THE IInd DECISION

🌸Pehli Rasoi🌸

Aashi Pov:-

Just as I was about to head to the bathroom, the door opened, and Ayan appeared before me, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I froze, my breath catching in my throat as I stared at him, my eyes wide with surprise.

He seemed just as startled to see me awake. For a moment, we both stood there, the air between us thick with awkwardness.

"Uh, good morning," he said, his voice uncertain, as if he wasn't sure how to navigate the situation.

I quickly averted my gaze, trying to focus on anything but the sight of him standing there. "Good morning," I mumbled, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

"I didn't mean to-uh-I thought you'd still be asleep," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"It's fine," I replied quickly, wishing the ground would just swallow me whole.

There was a brief, uncomfortable silence before he finally said, "I, um, put the duvet on you last night. You looked cold."

I glanced at the now-empty bed, the realization dawning on me. "Thanks," I murmured, feeling a strange mix of emotions-gratitude, embarrassment, and something else I couldn't quite place.

He nodded, and for a moment, our eyes met. There was something in his gaze that made my heart skip a beat, but I quickly looked away, clearing my throat.

"I'll, uh, just go get dressed," he said, backing towards the closet.

I nodded, muttering, "Yeah, I'll just-" I gestured towards the bathroom and hurried past him, my heart still pounding in my chest.

As I closed the bathroom door behind me, I leaned against it, taking a deep breath. The sight of him, the awkwardness, the way he'd put the duvet over me-all of it swirled in my mind. This marriage was supposed to be simple, emotionless, a mere contract. But moments like these were making it anything but.

The morning had already taken an unexpected turn, and I wasn't sure how to navigate the day ahead. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would clear my mind and help me focus.

After a few moments, I composed myself and stepped out, only to find Ayan already dressed in a crisp shirt and pants, looking every bit the professional. He was seated on the edge of the bed, tying his shoes, his expression focused, as if he was trying to pretend our earlier encounter hadn't happened.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere between us was still tinged with awkwardness from our earlier interaction, but I knew I couldn't just avoid him forever.

"Are you heading out to work?" I asked, my voice more casual than I felt.

He looked up at me, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah, I have a few meetings today. I'll be back later this evening." He paused for a moment before adding, "If you need anything, you can call me, or Riya's around too."

I nodded, feeling a bit more at ease now that the conversation had shifted to something more neutral. "I'll be fine. I have some work to catch up on as well."

He stood up, grabbing his briefcase from the side table. For a moment, he seemed like he wanted to say something more, but instead, he just gave me a small nod. "Take care, Ashi."

I didn't say anything.

As the door closed behind him, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. The silence of the room felt almost too loud now, and I found myself standing there, unsure of what to do next. I had work to do, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the awkward tension between us, the way he'd looked at me, the strange blend of formality and something else that hung in the air.

I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts aside. This was a temporary arrangement-six months, and then we'd go our separate ways. I just needed to stay focused on my career, on my goals, and not get distracted by the complexities of this situation.

I quickly changed into a subtle pink suit and loosely braided my hair, trying to present a calm exterior despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me. The soft pink fabric gave me a different look, one that screamed newly wedded bride. As I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my eyes fell on the Sindoor in my hairline and the nuptial chain around my neck-a stark reminder of the life I'd just stepped into. But before I could dwell on it, my phone buzzed with a message: "Bhabhi, tell me if you're ready."

I hurried downstairs, my heart pounding, trying to keep my emotions in check. As I entered the dining area, I found Riya already seated in her formal attire, casually eating breakfast. Ayan was sipping his coffee, looking as composed as ever. I paused, feeling out of place and overwhelmed, but forced myself to step forward.

Riya spotted me and, with a playful glint in her eyes, called out, "Well, bhabhi, how was your night?" She winked mischievously, and Ayan nearly choked on his coffee. My eyes widened in shock-how could she be so blunt? I quickly glanced around, relieved to see that Adviti Aunty wasn't there to witness this awkward exchange.

Suddenly, the memories of last night flashed before me-our awkward argument about who would sleep where, the way he had come so close to me, only to retreat just as quickly. My face heated up, and I felt utterly flustered. Ayan, clearly just as uncomfortable, set his coffee down with a bit more force than necessary and swiftly exited the room, leaving me alone to face Riya's teasing smile.

At that moment, Adviti Aunty walked in, her presence calming the atmosphere. "Good morning," she greeted warmly. I quickly bent down to take her blessings, trying to compose myself.

"Today is your first Rasoi," she said with a smile. "What would you like to make?"

I wasn't worried about cooking; it was something I could handle. "Whatever you'd like, Aunty," I replied with a genuine smile, trying to shake off the lingering embarrassment from Riya's earlier comment.

"Then how about halwa? We'll have it for dinner; it's something the whole family enjoys together," she suggested kindly.

I nodded and headed into the kitchen, where the household staff were already busy preparing lunch. I focused on making the halwa, determined to do a good job. When it was done, I tasted it, and relief washed over me-it was delicious, just as I had hoped.

Feeling a bit more confident, I left the kitchen, only to be jolted by the sight of a new message on my phone. It was from my office group chat, reminding me of the big meeting tomorrow-the one for the project I had been working on. Before I could even process that, another message from my HR popped up:

"I'm very sorry, Ashi, but our company has been recently acquired, and the new CEO wants to have a meeting tomorrow about the accounts project. We can't avoid this. He's said to be a cold person, but you have to be ready with the project."

My heart sank. I stared at the screen in disbelief. There was so much work left, and I didn't even have 24 hours to prepare. Panic started to rise within me. How could this happen now, of all times?

Without wasting a second, I messaged my team, urgently asking them to send all the files to this address. The pressure was mounting, and I felt like I was being pulled in a million different directions-newlywed expectations at home, and now this unexpected crisis at work.

I couldn't sit through breakfast with the others, not in this state. Grabbing my plate, I retreated to my room, my thoughts racing. I opened my laptop, determined to dive into work, but the weight of everything bore down on me-my new life, the looming deadline, the expectations I was already struggling to meet.

As I started working, the anxiety gnawed at me. I couldn't afford to mess this up, not after everything I had sacrificed. Yet, the tension between my personal and professional life was already starting to strain, and I had no idea how I would balance it all.

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