Chapter 19 The Papers He Couldnt Sign
The promise had barely left Arjun's lips when another knock echoed against the office door.
Kabir looked up irritably from the couch.
"If this is another PR disaster, I'm resigning from this family."
But the assistant standing outside didn't look merely nervous.
He looked terrified.
"Sir..." he said carefully, avoiding eye contact. "There's someone here insisting on meeting you personally."
Arjun rubbed his temple tiredly.
"I canceled everything."
"Yes, sir. But he said it concerns Mrs. Oberoi."
The room went silent instantly.
Kabir straightened.
Arjun slowly lowered his hand from his face.
"Who?"
Before the assistant could answer-
A familiar voice came from outside the glass office.
"I think he already knows."
Arjun's expression hardened immediately.
Vivaan walked inside calmly wearing a dark grey suit, one hand in his pocket and a black file tucked beneath his arm.
Professional.
Composed.
Too composed.
And somehow that calmness irritated Arjun more than open hostility would have.
Kabir muttered under his breath.
"Oh this is bad."
Vivaan stopped near the desk.
Neither man greeted the other.
The tension in the room became instant and suffocating.
Employees outside the transparent office walls had already slowed down subtly, pretending to work while clearly watching.
Because everybody knew who Vivaan Malhotra was.
Corporate lawyer.
Family friend.
And once upon a time-
The man almost engaged to Aadhira.
Arjun's jaw tightened slightly at the memory.
"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.
Vivaan placed the file on the desk carefully.
"Aadhira asked me to deliver these."
Something inside Arjun went still.
His eyes dropped toward the file.
Then slowly back toward Vivaan.
Kabir immediately sensed danger.
"Bhai..."
But Arjun had already opened it.
Legal drafts.
Separation consultation papers.
Not officially filed.
Not signed.
But real enough to make his chest tighten painfully.
For one horrible second-
He couldn't breathe properly.
The words blurred slightly beneath his gaze.
Residential separation.
Financial independence.
Professional restoration rights.
Professional restoration rights.
That line caught his attention immediately.
Arjun frowned slightly.
Vivaan noticed.
"She wanted legal clarity before restarting work," he explained calmly. "She didn't want future complications because of the Oberoi name."
The sentence hurt in a completely different way.
Because suddenly Arjun realized-
Aadhira was seriously preparing for a life outside him.
Not emotionally dramatic.
Practical.
Careful.
Real.
Kabir slowly stood up from the couch now.
"Okay," he said awkwardly. "I feel like I shouldn't be here."
Neither man responded.
Vivaan's voice remained calm.
"Relax. Divorce isn't happening tomorrow."
Arjun looked up sharply.
"Then why these papers?"
"Because for the first time in years," Vivaan replied quietly, "she's trying to think for herself instead of everyone else."
Silence.
That answer hit harder than accusation.
Arjun closed the file slowly.
Too slowly.
His voice lowered dangerously afterward.
"And she sent you?"
Vivaan held his gaze evenly.
"She didn't want this conversation turning emotional."
A humorless laugh escaped Arjun instantly.
"Emotional?" His eyes darkened. "My wife left my house and sent another man with legal papers. What part of this isn't emotional?"
The tension sharpened immediately.
Vivaan stayed calm despite it.
"She doesn't hate you, Arjun."
That surprised him.
Because honestly-
At this point Arjun thought maybe she should.
Vivaan continued quietly.
"She's exhausted."
The word lingered heavily in the room.
Not angry.
Not revengeful.
Exhausted.
Arjun leaned back slowly in his chair, staring silently at the papers again.
Then finally-
Almost bitterly-
"She used to tell me everything herself."
Vivaan's expression softened for half a second.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "She used to."
That nearly hurt more than the papers.
Kabir watched the atmosphere carefully before quietly slipping out of the office entirely.
Smart decision.
Because something deeply personal had settled between the two men now.
Vivaan looked around the massive office afterward.
Floor-to-ceiling windows.
