Third person's pov!

The next few days passed by in a blur. Dhruv and Shraddha found themselves drawn to each other in ways neither of them had anticipated. Their encounters, though casual, always seemed to have an undercurrent of something deeper—something unspoken, yet undeniable.

It was late in the night, and the household was finally quiet. Dhruv had found Shraddha sitting on the courtyard, her legs tucked beneath her as she gazed up at the stars. He hesitated for a moment, then made his way over to her, settling down on the step beside her. The silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"This is not the first time I am seeing you sitting here at night," Dhruv remarked, his voice low and casual as he leaned back against the pillar, glancing up at the stars she seemed so captivated by.

"I like the quiet. It's peaceful, you know? Helps clear my head." Shraddha smiled softly, her fingers lightly tracing the pattern of the floor.

Dhruv nodded, watching her profile. There was something serene about the way she sat there, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight.

"Yeah, I get that. Things get too noisy around here sometimes." Dhruv said dryly, thinking about his toddler nephew.

"Especially with Ansh," Shraddha added with a chuckle. "He is a handful."

"I have noticed. But he adores you. It's like you have always been a part of his life." Dhruv said, leaning closer slightly.

Shraddha turned her head to face him, her eyes warm and thoughtful.

"I guess... kids just sense things. Maybe he sees something in me that I don't even see in myself." She said softly.

"He is more attached to you than he is to Diya.." Dhruv said tentatively, his eyes focused on her face. Shraddha was startled by his words.

"Nonsense. Ansh loves Diya Ma'am ofcourse." Shraddha said, her eyes averted from Dhruv. It looked as if she was hiding something from him and it made him more alert.

"Well, I just said what I saw." Dhruv said.

"You are very close, aren't you?" Shraddha asked, a wishful tone in her voice.

"What makes you think so?" Dhruv asked with a chuckle.

"I have seen the two of you. I have noticed the dynamics. The dependence. The silent ability of communicating to one another that baffles outsiders." Shraddha said wistfully.

"Is that how it is between us?" Dhruv asked curiously.

"Yes. She looks at you and it's as though she has spoken. You get her."

"In a way her husband doesn't?" He prompted subtly.

"What? That's not what I meant." Shraddha was startled by what Dhruv just said.

"My sister and Sid had met while she was on a vacation here. They had gotten married in a hurry. I sometimes worry if Sid is keeping her happy." Dhruv said. He wanted to know what was going on. Something is off here. And he is not sure if a direct question would get a direct answer. So, he decided to test the waters and find out from Shraddha what's actually going on here. Diya seems too shrunken. She looks distant and disconnected from everything. At first he thought it was because of the affair. But staying here, he couldn't see any affair going on. So, what could be the reason behind Diya's condition.

Siddhant's worry that Dhruv would interfere in his marriage came to the fore of Shraddha's mind. And yet what could she say? To deny that Diya Ma'am was miserable didn't sit comfortably with her. She could neither say the truth nor hide it.

"Working in someone's house requires a level of discretion. I am there, but I am not there. And I am certainly not here to judge, nor gossip."

"Gossip," he refuted with a sharp laugh. "I am her brother."

"Yes," she nodded, but her eyes glinted with determination. "And I am sure they would both appreciate my discretion."

The comfortable silence returned, but this time, it felt heavier, like something was shifting between them. Shraddha tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, an action that Dhruv had come to notice — and maybe even find endearing.

"Do you come out here to think about anything in particular?" Dhruv asked after a moment.

Shraddha bit her lip, thinking about how to answer.

"Sometimes. Sometimes I just want to sit here and not think about anything. But other times... yeah, I think about a lot."

"Like what?" Dhruv raised an eyebrow.

"Like..." she hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to reveal, but there was something about Dhruv's presence that made her feel safe. "Like what I want out of life. What I am supposed to do next. I don't really have a plan, you know? I never had a family to guide me, and.... I just kind of figure things out as I go."

Dhruv's expression softened. He hadn't expected her to be so open with him.

"That sounds tough. Not having a family, I mean."

"It was, at first," Shraddha admitted, her voice quiet. "But you learn to manage. To rely on yourself. You learn to be okay with being on your own."

"But you don't always have to be on your own, Shraddha." Dhruv leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"What do you mean?" She looked at him, startled by the gentle intensity in his voice.

Dhruv held her gaze, his eyes searching hers as though he was trying to unravel something hidden within her. The quiet of the night seemed to amplify the tension between them, making it almost tangible.

"I mean," Dhruv began, his voice low but firm, "you don't always have to be strong on your own. There are people around you who care about you. People who would be there for you, if you let them."

Shraddha blinked, her heart skipping a beat. She had never heard someone say that to her before, not in the way Dhruv just did. There was something in his tone that pulled at the walls she had built around herself for so long.

"But I have always had to be on my own," she replied quietly, turning her gaze back to the stars. "It's just how it's been. Relying on people... it's never really worked out for me."

"Maybe you have just never had the right people to rely on." Dhruv's expression softened further.

She didn't respond immediately, unsure of what to say. His words felt too close to home, too personal. The idea of someone truly wanting to be there for her, of someone offering her the kind of support she had always craved, was almost foreign. Could she really trust it?

"And who are these 'right people' you're talking about?" Shraddha asked, a touch of hesitation in her voice.

"Me." Dhruv didn't hesitate.

The single word hung in the air between them, carrying more weight than Shraddha had expected. She looked at him again, searching his face for any sign of uncertainty or insincerity, she couldn't read him..

Me!! His words rang in her head repeatedly..

A/N

Here goes the next shot..

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Love,

SF❤️