Veiled Affections : "His Loyal Heart, Her Hidden Love "

CHAPTER 6 🎀

HEY, lovely readers!

Anveer's POV✨

"Just a random encounter," he muttered under his breath, but deep down, he knew it was more than that.
Her fierce determination was a stark contrast to the power plays he was used to, and it both intrigued and annoyed him.
Anveer couldn't afford distractions-not now, not ever. With a sigh, he focused on the tasks ahead, pushing the thoughts of her aside.
But no matter how hard he tried, her image remained, hovering in the back of his mind like a shadow he couldn't shake off.

As the day unfolds, he drowned himself in work, meetings... He was in his office, which he himself expanded by working his ass off. "Come in" he said as someone knocked...

"Sir...," she began cautiously, "We've received confirmation from New York. You need to leave by tomorrow evening for the project."I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling inside me. New York? Now? As if everything else wasn't enough, now I had to fly out and handle more chaos. Priya stood stiffly, clearly scared after witnessing my temper earlier. I didn't blame her; not many people could handle me on my worst days."Fine," I grunted, my voice low. "Get everything ready."She nodded quickly and scurried out of the room.
I sank into my chair, eyes focused on the mountain of files before me. Work, work, and more work-that was all my life had become. I could almost hear Shubh's voice in my head, urging me to slow down. But slowing down wasn't in my vocabulary. Not with everything riding on me.---By the time I finished everything, the clock had almost struck midnight. My body ached from sitting too long, but the quiet of the office felt better than the noise in my head. I grabbed my keys and headed out, the streets empty and silent as I drove back home.
When I finally stepped inside the house, I wasn't surprised to see the dining room light on. Mumma was waiting for me, as always. She sat at the dinner table, her face softening the moment she saw me."Tu phir late aaya?" she asked, her tone more worried than accusing. (You came late again?)I shrugged, avoiding her eyes.
"Kaam si, Mumma," I muttered, walking over to her. (It was work, Mumma.) She gestured to the food laid out on the table. "Aaja, kuch khaa le. Tu aise nahi reh sakda. Hadd ho gayi, Anveer. Roz itna kaam, phir tere sehat nu nuksaan hoyega." (Come, eat something. You can't go on like this. It's too much, Anveer. Every day, so much work-it'll ruin your health.)I sat down with her, picking at the food while she watched me like she always did. There was a warmth in the room, but I felt distant, as if I couldn't connect with it anymore.
"You've made work your entire life. But have you thought about whether you'll ever get married or not"? Maa said, her tone teasing but serious at the same time.I almost choked on the bite I had just taken. I wiped my mouth and shook my head. "Maa, I don't want to get married. I'm not interested." She raised an eyebrow. "Tera mann nahi hai? Hadd hogayi, har banda tere umar te shaadi sochda hai, aur terko bas kaam karna hai." (You're not interested? Every man your age thinks about marriage, and all you want to do is work.)I sighed, leaning back in the chair.
"I like working. I don't feel the need to get married".She shook her head in disbelief. "Tu samjhega nahi. Zindagi vich sirf kaam nahi hunda, pyaar di vi zarori hai, koi saath den wala." (You don't understand. Life isn't just about work. You also need love, someone to be by your side.)"Maa, I don't need anyone by my side. The only thing I need in my life is control. Marriage messes everything up, and love only brings more tension".She laughed softly, the kind of laugh that said she knew better than me.
"Whoever marries you will need to have a lot of patience".I smirked, pushing back from the table.
"I don't need someone with patience; I just want my life to stay simple".As I stood to leave, she sighed, her voice softer now. "Bas meri gal sun le, puttar. Zindagi sirf kaam nahi hai. Life isn't only about work. Marriage and letting someone into your life isn't as hard as you think it is. (Just listen to me, son.