88. Adanya

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj 🙇🏻‍♀️

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

Ananya sat in her office, a rare, genuine smile gracing her lips as she worked.

The news about Amrita had filled her with warmth, and for once, everything felt a little lighter.

She flipped through the pages of the thick book in front of her, humming softly to herself.

Then, without warning, the door swung open.

Her smile vanished as she frowned, irritation flashing in her eyes.

Who dared to enter without knocking?

She looked up, ready to scold—only to pause when she saw him.

Aditya.

She exhaled sharply, closing the big book with a soft thud. “Why are you here, Adi?” she asked, her voice carrying the faintest hint of exasperation.

The moment the name left her lips, something changed.

Aditya's usual unreadable expression softened, and then, just like that, his lips curled into a breathtakingly bright smile.

The kind that sent a strange flutter through her chest, making her stomach twist in ways she didn't understand.

Butterflies.

She quickly looked away, pretending to adjust the book on her desk.

Meanwhile, Aditya casually leaned against the doorframe, his eyes fixed on her with that signature amusement.

“I missed my Kitten,” he said, his voice laced with teasing, yet there was something deeper beneath it.

Ananya’s fingers clenched around the book. “D-Don’t call me that,” she muttered, still refusing to meet his gaze.

He took a few steps closer, his smirk growing. “Why not? You’re my Kitten.”

Her breath hitched. Every time he called her that, it did something to her.

And that damn smile of his—like he knew exactly what effect he had on her—only made it worse.

Huffing, she crossed her arms. “I’m busy, Adi. If you have nothing important to say—”

“I do,” he interrupted smoothly, placing his hands on her desk and leaning in slightly.

His presence was overwhelming, and the way his intense gaze held hers made her pulse quicken.

She gulped. “W-What?”

Aditya tilted his head, studying her with the kind of focus that made her feel like she was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

Then, with a soft smirk, he said, “Let’s go out.”

Ananya blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"

Aditya leaned in a little closer, that infuriating smirk never leaving his face. "Let’s go out for ice cream."

She stared at him as if he had just suggested robbing a bank. "Ice cream?" she repeated, her voice slightly higher than usual.

He nodded, completely unfazed. "Yeah, Kitten. Ice cream."

Ananya shook her head, crossing her arms as if to create some kind of barrier between them. "Why would we do that?"

Aditya’s smirk grew, his gaze never wavering. "Because you love ice cream."

Her lips parted slightly in surprise, but before she could deny it, he continued. "You used to talk about it all the time. How you’d have it every day as a kid. How it made you happy, how you tried every single flavor from that shop near your school."

His voice softened just a little. "And then you stopped. You told me once—when you grew up, you just... let it go."

Ananya felt her face heat up.

She had told him that? When?

She shifted in her seat, suddenly flustered under his unwavering gaze. "That—That doesn’t mean I want to go eat ice cream with you," she muttered, looking away.

Aditya chuckled, tapping a finger on her desk. "No, it means you should. And I’m taking you."

She let out a small huff, refusing to meet his eyes. "I’m busy."

"Kitten."

She stiffened. That damn name again. And worse, that stupid, stupid smile of his that made her heart race.

"You work too much," he said casually, straightening up. "And if you won’t go willingly, I’ll just have to drag you there myself."

Her head snapped up. "You wouldn’t dare—!"

But the look in his eyes told her he absolutely would.

Ananya swallowed hard as she stared at Aditya, who was now leaning against her desk with an easy smirk playing on his lips.

The audacity of this man.

"Adi, I told you, I'm busy," she insisted, gripping the edges of her book as if it could shield her from his overwhelming presence.

His smirk only widened. "And I told you, Kitten, you work too much."

Her breath hitched. The way he said that nickname—so effortlessly, so naturally—made her stomach flutter in a way she absolutely did not approve of.

"I have things to do," she tried again, tilting her chin up stubbornly.

Aditya, however, was unmoved. "So do I. And yet, here I am."

She exhaled sharply. "That’s not my problem."

"You're right. Because you are my problem."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

He chuckled, low and deep, and leaned in just a little closer, enough that she caught the faintest whiff of his cologne. "You heard me, Kitten. If you don’t take care of yourself, who’s going to make sure you do?"

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Seeing her flustered, Aditya pushed a little more. "Look, I’m not asking you to run away from your responsibilities forever. Just for an hour. One tiny hour. We’ll get ice cream, I’ll annoy you a little, and then I’ll drop you back here so you can go back to your boring files. Deal?"

Ananya narrowed her eyes. "First of all, my files are not boring."

"They absolutely are."

"Second," she ignored his comment, "why are you so determined to take me out for ice cream?"

