Chapter 1

Missed me? Here's a gift for you. There's another one waiting. You'll love it more. I'll pick you up at 7. Don't make me wait :) 

-D.K. 

With a line of sweat covering her forehead, Shanaya read the note over and over again. After staring at it in disbelief for a while—half hoping it would catch fire from her burning gaze—she let it slip through her fingers to the white desk. Her eyes darted to the bouquet of yellow tulips that came along with the note and a shiver ran through her body as she thought of the man who had sent it.

D.K. Dhruv Kapoor.

The man Shanaya had once loved with all of her heart. The man she thought she’d marry. Only for him to abandon her and move to a different country.

But he was back now—at least that’s what the note meant. What was she going to do?

She grabbed the note again and this time read it in his voice. It was odd how she still remembered what his voice sounded like—chaotic with a hint of mischief to it. She almost tried to picture him in her mind, but the attempt failed as her stomach lurched simultaneously. 

 ‘No’, she told herself, shaking her head abruptly at the bright blooms covering a large part of the desk. She rubbed her clammy hands over the fabric of her dress. ‘He only wants to talk’, she tried to assure herself. 

After all, what could he want from her eight years after they had separated? 

 A sharp knock on the door startled her. Shanaya immediately wiped her forehead and said, "Come in." But her voice was so soft she barely heard it herself. She straightened her drooping posture on the office chair, one of her hands pressing her stomach in the hope that it would ease the sickness there. 

"Come in," she said again, her voice sharper and distinct. 

The familiar face of Shaheer greeted her with the same lopsided smile he always wore. Her assistant appeared as enthusiastic as he did when he first entered her office that morning wearing a dark shirt, and two coffee cups in hand. If he felt any bit exhausted, he hid it well. Not a single hair on his head was out of place. 

"Ms. Arora, your coffee," He said and diligently placed one cup on the desk. Before Shanaya could utter thanks, his gaze fell on the bouquet. She saw something flicker in his eyes, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. 

"Those are beautiful," Shaheer claimed, his grin widening but dared not ask who gave them. "Do you want me to put them in a vase?" 

"No," Shanaya replied in an instant. With his eyes still on her, she stood up and walked around the table gracefully. Grabbing the bouquet in her fist, she tossed it lazily into the bin. "I hate tulips. Especially these yellow ones," she added, her voice firm. 

The young man gaping at her pressed his lips together as soon as their gazes met again. "Noted," he told her, "Will you be leaving early today?" 

 Shanaya raised an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think so?" 

 "I... I just wanted to know." His hand reached up to his throat to shift the tie. "It's Sunday tomorrow." 

 "I know what day it is, Shaheer." 

 "Yes, ma'am," he said, wetting his lips. His gaze flickered for a second to the bin, too small to hold the enormous bouquet. 

She didn't wish to be hard on him. The guy was sweet and hardworking. He often attempted to befriend her with his light-hearted jokes as he had done with the rest of the office, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Being easy with him wasn't an option, specifically when she was told to get him disciplined by his father.

"Has your car been fixed yet, Shan—Ms Arora?" 

She released a breath and resumed her seat. "Not yet. You'll need to drop me off today as well. I'll be leaving at seven. Will you be around?" 

His eyebrows rose in hesitation. Then he shook his head gently. "Definitely. I have some meeting files to sort. Then we can leave." 

"I'm not going to my apartment. It's the weekend-" 

"-you spend it with your family at the Arora mansion, yes. Don't worry. I'll be back at six-fifty sharp." 

"Good," she said and dismissed him. 

A nagging voice in her mind told her it was unfair. Being her assistant Shaheer had to stay behind along with her until it was time to leave. Especially on that day when all the employees couldn't stop talking about was how the good-looking pair had finally hooked up. Shaheer and Aliyah. The hesitation was because of having to cancel an evening date, Shanaya assumed. 

The time oddly moved faster and soon it was six-thirty in the evening. All the while, Shanaya struggled to keep her attention at work. Her eyes kept moving back to the bin, unable to conceal the tulips from her sight. 

She gave into the urge and picked up the bouquet from the bin, grabbing it harshly at first but then she loosened her grip. Her fingers grazed the petals, soft at the touch and beautiful to behold. She held her breath.  

Shanaya needn't guess the sender twice. Only Dhruv had known of her obsession with yellow tulips. There was a time when they were her favorite but now she couldn't tell why. Almost every other flower was better looking and more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. And yet once she loved them. Eight years ago.

And he remembered. 

She shook her head, feeling a strange ache in her heart. This time she dumped the bouquet harshly into the trash bin. With long strides, she reached the note on her desk and tore it to pieces, crumbling them between her fingers before they finally ended up in the bin as well. 

That was when she made her decision.

The knock came again and Shaheer entered, ready to leave. She didn't wait for him to speak. 

"You're early but, you may leave. Alone. I have some work to finish here." Shanaya picked a random folder from her desk and waved it. 

"Well, how will you be going home, Ms Arora? Surely you're not thinking of getting a cab?" He added a nervous little cackle, raising his brows in confusion. 

‘Why, can't I?’ she wanted to say but instead spared the guy with a lie. "Neil will be here to get me." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Why, of course." 

"Alright, then. See you on Monday, I guess. Have a great weekend," he stated with a frown and turned to leave. 

"Shaheer?" She interrupted him. 

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Sorry for ruining your date." 

His face turned pink and he stammered, "H-How did you find out?" 

I only guessed. "It may seem like I'm not listening but my ears hear everything. Everyone is talking about you and Aliyah." 

"Oh," he murmured. His cheeks turned redder still and Shanaya wanted to smile but held back. "Er-I'll see if I-I can still fix it. Thank you, I guess." He turned and left with another glance at her. 

Time stretched endlessly between six-thirty and seven. The sun hid and the city of Mumbai came alive with artificial lights. The buzzing of vehicles bothered Shanaya but they also served as a distraction from her pounding heart. 

Locking her office, she dropped the keys at the reception before walking out of the almost empty building. Her heels clicked against the marble floor and the sound soothed her nerves somehow. 

Only after she was out in the open, the headlights of cars flashing at her occasionally as they sped past did she realise the folly she had done. It was madness. She couldn't meet him. She wasn't ready. She realized she could never be. 

Dhruv Kapoor had walked out of her life eight years ago and since then not even a word had returned from him until that day. She assumed she had forgotten what he looked like, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw him with his reading glasses immersed in a book, laughing at a period joke by Kabir. Shanaya believed and hoped they would never see each other again but as every other car slowed on the road in front, she gulped, thinking of him. 

What does he even want? She asked herself. 

Before any answer came to her, a black Range Rover stopped right where she stood. But she stayed firm on her feet. 

The windows were tinted to an extent that she couldn't see through, not even the slightest bit. But when the window finally rolled down, all air left her lungs. 

Holy shit.