The next day at Rathore Enterprises was anything but boring.
Sanaya adjusted her dupatta as she stepped out of the elevator, the familiar nervous excitement bubbling in her stomach. Her pastel pink kurti with white embroidery gave off calm confidence—not that it helped when she saw Freya already at the reception, flipping her curls and laughing a little too loudly.
"Good morning, Ms. Sharma!" Aarav greeted as she walked toward the desk area.
"Morning, Aarav," she smiled.
"Guess who's got her eyes glued to our CEO again?" Jiya muttered as she leaned over. "Freya's been trying since 9 AM and the man hasn't blinked. Stone cold."
Sanaya chuckled, even as her heart pinched a little. Because stone cold didn't apply to him when it was her in the room. Or at least that's what she used to think.
Freya suddenly sashayed past, her heels clicking with flair. "Morning, Mr. Rathore," she purred.
Sanaya, already seated, peeked over the top of her monitor. Abhimaan, in a dark grey shirt with sleeves rolled up, didn't even glance at Freya.
But then—just then—Freya said, "Let me know if you'd like me to join you for lunch again."
Sanaya blinked.
Again?
Abhimaan gave a polite nod. "I'll let you know if needed."
Freya giggled and walked away like she'd won.
Sanaya looked back at her screen, jaw tight.
"That was weird," Jiya whispered. "You okay?"
"Totally," Sanaya replied too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
She typed nonsense into her document until the letters blurred. Just then, a message popped up on her screen.
Abhimaan: Boardroom. 10 minutes. Bring the campaign files.
She sighed, grabbed the folder, and walked into the lion's den.
---
Boardroom Confusion
She entered the boardroom and shut the door.
He looked up, that maddening smirk already in place. "You're upset."
"No, I'm professional," she said, walking past him. "There's a difference."
He stepped closer. "You're jealous."
"I'm annoyed," she corrected. "Big difference."
He leaned in. "At Freya?"
"No," she lied. "But you could've shut her down."
"She's harmless."
"She's annoying."
"Noted," he said, lips twitching. "Should I announce I'm married just to make her stop?"
Sanaya narrowed her eyes. "No. That'll just make it worse."
"Exactly. Now hand me those files, Ms. Sharma."
---
Evening at Home
After a long day, Sanaya returned home to a welcome surprise.
"Sanaya beta!" Ruhanika called out warmly from the living room. "Come na, I made your favourite—paneer lababdar!"
Aksh uncle smiled from the recliner, putting away his newspaper. "And there's jalebi too."
Sanaya's tiredness melted. "You didn't have to do all this…"
"We wanted to," Ruhanika said, pulling her into a hug. "You work so hard. We're proud."
Her eyes stung. This... this was the warmth she'd never imagined in in-laws.
Before she could get too emotional, chaos entered in three different forms.
Viraj burst in with a speaker on his shoulder, dancing. "Dinner partyyyy!"
Pihu followed, holding a tray of mocktail glasses. "We made drinks!"
And then came Abhiraj—silent, mysterious, dressed in all black, phone in hand and eyes scanning the room like he was assessing danger levels.
"Drama squad is here," Sanaya muttered under her breath with a smile.
"Don't worry," Pihu whispered, handing her a glass. "Bhaiya's not coming downstairs soon."
Sanaya blinked. "Wait—he's not joining?"
"He will," Abhiraj replied suddenly. "He's just not... a party person."
"Like you?" Viraj teased. "Silent spy of the family."
Abhiraj rolled his eyes. "I speak when required."
"Well, speak now. Veer's coming," Pihu announced.
"What?!" Sanaya asked, panicked.
"Chill yaar," Viraj grinned. "Mumma called him. She says he brings 'positive energy'."
Sanaya groaned. This was going to be... interesting.
---
Dinner Begins
Veer arrived fashionably late, dressed in a black kurta, flashing his usual charming grin.
