Monday.
9:02 AM.
Singhaniya Tech.
Mondays didn't ease in.
They arrived-
Sharp. Structured. Unforgiving.
The office was fully awake.
Keyboards moving faster. Voices firmer. Deadlines already in motion.
And Anika-
Was exactly where she always was.
Desk aligned.
Files ready.
Calendar locked.
Control-intact.
At least-
Visibly.
Because internally-
There was a delay now.
A fraction.
A second longer than usual before reacting.
Before responding.
Before deciding.
And that-
That wasn't normal.
Her screen blurred for half a second.
Not because she didn't understand the data.
But because something else-
Kept slipping in.
Saturday.
"That's the problem... I don't."
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Focus.
Work.
Numbers.
That's what mattered.
Not-
Him.
9:10 AM.
Conference Room.
The team was already seated.
Screens lit.
Presentations loaded.
Murmurs fading into attention.
Vihaan stood at the head of the table.
Composed.
Controlled.
Unchanged.
At least-
That's what it looked like.
"Let's start," he said.
Tone steady.
Professional.
Nothing out of place.
Anika stepped in.
Took her usual position.
Across the table.
Not beside.
Not close.
Distance-
Deliberate.
The meeting began.
Numbers.
Projections.
Timelines.
Everything-
Routine.
Until-
"Anika already reviewed this," Vihaan said, glancing at the screen.
A beat.
Then-
"She tends to overprepare."
Overprepare.
Of all things-
that's what he chose to call it.
A faint shift in the room.
Light.
Casual.
Almost dismissible.
Almost.
But her fingers paused.
Just once.
Because that line-
Wasn't just about work.
And he knew it.
He didn't look at her.
Didn't acknowledge it further.
Moved on.
Like it meant nothing.
Like he hadn't just-
Crossed into something else.
A senior analyst leaned forward.
"There's a slight inconsistency in the margin projection," he said, pointing at the screen.
"We might need to revisit this section."
A pause.
Subtle.
Professional.
But-
Questioning.
Before Anika could respond-
Vihaan did.
"No."
Flat.
Immediate.
The room stilled.
He didn't raise his voice.
Didn't elaborate.
Just-
Looked at the screen once.
Then-
"If Anika approved it, we're not revisiting it."
Silence.
Not uncomfortable.
Not confused.
Just-
Final.
The analyst leaned back.
"Understood."
The meeting moved on.
But something had shifted.
Not visibly.
But enough.
Because that-
Wasn't routine.
That was-
Trust.
Alignment.
And something else-
He wasn't saying out loud.
9:41 AM.
The meeting ended.
Chairs moved.
Files closed.
People stepped out.
Conversations resumed.
Until-
Only two remained.
Again.
But this time-
The silence felt different.
Less sharp.
More-
Aware.
Anika gathered her tablet.
Didn't rush.
Didn't linger.
Just-
Neutral.
Until-
"You're very convincing."
His voice.
Calm.
Behind her.
She didn't turn immediately.
"...About what?" she asked.
Controlled.
Measured.
He stepped closer.
Not too close.
Just enough.
"When you're pretending you don't care."
That-
Landed.
Direct.
Unfiltered.
And new.
She turned then.
Faced him.
Eyes steady.
"That's your assumption."
"No," he said.
Quiet.
Certain.
"It's observation."
A pause.
Then-
"You pause before you respond now."
Her breath caught-
Barely.
But enough.
"And you didn't use to."
Silence.
Because that-
Wasn't something she could dismiss easily.
"That's irrelevant to work," she said.
There.
The shield.
Placed.
Familiar.
He nodded once.
Like he expected that.
"Good thing I'm not talking about work."
And that-
That changed the tone completely.
A beat.
Then-
"If there's nothing else, I should-"
"Relax," he said.
A pause.
"If I was doing something... you wouldn't be this calm."
Her fingers tightened around the tablet.
Because that word-
Carried weight.
Intent.
Possibility.
And danger.
She held his gaze for a second longer.
Then-
Turned.
Walked out.
Again.
But this time-
Her steps weren't as steady.
1:18 PM.
Work Floor.
The office had thinned out.
Lunch hour.
Quieter.
Slower.
Anika sat at her desk.
Laptop open.
But untouched.
Because her mind-
Was replaying.
"You pause before you respond now."
A beat.
"Like you're filtering what you actually want to say."
Annoying.
Unnecessary.
Accurate.
She exhaled sharply.
Closed her eyes for a second.
Opened them-
And froze.
He was standing across the floor.
Not near her.
Not approaching.
Just-
Looking.
Like he had been there for a while.
And she hadn't noticed.
That-
That was new.
He didn't move.
Didn't call out.
Just held that gaze.
Steady.
Uninterrupted.
Then-
A slight tilt of his head.
Almost like-
He was waiting.
For what?
She didn't know.
Didn't want to.
So she did what she always did.
Broke it.
Looked away.
Returned to her screen.
Forced focus.
Control.
Routine.
But this time-
It didn't come back easily.
4:52 PM.
Cabin.
"Come in."
She stepped inside.
File in hand.
Professional.
Composed.
Back in place.
He stood near the window.
Not seated.
Not working.
Just-
There.
"Singapore update," she said, placing the file down.
Neutral.
Safe.
He nodded once.
Didn't move immediately.
Then-
Walked toward the desk.
Closer.
Again.
"Sit."
She didn't argue this time.
Sat.
Because resisting everything-
Was getting harder.
He opened the file.
Looked at it.
Actually looked this time.
"Good work."
Simple.
Direct.
No hidden meaning.
And that-
That threw her off more than anything else.
A pause.
Then-
"You didn't have to defend it in the meeting."
Her brows pulled slightly.
"I wasn't-"
"I was," he interrupted.
Calm.
Unapologetic.
Silence.
Because that-
Wasn't necessary.
Not strategically.
Not professionally.
Then why-
"I trust your judgment."
He Added
"Not just in work."
Like that explained it.
Like that was enough.
Maybe it was.
But something about the way he said it-
Made it feel like more.
A pause.
Then-
"You don't have to overthink everything."
There.
Again.
That word.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
"You think you know everything."
A beat too quick.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
A faint shift in his expression.
Not a smile.
Not exactly.
Something close.
"You do," he said quietly.
And this time-
It didn't sound like a critique.
It sounded like-
Recognition.
Understanding.
Dangerous.
She stood.
Too quickly.
Because staying-
Was becoming complicated.
"If there's nothing else-"
"Anika."
Her name.
Again.
She paused.
Didn't turn fully.
"...Yes?"
A beat.
Then-
"You keep walking away like that fixes it."
Silence.
"It doesn't."
Pause.
"You just take it with you."
Silence.
Sharp.
Immediate.
Because that-
That wasn't a suggestion.
That was-
Awareness.
She turned slowly.
Eyes locked on his.
"I don't." Her voice came out steadier than she felt.
Flat.
Controlled.
Final.
He held her gaze.
Longer than necessary.
Then-
"That's not what it looks like."
"You can pretend all you want," he said quietly.
"It doesn't change what I see."
A beat.
Then-
"And next time... don't lie about something I can see."
Write a comment ...