Before Anupama's eyes could widen in reaction to those 7 words, Anuj elaborated further.

"I mean, there are more rooms, yes. But GK has locked them and taken the keys with him. He knows that I don't use any of those rooms. So whenever he goes to any pilgrimage trip, he locks the rest of the house, because...." He abruptly trailed off, then rubbed his temple as his eyes strayed downwards.

"Because...?" Anupama softly asked, as she observed him hesitating to continue.

Slowly his eyes rose and peered in hers, "Because lonely, vacant rooms trouble me."

Her gentle eyes made the words smoothly slip out from his lips.

The swirling, dark storms in his eyes made Anupama's heart clench a bit.

As if realising that she is trying to read the emotions he had temporarily unveiled, Anuj tore away his gaze, looking sideways.

The veil went back up, concealing those emotions which had threatened to break free in front of Anu.

No, it can't happen! She's not supposed to know!

The last thing he wants is Anu figuring out how his life had been...and what significance she holds in that said life.

Moreover, he's here to reduce her troubles, not add more into his fighter woman's life.

So, as if like a switch flipped off, Anupama observed how the unsaid emotions slipped away from the dark orbs. Instantly, a wide smile stretched across the once hardened features of his face. Clapping his hand together, he spun around and faced her, his facial features rearranged with no trace of the earlier melancholy.

"Enough about me. We were discussing about the sleeping arrangements, right?"

'The poker faced businessman was back in action.' Anupama mused.

How was he able to switch his face from melancholic to neutral and joyful would be a mystery for her.

How many times had he fooled the world with that face, into thinking that everything is going well in his life?

'Is everything really going well in his life?' She wondered as she observed how his smile failed to reach his blank eyes.

"Anupama? We we're discussing sleeping arrangements, where are you lost?" His voice brought her back to the current pressing issues they had to deal with.

"Yes, I'm listening." She nodded, urging him to continue.

"So, there's only one bedroom. But don't worry, we will adjust." He nodded to himself as he spoke.

That got her attention.

"W-we will adjust?" She asked, unsure.

With his mind elsewhere, he nodded distractedly, "Ofcourse, that's what I'm thinking about. Don't you worry, my bedroom is pretty spacious, and the king size bed is really good for sleeping. I'm positive that you'll like the mattress of my bed."

The words 'we', 'you', 'my bed', 'sleeping', were enough to drive her mind into forbidden places.

"Y-your bed?" She managed to stutter.

He hummed distractedly. "Yes, it even has an attached bathroom, so even more convenient. You'll fit right in."

He concluded, more to himself, and finally gazed at her, in self satisfaction.

Only to find a scandalized Anupama staring at him with wide eyes. Before he could ask anything, she beat him to it.

"I'll sleep here in the living room, on this sofa." She blurted out and scurried near the couch, as if reassuring herself that the issue was fixed.

Hearing her, Anuj immediately declined. "No Anupama. No one's sleeping here, and certainly not you. We are sleeping inside." He declared in a levelled voice.

Her eyes grew more, like saucers at his words. Immediately his words started jumping around in her mind, creating havoc in her thoughts.

The prospect of them together sharing a bedroom...

He was her boss! And no matter how nice he is, still it doesn't change the fact that she hardly knew him, not even personally!

She's not sharing a bed with a man she hardly knew, even if that man happens to be Anuj.

Shaking her head frantically, she stammered, "But, how can we- how can we share one bedroom?"

Hearing her hesitant question, Anuj immediately coughed, his mind producing scenarios probably going in Anupama's overactive imagination.

He didn't expected that!!

She's thinking exactly what!?

His ears heated up, at the thought of them sharing a single bedroom, a single bed, a single blanket- and he halted his brain, freezing his thoughts right there.

Idiot gadhe! She's your business partner! She doesn't even know you!

And no way in hell she'll ever love you!

That thought stung.