"Hello beautiful people!" he greeted. "And hello especially to Sanaya."
Sanaya gave him a tired smile. "Veer, behave."
"I always do," he winked.
Abhimaan finally entered, nodding to Veer but taking the corner seat without a word. He served himself quietly and listened as everyone chatted around him.
The dinner table buzzed with laughter and teasing.
Aksh uncle shared old business stories.
Ruhanika kept piling food onto Sanaya's plate.
Pihu teased Viraj about a college crush.
Abhiraj said nothing but smirked occasionally.
Veer cracked jokes and nudged Sanaya every now and then.
And Abhimaan just... observed.
He wasn't distant. Just quiet. But his eyes never left Sanaya—not when she laughed, not when she glared at Veer, and definitely not when she blushed.
---
Truth or Dare Madness
After dinner, Viraj shouted, "Let's play Truth or Dare!"
"Oh god," Abhiraj muttered.
"No excuses!" Pihu said. "Everyone plays!"
They formed a circle. The bottle spun.
First: Pihu.
Truth.
"Have you ever cheated in exams?"
She grinned. "Once. But I got caught."
Next: Veer.
Dare.
"Dance like a chicken."
He did it. Loudly. And terribly.
Then: Abhimaan.
Truth.
"Have you ever liked someone secretly at work?"
Sanaya held her breath.
He looked around... then straight at her. "Yes."
Pihu squealed.
Viraj fake-fainted.
Sanaya's heart did somersaults.
Next: Sanaya.
Dare.
Pihu grinned evilly. "Dance. With... Veer!"
Sanaya froze. "Kya?! No!"
"A dare is a dare!" Veer said, already holding out his hand.
She looked at Abhimaan.
He said nothing.
He just leaned back, arms crossed, unreadable.
"Fine," she muttered.
Veer pulled her up. A romantic tune played—thanks to Viraj's speaker.
Sanaya danced. Awkwardly. Half-laughing, half-dying inside.
Veer was dramatic. Twirls. Spins. Dips.
Everyone clapped. Cheered.
Except one man.
Abhimaan didn't blink.
When the music stopped, Sanaya sat back quickly, heart thudding.
---
After the Game
Later, as the siblings cleared up, Abhimaan stood at the hallway door, waiting.
Sanaya walked over, nervous. "You're mad."
"No," he said quietly. "You did nothing wrong."
"But…"
"I didn't like it," he admitted. "But that's my problem, not yours."
"You could've stopped it," she whispered.
"You looked like you were... enjoying."
"I wasn't."
He stepped closer. "Good."
Her breath caught.
"You're mine, Sanaya," he said softly. "Even in Truth or Dare."
She looked up at him. "And you're mine. Even if Freya flirts all day."
His smirk returned. "Touché."
They didn't kiss. Didn't even touch.
But the air between them buzzed.
---
Later That Night – Their Room
The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a bedside lamp. Sanaya stood by the mirror, gently removing her earrings, her eyes meeting Abhimaan's reflection behind her.
He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, watching her silently.
"You didn't like the dance, did you?" she asked softly.
He walked toward her, slow and deliberate. "Did you like it?"
She turned to face him. "Not really."
His hand came up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Good. Because next time someone dares you to dance, you say no. Unless it's me."
Her heart thudded. "Only if you say no when Freya flirts."
"Ignore her," he said, his fingers now lightly tracing her wrist. "I don't see her."
"You didn't stop her."
"I didn't care to. But you? You're all I see."
She looked up at him, their breath mingling, the silence thick with unsaid feelings.
"Next time," she murmured, "when I'm dared to dance... you better take my hand."
He smirked. "Then let's practice."
And without waiting, he pulled her gently into a slow dance, right there in the middle of their room—no music, no audience, just heartbeats and hidden smiles.
As they swayed, Sanaya whispered, "Abhimaan?"
"Hmm?"
"You're mine."
His arms tightened around her. "I always was."