Aditya tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting from teasing to something more serious. "Because I remember the way your eyes lit up when you talked about it."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"You stopped doing something you loved just because you ‘grew up.’ But why does growing up have to mean letting go of little things that make you happy?" He shrugged. "I don’t like that."

She stared at him, completely at a loss for words.

When had he started noticing her so much?

When had he started caring enough to remember the smallest details?

A part of her wanted to argue, wanted to push him away like she always did, but another part—one that she tried so hard to ignore—wanted to say yes.

He noticed her hesitation and immediately seized the opportunity. "Come on, Kitten. One hour."

She bit her lip. "If I say yes, will you stop calling me Kitten?"

His grin was almost wolfish. "Not a chance."

She groaned, looking away. "Fine," she muttered.

"What was that?"

She shot him a glare. "I said fine, Adi."

And just like that, his smile turned radiant, so pure and genuine that it made her insides melt.

"Good girl."

Her face burned. "Shut up and get out so I can grab my bag."

Aditya chuckled, but he did as she asked, stepping out of her office with a victorious look on his face.

Ananya sighed, placing a hand over her chest, trying to calm the ridiculous beating of her heart.

What had she just gotten herself into?

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

Ananya sat stiffly in the passenger seat as Aditya drove through the city streets, the warm noon air filtering in through the windows.

She had no idea why she was feeling so… nervous. It was just ice cream. Just a casual outing. Nothing more.

Right?

She stole a glance at Aditya, who was effortlessly driving with one hand on the wheel, his other resting on the gear shift.

His profile was sharp under the golden sun, his usual smirk replaced by a content expression.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.

“You’ll see,” he replied smoothly, offering her a quick glance before returning his focus to the road.

After a few more turns, he finally pulled into a small, charming ice cream parlor by the lake.

The place looked old-fashioned, with pastel-colored walls, fairy lights hanging outside, and a little wooden bench under a tree.

Ananya blinked. "This place is…"

"Beautiful?" Aditya finished, glancing at her with a knowing smirk.

She huffed, crossing her arms. "I was going to say ‘nice.’"

"Sure, Kitten."

She rolled her eyes but stepped out of the car, letting him lead her inside.

The parlor had a warm, cozy feel to it, with the smell of freshly made waffles filling the air.

A few children were sitting at the tables with their parents, happily digging into their colorful ice creams.

Aditya walked straight to the counter and gestured for her to come closer. "Pick anything you want."

Ananya hesitated. She hadn’t had ice cream in years.

She used to love it—chocolate fudge, to be specific—but somewhere along the way, she had stopped indulging in little joys like this.

She bit her lip, scanning the menu.

Aditya noticed her hesitation. "Still overthinking everything, aren’t you?"

She shot him a look. "Shut up, I’m deciding."

He chuckled. "Fine, but if you take too long, I’ll order for you."

She scoffed but quickly made her choice. "Chocolate fudge sundae."

Aditya grinned. "Classic choice. I’ll get the same."

They took their ice creams and stepped outside, sitting on the wooden bench under the fairy lights.

The evening was calm, with a soft breeze rolling in from the lake.

For a while, they ate in comfortable silence.

Then, Aditya spoke. "So, Kitten… how does it feel?"

She glanced at him, confused. "How does what feel?"

"Eating ice cream again. Letting yourself enjoy something silly and simple."

Ananya paused. She hadn’t even realized it, but there was a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her—a sort of nostalgia mixed with happiness.

"It feels… nice," she admitted, her voice softer than usual.

Aditya hummed in approval. "Good. You deserve to have nice things."

Ananya’s fingers tightened around her spoon.

Why was he like this?

Why did he say things that made her heart race?

She looked down at her ice cream, stirring it absentmindedly. "You’re annoying, you know that?"

He smirked. "And yet, here you are, eating ice cream with me."

She glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it. "Don’t get used to it."

"Too late."

They continued eating, the silence between them feeling oddly intimate.

And then, it hit her.

The small, charming ice cream parlor. The cozy wooden bench under the fairy lights. The way Aditya had gone out of his way to bring her here, to remind her of something she loved. The way he watched her, making sure she was enjoying herself.

This wasn’t just an outing.

This was a date.

Her spoon clattered against the cup as she stiffened.

Aditya raised a brow. "You okay, Kitten?"

Ananya felt her face heat up.

Oh God. It really was a date!

She had been on a date with Aditya this entire time. And she hadn’t even realized it!

Her hands fumbled as she tried to act normal. "Y-Yeah. I’m fine."

Aditya gave her a look, clearly not buying it. "You sure? Your ears are turning red."

Her eyes widened. She quickly grabbed her ice cream cup and stuffed a spoonful in her mouth, hoping he wouldn’t notice how flustered she was.

Aditya, of course, noticed everything. And he found it absolutely adorable.