Treat her the way you treat her at office, or in front of everyone. Keep her at arm's length, lest you might appear as a creep and scare her away!

That thought did the trick. Before he could creep Anupama out in any way or make her uncomfortable, he stated in firm obviousness, "Ofcourse not Anupama, why will we share a room? Ofcourse not. No way me and you are sharing a bedroom. We will sleep seperately in different rooms."

His authoritative, bossy tone was enough to cease Anu's overactive brain. She woke up from her musings as his tone clearly told how absurd her question was to begin with. It was as if she was being woken up by being dunked in ice cold water.

Pagal chokri! Tere saath room baatna toh dur, woh iske baare mei sochenge bhi nahi.

Aur sahi bhi hai, woh boss hain. Mai bhi toh yahi chahti thi.

Though Anupama tried to convince herself, still she couldn't understand why his plain, blunt denial to her question irked her.

Her head was reeling with confusion, doubts, thoughts and what not.

Even insecurities.

After all, why will such an elite personality, dream man of women, would want to stay anywhere close to a woman like her.

He might be the most sought after person, a generous man, and a true friend.

But she was an average looking, barely qualified, middle-aged divorcee, with body worn-out by conceiving 3 kids.

While he was the hot-shot celebrity, an icon who has 'aged like a fine wine' as Kavya used to say.

Whereas, she had aged like milk....

He might say and even consider them as equals, but the truth is they are not. Never will be....

Don't forget who you are Anupama, and don't you dare forget who your boss is.

That thought did the trick.

Nodding mechanically, she asked, "So where will I sleep?"

"In my room."

At his words, both of them tried hard to ignore the fuzzy sensation that passed through their bodies.

As the sensation surpassed, his words sunk in, making Anupama jolt up. "Wait, where will you sleep then?"

"There's a study in my house. I'll sleep there." He casually waved his hand as if it's a no big deal.

But it didn't deter Anupama from asking, "Does it have a bed?"

Her fierce eyes and interrogative posture made Anuj feel like a scared kid. As if he was caught stealing from the candy jar.

Looking anywhere but her challenging eyes, he muttered, "No, just a couch."

He knew it was coming.

He knew the moment he spoke those words that Anupama will try to fight him to trade places.

He knew his selfless Anu that much.

"No, no, no!" He instantly denied the moment Anupama tried to speak up. "We're not trading places Anupama. It's out of question. You'll sleep in my room, that's final."

"But Anuj, you can't just vacate your own bedroom for me and sleep in the study." She spoke up in a troubled tone, then continued, "I will not sleep there."

But the businessman knew how to had his way.

"Fine, then we will both go to 5-star hotel and book two rooms there for a few days."

Anupama was helpless. "Anuj....!"

Sensing that he's about to win that battle, he finally reasoned. "Anupama, it's not a new thing for me. I usually work late nights in my study, then end up sleeping there on the couch. You might think that I'll be uncomfortable but trust me, I won't. I live here, I couldn't be uncomfortable in my home. Please take the bedroom."

"But..." Anupama was still unsure.

"Please?"

His puppy eyes did the trick. Anupama bit back her words and finally nodded in agreement, making him crack a small smile.

With that, Anuj gestured her towards a door connected to the far corner of the living room, indicating that it was his bedroom.

Clutching the clothes in her grip, she lightly nodded, and went towards the bedroom door.

After she finally disappeared from his sight and went inside his bedroom, then he instantly picked up his own nightwear and marched towards his study.

With fast, frantic steps, he rushed inside the studyroom and locked the door, sagging against it. Letting out a breath he didn't realized he was holding, he finally let the events of the past 2 hours wash over him.

What had just happened..?

One moment he was calming working in his office, well not calmly, but still working, late night in his cabin like his regular Sundays, and the next moment, she was there...

He can clearly recall how just mere days before she told him that she feels lucky to have him.

It was the most bizarre moment of his life...

Well, it used to be.

