The office floor felt heavier after the Puja scene. Rumors spread faster than the AC could cool the air. Everyone whispered about "the boss's engagement," and Riya, of course, was smack in the middle of the gossip storm-half-curious, half-entertained.

Riya sat at her desk, pretending to type while stealing quick glances at Adarsh's glass cabin. He was on a call, expression unreadable, voice calm yet commanding. Every time he shifted slightly or ran a hand through his hair, her stupid heart did that weird little flip she refused to acknowledge.

Priya leaned in, whispering, "Oof, boss-er engagement-er news ta office-e hurricane er moto chhoriye gechhe. Sabai gossip korche ei byapare."

(Oof, boss's engagement news has spread like a hurricane in the office. Everyone is gossiping about that.)

Riya shrugged dramatically. "Ami toh bhabchhilam-ei khadoosta must be engaged. Dekhei to mone hoy, married man vibes."

(I was thinking-this khadoos must be engaged. Just look at him, he gives off married man vibes.)

Priya blinked. "Ki vibes?"

(What vibes?)

"Arrey, shei serious, mature, overly responsible types! Ja ra prem kore na, management kore,"

(Arrey, those serious, mature, overly responsible types! Those who don't love, they manages,) Riya replied, rolling her eyes.

But deep down... she was wondering. Engaged? To whom?

Some polished, perfect woman maybe-one who didn't call him Khadoos or accidentally spill coffee on his reports. Someone quiet, calm, elegant-his opposite in every way.

The thought pricked her chest a little, though she didn't know why.

Adarsh, on the other side of the glass, could feel her gaze. Even through the transparent wall, her energy reached him like sunlight slipping through blinds. And God, it was distracting.

"Mr. Mukherjee, give me five minutes, I'll call you back," he said into the phone and hung up. He stood there for a moment, staring at his reflection on the glass, the faint image of Riya visible behind it.

She was laughing with Priya again, waving her hands animatedly, probably roasting him, he thought. A faint smile tugged at his lips-one he quickly hid.

He turned back to the file, forcing focus. But the line between professionalism and emotion had already blurred, just a little.

Later that afternoon, it started raining outside Kolkata rain, the dramatic kind. People rushed to windows, phones out for reels. Riya stood there too, hands resting on the glass, lost in thought.

"Ms. Sen," came that familiar deep voice from behind.

She spun around too fast, almost slipping. "Sir! Um... haan, I mean-yes, Sir?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you always stand near the window during work hours?"

She grinned, "Sir, kaam aur baarish dono ek saath enjoy karna chahiye. Productivity double hoti hai."

Adarsh sighed. "Interesting theory. Sadly, HR won't approve it."

She bit back a laugh. "Aap kabhi try karke dekhiye na, sir. Life thoda kam boring lagne lagega."

He froze for a second, eyes narrowing-but there was amusement there too. A flicker.

"Be careful, Ms. Sen. One more comment like that and you'll be submitting reports from the window next time."

Riya saluted, "Roger that, coffee thief-I mean, Adarsh sir."

He turned sharply, hiding a smile as he walked away.

And she stood there, heart racing, realizing... maybe teasing him was starting to feel too fun.

At Evening, the rain slowed into a drizzle by the time the office clock hit 5:30 pm.

Riya packed up, humming 'Brishti Brishti Brishti'. While Adarsh, still in his cabin, pretended to focus on work but his mind lingered at her soft humming that faintly echoed through the floor.

He finally looked up-just in time to see her leaving, holding her dupatta above her head as she dashed toward the gate in the rain. A small smile escaped before he could stop it.

And in that quiet moment, he realized, the chaos he thought he hated... was becoming the only sound he noticed.

By the time Riya reached home, her hair was damp and curly from the rain, eyeliner a smudged mess-but her mood? Peak filmy heroine vibes.

"Maa! I'm home!" she yelled, kicking off her sandals near the door.

Tara peeked out of the kitchen, ladle in hand. "Tui abar bhije eshechis? Eto boro hoyeo bujhte parish na, je tor thanda lege jabe brishti te bhijle!"

(Are you wet again? Even though you're so grown up, you can't understand that you'll catch a cold if you get wet in the rain!)

"Maa please, ajker brishti ta eto mishti chhilo, je ki bolbo!"

(Maa please, today's rain was so sweet, how can I say!)

Riya said, sneezing mid-sentence.

Gautam laughed from behind his newspaper. "Dekhechho, amader meye office-e giye-o heroine types entry diye ashe. Purono cinema-r heroinerao or moto etota drama korto na."

