Despite having slept late, Anupama woke up at the crack of dawn, feeling completely rested. She opened the curtains that covered the sit-out balcony and stretched her arms, smiling as she looked at the rising sun. Her chair, the Tulsi plant, the side table, her bed were all outlined in orange, the hue of the rising sun spreading through the room, casting a heavenly glow on the man she loved as he walked in with a cup of tea in his hands.

"Good morning," she crooned.

He smiled, inching closer and Anupama blushed, observing his purposeful gait, his charismatic personality filling her mind with illicit thoughts.

As he extended his hands, she was taken aback. He'd made tea for her. This was the second time he'd done that. The first time, she'd been a mess, after having had a sleepless night thanks to the press. Today, however, she wanted to thank them, for if it hadn't been for their meddling, she would have never known what true love was.

"You're thinking about what a wonderful thing the meddling media did for us, isn't it?" Anuj said, correctly guessing her thoughts. She blushed a shade deeper and placed the cup he'd handed her on the side table to tie her billowing hair into a bun.

A stray tendril came apart and outlined her face, accentuating her features. Anuj walked closer and gently tucked the hair behind her ears.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She looked at him, perplexed. Shouldn't she be thanking him? He smiled. And she once again looked at him with all the love in her eyes. How had she gotten lucky?

"Because I wished it, 26 years ago."

And then he pulled his diary out of his kurta pocket and handed it to her. The diary seemed old, the pages were faded and yellow, and streaks of dirt near the binding indicated that it had been stored somewhere and forgotten for a long time.

Confused, she opened it to see her name acronymized on the first page. She read it all the way to the end where her name was written - Anupama Anuj Kapadia.

"I remember you from college. How could I not? I was, am, and will always be in love with you."

Tears of joy pooled in her eyes, threatening to spill out and Anuj gently wiped them with the pad of his thumb.

"Don't. You've cried enough for a lifetime."

She walked up to him and placed her head near his heart.

"I love you Anuj, I suppose I always have."

He smiled and pulled her into an embrace.

As the sun rose, the two stood in each other's arms, not moving, trying to pack a lifetime's worth of feelings into that one moment. That moment was theirs and theirs alone. And at that moment, Anuj promised himself that Anupama would get courted properly. Just like every other woman, she had a right to feel special, to be pampered, to feel loved and cherished. And he would make sure that she did.

*****

Breakfast was a silent affair, again. Anuj had left early for work. As GK wondered if his sixth sense was out of whack, Anupama worried about Anuj going hungry, again.

"That man is worse than a child, never eating on time, never taking care of his health," she muttered under her breath.

"What is it?" GK questioned.

"Nothing Kaka," she shook her head, stuffing her mouth with another piece of handvo. "I was wondering when is Anuj Ji's next check up."

GK smiled and looked up. This girl would be perfect for his Anuj. Why was Kanhaji taking so much time to bring them together? Wait, Kanhaji had already done what he could. But even God only helped those who helped themselves.

GK sighed in part irritation and part frustration. If he'd been in Anuj's place and it had been his Amba instead of Anupama...

He suddenly smiled. He knew what he needed to do next.

*****

Anupama stared at the 30-floor building in front of her, hyperventilating. She was standing in front of the AK Group head office in Ahmedabad.

She looked down at herself. She'd had to borrow one of her mother-in-law's sari's from the armoire, a sky blue and silver georgette sari with a matching silver blouse. She was thankful that all of her mother-in-law's blouses fit her perfectly. She'd paired the sari with her mother-in-law's diamond earrings and had tied her hair into a loose bun with tendrils outlining both sides of her face.

She applied a thin layer of kohl and eyeliner, dabbed some lip gloss, and placed a small bindi on her forehead. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she recollected her interaction with Anuj from that morning and blushed.

When GK had learnt that she had a day off from school, he'd asked her to take brunch for Anuj. She'd panicked at the suggestion and asked GK to do it himself or even better send food with Mohan. But GK had been adamant, insisting that she go to ensure that Anuj ate on time.

