challenge because of the reflection. "But you guys might already have a solution," he said. "Honestly, we're really looking forward to seeing what your team does with this place-oh, and there's our main man."
Vaani turned instinctively, mid-sentence.
Her breath hitched.
There he was. Dhruv. In his white shirt with his trousers, walking toward them with his usual calm, unreadable expression. She hadn't expected to see him here, not like this - not as Mr. Deshmukh.
Mark, oblivious to the shift in her expression, continued casually, "Vaani, meet our lead - Mr. Dhruv Deshmukh."
She blinked, her body stiffening ever so slightly as Dhruv walked up. He met her gaze for a heartbeat longer than necessary. She didn't know whether it was the shock of seeing him here... or the fact that now she understood why his company name sounded familiar.
Dhruv extended a hand with a neutral expression. "Hi," he said simply.
There was a beat of silence.
She recovered quickly, slipping her hand into his. "Hi."
Their handshake was brief. Professional. But her mind was racing.
Mark turned slightly, noticing the slight flicker between the two. "You guys have met before?" he asked curiously.
Dhruv let go of her hand and glanced sideways at Mark. "Something like that," he said coolly.
Vaani quickly composed herself, plastering on a polite smile. "We've crossed paths," she added vaguely.
Mark shrugged, unfazed. "Perfect. That makes this easier. Dhruv's overseeing this entire project, so we'll be working closely. Come, I'll show you the rest of the floor."
Dhruv gestured for her to walk ahead, and she nodded, holding her clipboard a little tighter as she moved past him, still stunned.
Neither of them said another word for now.
But both of them were thinking the same thing.
Well... this just got a lot more complicated.
Dhruv followed them down the hallway, hands in his pockets, his steps measured but light.
From a distance, he watched her as she moved - completely in her element, gesturing toward corners, pointing out layout inconsistencies, talking lighting dynamics with Mark like she'd rehearsed this a dozen times.
She was taking notes, sketching little arrows and indicators onto the blueprints she held, while her junior designer followed behind like a shadow.
But her surprise earlier still lingered in his mind.
She'd looked genuinely shocked - not just surprised, but thrown off. Like she hadn't even considered that this might be his company. Hadn't she heard the name when her boss told her? Maybe she was just busy. Or maybe... she hadn't expected him to care enough to be directly involved.
Why did that bother me?
He shook the thought off.
Now, he just quietly observed. As she stood near the southern conference room - which was currently just a bare concrete shell - she started outlining how to use the wall depth to create a feature backdrop using layered wood panels and hidden lighting.
Mark nodded, impressed. "Nice. I was worried this wall might feel too heavy if we clad it in anything."
Vaani looked up at him and smiled slightly. "That's why we break it with glass detailing on one half. Balance."
Dhruv leaned against the side pillar, watching her explain it all.
She didn't need his approval. She wasn't deferring to him. She was talking to the team like it was her space to build, not his to own.
It wasn't arrogance. It was confidence. Quiet, calm, assured.
And he couldn't deny it - he was lowkey impressed.
He'd heard her name a few times in office circles before, in briefings, emails, and presentations. But seeing her work like this - so completely professional, detached from the roles they played at home - it was something else.
There was no awkwardness now, not from her. She was switched on.
She glanced his way once, catching him observing her. He didn't look away. Neither did she. But the moment passed quickly as her attention returned to her team.
Still, in the back of his mind, he made a mental note.
He'd ask her later.
Why she looked so surprised. Why she hadn't said anything.
And maybe... just maybe... he'd tell her he was impressed.
The group began to wrap up. Mark glanced around the site, brushing concrete dust off his blazer, and gave a satisfied nod.
"Well, that's all from our end," he said, clasping his hands. "Thanks for the walkthrough, Vaani. It's good to have clarity on direction before we start anything big."
Vaani gave him a polite smile. "Absolutely. We've documented everything, and we've already used AI to generate four preliminary themes for the overall interior. Once we lock one in, we can move forward with the detailed modeling."
