Chapter 38: Chapter 37

It had been a week since Naina started working as James' assistant. A week filled with new routines and deliberate distractions. Her days revolved around managing James' demanding schedule, but more importantly, she focused on herself—on her babies, and her health. The doctor’s words echoed in her mind constantly: “You need to avoid stress and eat on time. Your health comes first now.” And that’s exactly what she was doing—avoiding stress at all costs, especially any thoughts of Rivaan.

James had tried to talk to her about Rivaan a couple of times. Each time, Naina would shut him down with a warning: “If you bring him up again, I’m leaving.” The threat was clear, and James, knowing Naina meant it, had learned to stay away from the subject.

Today was different, though. James had an important meeting scheduled, and the energy in the office was more intense than usual. Naina was focused, preparing everything meticulously to ensure the meeting ran smoothly. As they gathered in the meeting room, James gave her one last instruction.

“Naina, I need that file from my office,” he said, glancing at her briefly before looking back at the others.

She nodded and quickly made her way to his cabin. The brief moment of solitude gave her a chance to breathe, even if just for a few minutes. She grabbed the file, straightened her saree, and walked back to the meeting room. But as soon as she stepped inside, she froze.

Her eyes locked onto a familiar pair across the room. Rivaan.

Shock and anger surged through her. She hadn’t expected to see him here—hadn’t prepared for the possibility of facing him again so soon. And yet, there he was, sitting at the meeting table, looking at her with a whirlwind of emotions she couldn’t quite decipher. His face betrayed a mix of surprise, regret, and something else… something deeper that made her heart race despite her attempts to control it.

She quickly tore her gaze away from him and handed the file to James, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. But all the while, she could feel Rivaan’s eyes on her. His gaze burned into her back, a constant reminder of the unresolved past she was desperately trying to forget. Every nerve in her body felt tense, but she refused to acknowledge him. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his presence rattled her.

The meeting dragged on longer than she had hoped, each minute feeling like an eternity as she sat silently at the table, pretending Rivaan wasn’t there. But his presence was overwhelming, and she could feel the weight of his stare, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

Finally, the meeting ended. People began to leave the room, chatting amongst themselves, unaware of the turmoil brewing within Naina. She gathered her things quickly, eager to escape before Rivaan could say or do anything to stop her.

But fate wasn’t on her side.

Just as she was about to step out of the room, a soft voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Naina.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists at her sides. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. She had heard that voice a hundred times before—both in reality and in the painful memories she had tried so hard to suppress.

She paused for a moment, torn between the desire to run and the need to stand her ground. After a brief hesitation, she turned around slowly, her eyes meeting Rivaan’s once again. His expression was unreadable, but there was a vulnerability in his gaze that she hadn’t seen before.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice cold and detached.

Rivaan took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. “I didn’t know you were working for James,” he said quietly, as if that was some kind of explanation.

Naina crossed her arms defensively, her posture rigid. “It’s none of your business where I work.”

“I know,” Rivaan admitted, his voice softer now. “But I… I need to talk to you.”

“There’s nothing left to talk about,” she replied sharply, her eyes flashing with anger. “You didn’t listen to me when I wanted to talk to you. Why should I listen to you now?”

Rivaan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked like he was struggling to find the right words. “Naina, I—”

“Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain calm. “Just don’t. I’ve moved on, and I suggest you do the same.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t stop until she reached the elevator, and as the doors closed behind her, she allowed herself a brief moment to breathe.

But even as she rode down to the lobby, the weight of Rivaan’s presence lingered. She had thought she could put him behind her, that she could forget the pain and the memories. But now, seeing him again, she realized that the past wasn’t as easily buried as she had hoped.

And deep down, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, a part of her knew that Rivaan’s sudden reappearance wasn’t just a coincidence.