The party had ended late, but Meera couldn't sleep. She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, replaying the evening's events in her mind.

The whispers, the judging eyes, the way she had felt so out of place—was this going to be her life forever?

Aarav’s words lingered in her thoughts.

"You do belong, Meera. You just don’t realize it yet."

But did she?

She turned onto her side, glancing toward the couch where Aarav usually slept. Tonight, he wasn’t there. She hadn’t seen him after the party ended.

Curious, she got up and quietly stepped out of the bedroom. The house was silent, the faint glow of nightlights casting long shadows on the marble floors.

She found him in the study.

The door was slightly ajar, and through it, she saw Aarav sitting at his desk, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his fingers pressed against his temples as if he were battling an unseen storm.

A half-empty glass of whiskey sat beside him.

Meera hesitated. Aarav was always composed, always in control. But right now, he looked… burdened.

Before she could decide whether to leave or step in, he spoke.

"You’re awake?"

She bit her lip before pushing the door open further. "I couldn’t sleep."

Aarav leaned back in his chair, studying her. "Neither could I."

Meera hesitated, then walked in, wrapping her arms around herself. "Is something wrong?"

Aarav exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Just business matters. Nothing you need to worry about."

She frowned. "That doesn’t mean you have to deal with everything alone."

He let out a dry chuckle. "That’s how it works, Meera. In my world, you either handle things yourself, or they fall apart."

His world.

There it was again—the reminder that she was a newcomer in his life, that no matter how much she tried, she might never truly be a part of it.

She looked at the glass on the desk. "You drink?"

Aarav raised an eyebrow. "Occasionally. You disapprove?"

She shrugged. "I don’t have a problem with it. Just didn’t expect it from you."

Aarav smirked. "You don’t know me well enough to expect anything, do you?"

Meera sighed, looking away. "I guess not."

A silence settled between them, filled only by the soft ticking of the grandfather clock.

Then, Aarav spoke again.

"How was today for you?"

Meera blinked at the unexpected question. "The party?"

He nodded.

She considered lying, telling him everything was fine. But something about the way he was looking at her made her tell the truth.

"It was overwhelming," she admitted. "I felt like an outsider."

Aarav’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t seem surprised.

"You’ll get used to it," he said after a moment.

Meera let out a humorless laugh. "That’s what everyone keeps saying."

He studied her for a long moment before saying, "You don’t have to prove anything to them, Meera. Just be yourself."

She wanted to believe that. She really did.

But being herself had never felt more difficult.

---

The next morning, Meera was determined to regain some sense of control.

If she was going to be part of this household, she needed to carve out a space for herself.

So after breakfast, she found Sunita Malhotra in the living room, sipping her morning tea.

"Maa, can I talk to you?" Meera asked hesitantly.

Sunita looked up, slightly surprised but gestured for her to sit. "Of course, beta. What is it?"

Meera took a deep breath. "I’d like to help with something. Maybe manage some household responsibilities?"

Sunita raised an eyebrow. "That’s not necessary, dear. We have staff for everything."

"I know," Meera said quickly. "But I don’t want to just sit around. I want to contribute."

Sunita studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Alright. You can oversee the charity work I’m involved in. We run a few initiatives for underprivileged women and children. Would that interest you?"

Meera’s eyes brightened. "Yes. I’d love that."

"Good," Sunita said with a small smile. "I’ll introduce you to the team this week."

For the first time in days, Meera felt like she had a purpose.

---

Later that day, Meera decided to explore more of the mansion’s library. It was a quiet space, filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and plush armchairs.

She had just settled into a book when she heard someone clear their throat.

Looking up, she saw Aarav standing at the door.

"You’re hiding in here?" he asked, amused.

She smiled slightly. "Not hiding. Just… escaping for a little while."

He stepped in, glancing at the book in her hands. "You read business books?"

Meera looked at the title—The Art of Negotiation.

She shrugged. "Trying to understand your world a little better."

Aarav’s expression softened, just a little. "And what have you learned so far?"

She smirked. "That it’s full of people who pretend to like each other while secretly waiting for them to fail."

Aarav chuckled. "Not entirely wrong."

He sat down across from her, and for a moment, they just sat there in comfortable silence.

Meera hesitated before asking, "Do you ever wish things were different?"

Aarav leaned back, thinking. "Different how?"

"I don’t know… that you had more control over your life? That you weren’t bound by expectations?"

Aarav was quiet for a long moment before saying, "Everyone is bound by something, Meera. Even you."

She frowned. "Me?"

He nodded. "You agreed to this marriage because your parents expected it. I agreed because mine did. We’re both playing roles."

Meera bit her lip. "But what if I don’t want to just play a role?"

Aarav looked at her then, really looked at her.

"Then don’t," he said simply.

Meera exhaled, feeling an odd sense of relief.

Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t as different as she thought.