MARRIED 'SINGLES'

BLISSFUL MORNING

Happy reading....

As Mahir gently broke away from Bela, his eyes caught the figure of Aditya seated a little distance away, surrounded by a group of men who appeared to be business associates.

But what drew Mahir's attention was the way Aditya's gaze was fixed on Anu, who was dancing carefree with Lakshya, completely unaware of the scrutiny.

Mahir leaned in to whisper to Bela, "Aditya is here." Bela's eyes widened in surprise.

"Here? My boss? I never thought he was the type to hang out in a place like this," she murmured, glancing over to where Mahir indicated.

Aditya, usually composed and quiet, looked different-his usual stoic demeanor slightly cracked as he watched Anu, something intense simmering behind his eyes. Bela noticed it too, and a flicker of concern crossed her face.

"I'm going to go say hi," Mahir said, sensing that something needed to be addressed.

Bela nodded, her gaze shifting back to Anu, who was still lost in the rhythm of the music, laughing as Lakshya spun her around. She hadn't noticed Aditya's presence yet.

Mahir made his way across the room toward Aditya's table, navigating through the crowd.

As he approached, he could see that Aditya was only half-engaged in the conversation with his companions, his attention continuously drifting back to Anu.

"Aditya," Mahir greeted as he reached the table, offering a handshake.

Aditya looked up, slightly startled out of his reverie, before recognizing Mahir.

"Mahir, what a surprise," Aditya responded, his voice measured but with an edge that Mahir hadn't heard before. He stood up and shook Mahir's hand, briefly breaking his focus from Anu. Then gave him a quick hug and smiled at him.

"Didn't expect to see you here," Mahir said, his tone light, but his eyes observant. He noticed the way Aditya's gaze flickered back to Anu, and he could sense the tension underlying his seemingly calm demeanor.

"Business meeting," Aditya replied, gesturing to the group at his table, though his voice lacked its usual crispness. "But it seems you're here for pleasure."

Mahir nodded, "Yeah, just hanging out with friends. But I couldn't help but notice you seemed a bit distracted," he added, subtly implying what he had observed.

Aditya's jaw tightened, and he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Just keeping an eye on things," he said vaguely, but Mahir could tell there was more to it.

Mahir decided not to press further, instead offering, "Well, if you want to join us, we're just over there." He nodded towards the direction where Bela and the others were.

Aditya simply nodded, his eyes already drifting back to Anu, who was still dancing, blissfully unaware. Mahir turned and made his way back to Bela, feeling a sense of unease.

When he returned, Bela whispered, "What did he say?"

"Not much," Mahir replied, glancing back over his shoulder at Aditya. "But I don't think he's here just for business."

Bela followed his gaze and sighed, her concern growing. "Anu hasn't noticed him yet."

Mahir nodded, "Let's keep an eye on things. Something tells me this night isn't going to be as carefree as we thought."

Bela agreed, and together they subtly watched the dynamic between their friends, aware that the night had just taken a complicated turn.

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Anu excused herself to go washroom and as she walked into the corridor, she suddenly felt someone's presence behind her.