One Week Later – At Anamika’s House
The house was bustling with activity. Ruhi and Anamika had woken up late and were already running late for work.
Meanwhile, Saaniya walked into the kitchen — but she wasn’t alone. Rahul had already been there, trying to help her. Well, “help” might not be the right word — his efforts were actually creating more work for her.
Rahul didn’t really know much about household chores, but he felt deeply that he couldn’t just stay in someone’s house without contributing. For the past seven days, he had been trying his best to help in one way or another.
Cleaning the house, he somehow managed. Cooking, however, was a completely different story — but he wasn’t the kind of person who gave up easily.
Over the past few days, he had at least learned how to chop vegetables. Which is why every morning, he would start cutting vegetables to make salad for everyone. The only problem? He had no sense of quantity.
Today, for four people, he had chopped enough vegetables to fill an entire pot. Saaniya stood in front of him, arms crossed, staring at him like a disappointed teacher.
Rahul asked hesitantly, “Did I… not make it properly?”
Saaniya sighed in disbelief, rubbed her forehead to calm herself down, and asked, “How many people are having breakfast here today?”
“Um… four?” Rahul answered with innocent confusion.
“Then why does it look like you’ve prepared food for the entire village?!” she snapped.
Rahul lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry… I guess I got carried away.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Saaniya sighed, “Forget it. What’s done is done,” and walked out to open the door.
Rahul stood staring at the oversized salad, looking utterly defeated.
When Saaniya opened the door, she found Aniket and Aditya standing outside. She gave them a sarcastic smile and said, “Of course! You two won’t rest until you’ve completely ruined your company, will you?”
Aniket groaned, “And you won’t rest until you kill every bit of romance in this story with your constant sarcasm, will you?!”
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“Watch it!” she snapped.
Aniket leaned in closer and said, “We’ve been listening to your complaints for seven days. Maybe it’s time you listened to someone else’s for once!”
Saaniya made a face and walked away.
Rahul came out of the kitchen and asked, “Do you guys like salad?”
Aditya looked slightly confused.
“Uh… yeah? I mean, sometimes. Why?”
Rahul lit up.
“Great! Then you two are staying for breakfast.”
Aniket gave Aditya a look.
“I’m not even going to try to guess what that was about.”
A few minutes later,
Ruhi smiled at Aniket and asked, “Aniket sir, how is the training going? I’ve barely had a chance to meet Shekhar sir, so I don’t know what he’s like. What kind of person is he?”
Aniket responded dramatically, “Don’t even ask! I can’t figure out if he’s training me to be the owner of the company or an army officer. So much discipline! I’m actually starting to doubt if I’m such a spoiled brat after all!
He’s teaching me everything — how to sit, how to stand, how to talk. He says unless I learn these basics, he won’t teach me anything else. Can you believe that?!”
Anamika couldn’t help but laugh.
Aniket looked at her and said, “Yeah, go ahead and laugh! I think that’s why I’m here — just to entertain you people!”
“Stop your drama or I’ll throw you out!” Saaniya snapped.
Aniket made a face.
“Yeah, yeah… as if you can do anything other than threaten me. Don queen!”
Everyone laughed.
In the middle of all this, Aditya turned to Ruhi and asked, “So, you’re finally going back to the office after seven days. How does that feel? You’ve never taken such a long leave before, right?”
Ruhi nodded.
“Yeah… but I wish the reason for this leave had been something else.”
The table fell silent.
But then Ruhi smiled softly and said, “But at least one good thing came out of it — my brother finally started learning how to cook.”
Rahul scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Not perfectly yet… but I’ve learned a little.”
After breakfast, everyone started getting ready to leave.
Downstairs, Aniket had already taken out his car, and Aditya walked towards his own.
Saaniya locked the house and was about to head down when Rahul stopped her and asked, “Can I… take my sister back home now? I promise… I won’t let her get hurt again. Whatever I have to learn… whatever I have to do… I will do it just to keep her happy.”
Saaniya turned to him, her expression cold.
“Ask your sister. If she wants to go, I won’t stop her.”
Rahul’s face brightened with hope.
Far away, Anamika had overheard this conversation. She quietly walked up to Saaniya, who was about to get into her car.
Saaniya noticed her and asked in her usual curt tone, “What happened? Not going to the office with Aditya and Ruhi? Want to come with me instead?”
Anamika shook her head.
“No… I just wanted to ask something.”
“Then ask quickly.” Saaniya opened her car door.
“You allowed Rahul to take Ruhi back home. Does that mean you trust him now?”
Saaniya replied bluntly, “I never doubted him… but I never trusted him either.
Because I saw weakness in him. Yes, he always supported Ruhi, but he never had the courage to confront his father or hold him accountable.
But over these last seven days, I’ve seen how he went against his relatives and society just to make sure his father was punished for what he did.
Maybe now he’s found the courage — not just to love his sister, but to fight for her too. And if he can do that, then yes, I believe he won’t hurt her again.
And anyway… none of this really concerns me.”
Anamika smiled.
“You say it doesn’t concern you, but you still kept Ruhi here for seven days, didn’t you? Hard to believe… but it feels like, just like me, your world is starting to grow too.”
Saaniya’s cheeks turned red. Hiding her emotions, she quickly sat inside the car and said, “You’ve been hanging out with Aditya and Aniket too much — you’ve started imagining things!”
Anamika grinned. “And I like it!”
With that, she ran off and hopped into Aditya’s car.
Aditya’s car drove towards their office.
Aniket’s car left for his own office.
Saaniya’s car headed towards the hospital.
Rahul took out his car and left for work too.
Looking out the car window at the sky, Anamika thought, “Just like Rahul earned everyone’s trust, I have to earn it too — so that I can meet my father one day.”
