SIYA'S POV
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"I am so sorry, sir! I truly wish I could do something about it."

I mentioned to the person on the other end of the phone.

"What's the issue? How could you cancel the tender all of a sudden?"

The person on the other side of the line said.

"I understand, but what can I do? I'm just a secretary. This decision is Mr. Rathore's."

"Oh, God! You're not grasping the gravity of the situation. My company will be completely ruined if this tender is cancelled."

He pleaded.

"I agree, sir, and I apologize for my inability to change the situation. This is Mr. Rathore's decision."

I felt sad for him.

"You're his wife, I understand. Please try to speak with him on my behalf. Explain how devastating it would be for your company if the tender is cancelled."

"Now, how do I tell you that I am his wife only in name? If I speak in your favour, then he will bankrupt you."

I thought to myself.

"Hello! Are you still there?"

I took a deep breath.

"See! I understand your feelings, but there's nothing I can do about it. Please forgive me and don't call me again. I'm so sorry!"

Aghh! This is the worst part. That poor man was so devastated. Seriously, Arjun has more unpredictable mood swings than a pregnant woman.

Can you believe it? Because he's no longer willing to deal with him, he suddenly cancelled the tender. Mr Kapoor has lost millions because of his mood swings.

I glanced at the time, it was about 1:00 PM Finally, lunchtime! I screamed with joy for two reasons.

First, I was incredibly hungry, and second, I would now be able to enjoy my lunch alone and in peace, since Mr. Rathore wasn't there.

There was no meeting today, and I don't know where he went. Honestly, I don't even care. I always have to do my breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him, even if I don't want to.

But today, he's not here, so it means I can enjoy my lunch in peace.

I came out of my cabin, locked it, and headed towards the cafeteria. I served my food on a plate, sat on a side seat, and started eating my meal peacefully.

I don't know how many days have been eating my lunch in the cafeteria. I only have lunch with Mr. Rathore in his cabin. He doesn't eat cafeteria food. Mr. Rathore's lunch is prepared by his cooks, after all, he's the CEO.

I was eating my food when suddenly, I felt someone touch my shoulder. I turned around and a smile spilled over my face when I saw him.

"Hey! Cutie Pie, if you don't mind, can I sit here?" he asked.

"Of course! I won't have any problem with that."

I replied with a smile.

He sat down in front of me and started drinking his coffee.

"Where's your boss? I wondered aloud. I went to his office, but he wasn't there. So, I ended up here for coffee and found you."

"Actually Sir.."

He glared at me and it clicked my mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. From now on, I'll call you Aarav instead of Mr. Rathore. Is that okay?"

I asked and apologized!

"That's perfect! Cutie-pie," he said, and I blushed.

We started talking very comfortably with each other. To be honest, it's been a while since someone has spoken to me so nicely.

We were talking when my hand accidentally touched the coffee cup, and the hot coffee spilt on his hand.

"I am so sorry, Aarav! Oh my god, your hand got burnt because of me. Let's put your hands in cold water, otherwise, it will get blisters"

I panicked

Understanding my condition, he said calmly, "It's okay! It's a small injury. It will be fine, oh, it will be!" He reassured me, "You don't have to worry."

"How can I not worry? Your hand is badly burnt, and you're coming with me."

I dragged him to the kitchen of the canteen.

"Excuse me! Can I get some cold water and ice, please? His hand is burned."

I asked the workers.

"Yess! Of course, you can use this tap water, until then, I'll bring ice for you..." he said.

I put Aarav's hand in cold water and kept it there for a long time. After a while, when the redness of his hand subsided, I took it out and we went back to my cabin because I had to apply ointment on his hand.

We sat on the sofa. I put an ice pack on his hand, and then I applied ointment slowly to his hand.

"Thank you, Siya! You know, you're really beautiful, not just on the outside but also on the inside."

He put his hand on my head in a brotherly manner and smiled at me.

He was about to say something but stopped by the sound of the door opening.

"What the hell is happening here?"

He shouted, storming towards us and jerking me towards him. Because of the force, I bumped into his hard chest.

"What the hell are you doing with her?" he asked Aarav, his voice filled with anger.

"Woh! Calm down, dude! Why are you getting angry? She was just helping me."

Aarav exclaimed, displaying his burnt hand.

Turning his fiery gaze on me, he snapped.

"You can't even handle your tasks properly, and now you're helping others? Who told you to assist him?"

"Chill out! What's the big deal if she helped me? And please, don't scold my cutie pie."

Aarav said, grinning.

"Who is your cutie pie?" Arjun asked, bewildered.

"Your secretary!"

Aarav replied, flashing a cheeky smile.

