The next day, I woke up on time, ran the same schedule and dropped Sahil to school. He was in a perfectly cheerful mood.

I was back home in 10 minutes. Abhimanyu was up by then.

" Good morning. What do you want for breakfast?" I asked him.

" Good morning. Anything would do." He replied.

I walked into the kitchen and prepared poha. I was planning to pick Sahil up from school and take him to the firm today. He would finish his homework there.

" Abhimanyu, I'm taking Sahil to my office today." I told him.

" No." He shot back.

" But why?" I asked.

" Because maa and papa want Sahil to spend the rest of the day with them. They will drop him back tomorrow morning. It's public holiday anyway." He said, referring to badi maa and bade papa.

" Okay, I'll drop him at my place." I said.

" No, they are picking him up from school." He informed.

" They can't do that. We have the parent id card." I exclaimed.

He sighed.

" Fine, you drop him then. I'll inform them." He replied.

I nodded and served the breakfast.

" Will you take lunch with you?" I asked.

" No, I have a meeting. I'll eat something there." He told me.

I nodded and went to sort the kitchen out.

Abhimanyu was just out of shower with just a towel wrapped around his lower waist when I stepped into the room to get ready.

Shit!

" I am so sorry." I said, turning around and immediately got out of the room.

He had a perfectly chiseled chest and......Shut up Shivanya! What is wrong with you? Stop being horny! My mind shouted.

" What the fuck was I thinking?" I muttered to myself.

After 15 minutes, I walked back into the room. He was all dressed.

I took my towel and bathe gown and stepped inside the washroom.

I was done in 20 minutes. Abhimanyu was still here.

" Why haven't you left already?" I asked, stepping out.

" Because I was waiting for you. I'll drop you." He said.

" Cab....cab....cab." I sang like a child.

" There is strike today." He informed, leaving me embarrassed.

" I'll be ready in 10 minutes if you go out." I said.

He nodded, leaving the room.

I immediately wore my clothes, applied lip balm and mascara and wore my stilettos and got out.

" Let's go." I said, spotting him in the living room.

He nodded and we started. He took his Porsche. He has some crazy cars obsession.

" Thank you." I said, genuinely.

I nodded in acknowledgement and like a true gentleman, waited for me to get inside the office building where I met Vedansh.

" See, on time today." I said.

" Miracle." He taunted and I laughed. Then we went inside.

I had court today.

.

.

.

" Your honor, the plaintiff had signed the affidavit admitting that he knew the victim personally. Now he is denying it which means that he is now committing perjury and has also fabricated false evidence in light of the murder by presenting the cloth with had an animal's blood on it, which is clearly a criminal offense!" I put my point.

In one hour the hearing winded up and another date was given to us.

It was time to pick Sahil up and it was strike.

I had to walk down to Abhimanyu's office to get his car keys because he was busy with his meetings all day.

" Hey again. Can you tell Abhimanyu that Shivanya is here?" I asked the receptionist.

" Sure Mrs. Singhania. You can walk in and wait in his cabin. He is in the conference room currently." The receptionist informed me.

" How do you know I am Mrs. Singhania?" I asked her. I had introduced myself as Shivanya Sharma the other day.

" The whole office knows after you fainted." She replied and I was embarrassed.

" Well, which floor is he on?" I asked her. I couldn't wait for his conference to wind up or I would be late.

" 18th mam." She replied and I took the elevator to the floor.

I knocked at the door.

" In." I heard Abhimanyu's voice.

As I stepped in, he was perplexed.

" Shivanya? What are you doing here?" He asked.

" I actually want your car keys. It's strike and I have to pick Sahil up." I said.

" Oh yes." He said, took the keys out of his suit's pocket and handed them over to me.

I was about to leave when I saw his face. His face. And froze.

" Shivanya? Shivanya?" I heard Abhimanyu shaking me.

This can't be happening. I am not going to be subjected to that a*shole's torture ever but I did not want to face him right now.

She had a goddamn smirk on his face when he saw me.

" Shivanya?" I heard Abhimanyu again, who held me by my shoulder.

" I.....I can't......I ha....need to.....need to get out of here." I somehow said and started running away.

" Shivanya wait, you are shaking. You............" I heard Abhimanyu say something. I couldn't comprehend what it was.

He soon caught up with me as I was running down the stairs and caught me by my arm.

" Shivanya." He repeated my name again, shaking me hard.

" Abhimanyu please, let me go." I said.

" I am coming with you. Give me the keys." He said sternly. I was actually thankful to him. I wouldn't anyway drive like that.

He gently held my arm and we walked towards the elevator.

" What happened in back there?" He asked.

" Give me a minute." I said. He nodded and I sat in the car, as he opened the door.

