While Riya's house echoed with laughter, noise, and constant chatter, another part of the city stood still and silent. Adarsh unlocked his apartment door the next day, walked in, and set his laptop bag neatly on the dining table.

Everything in the flat screamed discipline-monochrome walls, books arranged by size, files stacked in military order, and not a single cushion out of place.

He loosened his tie, exhaled deeply, and poured himself a glass of water.

Adarsh muttering to himself, "Yeh ladki... itni energy kahan se laati hai? Pura office sir dard ban jaata hai uske aate hi."

But unknowingly, a small smile tugged at his lips-one he quickly wiped off.

He sat down with his laptop, opening a presentation draft. But after five minutes, his mind wasn't on the numbers. His thoughts betrayed him, circling back to Riya.

He remembered her stubborn voice in the meeting today:

"Sir, client ke liye thoda creativity bhi zaroori hota hai, sirf boring graphs se deal close nahi hota."

Her challenge had made his jaw tighten, yet secretly... he admired her guts.

Then he recalled the coffee incident from the office, how Riya had noticed he'd taken her cup, her exasperated little sighs, the dramatic roll of her eyes, and the whispered mutter to Priya about a "khadoos coffee thief." How she had gestured wildly, clearly annoyed yet impossibly charming in the way only she could be. The memory tugged at him in ways he didn't want to admit.

The silence of his apartment pressed heavier after that. No background TV, no sibling teasing, no maa shouting from the kitchen. Just the faint hum of the AC and the emptiness he carried inside.

For a fleeting second, he wondered-what would it be like to return home to chaos? To laughter, to someone ranting about their day, to not have silence as the only company.

He shook his head, brushing off the thought, and focused back on the laptop.

Because Adarsh Rathod didn't allow distractions. Especially not the sunshine kind slowly slipping past his walls.

The next morning, the office buzzed like a disturbed beehive. Riya leaned against the corridor wall, watching Puja fidget and sniffle, trying to hide her tears. Puja was hopelessly in love with Adarsh, and Riya herself had no romantic feelings for the khadoos boss yet-she still only saw him as the intimidating, strict authority figure who made everyone jumpy.

"Kadchis keno? Oi khadoos ta nischoyi toke kichu boleche na?" Riya asked, tilting her head.

(Why are you crying? That khadoos must have scolded you, right?)

Puja's lower lip trembled. "Onake khadoos bolbi na..."

(Don't call him Khadoos...)

Riya arched an eyebrow. "Keno? Ki hoyeche bol to?"

(Why not? What happened, tell me?)

Puja whispered, "Boss ki bojhen na... ami onar jonno kotota feelings rekhechi... tao uni bujhte parchenna."

(He doesn't understand how much I feel for him...)

Riya rolled her eyes internally. Classic Puja. Together, they nudged her toward Adarsh's cabin, leaving Riya just outside, pretending to look for a lost pen while eavesdropping.

From inside floated Adarsh's calm, controlled voice,

"Kyun ro rahi ho? Maine to sirf tumhari galti sudharne ke liye daata tha."

Puja's shaky reply: "Baat wo nahi hain... actually... I have feelings for you."

Riya crouched slightly behind a chair, pretending to search for something on the floor, hiding her smirk. Office drama was her favorite pastime.

Suddenly, Adarsh appeared at the cabin door, expression sharp. "What's happening here?"

Riya froze mid-act, holding up a finger. Thinking quickly, she said loudly, "Wo meri ring gir gayi thi... to wo hi dhundh nahi paa rahi thi. Ab mil gayi hain mujhe."

Adarsh didn't respond-he simply nodded slightly, then walked back inside, leaving Puja blinking through her tears.

From inside came his measured, empathetic voice,

"Main samajh sakta hu, Miss Dey... ki aap mere liye feelings carry karte hain, but I'm engaged. Tum humare office ke aur bhi employees ko pasand kar sakti ho aur date pe bhi jaa sakti ho. Sorry tumhe dukh dene ke liye."

Riya watched as Puja wiped her tears and stepped out. Their little gang immediately gathered around her.

"Kire, ki bollen?" Riya asked, leaning in.

(Hey, what did he say?)

Puja recounted every word. Riya nodded knowingly, a playful smirk on her face.

"Thik e to bolechen... amio to otai bhabchilam tor jonno. Salute to the khadoos... I mean, Adarsh sir, amader chinta bhabnar mile jaoar jonno."

(Exactly. Salute to the khadoos... I mean, Adarsh sir, for making us understand things.)

Curiosity peaked. "Puja, uni je bollen uni engaged... to uni bollenni ke onar fiancé ba photo dekhanni?"

(Puja, he said he's engaged... did he show a fiancé or a photo?)

Puja shook her head. "Na."

(No.)

Riya smirked with a knowing look, nudging her lightly. "Ooo, privacy matters."

She glanced toward Adarsh's cabin once more. He was busy on his laptop, still the same khadoos boss she knew-nothing romantic in her eyes yet. But the intensity of the man somehow made the air around him feel heavier.

<Adarsh's POV>

I closed the door behind Puja and leaned against it for a second, just to collect myself. The cabin was supposed to be my sanctuary, my controlled zone-yet somehow, with her there, it didn't feel like mine anymore.

