Beneath The Storm (Completed)

Chapter-27: Echoes of Power & Peace

Merry Christmas 🎄 🎁

Unaware of the conversations unfolding in his absence, Atharv focused intently on wrapping up his work.

Each day, he pushed himself, each task completed bringing him closer to leaving.

In the last five days, he had spoken to Inaara twice, the brief calls only deepening his impatience to return.

Finally, the last signature was inked, the last deal sealed.

Atharv wasted no time; he barely registered his surroundings as he drove back to the mansion, the anticipation rising with every mile.

The moment he crossed the door, his heart quickened, his eyes searching for her before he even stepped inside.

And then, he found her—sitting by the window, lost in a book, her face peaceful and absorbed in the words before her.

For a moment, he simply watched her, feeling a strange warmth settle over him. She looked up, startled, her expression softening as their eyes met.

“Inaara,” he whispered, her name on his lips like a secret he’d kept hidden even from himself.

How beautifully it flowed, each syllable carrying a quiet reverence he hadn’t expected.

He remembered the first time he heard it, so unique and intriguing, just like her.

She blinked, noticing the subtle change in his gaze, the gentleness she rarely saw in him.

“You’re back early, Atharv. Weren’t you supposed to be gone for ten days?”

Atharv didn’t answer her question. He simply stood there, letting her presence wash over him, the tension he’d carried for days dissolving in an instant. For now, he was home.

Atharv stood near the window chair, his eyes scanning Inaara as if searching for something in her expression.

His voice broke the silence that had settled between them, a question hanging in the air.

"Aren't you happy that I came back early?" he asked, his tone casual, but there was an underlying note of expectation.

Inaara froze, her mind struggling to find the right words. She wasn’t prepared for this.

Her lips parted as she tried to steady her breath, to calm the fluttering nerves that his presence seemed to stir.

“Yes,” she finally answered, her voice soft, “I’m happy that you got the deal and came early.”

The words felt too simple, too inadequate in the moment. Their gazes met, locking in an unspoken understanding.

For a brief second, time seemed to stand still as they just... looked at each other.

Neither spoke, the weight of silence hanging between them like a fragile thread.

Inaara was the first to look away, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks.

She cleared her throat, her voice breaking the quiet, though it trembled ever so slightly.

“You should freshen up,” she said, her hands folding together, the delicate movement betraying the unease she felt. “I’ll tell Asma to prepare your dinner.”