The more Meera settled into the Malhotra household, the more she realized how deeply rooted traditions and expectations were. There were rules—some spoken, some unspoken—that governed every aspect of life here.

She had started working with Sunita on the charity projects, which gave her a sense of purpose. But beyond that, her relationship with Aarav remained unchanged—distant yet oddly comfortable.

They weren’t strangers anymore, but they weren’t truly husband and wife either.

And Meera wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

---

One evening, Meera was in the garden, enjoying the quiet after a long day of meetings for the charity. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Aarav approaching.

"You spend a lot of time out here," he noted.

She smiled slightly. "It’s peaceful. A nice escape from… everything."

Aarav nodded, standing beside her. "I get that."

She studied him, curious. "Do you ever escape?"

He smirked. "I don’t have the luxury."

Meera frowned. "You’re the CEO of your company. If anyone has control over their life, it’s you."

Aarav let out a dry chuckle. "You’d think so, wouldn’t you?"

Meera tilted her head. "Then who controls your life?"

Aarav was silent for a moment before saying, "Expectations."

It was the most honest thing he had ever said to her.

She watched him carefully. "Is that why you agreed to this marriage?"

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked out at the horizon, as if gathering his thoughts.

Finally, he spoke. "Marriage was inevitable, Meera. It was never about what I wanted—it was about what was expected."

Meera swallowed. "And what did you want?"

Aarav turned to her then, his gaze unreadable.

"I don’t know," he admitted.

Something in his voice made her chest tighten.

"Do you regret it?" she asked quietly.

Aarav held her gaze. "No. Do you?"

Meera hesitated.

She wanted to say no. She wanted to believe that everything would eventually fall into place.

But the truth was, she didn’t know.

So instead of answering, she looked away.

And Aarav didn’t press her for an answer.

---

That night, as Meera lay in bed, she kept thinking about their conversation.

There was something about Aarav—something beneath his composed exterior—that made her want to understand him.

But he never let anyone in.

Maybe that was the problem.

---

The next day, Meera decided to visit the office.

She had never seen Aarav in his professional world, and after their conversation, she was curious.

Sunita had mentioned that the Malhotra Group was planning a big expansion, and Meera wondered what it was like for Aarav to carry that responsibility.

When she arrived, the receptionist looked surprised but quickly composed herself.

"Mrs. Malhotra," she greeted respectfully. "Mr. Malhotra is in a meeting. Would you like to wait in his office?"

Meera nodded. "Yes, please."

She was led to a spacious, modern office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The room was impeccably neat—everything in its place, just like Aarav.

She sat down, taking in her surroundings. The shelves were lined with books on business strategy, economics, and leadership. A single framed photo sat on the desk—it was of Aarav and Riya from years ago.

There were no personal touches beyond that.

No pictures of their wedding.

No sign that she was a part of his world.

Before she could dwell on that thought, the door opened, and Aarav walked in.

He stopped mid-step, surprised to see her.

"Meera?"

She stood up. "I hope I’m not disturbing you."

His expression softened slightly. "No, just unexpected."

"I wanted to see where you work," she admitted. "I thought… maybe I could understand you better."

Aarav exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "There’s not much to understand, Meera. This is just business."

"But business is your life," she countered. "I want to be part of it."

He studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Alright. Come with me."

---

Aarav took her on a brief tour of the office, introducing her to a few key employees. Everyone was respectful, but Meera noticed the curious glances they exchanged.

They were wondering the same thing she was—why was she here?

Finally, Aarav led her to a private conference room.

"You really want to understand?" he asked.

Meera nodded.

He sat down and gestured for her to do the same.

"Alright. We’re in the middle of finalizing a major real estate project. High stakes, high rewards. But also, high risk."

She listened intently as he explained the intricacies of the deal—market trends, investor expectations, competitor strategies.

Meera was surprised by how passionate he sounded.

"Does this make you happy?" she asked when he finished.

Aarav hesitated. "Success makes me happy."

She frowned. "That’s not the same thing."

He sighed. "It’s the closest thing I know."

Meera bit her lip. "Then what makes you truly happy?"

Aarav didn’t answer right away.

For the first time, she saw hesitation in his eyes.

And that was when she realized—he didn’t know.

Or maybe, he just wasn’t ready to say it out loud.

---

Later that evening, back at the mansion, Meera found herself reflecting on the day.

Aarav was a man of ambition, of responsibility. He carried the weight of his family’s legacy, their expectations.

But somewhere beneath all that, there was a man who had never been asked what he truly wanted.

Maybe they weren’t so different after all.

As she sat on the bed, Aarav walked in, removing his watch and setting it on the table.

"You surprised me today," he said.

She looked up. "Good surprise or bad?"

He smirked. "Still deciding."

Meera smiled. "I meant what I said. I want to understand you, Aarav."

His expression shifted, something unreadable passing through his eyes.

"You might not like what you find," he murmured.

Meera held his gaze. "Let me be the judge of that."

For a moment, she thought he might actually open up.

But then, just like always, he pulled back.

"Good night, Meera," he said, turning away.

And just like that, the walls between them remained.