Last time he had been so overjoyed that he had rushed into his apartment, kicked the door close, threw away the keys somewhere, and happily danced on the imaginary tunes of garba.

And now what was he supposed to feel?!

The very woman he had loved for the past 26 years and still does was no longer miles away.

She was here living with him, in his house, in his room. She would sleep on his bed, sit on his very couch, eat the same meal.....they will be living together.

THEY WILL BE LIVING TOGETHER!!!

As if struck by a whiplash, his knees gave away, and he slid down, sitting down on the floor.

Just a few days back, he was complaining to GK while kneading the dough that how he misses Anupama even after spending a whole day in office with her.

And now...

His mind recalled their conversation on the night of cooking competition.

"Koi bhi problem ho toh pareshaan mat hona, main hoon na." He had tried to ease her worries.

"Nahi hongi paresaan. Kyunki mujhe pta hai ki aap hain." His heart, which was still reeling with her earlier statement, skipped a beat.

He had looked up instantly to see her declare firmly again with confidence, "Aap hain."

His throat blocked as he realised that she did came to him in that storm when she was in trouble.

Because she trusted him to be there.

He didn't knew what to feel?!

He knew Anupama was in utter despair and he felt for her, but he couldn't help but feel happy as well, that Anu will be staying with him.

And he felt absolutely guilty for that.

But no matter what, as long as Anu is living here, he would make sure she's safe and protected from everything and everyone. Even from her misery...

She trusts him enough to stay with him... he couldn't wrap his head around that..

His heart somersaulted as the flashes of earlier memories consumed him.

How she was comfortably sipping the hot chocolate while swinging her legs just like 'his college Anu' used to do...

How his huge blazer swallowed her small frame, how she didn't minded when they had to stay closer in that umbrella to reach the car.

And how inside the car they were....

He halted his thoughts right there. Those thoughts were dangerous...

It made him feel in a way for her that wasn't right.

After his crashing into her in the car, he could still feel how painfully hard it was to pull away.

Both literally and metaphorically.

It wasn't like he had never felt in 'that' way for her. He did, usually in college days, but with far lesser intensity which was considered appropriate.

Moreover, when she had gotten married, he had restricted himself from feeling even those mild non-platonic thoughts.

Even now, after the excruciating separation of 26 years, he had never dared to think anything beyond platonic.

Maybe that's the reason why that contact in the car had shifted the direction of his feelings to—

NO!

He could still feel her gasp near his ear, her breath tickling his skin, making goosebumps crawl all over his frame.

Then how he could feel her bod—

NO!

Then that song...their fingers...

NO!

She had assumed that they're going to share a bedroom...

NO! NO! NO!

Will there be more moments like that since they're going to be living together from now on—

NO!!!

STOP IT!!!!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU IDIOT?! SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU?! NEVER WILL!

At that moment, another violent lightning bolt crashed from the sky, producing a booming, deafening reverberation.

But it felt like he was the one who got electrocuted by it...

The harsh realisation struck him like that brutual lightning bolt causing havoc outside, making him collapse on the floor in hopelessness.

Stupid hope! Stupid man to have that stupid hope just by stupid, trivial things!

Though for him, all the moments were far more precious than anything else, including the events of the car, but he was darn sure that for Anupama, those were just stupid, trivial thing— err, accident.

Poor woman had been already going through so much for such moments to matter for her, rightfully so.

She already had so much on her plate, her 3 kids, dance academy, hotel project, the latest being Rohan problem and now, seeking shelter crisis.

Not to mention, the most prominent and major problem of her life, which being; her good for nothing, toxic family.

She had so much to focus on, rightfully so, that she'd unlikely have any thoughts about him. Forget him, she doesn't even get time to think about herself.

Not that he was someone special or anything that she's supposed to think of him.

For her, he was just a boss and a distant friend, who she meets because of compulsion, at work, nowhere else.

That thought hurt like hell.