Arjun's face darkened as he glanced between us.

"Shut up you bastard! If you call her that one more time, I'll rip out your tongue!"

He threatened him.

Terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Why the hell are you so possessive about your secretary?"

Aarav asked, clearly puzzled.

"Because this secretary is my wife, Mrs. Siya Arjun Singh Rathore."

"WHAT? Cutie pie- I mean Siya- is your wife? Why didn't you tell me, Arjun? WAIT! You didn't tell me either, cutie pie, that he's your husband!"

Aarav looked shocked.

"Didn't I make myself clear? Stop calling her cutie pie."

Arjun warned him.

Aarav opened his mouth to say something but stopped abruptly, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Siya, can you please wait outside for a moment? I need to have a word with my friend,"

Aarav said, his gaze locked with Arjun's.

I looked at Arjun for permission; he nodded slightly. I quickly exited the office.

As I left, a sense of unease settled over me.

"Something is wrong," I thought and went back to my work.

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AUTHOR'S POV...
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Aarav closed his eyes tightly, a solitary tear rolled down his cheek as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

"Arjun, please stop! Please stop before everything is ruined."

Arjun looked at him, puzzled.

"You are committing an unforgivable sin. That's why I'm telling you, there's still time to stop. She is truly an innocent girl, Arjun. Her heart is pure."

"Please don't destroy her innocence. When I first met her, I had no idea she was the same girl you were planning to take revenge on. Honestly, at that time, I wasn't very concerned about her. But now that I know my sweetheart is your wife, I won't let you harm her in any way,"

He said with a lot of emotion.

Arjun approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, understanding how sensitive his friend was about such matters.

"Aarav, I know you're feeling guilty. You think what we're doing is wrong, a sin, and it's fine to feel that way. But you're directing these feelings at the wrong person. Okay, tell me one thing, how long have you known me?"

He asked Aarav.

"I don't remember exactly, but it's been a long time, probably since childhood."

Aarav replied.

"Yes, more than 20 years. Now, how long have you known Siya?"

Arjun asked again.

"Umm, I just met her a week ago"

"Exactly! So who will you trust, your friend of 20 years or a girl you met a week ago?"

"What are you saying? Of course, I trust you. You're my only family."

Aarav said sadly.

"So, this discussion is over. This is between me and her. Don't interfere. As I've told you, I won't hurt her physically. You have my word. I know what's right and wrong. So please stay out of this it's for your good."

Arjun said in a calm voice.

"As you say. Just remember your words."

Aarav said and hurriedly left the office.

Arjun let out a long breath and sat down in his chair, holding his head in pain.

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Siya arrived at the penthouse as usual, unlocking the door with her duplicate key and stepping inside.

As she headed upstairs to her room, she noticed that the lights in Arjun's room were off. He hadn't arrived yet.

"Maybe he's in his study," she thought and proceeded to her room.

She took a shower, changed into her night suit, and chatted with Dida on the phone for a while before heading downstairs for dinner.

Yes, she talks to Dida sometimes, but not every day, because she can't lie every day. She has to tell multiple lies, like how happy she is, how much Arjun loves her, how well her life is going, and so on. What else can she do? She can't hurt her. Dida trusts and loves Arjun a lot.

When Siya reached downstairs, she was shocked to see that Arjun was not at the dining table. She checked his room and the study, but he was nowhere to be found. He hadn't come home yet, which seemed impossible because, for the past one and a half months, he had never missed breakfast or dinner with her.

"Why should I care when he comes or not? I'm going to eat my food."

She mumbled, heading to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Surprisingly, dinner hadn't been cooked. She could cook for herself, but Arjun had forbidden it.

She went to the living room, sat on the sofa, and started watching TV because there was nothing else to do.

After some time, she heard the sound of the door opening. Knowing it was Arjun, she switched off the TV and sat silently.

Arjun entered, closed the door, and sat on the sofa silently. He looked very disturbed, resting his hands on his forehead and pressing slowly, perhaps due to pain.

For some reason, Siya felt bad for him.

"Are you having a headache?"

She knew he might yell at her or ignore her question, but she asked anyway.

To her surprise, he didn't react harshly. He just nodded.

A small smile appeared on her face. She quickly went to the room, got some medicine for him, and offered it to him, but he refused, saying he didn't take medicine.

"Oh," she said, suddenly getting an idea.

She slowly went behind Arjun and started massaging his forehead to comfort him. She thought he would push her away and say, "Don't touch me," but he didn't.

He closed his eyes, seemingly finding relief from the headache. She was so lost in the moment that she didn't realize how close she had come to his face, thinking he might be asleep.

CONTINEU✨