3
Chapter 3
Questions He Couldn't Ignore
Anaya barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Aarav standing in that hallway.
The hurt in his eyes.
The anger in his voice.
The questions she couldn't answer.
By morning, she had convinced herself to focus on work.
Nothing had changed.
She still had a job.
She still had responsibilities.
And most importantly, she still had Kabir.
No matter what happened, her son came first.
Always.
---
Meanwhile, Aarav was in a far worse mood than usual.
Which was saying something.
The entire boardroom sat in silence as he reviewed reports.
Nobody dared speak unless necessary.
Nobody dared make mistakes.
Because everyone could tell something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The meeting ended forty minutes early.
The executives practically rushed out of the room.
Only Vikram remained.
Aarav leaned back in his chair.
"Tell me."
Vikram placed a file on the table.
"This is everything we found."
Aarav opened it.
The first few pages contained basic information.
Current address.
Employment records.
Financial history.
Nothing unusual.
Then he reached the section about the child.
Kabir Mehra.
Age: Five.
Aarav stared at the name.
Five years old.
The timing bothered him.
Too much.
"When was he born?" he asked.
Vikram checked the file.
"Five years ago. September."
Aarav's grip tightened.
His last conversation with Anaya had happened months before that.
A strange uneasiness settled in his chest.
"Any information about the father?"
Vikram shook his head.
"No records."
"No name?"
"No."
Aarav frowned.
Not even a name.
That wasn't normal.
He closed the file.
"Keep looking."
Vikram hesitated.
"You think the child might be yours?"
The room fell silent.
Aarav didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was he didn't know.
And that uncertainty was driving him insane.
"I want facts," he finally said.
"Nothing else."
---
At lunchtime, Anaya was reviewing event plans when her office phone rang.
"Miss Mehra?"
"Yes?"
"The client has requested a meeting."
Her stomach dropped.
"What client?"
"The Rathore Industries team."
Of course.
She closed her eyes briefly.
"When?"
"Today. Three o'clock."
Great.
Just great.
---
At exactly three o'clock, Anaya entered Aarav's office.
The room was massive.
Elegant.
Minimalistic.
And somehow intimidating.
Aarav stood near the window, speaking on the phone.
He glanced at her briefly before ending the call.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Anaya hated how aware she was of him.
The way she noticed every small detail.
The way her heart still reacted to his presence.
It was ridiculous.
Five years should have been enough.
Apparently, it wasn't.
"Sit."
His voice was professional.
Cold.
She sat across from him.
The meeting started normally.
Event details.
Guest lists.
Venue requirements.
Everything remained strictly business.
Until Aarav suddenly closed the file.
"How is he?"
Anaya froze.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
"What?"
"Your son."
The words hit like a punch.
For a second, panic flashed across her face.
She quickly looked away.
"He's fine."
Aarav watched her carefully.
"How old is he?"
The question sounded casual.
It wasn't.
Anaya knew it.
Aarav knew it.
"Five."
The answer hung between them.
Neither looked away.
Something dangerous passed through his eyes.
Not certainty.
Suspicion.
"What's his name?"
She swallowed.
"Kabir."
For some reason, hearing the name softened his expression slightly.
Only for a second.
Then the mask returned.
"He goes to school nearby?"
Anaya frowned.
"Why are you asking about him?"
Aarav leaned back.
His face remained unreadable.
"I'm making conversation."
"Since when do you make conversation?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Aarav actually looked surprised.
Then, unexpectedly, a small smile appeared.
The first genuine smile she had seen from him in years.
And just like that, memories flooded back.
Late-night conversations.
Shared jokes.
Stolen moments.
The version of Aarav only she had known.
The smile disappeared almost immediately.
As if he remembered they weren't those people anymore.
The meeting ended shortly after.
Anaya stood quickly.
"I should go."
Aarav nodded.
But just as she reached the door, he spoke.
"Anaya."
She stopped.
"What?"
His gaze met hers.
Sharp.
Searching.
"Was there ever a moment..."
He paused.
As if carefully choosing his words.
"...when you thought about coming back?"
The question stole the air from her lungs.
Because the answer was yes.
A thousand times yes.
She had thought about it during sleepless nights.
During Kabir's first birthday.
During every milestone Aarav had missed.
She had thought about it whenever life became too difficult to carry alone.
But thinking and doing were different things.
So she forced herself to smile.
A sad smile.
Then she opened the door.
"Goodbye, Aarav."
And walked away.
---
That evening, Anaya arrived at Kabir's school just as classes ended.
Children rushed toward waiting parents.
Laughter filled the air.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then her phone rang.
Riya.
"Anaya, where are you?"
"At school."
"Don't panic."
Anaya immediately panicked.
"What happened?"
"There are three black SUVs parked outside our office."
Her stomach tightened.
"So?"
"They belong to Rathore Industries."
Anaya frowned.
"Why would that matter?"
There was a brief silence.
Then Riya spoke carefully.
"Because your boss just told me that Aarav Rathore personally requested that you handle every part of this project."
Anaya froze.
"What?"
"He specifically asked for you."
The blood drained from her face.
Across the playground, Kabir came running toward her with a bright smile.
Completely unaware that his world had just become a lot more complicated.
And somewhere across the city, Aarav sat in his office staring at a photograph of Anaya.
The suspicion in his mind growing stronger with every passing hour.
Because something about the timing didn't make sense.
And Aarav Rathore had never ignored his instincts.
To be continued...