"But.."

"Anupama, you and I both know that Mohan can only drop the food off at the office, he cannot ensure that Anuj eats it."

When Anupama had still looked uncomfortable, GK had prodded, and she'd finally told him the reason behind her hesitation. She didn't want to embarrass Anuj in front of his colleagues.

Why did Anupama feel she would be an embarrassment for Anuj? Had he said something to her?

She shook her head in the negative. But her clothes, the ones she wore for school, were too plain. GK had smiled at her naïveté. Anuj wouldn't care less. But it was clear that it mattered to Anupama. And so he'd suggested that she borrow one of Gayatri's saris. 

The suggestion had perked her up, laying her inhibitions to rest. But now that she was standing in front of his office, she almost considered leaving the food at the reception and walking out as fast as she could. 

"Shhh, Anupama, put a break on your overactive imagination. No one is going to ask you anything. In fact, no one is going to know who you are."

Still unsure, she walked into the building and told the receptionist that she was here to see Anuj Kapadia.

*****

When the receptionist looked at Anupama, she smirked. Another socialite trying to climb the ranks using Anuj Kapadia's influence. She knew the drill by now. She would call his secretary, the secretary would tell her not to waste her time, and she would tell this wannabe that Mr Kapadia was currently not in the office.

In the three months since Anuj was back in India, she'd been through this drill 300 times. She decided to not bother with the niceties this time and cut to the chase.

"Ma'am, Mr. Kapadia is not in the office. Please leave your card, if you have one and I'll have him call you back."

Anupama looked at the girl perplexed. Anuj always told her if he was going to be away. And he hadn't mentioned anything to her today.

"Are you sure?"

The girl looked irritated. "Yes Ma'am, I'm very sure."

Anupama nodded her head, taking in her surroundings for the first time. The ostentatious decor was a complete contrast to the simple personality of the owner, Anuj Kapadia.

"Alright, tell him to call me whenever he gets back."

She turned to leave.

Something about this interaction struck the receptionist as odd. The socialites who came to meet Anuj, usually hung around, taking selfies, trying to befriend the receptionist to gain favors. None had been so abrupt.

"Ma'am," she called Anupama back, "I didn't catch your name."

Anupama turned, and with a smile responded. "Because I never told you my name." Extending her hand for a shake, she continued: "Hi, I'm Anupama, Anuj Kapadia's fiancé."

*****

Comfortably seated in his cabin on the 30th floor, Anupama waited for Anuj to finish his meeting and make his way back from the conference room. She'd specifically instructed the receptionist to not inform Anuj of her arrival. The girl had only been too eager to please after her initial faux pas. Anuj's secretary had personally come to get Anupama and had promptly left for an extended lunch. 

As Anupama waited for Anuj to get back, she walked up to the glass exterior to take in the view of Ahmedabad. A year ago, she'd never dreamed her life would be transformed thus. A year ago, she'd cursed her fate that had forced her to spend 26 long years with Vanraj Shah. A year ago, she had hit rock bottom, spiritually and emotionally.

And today, her fiance... she blushed just thinking about him. The fact that he was rich had no consequence for her. She would've been happy with him in a one-room apartment. But the fact that he loved her and treated her like a queen; she sighed, reliving the sensations from yesterday's interaction. 

"Thinking about me," Anuj's voice stopped her musings. Unwilling to turn and face him, lest he read her eyes, yet again, she asked: "How did you know I was here?"

"I always sense your presence."

And then she turned, giving him his first glimpse of the future Mrs Anuj Kapadia, and his eyes turned grey again. Two long strides and he was right next to her, his eyes seeking permission. She gently brought her hands up to his head and brought them down, tiptoeing to ensure their lips met. 

And that's how Kavya found them when she snuck up to the 30th floor, on learning that Anuj Kapadia would be alone for the next hour.