The next morning didn't begin peacefully.
It never did when Dhruv woke up early.
Lakshmi had just settled at the study table in the library, determined to finally focus without distractions. The early morning silence felt perfect—calm, undisturbed, exactly what she needed.
That peace lasted exactly three minutes.
A chair scraped loudly behind her.
She didn't turn.
"Go away," she said flatly.
"I didn't even say anything yet."
"I know you."
"That hurts."
"It should."
Dhruv dropped into the chair beside her, stretching lazily. "What are we studying today?"
"We?" she repeated.
"Yes. We."
"There is no 'we'."
"There is now."
Lakshmi shut her book with a thud. "Why are you here?"
"To study."
She stared at him.
Then looked at the book in front of him.
Upside down.
"You're not even holding it properly."
"Details," he said casually, flipping it around.
Lakshmi took a deep breath. "You have your own room. Your own space. Your own life. Why are you here?"
Dhruv leaned back slightly, watching her. "Because you're here."
That simple.
That direct.
Lakshmi looked away immediately. "That's not a valid reason."
"It works for me."
She tried to ignore him and opened her notebook again.
For a full thirty seconds—
He stayed quiet.
Then—
"What's this?"
Before she could react, he had already pulled the notebook slightly toward himself.
"Dhruv!"
"Relax, I'm just looking."
"You're not allowed to look!"
"Too late."
She tried to snatch it back, but he held it firmly.
"Your handwriting is still the same," he said thoughtfully.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means… very neat, very organized, very… you."
She blinked, thrown off for a second.
"Give it back."
"Say please."
"Not happening."
"Then not happening."
Lakshmi stood up, determined now. "Fine."
She walked around the table.
He stood up too.
And just like that—
It started again.
"You're unbelievable," she said, trying to reach the notebook.
"You're predictable," he replied, moving it out of reach.
"Stop moving!"
"Stop trying."
"I will not!"
She lunged forward again, and this time she almost grabbed it—
But slipped slightly on the rug.
Dhruv caught her immediately.
Again.
His hand steadied her by the arm.
Her hand instinctively gripped his shirt.
Both froze.
Their eyes met.
For a moment—
Everything went quiet.
Lakshmi slowly realized how close they were.
Her grip loosened instantly.
"I… I'm fine," she said quickly, stepping back.
"You say that a lot," Dhruv replied softly.
"I mean it."
"You don't always."
She didn't know what to say to that.
So she didn't.
Instead, she grabbed her notebook from his hand quickly and sat down again.
Trying to act normal.
Trying to ignore the way her heart was beating.
Dhruv didn't tease her this time.
He just watched her for a second—
Then sat down too.
Quietly.
That was new.
Lakshmi glanced at him. "Why are you quiet again?"
"You don't like it when I talk."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
She hesitated.
"…You can talk," she said finally.
He raised an eyebrow. "Permission granted?"
"Don't make it weird."
"Too late."
Despite herself—
She almost smiled.
---
Downstairs, Monika was helping in the kitchen again when Rudra walked in.
"You're here early," she said without turning.
"You're always here early."
"That's different."
"How?"
"I don't have a company to run."
Rudra leaned slightly against the counter. "And yet, you act like you're managing everything here."
Monika turned, crossing her arms. "Someone has to keep things organized."
"They were organized before."
She raised an eyebrow. "Were they?"
Rudra paused.
"…Fair."
She smiled faintly.
A small win.
"You said you'd talk to Dhruv," she reminded him.
"I will."
"When?"
"Soon."
"That's not an answer."
"It is."
"It's not a useful one."
Rudra stepped closer, his tone calm but firm. "I said I'll handle it."
"And I said I want to understand how."
Their eyes locked again.
That same tension.
That same unspoken pull.
"You don't trust me," he said.
Monika shook her head slightly. "I do. I just don't trust silence."
Rudra looked at her carefully.
"Not everything needs to be spoken," he said quietly.
"Some things do," she replied just as softly.
The distance between them didn't change.
But something else did.
Rudra finally said, "I'll talk to him today."
Monika nodded.
"Okay."
And for once—
That was enough.
---
Later in the hall, Dhruv and Lakshmi walked in together—still arguing, but not really.
"You're the reason I couldn't study properly," Lakshmi said.
"You weren't studying properly even before I came."
"That's not true."
"It is."
"You're impossible."
"And you're repeating yourself again."
"I am not!"
"You are."
Before she could argue further, Monika looked at them.
"You two started early today."
"He started," Lakshmi said immediately.
"She continued," Dhruv added.
Monika sighed. "Of course."
Rudra walked in at that moment.
His eyes went straight to Dhruv.
"Come with me."
Dhruv blinked. "Why?"
"I need to talk to you."
Lakshmi looked between them.
Dhruv looked at Rudra, then back at Lakshmi.
"…Should I be worried?" he asked casually.
"Yes," Lakshmi said instantly.
"No," Rudra said at the same time.
Dhruv smirked slightly. "Confusing answers."
"Now," Rudra said.
Dhruv sighed dramatically. "Fine."
As he walked past Lakshmi, he leaned slightly toward her.
"Pray for me."
"I won't," she said.
"You're heartless."
"You deserve it."
He smiled and followed Rudra
Inside the study room, the door closed behind them.
Rudra stood near the table, while Dhruv leaned casually against the chair.
"So," Dhruv said, "this looks serious."
"It is."
"That's rare."
Rudra didn't react. "You need to stop."
"Stop what?"
"Creating unnecessary chaos."
Dhruv frowned slightly. "It's not unnecessary."
"It is."
"It's not."
Rudra's voice remained calm. "You're distracting her."
Dhruv straightened a little.
"I'm helping her."
"This is not helping."
"You don't know that."
Rudra looked at him carefully. "I know enough."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Dhruv said quietly, "I'm not hurting her."
Rudra's expression didn't change. "Make sure you don't."
That wasn't a warning.
It was something else.
Something deeper.
Dhruv nodded once.
"I won't."