The Secret Wife of the CEO

Mission Impossible

Bhargav hesitated, glancing briefly at the stairs again. He wasn't sure how long Sanju would be awake, and after the night before, he didn't want to miss his window. He had barely contained his frustration when she had fallen asleep mid-romance, and tonight was supposed to be different. But now, his family wanted to chat, and leaving immediately would only seem rude.

With a sigh, he reluctantly moved over to the couch and sat beside his mother. "Sure, Amma. What's on your mind?"

Ajji, who had been watching him closely, smiled in her usual mischievous way. "Nothing too serious, Bhargav. Just some catching up. How's the PR going after the press conference? Everything settled down now?"

Bhargav forced a smile, feeling his patience start to slip. He had answered these questions earlier in the day, but Ajji wasn't the type to give up easily once she got started. "Yeah, Ajji, everything's fine. The press conference went well, and the PR team's handling the rest. Things are quiet for now."

Ajji raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "Quiet, hmm? No new projects on the horizon?"

Bhargav nodded distractedly, feeling his attention drift toward the stairs again. His thoughts kept slipping back to Sanju. Was she still awake? He hoped so. "I'm sure we'll have new projects soon, Ajji," he said, trying to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible. "But right now, things are pretty settled."

But before he could excuse himself, Raghav, who had been sitting quietly on the couch, chimed in with an overly dramatic yawn. "Anna, you're looking a little too tired yourself. You've been out all evening. Sweaty, maybe?"

Bhargav frowned, shooting his younger brother a suspicious look. "What are you talking about, Raghav?" Raghav grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "I'm just saying, you've been running around all day. You might want to freshen up a bit. You know... take a quick shower before your room upstairs starts stinking."

Bhargav gave him a pointed look, starting to feel like something was off. He wasn't that sweaty, and he certainly didn't care for a shower right now — he just needed to get upstairs before Sanju drifted off again.

"I'm fine, Raghav," Bhargav said, trying to cut the conversation short. "Maybe you're the stinky one who needs a shower."

But before he could make his escape, Ajji chimed in again, her eyes twinkling with playful mischief. "No, Raghav's right, Bhargav. You should freshen up a bit. There's no need to rush. Take a shower downstairs — it'll only take a few minutes. You'll feel much better."

Bhargav felt his frustration mounting but knew there was no point in arguing. He could feel his family pulling him into their web of small talk and delays, and though he didn't quite understand why, he decided it would be easier to just go along with it for now. After all, if taking a quick shower would get him out of the living room faster, then maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. "Fine," he muttered, giving in. "I'll take a quick shower."

The shower, though quick, did little to calm Bhargav's growing frustration. The cool water might have cooled his body, but it couldn't douse the fire building inside him. His mind was still upstairs, with Sanju, wondering if she was still awake, hoping she wasn't sleeping without him.

As he stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed a neatly folded white dhoti waiting for him on the counter. It had clearly been placed there while he was in the shower. Bhargav stared at it for a moment, mildly confused. He hadn't planned on changing into anything traditional, but apparently, someone had different ideas.

Really? A dhoti? he thought to himself, shaking his head slightly. Still, he tied the dhoti around his waist, adjusting the folds with practiced ease. It wasn't what he had in mind for the night, but it was comfortable, and if it got him upstairs any faster, he wasn't about to argue.