Awards.
Power.
Success.
Then quietly he asked-
"Do you know where she was yesterday?"
Arjun's eyes lifted immediately.
"No."
"At a client presentation."
Silence.
Vivaan's voice remained steady.
"She got selected for a heritage hotel restoration project."
For a second-
Arjun genuinely looked stunned.
"Aadhira?"
Something about that reaction irritated Vivaan instantly.
"Yes, Aadhira," he replied sharply. "Your wife is talented, in case nobody reminded you recently."
The words landed painfully because they were true.
Arjun looked down briefly.
He remembered her sketches.
Late-night designs spread across the bed.
Her excitement whenever she discussed architecture and interiors.
God.
How had he let all of that fade into the background?
Vivaan noticed the guilt crossing his face.
And despite everything-
A part of him almost felt sorry for Arjun.
Because the idiot genuinely loved her.
He just loved her carelessly.
"That project?" Vivaan continued quietly. "I connected her to the client."
Arjun looked up again instantly.
Not angry this time.
Just surprised.
"She almost backed out before the meeting," Vivaan admitted. "Kept saying she was out of practice."
A painful ache spread through Arjun's chest.
Because he could picture it perfectly.
Aadhira doubting herself after years of shrinking her own ambitions.
Vivaan's jaw tightened slightly.
"You know what she asked me before entering the meeting?"
Arjun stayed silent.
"She asked if women forget how to dream after marriage."
The sentence hollowed something inside him.
Because suddenly he remembered every moment she quietly chose him over herself.
Canceled opportunities.
Postponed plans.
Dreams reduced into hobbies.
And he never even noticed the weight of those sacrifices.
Vivaan leaned forward slightly.
"She got the project on her own merit," he said firmly. "Not because she's an Oberoi."
A strange emotion crossed Arjun's face then.
Not jealousy.
Pride.
Pure, painful pride.
"She got it?" he asked quietly.
Vivaan nodded once.
And for the first time that entire meeting-
Something warm flickered briefly in Arjun's exhausted expression.
Because despite everything-
He was genuinely happy for her.
That realization softened Vivaan slightly too.
The silence between them changed afterward.
Less hostile.
More complicated.
Then Arjun looked at the papers again.
"Are these what she wants?"
Vivaan answered honestly this time.
"She wants space." He paused carefully. "Not necessarily an ending."
Hope.
Small but dangerous.
It appeared instantly in Arjun's eyes before he could hide it.
Vivaan noticed.
And sighed softly.
"You really love her, don't you?"
Arjun laughed once quietly.
Like the answer was obvious now.
"I think I loved her so confidently," he admitted painfully, "that I stopped fearing losing her."
Silence settled heavily.
Then finally-
Vivaan spoke the truth he'd been holding back for years.
"She waited for you longer than you deserved."
Arjun closed his eyes briefly.
Because yes.
She did.
Vivaan looked toward the city skyline outside the office windows.
"You know what scared me the most?" he asked quietly. "She still defends you."
That destroyed whatever composure Arjun had left.
Because even after leaving-
Aadhira still protected him from blame.
God.
What kind of love was that?
Vivaan picked up the file again before sliding it toward him.
"Don't sign anything right now."
Arjun looked up slowly.
"She's hurt," Vivaan continued calmly. "And you're finally realizing things too late." His eyes sharpened slightly. "But if you actually want your marriage back..."
Silence.
Then quietly-
"Fight for her emotionally this time. Not possessively."
The words landed deeply.
Because that was exactly what Arjun had failed at before.
Vivaan moved toward the office door afterward.
Then paused briefly without turning back.
"One more thing."
Arjun stayed silent.
"When she talks about her project..." Vivaan's voice softened slightly, "don't make it about losing her."
The statement confused him slightly.
Vivaan finally looked back.
"Make it about seeing her properly for the first time."
And with that-
He walked away.
Leaving Arjun alone inside the office holding divorce papers he suddenly realized he could never sign.