I caught sight of Riya standing by the door, pretending casual interest with her colleagues, but I could see through her little act. And just like that, something twisted inside me-a pull I didn't want to admit.

Why does she do this to me? Every single time she's around, I feel... exposed. Vulnerable. And it's not just because she argues or teases or challenges me in front of everyone-it's the way she's unapologetically herself. Bold. Stubborn. Brilliant. She doesn't ask for permission to exist in my space, and yet, she commands it effortlessly.

Every time she speaks, laughs, even rolls her eyes at me, I feel a strange tightness in my chest. It's irritating, frustrating, but... magnetic. She makes me aware of myself in ways I've trained my whole life to ignore. My control, my discipline, my carefully curated calm-all of it slips just a little.

And the scariest part? I don't want to fight it.

It's like... she pulls at something inside me I've never allowed anyone to touch. A part of me that's unused to letting go. I'm supposed to be the strict, the untouchable one, the man who never falters. And yet, here she is, a whirlwind of chaos and light, making me feel things I don't even want to name.

Why does it happen with her? With no one else? I can't figure it out, and yet I can't ignore it either.

I shook my head, forcing my gaze back to the laptop screen, pretending the numbers and graphs could anchor me. But they can't. Not when she's around.

She's dangerous-this girl. Dangerous and irresistible.

I should be working. I should be focused. The client presentation, the strategy notes, the endless spreadsheets... all of it is meant to keep me sharp, disciplined, untouchable.

And yet... I can't stop thinking about her.

Riya.

Her laughter echoes in my mind like it refuses to leave. The way she challenges me at every turn, the way she argues with conviction, the way she smiles when she knows she's got under my skin... it's infuriating. And it's... intoxicating.

Why does she distract me so much? Every word, every glance, every careless tilt of her head seems to tug at something inside me. A part I thought I had locked away.

I shook my head. I cannot let this happen.

Falling in love is dangerous. It clouds judgment, makes you vulnerable, slows you down. I have rules. Boundaries. Discipline. I do not break them for anyone. Not for her. Not for anyone.

And yet... every time she's near, I feel a pull I can't explain. A magnetic tug that goes against every instinct I have. A part of me wants to let go, just for a moment, just to see where it leads.

I slammed my laptop shut, frustration boiling over-not at work, but at myself.

"Yeh ladki... kyun har baar..."

Every little thing she does pierces through my control. That carefree energy, that stubbornness, that insistence on bending rules... she challenges me in ways no one ever has. And I hate it. I hate that it affects me.

Because letting her in means letting my guard down. And I do not get vulnerable. Vulnerability is weakness. Love is weakness.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, and muttered, "Why, Riya... why do you have to be so distracting?"

And the answer, I realized, isn't something I want to admit even to myself.

Because the truth is far more inconvenient than attraction.

It’s intention.

I ran a hand through my hair and replayed the scene again.

The moment I opened the cabin door and saw her crouched there, pretending to search for something. Holding up that ridiculous excuse about her “lost ring.”

Ring.

Why did that word hit me the way it did?

Why did something sharp twist in my chest at the thought of a ring belonging to her?

And then I remembered what I did next.

I went back inside.

Looked at Puja.

And said, calmly, clearly:

“I’m engaged.”

I could have said anything else.

I could have said I’m not interested.

I could have said I don’t date colleagues.

I could have said my focus is work.

Simple. Clean. Professional.

But no.

I chose engaged.

Why?

Because in that split second, when I saw Riya outside the door, listening…

I wanted her to hear it.

The realization sat heavy in my chest.

Was I protecting myself?

Or was I… testing her?

Testing if it would affect her.

Testing if she would react.

What kind of man does that?

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor.

Is there… a place for her already?

The thought was absurd. Reckless.

And yet, every time she walks into a room, my mind rearranges itself around her presence.

I told Puja I was engaged.

But I’m not.

There is no fiancée. No secret woman. No hidden photograph.

So why create one?

Was it easier to build a fictional wall than risk a real emotion?

Or…

Was I subconsciously reserving a space?

Not for “someone.”

For her.

I exhaled sharply.

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered to myself. “Main kya kar raha hoon?”

Why am I distracting myself because of that girl?

She’s impulsive. Loud. Disruptive.

She bends rules. Challenges authority. Smirks when she wins arguments.

She is the exact opposite of everything I have structured my life around.

And yet…

She feels like something my silence has been waiting for.

I stood up abruptly, walking toward the window of my cabin. The office floor buzzed outside, but my focus was singular.

Control. Discipline. Distance.

That’s who I am.

I don’t fall.

I don’t chase.

I don’t lose balance.

And definitely not for a girl who distracts me.

I closed my eyes briefly.

“Focus, Adarsh,” I said under my breath. “She’s just a distraction. Bas.”

But even as I said it…

Her laughter echoed in my head again.

And for the first time in years, discipline felt like denial.

<POV Ends>

This is for today butterflies 🦋

Rest those wings, because you're definitely going to need them for the next chapter.

Till that tell me in the comment how's today's chapter and which moment became your favorite.

Don't forget to vote.

See you in the next update 📖

~Love Riya 🦋🦋