Shradda’s pov!

“Why does he look at me like that?” I asked myself, staring into the mirror.

A blush crept up my cheeks as I thought about the way he looked at me and how I felt when he did. Oh Krishna! Am I having a crush on my boss’s brother? The thought made me chuckle.

Come on, Shraddha. Stop being a fool. So what if he is extraordinarily handsome? Just drool over him for a little bit and then get over it, I told myself as I looked at the mirror.

I can’t start dreaming about the handsome brother of Diya Ma'am. I am just an orphan who grew up in a small orphanage in Mussoorie. I have no right to dream about a life with someone as charismatic as Dhruv. I chided myself for the silly crush I had developed on the newcomer.

Sighing, I opened the small box in my cupboard. Inside was a small gold pendant with the name ‘Shraddha’ written in cursive. It was the only thing connecting me to my roots. When I was found, I had this pendant and chain, and that’s how I knew they name was Shraddha. I had no idea if my parents left me or if I got lost. All I knew was that I was an orphan. Once, the matron of the orphanage told me she thought I might have been a victim of the landslide in Mussoorie. If so, why didn’t my parents come searching for me? Or did they not survive the calamity? The thought made my heart sore. All I had was this pendant and the dreams in which a little boy named Sid would come to me. He would call me Shrey and laugh with me. That’s all I saw in my ever-frequent dreams. 

Sid!! Whenever I see that boy in my dream, I feel an overwhelming sense of love and connection. Who is he? Who is he to me? Why does he always appear in my dreams? When I am happy. When I am sad. He always comes.

A knock on the door startled me out of my depressing thoughts. I safely kept the pendant back in the cupboard and opened the door to find Dhruv standing there.

"Yes, Sir?" I said with a polite smile.

"Let’s quit with the formalities. I am not your employer, Shraddha," Dhruv said with a smile, his eyes full of male appreciation as he looked at me.

Was he also having a crush on me? The mere thought caused a shiver to run down my spine.

"Sure, Dhruv ji..." I said, and Dhruv frowned.

"Dhruv is fine. The ji makes me feel old," Dhruv said with a chuckle, and I couldn’t help but smile.

"Okay. Dhruv it is then," I said.

"I came to check if you are up for a small outing. I was thinking of taking Ansh out. Would you mind joining us?" Dhruv asked. A part of me wanted to say no and stay away from the tempting presence of Dhruv. But another part enjoyed his attention — the way he looked at me and spoke to me. There was something pulling me to him, and I couldn’t understand what it was.

"Okay..." I said hesitantly.

"Great. Why don’t you get ready then? And Ansh too..." Dhruv asked.

"Give me ten minutes," I said with a smile.

"Ten minutes to get ready? I don’t believe that. I have heard that time is never enough for a lady to get ready," Dhruv said, and I laughed.

"Women can take as little as two minutes or as long as two hours. It all depends on their mood," I said with a smile.

"Ah, I see. Let’s see what mood you are in then," Dhruv said with a flirty smile, and I blushed.

"Just ten minutes..." I mumbled and quickly locked myself in my room.

Oh Krishna! Was he flirting with me?

I quickly got ready in a green salwar suit, letting my hair down to dry naturally. I fixed a matching bindi on my forehead and applied some eyeliner and lip balm before walking out of the room. I went into Ansh’s room and got him ready too.

As I entered the living room where Dhruv was waiting, my heart was beating crazily. I watched as Dhruv’s eyes widened as he took in my presence.

"You look beautiful with your hair down, Shraddha," Dhruv said huskily, and I shivered as though he had touched me.

Dhruv’s pov!

As I heard the footsteps, I looked up and my eyes widened seeing Shraddha.

"You look beautiful with your hair down, Shraddha," I said, unable to take my eyes off her. Her long lustrous hair was cascading down her back and she looked gorgeous with her hair down. She doesn’t have any additional makeup on. Just a bindi and some eyeliner, but she was looking stunning.

No wonder Sidhant had fallen for her, I thought furiously.

Why did she have to go for a married man? Are there not enough single men out there that she had to set her eyes on a married man? I felt my mood darkening at these thoughts.

Do you have any proof that she is having an affair with Sid, a part of me asked. That thought made me pause. Yes, I don’t have any proof. I just took Diya’s words in because all through the last five years, I have been waiting for Sid to mess this up. Our father’s betrayal and mother’s suicide had caused me a huge damage. I find it hard to trust people. 

Okay, Dhruv. Don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe there is another side to the story. Anyways, I will be here for a week and I will watch her closely to find out what she is.

“Dhruv?” Shradda’s anxious voice brought me out of my spiralling thoughts and I managed to put a smile on my face.

“Shall we go? The cab is almost here.” Dhruv said and Shraddha nodded.

“Are you ready for an adventure, Anshu?” Shraddha asked Ansh.

“Yes..” He cheered excitedly.

As we walked out of the house, I couldn’t help but steal glances at Shraddha. There was something about her that drew me in, despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. Her innocence and warmth were hard to ignore. Well, the pretence of innocence probably.

We all piled into the cab, and I watched as Shraddha buckled Ansh in with care. Her gentle touch and the way she interacted with him made my heart ache for reasons I couldn’t fully understand. As the cab started moving, I tried to push away my turbulent thoughts and focus on the present moment.

"Where are we going, Dhruv mamu?" Ansh asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"We are going to the park," I said with a grin. "Are you ready for some fun?"

"Yes!" He shouted excitedly.

Shraddha turned to look at me, her eyes wide with surprise. 

"Park? That's wonderful. Ansh will love it."

I smiled at her. 

"I thought it would be nice to take him to the park. I want to see him happy."

The drive to the park was filled with laughter and chatter from Ansh. I found myself relaxing more, enjoying his excitement and Shraddha's occasional glances in my direction. When we arrived, Ansh practically bounced out of the cab, his energy infectious.

We spent the next few hours going on rides, playing games, and indulging in treats. I couldn’t help but notice how Shraddha's face lit up with genuine happiness as she watched Ansh have fun. Her laughter was like music, and I found myself drawn to her even more.

At one point, as we were waiting in line for a ride, I turned to Shraddha. 

"You seem to have a way with children. He adores you." I said and she blushed, looking down. 

"I love being around children. They bring so much joy." She said, I nodded, feeling a pang of something I couldn't quite identify. 

"It's clear he adores you, and you are great with him." I said honestly.

"Thank you, Dhruv," she said softly.

As the day came to an end, and we were heading back home, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. My initial anger and suspicion towards Shraddha were still there, but they were now mingled with admiration and an undeniable attraction.

Damn!

Back at the house, Ansh was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. Diya, it seems, has already retired for the night. 

It surprised me that she didn’t wait for Ansh to get home. Neither did Ansh ask for his mom. It seemed weird, but I brushed it off. Ansh must have been too exhausted after an energetic evening. And Diya must also have been pretty wound down after an evening in the spa.

Shraddha and I stood in the living room, a comfortable silence settling between us.

“Thank you for today,” she said, her voice gentle. “Ansh had a wonderful time.”

"It was my pleasure. And thank you for coming along."

She smiled, and for a moment, I felt a connection between us.

But then the memory of why I was here came back to me, and I felt the darkness creeping in again.

“I should get some rest. Goodnight, Dhruv,” Shraddha said, breaking the moment.

"Goodnight, Shraddha," I replied, watching as she disappeared down the hallway.

As I stood there alone, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Shraddha than met the eye. 

Shut up, Dhruv! You needn’t psychoanalyse Shraddha. All you have to do is get her out of Diya’s life. Even if it is by claiming her as yours, I told myself..