It hurt to realise that the moments they shared might not hold any value to her.

Those moments that meant the world to him which he would cherish for the rest of his life might be like a fleeting hindrance that she had probably even forgotten by now. Or not even given a thought to begin with.

As his hidden, prolonged fears surfaced in his brain, they dismissed Anupama's all recent compliments for him as 'casual praises passed in a moment of gratitude, nothing more or deep.'

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He hit his palm on his forehead.

"Why do you feel so disheartened Anuj?" He murmured to himself.

"What were you hoping from her? What exactly were you expecting from her? When you yourself said that..." He trailed off, remembering his past words.

"Tum bass apne saath baaki auraton ko leke aage badho, aur iss Anuj ko bhool jao."

"When you had yourself told her to do so, then why are you upset? You shouldn't be." He let his head fall back, resting against the door.

Staring aimlessly at the ceiling, he continued, "It's all you. She's perfect. You're hurt just because of yourself. Stop pulling Anu in your shit. Stay out of her way, lest these newly developed feelings of yours might creep her out, and chase her away from here, the one place she's the safest from all that shit."

He closed his eyes and forced out the words, each syllable felt like he was swallowing gun powder.

"Try your best to avoid her until these feelings simmer back down and disappear. Because her in such a close proximity to you, in your personal space, alone, is dangerous. So, treat her professionally, even at home. The last thing you want is to get too frank or personal with her because of your stupid feelings, and make it uncomfortable for her." He completed.

His primary and foremost fear was the only thing, that now their living situation and his own feelings might end up causing her discomfort.

"Treat her professionally. Avoid her if you can. Don't do something like what happened in the car, and make her uneasy. Remember, she isn't into you. Stay in your limits."

He chanted it like a mantra, over and over again with a heavy heart.

Finally, he freshened up, dried himself and changed into the fresh pair of one of his many sets of satin nightwear.

By then, since the moment he had encountered Anupama in his office, finally he was feeling a lot more in control of himself, his thoughts, his emotions.

The mantra was working.

He can do this!

Letting out a deep breath to calm himself, he exited the study room, a lot more confident and sure of himself this time.

Well prepared to face her while his broken mind played the mantra on loop.

~~~~

Shutting the door as she entered into his bedroom, she closed her eyes and sagged against the door, heaving out a sigh.

"Pagal chokri!" She hissed at herself as she was finally left alone with his thoughts.

Dreadfully, she recalled all the times she had potentially embarrassed herself in front of her boss.

"Anuj kya soch rahe honge mere mere baare mei, kaisi pagal business partner mili—"

The rest of her self-deprecating speech left her mind as her eyes abruptly opened, and she took the sight in front of her.

So this is...the business mogul Anuj Kapadia, her saviour, her lucky charm's bedroom....

She couldn't help but stare all around the space, absorbing every minute detail of that enchanting room of that enigmatic man.

That room was so like the Anuj she knew....

Elegant yet simple.

Painted in a combination of royal blue and white, it held a magnificent vibe just like the man owning it. A balcony with sliding glass door was attached to the right wall covered with flowy, coral blue curtains. She could see that the whole right wall was made up of glass underneath the curtains. Moreover, few indoor plants of varying sizes were placed all across the spacious room giving it a healthy and peaceful aura. In the centre, a king-sized bed lay proudly covered with white sheets and the same blue shade duvet, backed up with two lamps on its sides, over nightstands on either side. There was a giant flat-screen television on the front wall facing the bed.

On the left side of the room, a beige, leather couch was situated in front on the left wall. A vintage lamp was placed over a small table was right next to the couch.

That little area had something poetic about it, it felt aesthetically calming.

'So that's where Shaayar Kapadia came up with those beautiful shaayaris.' She mused.

Moving on, she looked at the wall behind it.

Unlike the right wall, the left wall was designed as a rack, extended till the corners, holding a number of showpieces, books, photoframes, files and what not.