" I am not engaged."

She heard and looked at him shocked.

" What?" She asked.

" Yes, I am not engaged to anyone and I don't have any fiancee." He said and sighed in relief that he had said it at last.

" But that day in the office that girl said that she is your Fiancee." She said.

" Yeah, she lied. I refused to meet her for alliance that my mom had set up for me and so she came straight to the office declaring herself as my fiancee." He said angrily.

" Oh." She said simply and looked down.

She doesn't know why but she felt happy hearing that.

" Oh? Just oh?" He asked exasperated.

And she looked up at him confused.

" You are staying away from me and you are not letting me to meet Aman because of that stupid lie and your reaction is just oh?" He exclaimed.

A smile appeared on her face but it was gone as soon as it came.

" No, it's not because of her. It's because we couldn't afford to get attached to you." She said with a straight face.

" What? Why?" He whined and she looked at him amused.

" Sir, it's just not because of her. It's because you have your own family and someday you will get married too...if it's not with that girl Leena then it will be with someone else. So, it's not good for anyone of us to get attached to each other.....please understand sir." She explained him the same way as she explained it to Aman but the only difference was that she is talking to a grown up kid.

He blinked his eyes at her as if to understand is if she is for real.

" What if I want to be with you two forever?" He asked straight forwardly.

She sat stunned in her place and he sighed loudly. He got up and sat beside her making her turn towards him.

He thought to talk to her carefully as he doesn't want to scare her away by using the 'L' word because now she is just not letting him meet Aman but if he says that he loves her then she might resign the job and run away from him which he will not able to bear.

" Look, Aadhya.....I don't know what will happen in the future but I don't want to ruin our present because of that. I don't know how but you and Aman has become an important part of my life unknowingly and I am happy you both came into my life. You both unknowingly taught me many things which I had been missing my whole life." He said making her just stare at him.

" I know it's a lot to take in but I think you understood what I am saying." He said looking at her cautiously.

" Why?" She asked softly.

" What?" He asked confused.

" You don't know me, you don't know what's my life and you don't know my past. I am like a broken glass piece and it may hurt you." She said calmly looking at him.

" Yeah you are right....I don't know you but I would like to know you. I know you have built walls around you but I will wait until you open upto me and you don't need to share anything with me if you are uncomfortable. I would be glad if I got to know about you more." He grinned at her.

" When you will know me, you may hate me." She said looking into his eyes.

" No one can hate you Aadhya. I know something huge has happened in your life due to which you are like this Aadhya but there is nothing about you to make anyone hate you." He said honestly smiling at her.

His smile made something inside her and her heart was a gone case at his words.

She smiled at him unknowingly but there was an unknown fear bubbled inside her.

" Don't think too much." He said and that time only door bell rang.

He went to check on it and she stood up to leave. He came back taking some parcels inside and kept them on the kitchen table.

" Sir, I will go now." She said walking towards him.

" Wait! Have you eaten anything?" He asked and she stayed silent.

" Come have something." He said and started taking out food from the covers.

" It's alright, I should go to office now......there is so much of work." She said taking her bag.

" I didn't ask Aadhya, I am saying to eat." He said without looking at her.

" Who is the boss here?" He asked when she stayed silent.

" You." She said.

" So I am only saying....leave the work and eat first." He said standing before her and she just looked at him.

" Will you let me leave your house without me having food when you know that I didn't had anything since morning?" He asked sighing at her stubbornness.

" No! Not at all!" She said quickly making him grin at her.

" Now come on.....I am hungry." He said and sat on the dining table.

She sat looking at him who was so excited to see different varieties of food and for her he looked like a kid who is seeing his favourite candies.

" Sir why did you order so much of food?" She asked him looking at the table full of food.

" I didn't eat since yesterday night and I can eat tonnes of food right now." He said while serving her and she laughed at him.

He stilled looking at her laugh which made his heart swell with happiness as he was responsible for her laugh and stared at her dreamily. She looked down at his staring and he started serving the food.

" Enough sir." She said when he was filling her plate.

" You never eat properly, why like that?" He asked.

" I have a very low appetite." She said looking down.

" In that case you need to eat with me daily so that I can change your eating habits." He said thinking and she raised her brows at him.

" That's not going to happen." She said.

" Why?" He asked.

" Why do I have to always remind you that you are my boss and I am your employee?" She asked sighing.

" Exactly! Why do you have to always bring boss and employee relationship between us?" He muttered annoyed while she just smiled shaking her head.

" Has anytime Aman reminds about me?" He asked suddenly looking down at his food and she looked at him surprised.

" Yes, daily." She said looking down at her food and it was his turn to look at her surprised.

" What? Daily?" He asks grinning at her.

" Yes, he misses you so much." She said looking at him.

" Then why don't you allow us to meet?" He asks exasperated making her sigh.