He leaned in slightly, his voice teasing. "Kitten… did you just realize this was a date?"

Ananya nearly choked. She coughed, glaring at him through watery eyes. "Shut up, Adi."

And there it was again—his bright, breathtaking smile. The kind that made her stomach flip.

He laughed, shaking his head. "You’re too cute for your own good."

Ananya turned away, staring at the lake, trying to get her racing heart under control.

A date. She was on a date with Aditya.

And she liked it.

Ananya finished her ice cream as fast as she could, trying to ignore the way Aditya was smirking at her.

He was clearly enjoying how flustered she was, and she hated that she had given him the satisfaction of seeing her like this.

"Slow down, Kitten," he teased, watching as she shoved another spoonful into her mouth. "The ice cream isn't running away."

She shot him a glare, cheeks still pink. "I know that."

Aditya chuckled, leaning back against the bench, his arm casually resting behind her. "You do? Because the way you’re eating right now makes me think otherwise."

She huffed, ignoring him. But the way his voice dropped lower, more amused, sent a shiver down her spine.

"You’re really that nervous about being on a date with me?"

Ananya nearly dropped her cup. She turned to face him, her expression both flustered and defensive. "I never said it was a date!"

Aditya tilted his head, pretending to think. "Hmm, let’s see… I took you out, bought you your favorite thing, watched you enjoy it, and now we’re sitting under the beautiful sunnby the lake. Feels like a date to me."

She opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Because he was right.

And he knew it.

Aditya smirked, looking far too satisfied. "You’re cute when you’re speechless, Kitten."

Ananya groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I hate you."

"Mm-hmm," he hummed, taking another bite of his ice cream. "And still, here we are."

She peeked at him through her fingers, watching as he ate with a relaxed expression, completely at ease.

It wasn’t fair. He was supposed to be as flustered as her!

Determined to gain some control of the situation, she straightened and crossed her arms. "Okay, fine. If this was a date, then what about you? Do you go around taking girls on dates like this?"

Aditya paused, then turned to look at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "No," he said simply. "Just you."

Ananya’s heart skipped a beat.

Just you.

She stared at him, her mind struggling to process those two words.

They were simple, but the way he said them—calmly, without hesitation—made her stomach flip.

"You…" She swallowed, her voice suddenly small. "You don’t—"

"Don’t what?" he asked, his gaze locked onto hers.

She didn’t know how to answer. So instead, she looked away, her fingers gripping her empty cup tightly.

Aditya sighed and leaned closer, his voice softer this time. "You really think I’d waste my time doing this for just anyone?"

Her heart pounded.

No. She knew he wouldn’t.

She felt his fingers brush against hers, making her breath hitch. His touch was light, teasing, but it sent warmth rushing through her.

"You think too much, Kitten," he murmured.

Ananya clenched her jaw, refusing to let him get the upper hand. So, she took a deep breath, turned to him, and—

—Flicked ice cream at his face.

Aditya froze.

For a second, there was complete silence as the cold chocolate smeared across his cheek.

Ananya stared, her mouth parting slightly. She hadn’t actually expected to hit him.

Then, his lips curved into a slow, dangerous smirk.

"Oh, you’re in trouble now."

Her eyes widened. "Adi—"

Before she could react, he swiped his spoon into his cup and flicked it back at her. The ice cream landed on her nose, making her gasp.

"You—!"

"Payback, Kitten." He grinned.

Ananya scowled and grabbed another spoonful. "You’re dead."

And just like that, an ice cream war broke out.

They laughed, dodged, and attacked, completely unaware of the people around them watching with amusement.

Aditya’s usual cold and composed demeanor was gone—he was carefree, playful, his laughter filling the air.

And Ananya, despite herself, was grinning ear to ear, enjoying every second of it.

By the time they finally stopped, they were both a mess.

Aditya wiped some ice cream from his sleeve, shaking his head. "You’re impossible."

Ananya smirked, wiping her own face with a napkin. "You started it."

"Liar," he muttered, but there was no real annoyance in his tone—only fondness.

They sat there for a moment, catching their breath, the tension from earlier now replaced with something softer.

Something that made Ananya’s chest feel warm.

Aditya looked at her, his eyes flickering to her lips again.

She noticed.

Her breath hitched.

The world around them felt quiet, like they were the only two people here.

And then—

Ananya abruptly stood up, breaking the moment.

Aditya raised an eyebrow. "Running away, Kitten?"

She cleared her throat, refusing to meet his gaze. "We… we need to get back. To my office."

Aditya groaned dramatically. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But next time, I’m picking the place again."

Ananya rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She turned to walk toward the car, but then she heard him mutter, just loud enough for her to catch—

"Can’t believe I took her on a date, and she still wants to work."

Her cheeks burned.