(See, our girl goes to the office with a heroine types entry. Even the heroines of old movies didn't do so much drama like her.)

Riya stuck her tongue out. "At least ami happy heroine, not tragic one like maa er serial er leads."

(That's all I have to say. I'm a happy heroine, not a tragic one like the leads in Maa's serial.)

That earned her an eye-roll from both parents.

As soon as she sat for dinner, her phone buzzed Priya's name flashing.

She picked up. "Ha bol, Priya."

(Yes, Priya.)

Priya's voice came through the phone, "Riyaaaa... bristi te bhijechis kemon?"

(Riyaaaa... How are you getting wet in the rain?)

Riya grinned instantly. "Ar bolis na! Etota mishti brishti chhilo-pure mon bhoriye dilo. Amar toh office theke beriye ashte ichchha korchhilo."

(Don't say it again! It was such a sweet rain-it filled my heart. I just wanted to get out of the office.)

Priya laughed. "Tui literally 'Main character' energy niye brishti te beriyechili, na?"

(You literally went out in the rain with 'Main character' energy, didn't you?)

Riya twirled a spoon, smug. "Of course. Aaj amar outfit, rain, ar playlist-sob perfectly synced. Universe itself wanted me to get drenched."

(Of course. Today my outfit, rain, and playlist-all perfectly synced. Universe itself wanted me to get drenched.)

"Maa sunle bolbe tui abar pagol hoye gechis," (If your mother hears, she will say you have gone crazy again,) Priya teased.

Riya smirked, glancing toward the kitchen where her mother was indeed glaring suspiciously. "Too late, already diagnosed."

They both burst out laughing.

Tara frowned. "Ki holo? Shob thik ache?"

(What happened? Is everything okay?)

Riya quickly covered, "Na na, Maa, Priya just said... umm... bristi-te bhijle thanda lege jabe."

(No no, maa, Priya just said... Umm... You'll get cold if you get wet in the rain.)

Gautam looked over his glasses. "Tui toh boro hoyechis, kintu ekhono chhoto bachchader moto brishti te bhijte beriye porish."

(You've grown up, but you still go out to get wet in the rain like a little kid.)

"Baba, brishti te na bhijle mon ta bheje na!" (Dad, if you don't get wet in the rain, your mind won't get wet!) Riya said with a spark in her eyes.

Tara sighed dramatically. "Boro hoye r romantic dialogue marar shomoy holo na tor!"

(It's not time for you to grow up and have romantic dialogues anymore!)

Riya giggled, finishing her dinner while humming a soft tune-something that felt like the rain had seeped straight into her heart.

She finished dinner, helped Tara clear the table, then sat by her window-rain still dripping down the glass, the city humming in the distance. She smiled without realizing-her reflection on the wet window blurring like the line between annoyance and affection.

That Night, Adarsh's flat was silent. Too silent.

The sound of the rain against the balcony glass was the only rhythm in the room.

He placed his dinner-dal, chawal, and grilled paneer-on the table. Everything neat, in order, just like his life. Except... it didn't feel full anymore.

His phone buzzed. "Maa" flashing on the screen.

"Hello, Maa," he said, his voice softening instantly.

"Adarsh beta, kaise ho? Tu ne dinner khaya?" Prakriti said.

"Haan, maa, I'm eating now." Adarsh sighed.

"Office ke kaam kaisa chal raha hai?"

She said.

"Smooth. Just the usual... chaos," he replied, thinking of a certain girl who embodied that chaos.

Prakriti chuckled faintly. "You sound tired. Mujhe lagta hai tu zyada serious ho gaya hai, Adarsh. Zindagi sirf reports aur targets nahi hoti hai."

He sighed, leaning back. "Kuch log hain office mein, jo mujhe yaad dilate hain ki life itni bhi boring nahi hoti."

She smiled through the phone, "Acha? Koi khaas hai kya?"

He froze. "Nahi maa, bas... ek employee hai. Alag hai sabse."

"Bas employee?" She teased.

Adarsh smiled faintly, eyes drifting toward the rain outside. "Shayad thoda zyada."

When the call ended, he sat quietly for a long time, spoon idle in his hand.

The rain had slowed into a drizzle again-same as the one earlier, when he'd seen Riya laughing under her dupatta.

That memory played again and again, softer each time, until he realized, he hadn't smiled genuinely in months... and tonight, she made him do it twice.

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 🦋🦋