Sanju was seated on the couch, eagerly waiting for Aryan to return from office. It had been a while since he rejoined, and she was curious about how the product launch preparations were going and more importantly, how he had managed being away from her after spending every moment together for the past one and a half months.
Just then, the front door opened and Aryan walked in with Ranjith, both laughing heartily over something Ranjith had said.
Sanju raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What is that you are discussing about that made your boss laugh so much?”
Ranjith smirked. “All about your best friend Sanju.”
Sanju blinked. “Who is that? Pavi or Keerthy?”
“Keerthy.”
“What did she do?” Sanju asked, now even more curious.
Ranjith leaned against the wall, clearly enjoying the teasing. “Madam is all different now, a lot of changes.”
“Be clear, bro,” she insisted.
“Madam is always blushing these days. She’s high in love.”
Sanju’s eyes widened. “What? Who is that lucky guy?”
“Our own Pradeep,” Ranjith replied with a grin.
“Oh my god…” Sanju whispered, her face a mix of shock and amusement.
Aryan, noticing her reaction, stepped in gently. “Sanju, don’t worry. He’s not the same bad guy anymore. You can trust him. They’ll make a good pair.”
“But… she didn’t tell me anything,” Sanju said, a little hurt.
“Let’s not push things between them,” Aryan said. “Let it be spontaneous. We’ll wait for them to come to us on their own.”
Ranjith nodded, then said, “Sir, I’ll take leave.”
Once Ranjith left, Aryan scooped Sanju up into his arms and carried her to their room. He sat down on the couch with her comfortably curled in his lap.
“Tell me, how was your day? Did you miss me?” he asked softly.
Sanju smiled. “A little bored… and missed you a little.”
“Just little?” he teased. “But I missed you a lot.” He leaned in and kissed her earlobe tenderly.
Sanju laughed lightly. “How are the works progressing?”
Aryan pulled back slightly. “All fine, but I remember my wifey saying no business talks in our room.”
“That’s when I was also in office,” she countered. “But now I’m at home, so I need to know. No problem discussing for a short while.”
“Ohh,” Aryan said with a smirk. “Then know that all the businesses are running smooth, even though I wasn’t physically present at the office. The launch will also be successful. Everything is going fine… so I can stay at home with my wife.”
“No,” she said quickly. “Keep going to office.”
“Fine,” he chuckled. “Tell me, how is our baby? Did you eat well or did you and our baby starve?”
“I ate well and slept well,” she assured him. “I feel better from nausea too.”
“That’s good,” he said with a smile. “Now I need to kiss my baby.”
He gently carried her to the bed, laid her down, and removed her top to expose her soft abdomen. Bending down, he placed a gentle kiss there.
“Hi baby,” he whispered sweetly. “Sorry, Daddy left to office. Did you miss Daddy like Mommy? Daddy loves you. Be good and don’t trouble Mommy, okay?”
He kissed her belly again, then moved up to peck her lips.
The next morning, Aryan was ready for office and sat at the dining table with Sanju, having breakfast. Kowsalya served them with her usual motherly care.
“Sir,” she said softly. “I need to share something important with you.”
“Go ahead, please,” Aryan said, setting his cup down.
“Sanju is in her fifth month, so we need to arrange a ritual for her.”
“Oh… I didn’t know about it,” Aryan said, slightly surprised. “So you tell me what and when it should be done. We shall do everything for her.”
“Actually, the fifth-month ritual is traditionally done from the girl’s mom’s side. So, if you don’t mind, shall I do that for her?” Kowsalya asked gently.
Sanju’s eyes welled up with tears at the offer.
Aryan smiled warmly. “You take care of Sanju as your own daughter. So she is your daughter, and you don’t need my permission. Just tell me what I should do.”
Sanju stood up and hugged Kowsalya tightly, her emotions overflowing. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Sanju,” Kowsalya said, gently patting her back. “Why do you thank me? Relax.”
Aryan added, “Actually, we don’t have someone to teach or guide us about doing any rituals. So we shall do anything you say.”
“Let me look for an auspicious date and carry out the ritual,” Kowsalya said with a smile.
“Bala will help you. If there’s something I need to do personally, please let me know,” Aryan offered sincerely.
“No, there’s nothing you should worry about,” she replied. “I will take care of everything. And if I need help, I’ll ask Bala.”
They eventually decided to have the ritual a day after the product launch.
Aryan kissed Sanju’s forehead, then left for office after bidding her goodbye.
Three days later, Pradeep was buried in work inside his cabin, concentrating on some last-minute tweaks for the product launch. A gentle knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, and his breath caught for a second.