And yet, despite everything… she couldn’t stop smiling.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

Ananya sighed in relief as they finally reached her office. She walked in, tossing her bag onto the desk, and turned back, expecting Aditya to leave.

But instead of walking out, he made himself comfortable on the couch in the corner of her cabin, stretching his long legs out like he owned the place.

Her brows furrowed. "Adi, what are you doing?"

He tilted his head back against the cushion, smirking. "Sitting."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "I can see that. But why are you still here?"

He shrugged. "I don’t have any work right now, so I figured I’d stay here."

Ananya blinked at him, baffled. "You figured you’d—Adi, this is my office."

"And?" He raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "I like it here."

She stared at him, trying to find a logical argument to throw back at him, but nothing came.

She knew him well enough to realize that if he had decided to stay, he wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

She exhaled sharply and turned toward her desk, muttering under her breath. "Unbelievable."

Aditya chuckled, watching her as she settled into her chair, flipping open the big book she had been working on earlier.

She tried her best to focus, but she could feel his gaze on her.

It was distracting.

And infuriating.

Finally, she slammed her pencil down and looked at him. "What?"

His lips curled into a lazy smirk. "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then stop staring at me."

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "Can’t help it, Kitten. You look cute when you’re all serious and annoyed."

Her stomach flipped.

She quickly turned away, pretending to be busy flipping through papers. "Flattery won’t work on me."

"Flattery?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "I don’t do flattery. I just state facts."

Ananya rolled her eyes but didn’t reply.

A few minutes passed in silence, or at least, she tried to work in silence while Aditya remained comfortably sprawled on her couch.

Every once in a while, she could hear the faint sound of him tapping his fingers against the armrest or shifting slightly.

It was driving her insane.

She turned to glare at him again. "Aren’t you bored?"

"Not at all." He smirked. "I have the best view right here."

Her jaw clenched. "Do you ever stop flirting?"

"With you? Never."

Her heart did a weird little flip, and she hated it.

She huffed, determined to ignore him. She went back to her work, this time trying her best to tune him out. But then—

She heard soft, steady breathing.

Confused, she glanced toward the couch.

Aditya had actually closed his eyes, his head tilted slightly to the side, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

He had fallen asleep.

Ananya’s lips parted in disbelief.

She stared at him for a moment, taking in the rare sight of a peaceful, completely relaxed Aditya.

He looked… softer like this. Like he wasn’t the intimidating, calculating man everyone saw him as.

Her eyes drifted to the slight crease between his brows, and she wondered just how exhausted he must be.

He worked harder than anyone she knew—maybe even harder than her.

She sighed, shaking her head.

And before she could stop herself, she stood up, walked over to the couch, and pulled the spare blanket from her cabinet.

With careful movements, she draped it over him.

Just as she was about to step back, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

Her breath hitched.

She looked down to see Aditya’s fingers curled around her wrist, his grip firm but gentle.

His eyes were still closed, but a small, knowing smirk tugged at his lips.

"You care about me, huh, Kitten?"

Ananya stiffened. "I—"

Aditya opened his eyes, meeting hers with an amused yet lazy gaze.

She yanked her hand away, her face heating up. "Shut up and sleep."

He chuckled, his voice low and husky. "Yes, ma’am."

Ananya turned on her heel and hurried back to her desk, determined to ignore the warmth spreading through her chest.

But the entire time, she could still feel his eyes on her.

Ananya sighed, shaking off the distraction Aditya had become, and returned to her desk.

The large, mysterious book she had been working on earlier sat open before her, filled with pages upon pages.

She picked up her pencils, her brows furrowing as she concentrated.

Minutes passed, then hours.

She was completely immersed, flipping through pages, adjusting figures. Her focus was razor-sharp, her mind weaving through something seamlessly.

Aditya, now comfortably settled on the couch, watched in silence. His usual teasing smirk was gone, replaced by something softer, something more intrigued.

She was beautiful like this.

Not just because of the way she looked, but because of the way she was. So driven. So passionate.

So lost in her own world, completely unaware of the way time slipped away.

Then, after what felt like forever, she finally paused.

A small, satisfied smile played on her lips as she shut the book.

She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms before reaching for another book—this one thinner, filled with pages of sketches.

As soon as she opened it, her expression changed.

Her eyes shone with something new, something even deeper than before.

Her fingers gently brushed over the pages as she examined the designs—each one meticulously detailed, every stroke of the pencil carefully placed.

She was lost again, but this time, in a world of fabric, patterns, and colors.

Aditya couldn’t help but stare.

She didn’t even realize he was watching her.

Didn’t realize how breathtaking she looked when she was so utterly absorbed in what she loved.

And for the first time in a long time, he found himself not wanting to disturb her.

Just watching her was enough.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

In a room full of people, she was the only one he saw.✨💓