" I don't know how to make you understand Sir......it will be difficult for him if he gets used to you. You know even one day if I go home late also he will be worried that something happened to me and he will lose me. If he gets used to you then he will be not able to bear if he doesn't meet you, he is a child sir.....I am worried that he will be distraughted and I cannot let it happen......again." She said seriously and he looked at her intently.

" Why do you always think that I will go away from you two?" He asks angrily.

" You will." She says in rage standing up from her seat.

She doesn't know when he will leave them but she definitely knows that he will hate her once he knows who is she actually and after that he will definitely leave.

She gulped the lump formed in her throat and walked to the sink. She washed the plate in which she ate and drank some water. All the while he just watched her actions and she avoided looking at him.

" I am going to the office." She said and took her handbag.

She walked to the door and thought that he will stop her but he didn't. He let her go this time and she felt relief as she need some time to compose herself.

Rishabh still stood there staring at the closed door and he couldn't decipher the emotions he is feeling right now which he never experienced.

******

Next day, Aadhya was waiting for Rishabh in the office but he didn't come. She thought that maybe yesterday also he might have gone to a party and must have slept drunk.

She sighed and thought about yesterday. There are many reasons which doesn't allow her to sleep but yesterday she couldn't sleep for a different reason and that is she felt guilty.

She felt guilty for talking to Rishabh like that as he was just trying to be friendly and was showing affection towards Aman. She talked to him bravely at that time but she doesn't even know if she could really stay away from him and if she could really live if he is not in her life.

Now time is 11:30 am and he is still not in the office. She is getting many calls and she can fix any meetings only if he shows up. Suddenly office went silent and she looked up to see Rishabh walking in with a straight face.

He didn't greet back anyone on his way to his cabin not even her. She frowned thinking what happened to him and went to get his coffee.

She went inside his cabin knocking on his door and kept the coffee in his table.

" Sir coffee and here is your today's schedule." She said giving him the schedule.

" Thanks for the coffee Ms. Aadhya but I don't want it." He said typing onto his laptop.

She frowned at his formal interaction with her and took the coffee back. She went back to her seat and did calls to confirm the meetings for today. It was already evening and everything went good but his behaviour towards her irked her.

He totally ignored her and whenever he talks, he addressed her formally. But she let it go and went home ignoring the mixed feelings.

Aman has exams this week and she was after him making him prepare for the exams. The whole week Aadhya was completely busy with Aman and his exams while Rishabh was totally busy with meetings and projects.

It was like they don't talk anymore.

Though she felt restlessness and she missed him, she didn't show it as this was what she wanted and he is giving her that but the pang in her heart was there and she tried to ignored it.

She just concentrated on her work and Aman seriously. She didn't want any distraction and went back to her stoic attitude.

******

Rishabh came out of the restaurant after meeting his friend and was on his way to his car in the parking lot. He stopped looking at the familiar face sitting on a table with someone along with Aman.

He smiled looking at Aman but that smile soon turned into a scowl when he saw they are sitting with some man and what irked him the most was that they both are very much comfortable with him.

Jealousy hit him when he saw Aadhya laugh at something he said and he stormed away from there angrily.

It was Sunday and Aadhya took Aman out. They went to a game centre and both played some games. After that they went to a restaurant to eat something where they met her cousin who recently came back from New York.

Her cousin was very cautious and did not bring any topic of their past especially around Aman as he knows it would hit them right in their heart. Once they used to be very close and after he went to New York, their talking was limited but after that dreadful accident it was like she was vanished from earth.

They all tried to contact her, persuade her but she had shut all of them out and they stopped trying too after few months. But he was happy to see that they are moving on in their lives and prayed to God to give them strength.

In the night when she tucked up Aman to sleep, she got a phone call from Rishabh and answered the call.

" Hello?" She answered but there was no response.

" Sir?" She called him and this time she heard his breathing.

" Sir?" She called him again.

" Aadhya." He called and laughed.

She frowned at his tone.

" Aadhya.....Aadhyaa.....Aadhyaaaa." He was dragging her name and laughing.

" Sir, where are you?" She asked him seriously.

" I am.....at.....this club......" He slurred his words with pauses.

" You are drunk." She said blankly.

" No!....I am not!" He said and she heard a sound.

" Sir, what happened?" She asked in worry.

" The table is moving and the glass fell down.....It broke." He said sadly.

" Careful sir.....you might get hurt." She said concerned.

And he laughed.

" Why did you drink?" She asked.

" I was sad." He said with low voice.

" What happened?" She asked softly.

" You.....You....." He was slurring and she couldn't understand.

" Sir, please go back to home." She requested.

" No!" He shouted.

" Why did you call me?" She asked sighing.

" Because.....I missed youuuuu....." He said and pouted.

And she smiled.

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To be Continued.........

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Stay Tuned...........