Mark raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Already done? That was quick."
She shrugged lightly. "We like to be ready before stepping in."
"Efficient," he said, grinning.
"So who do I coordinate with for the final call on the design?"
"You can ask Dhruv sir," he said.
Dhruv, who had been quietly leaning against the doorway of what would be the new reception lounge, straightened slightly at the sound of his name.
Vaani turned slightly, clearly reluctant, but professional.
She approached him with measured steps, holding out her tablet, her voice low and even.
"There are four proposed theme directions.
They're labeled A to D. Once one is finalized, we can move into procurement and more detailed visualizations.
So... could you pick the one you prefer? "
He nodded once, taking the tablet. "Sure. Send them to my work email. I'll review them this evening and let you know by 5pm."
"Okay. Thank you," she said, taking the tablet back and avoiding his eyes just slightly.
Mark clapped his hands together. "Alright! I guess that wraps it. If there's anything else-?"
One of Vaani's junior team members shook their head. "Nope, that's it. Once the theme is picked, we'll get started on the ground execution. Painting can begin now, just prepping the surfaces, nothing decorative yet."
Dhruv nodded. "Sounds good."
"Perfect," Mark said, already walking toward the exit with the group.
The site visit concluded in a flurry of polite goodbyes and nods as the design team began filtering out. Dhruv stood near the entrance, his hands casually in his pockets, as each person passed him on their way out.
Then it was Vaani's turn.
She lingered a bit, hanging back until her team had moved ahead. For a second, she looked like she wasn't sure how to say goodbye. Her gaze flickered toward him, unreadable.
"Bye," she said, finally - and she hesitated, visibly struggling to decide how to address him. "Sir-"
"Don't call me that," Dhruv said, cutting her off gently, but firmly. His tone was low - not unkind, just... familiar. Quietly certain.
She blinked, caught off guard.
"Right," she said, quickly. "Sorry."
He looked at her for a second longer, then added, "See you at home."
Her eyes met his just for a moment before she looked down and gave a small nod. "Yeah."
And then she turned and left, following the others into the corridor outside.
Dhruv stood there for a moment after she'd gone.
There was something about her expression that lingered with him. Not the surprise of seeing him - he'd already seen that earlier - but something in the way she hesitated now. Like she didn't quite know where the line was between them anymore.
Neither did he, truthfully.
She wasn't a stranger. She wasn't exactly familiar either. But she was here. In his office. In his project. Doing her job well, no less - more than well. Leading a team, articulating ideas, delivering results.
And yet back home... they were barely more than polite. Cordial. A nod, a "chai's on the counter," a "good night" after one had already fallen asleep.
They didn't argue. But they didn't talk much either.
This, right now - her turning around, meeting him on professional ground - it was the most direct interaction they'd had in days.
He sighed quietly and turned back into the office, reaching for his phone.
A message had already come through: an email from NestForm Studios with a subject line that read "Initial Design Themes - Abu Dhabi HQ."
From: Vaani Joshi.
No notes, no extra words, just the professional brief and attachments.
He clicked the link and the presentation opened - clean, structured, beautifully laid out. Even in silence, she had a way of communicating herself through her work.
He scrolled through the four options, mentally taking note of details - wood tones, accents, lighting layers. One stood out almost immediately. Design B - sleek but warm, professional yet inviting. He made a mental note.
Still, he wouldn't reply just yet.
He wanted to think.
Not just about the office design, but also about her.
About how the person whose work was now shaping his most important new venture was the same woman he barely shared words with at the dinner table.
And how, for the first time in weeks, he was starting to feel... curious.
Curious about her.
About how she handled herself so confidently here.
And why she seemed so different from the woman who sat across him every night, quietly eating dinner, eyes on her plate, not on him.
Maybe... it was time he started paying a bit more attention.
~·~
The apartment was quiet - too quiet.