As he started driving, I composed myself.

" That man in there, Mahesh Bhimani right?" I said, he nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line as if knowing what was coming next.

" He tou....touched me." I said, suddenly feeling very dirty.

I could see Abhimanyu's hands make a death grip on the steering wheel.

" Ten years back, I was fifteen. He was a family friend. My parents trusted him with me one day when there was an emergency and they had to go out of town. Bade papa and badi maa had to go too. Initially, everything was okay but before dinner he walked to me and grabbed me......an...." I just couldn't continue.

" I pushed him away and ran out of the house with my bag. I went over to Lavanya's house. Aunty was kind enough and forced me to stay with them. I never told anyone what happened that day because I was embarrassed and felt like being used." I told him everything. Abhimanyu was the first person to know this.

Shivanya, you will not cry.

YOU WILL NOT FREAKING CRY.

My brain chanted but my heart wanted to.

" I am going to kill him." Abhimanyu said, too calmly. The same calm before the storm.

I composed myself.

" You will do no such thing. I can fight my own battles. I don't need anyone." I told him sternly.

" Shivanya, we may not be in love but I will never tolerate disrespect to my wife." He said, raising his voice.

" You didn't even know me back then." I remarked.

He did not say a word.

" Abhimanyu, please listen to me. You will not spoil your business relations with him because of this. I don't know what had got into me that I reacted in that manner there." I said.

" You've got to be kidding me. I am going to rip that man to shreds and he will never step into my company. That son of a bitch is a child molester and I don't do business with the likes of him." He said, in an authority no one could defy. I had no idea he could be this controlling.

We were at Sahil's school on time. He was very happy to see his mumma and papa both who had come to pick him up. I made him sit on my lap and we drove to mumma's house to drop him.

Sitting in the conference hall and hearing about Bhimani's crappy deal, I had zoned out to today morning when Shivanya entered the room and saw me in a towel her expression was so comical. I had started to notice the differences between Aditi and Shivanya. Had Aditi been in Shivanya's place, she would have come over to me, smirking and Shivanya, she ran out of the room like she had seen a ghost. Aditi was the mature one in our relation and I had to be the mature one in the almost non existant relationship between me and Shivanya. She was not like other women who practically threw themselves at me. I scoffed at the thought.

I had started to begin accepting Shivanya as a friend because she was almost everywhere in the house. If not, the divine smell of coconut and orchids was. Aditi had wanted me to move on. She visited it in my dreams often, telling me how happy she was that I had married her cousin but also lectured me how I was supposed to be Shivanya's husband now, which irritated me to no end. Only Aditi had that place.

" Really Abhi?" The conscience smirked.

Before I could reply, there was a knock on the door.

" In." I said bored and in walked Shivanya asking for the car keys.

Then I saw her freezing.

I called her name out multiple times but she said that she need to go and started running. I went behind her.

In the car, she composed herself and told me how Bhimani had touched her ten years back. The thought of it made my blood boil and that was the first time I saw her vulnerable.

She was more concerned about me spoiling my business relations with him than her own conditions which irked me up a bit. Why does she always have to wear the tough facade everytime in front of everyone. Why doesn't she let her guard down ever?

That son of a bi*ch had to go down and I would make sure he does.

We picked Sahil up to drop him to Shivanya's parents house.

" Baby, be good for mumma and don't give a hard time to your naanis and nanajis." Shivanya addressed my four year old.

" Promise mumma. I love you." He said, kissing her on the cheek. Shivanya kissed his forehead and dropped her in. I waited in the car for her to come back.

" Let's go?" She asked. By now, she had successfully pulled up her I-am-the-toughest-person mask again. She had more baggage on her than she ever let anyone see.

" This is not the way to office." She remarked as I took the turn for home.

Did she really think that I'd let her go to work after all that?

" Because we are going home." I said.

" No! I have to meet a client in an hour." She resisted.

" Shivanya, please listen to me this once without a fight." I almost begged.

" Abhimanyu, this is really important." She sounded very stubborn.

" By what time will you be done?" I asked.

" I'll be home by 6." She replied.

" I'll pick you up. Strike remember?" I reminded her.

" Oh yeah....thanks." She said, smiling and it was addicting. I smiled a bit too.

I had dropped her to her firm and started for mine.

I got as much work done as I could by 6 and then went to pick her up. She was standing down, talking to the same man from morning.

I frowned.

She saw me, waved at him and walked towards my car.

" Thank you." She said, sitting in.

" Colleague?" I asked.

" Yes, but don't worry I am not sleeping with him." She said, taunting again to which I groaned.

" Old school." I muttered and started driving back home.

Aditi would always come with me. She worked with me so we used to ride together.

After four months, I felt a sense of being complete again.