It was Keerthy.
She stepped in holding a file, her presence sending an inexplicable wave of energy through him. Lately, she had been glowing in his eyes, and his admiration for her had become harder and harder to hide. Those frequent glances they exchanged in the corridors, the subtle smiles—it wasn’t lost on either of them.
Keerthy felt a chill run down her spine as she sat opposite him. Pradeep was still lost in her presence. She cleared her throat to bring him back.
“Yes, Keerthy?” he asked, blinking and trying to compose himself.
“I got the file…” she began but was cut off by a knock at the door. Both of them sighed slightly, a bit irritated by the interruption.
“Come in,” Pradeep called.
Asha walked in, wearing her usual bright smile. She handed over some documents from Maya that required Pradeep’s review, then stepped closer with another file needing his signature. All the while, she made a visible effort to flirt, which didn’t sit well with Keerthy. Her face twisted in annoyance, her eyes shooting daggers at Asha.
Pradeep, noticing the change in Keerthy’s expression, smirked slightly and decided to play along.
“Asha, looks like you are busy these days,” he said.
“Aww, no sir. I’m free most of the time. You can call me anytime for help,” she replied sweetly.
“Ohh, that’s sweet of you.”
“You look handsome as always in this suit too,” Asha added, trying to sound coy.
“Thank you, Asha. You too look beautiful.”
Keerthy’s expression was now on the verge of a full-blown eruption. Sensing the danger, Pradeep quickly took the signed documents from Asha and dismissed her with a polite nod. Once she left, he turned to Keerthy, who was studiously avoiding eye contact.
“Keerthy…” he said gently.
“Sir, please check this file and mail me for any changes,” she snapped, standing up to leave.
Before she could walk away, Pradeep reached out and caught her wrist. She turned around, clearly angry, and tried to pull away.
“Keerthy, sorry.”
“Why do you say sorry to me? Please wait, let me send Asha to hear your flirtings for her,” she shot back, voice trembling with frustration.
“Keerthy, I was just playing. I’m so sorry.”
“Playing? And why should you play with me?”
“Just to see you getting possessive,” he said with a grin.
“Hell. I’m not possessive.”
“If you’re not possessive, why are you so annoyed?”
“I’m not annoyed.”
“Really?” he asked, stepping closer. The closeness made her catch her breath.
“Keerthy,” he said softly, eyes searching hers. “I know you feel the same for me as I do for you. I don’t want to play this hide and seek anymore. You know everything about me—from the past till now. I’m not the same Pradeep from back then, and I hope you know that and believe it. If you believe me… close your eyes for me, please.”
“I believe you,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
“Open your eyes now,” he said.
As she opened her eyes, she gasped. Pradeep was on one knee, holding a small velvet box open to reveal a delicate ring.
“Keerthy, I wanted to tell you this for a long time. I wasn’t sure about my feelings then… but now, I know. My heart has fallen for you. And you will be the only woman to ever rule it. I love you, Keerthy. Will you be mine forever?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as her lips curved into a smile. She nodded.
“I too love you, Pradeep.”
He gently slid the ring onto her finger and kissed it. Rising to his feet, he pulled her into a tight embrace. They stayed in that moment for a while until Keerthy pushed him away playfully.
“Idiot. Is this how you propose me? At office? In your cabin?”
“Keerthy, you know I don’t have a great past. What if you had felt awkward or doubted me if I called you for a fancy dinner? Now that you’ve accepted me, I can take my girl out on a special dinner tonight. Isn’t it? I’ll propose again if you want.”
“First proposal is already done. I’m happy you did it like this. Let’s just go to dinner. I need to tell Pavi. She’s going to tease me so badly.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you something to tease her back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ask her who her secret boyfriend is. The one she’s been talking to on phone for hours. She’s your senior, right?”
“Oh my god. Is it true?”
“Yeah. Don’t ask me who it is now. You’ll get to know soon. At least, not for the time being.”
“Done! See you then. Pick me up from home for dinner. Bye.”
“Nothing else?” he asked, rubbing his nape shyly.
“Let’s go to dinner first. And this is office—we can’t romance here. What would Aryan bro think about us? Bye. And we need to tell our friends soon.”
“Sure. Very soon.”
As she left, Pradeep stood silently, watching the door she had walked out of, a smile tugging at his lips.
“I love you, Keerthy. I will love you all my life and keep you happy always. I know I’ve been wrong before, but now… now I want to live a genuine life and build a family. Thank you for coming into my life. “
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[…] Chapter 65 […]