Dhruv stepped in, shutting the door behind him as the faint hum of the city thirty-one floors below faded into silence. His shoulders were tense from the day, his jaw still clenched from the back-to-back meetings. He loosened his tie absently, scanning the space.
She was home.
It didn't take long to find her. The glow from the small study room spilled out into the hallway, soft and warm against the cool night. He walked toward it, slowing his steps when he saw her.
Vaani.
She sat on the floor, barefoot and completely absorbed, surrounded by a chaos of sketches, tracing paper, ink pens, and scrapped designs. Her oversized T-shirt slipped off one shoulder, her legs folded beneath her, her bun threatening to come undone. She hadn't noticed him yet.
Dhruv stopped at the door, eyes flickering to the papers - dozens of them. Some ripped through the middle, others balled up beside the bookshelf. It was a mess, and it made the part of him that liked order want to groan. He opened his mouth to say something-
But he didn't.
Instead, he stayed still. Just... watching.
Something about the intensity in her gaze, the furrow in her brow, the way her fingers moved confidently across the page - it was captivating.
He saw her - not just as Vaani, the quiet, polite wife he shared space with - but Vaani, the designer.
Focused. Brilliant. Working like her next breath depended on it.
And then she turned.
Her head snapped up, her eyes catching his. A flicker of alarm passed through them before she masked it quickly.
"Oh," she said, her voice breathless. "Hi."
"Hi," he replied, stepping in, his gaze shifting to the floor around her.
She followed his gaze, a little self-conscious now, and started gathering a few papers into a pile.
"I was just-working. Sorry for the mess."
He said nothing about it. Instead, he crossed the room slowly, crouching near the edge of her spread.
"Vaani."
"Hmm?" she glanced up again, alert.
"Why were you so surprised today?" His voice was quieter now, deliberate. Watching her closely.
She blinked. "What?"
"At the site. When Mark said my name. You looked like you'd been hit by a truck."
Her cheeks flushed instantly. She sat back on her heels, fiddling with the edge of the paper in her lap.
"I... I wasn't really listening when my manager said who the client was," she admitted, biting her lip. "I was distracted. Didn't register that it was your company."
He raised an eyebrow. "Distracted?"
She hesitated. "It's been a big few days. Ria's wedding announcement, my first big solo lead project, the site visit..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling the weight of her own excuses.
He didn't respond right away. Just watched her. Closely.
He wanted to laugh at her unnecessary embarrassment. He really did - but he kept his expression neutral. "I see."
Her fingers gripped the edge of the paper a little tighter.
And then, carefully, he shifted closer, just a breath's distance from her now as he reached toward one of the sketches near her thigh. The one she'd been working on - clean, minimal, layered in muted desert tones with sharp glass accents.
"This one," he said, his voice softer, almost reverent. "It's stunning."
Her breath caught slightly.
"You don't need to rip more papers," he added, glancing at the piles she'd abandoned around her. "You've already nailed it."
She finally looked at him - really looked at him - and for a long second, neither of them spoke.
Then, just barely, she whispered, "Okay."
He stood, but not fully. Still halfway leaning into her space.
He hesitated. Then said it - something he hadn't thought he'd ever say to her.
"You're very, very good at your job, Vaani."
She blinked. The compliment hit her harder than expected - not because of what it was, but because of who it was from.
Not her boss. Not a client. But him.
Dhruv. The man she had married without truly knowing. The man who barely looked her way most days, and yet tonight - was seeing her clearer than anyone had in weeks.
She dropped her gaze again. But her lips curved, involuntarily.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He watched her another beat, his eyes searching her face for something he couldn't name.
Then he turned and walked out.
And Vaani sat there, pulse rushing in her ears, hand still frozen on the paper, suddenly unable to remember what she was even sketching.
Something had shifted. She couldn't name it. Couldn't even say what it meant.
But for the first time in weeks, the silence between them didn't feel so heavy.
It felt charged. Brimming with something unspoken.
??