Aleena's POV
The office was quieter than usual when I returned — the hum of computers and the faint click of keyboards filled the air. My heels echoed softly against the tiled floor, the weight of the day still pressing on my shoulders. My heart, somehow, carried the heaviness of something I couldn't quite name.
"Finally," jannat called from across the room, her head lifting from her laptop. "I was beginning to think you'd eloped with a client."
I laughed — a small, tired sound. "Eloped? I could barely speak straight."
She grinned and patted the seat beside her. "Tell me everything. You look like you just gave a TED talk instead of a business presentation."
I sank into the chair, letting out a long breath. "It felt like that. There were only two people there — but it felt like a hundred eyes were on me. My voice was steady, but inside, my heart was... ridiculous."
jannat chuckled. "That's called progress, my dear. Remember when you couldn't even talk to the cashier without overthinking it?"
I nodded faintly. "We've come far, haven't we?"
Her expression softened. "More than you think. We used to be the girls afraid to travel alone, afraid to take chances. Now look at us — talking numbers, leading projects, making presentations in cafés like professionals."
I nodded, tracing the rim of my coffee mug. "I still get nervous, though. My hands were shaking when I handed him the file."
"Him?" jannat asked, her tone teasing.
"Mr. Khan," I said quickly, almost defensively. "The client."
jannat blinked. "Mr.Khan? The one everyone says doesn't smile?"
"Apparently." I hesitated, replaying the way he'd looked at me — calm, unreadable, and yet not unkind. "But he was surprisingly polite. I expected someone sharper, stricter. But he was..." I trailed off. "Different."
jannat smirked but didn't press. She only gave me that knowing smile she always had when she sensed there was more to say. I ignored it and turned back to my laptop.
We spent the next few hours finalizing reports and sending out emails. The office gradually emptied until it was just the two of us, the steady rhythm of typing marking the passage of time. By the time we packed up, the city outside had grown quieter, its noise dimmed to a distant hum.
jannat dropped me home, waving from her car as I climbed the front steps.
Inside, the familiar stillness of the house greeted me — and with it, my mother's voice.
"Late again?" she said from the living room, her tone sharp, her eyes narrowing as I walked in. "What do you even do in that office, Aleena? You come home tired, distracted — as if you're hiding something."
I sighed softly, setting my bag down. "I'm not hiding anything, Mom. I was working late, that's all."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "You always have an excuse. Maybe if you spent less time pretending to be important—"
"I'm going to my room," I said quietly, cutting her off. Years of practice made it easier to tune out the sting in her voice, though it still managed to linger.
Upstairs, I sank onto my bed, closing my eyes. The quietness of my room felt heavy but safe. I was too tired to cry, too used to her words to argue.
A gentle knock broke through my thoughts.
"Come in," I said.
Dadu entered — his presence warm and grounding, a quiet comfort that filled the space instantly. "Rose," he said with a soft smile, "how was your day?"
I hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Busy, Dadu. The meeting went... fine."
He studied me for a long moment, his eyes thoughtful. "Rose can I ask you something?"
I nodded.
He took a seat beside me. "Do you... love someone?"
The question startled me. "Love?" I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "No, Dadu. Why would I? Do you really think someone would love a girl like me?"
His brow creased. "What makes you say that?"
I looked down at my hands. "Mom says I have too many flaws. That I'm too quiet, too serious, too... everything. I'm strong, Dadu, but not—" I paused, my voice faltering. "Not lovable."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he reached out, his hand covering mine — warm, steady.
"Don't take her words to heart, Aleena," he said gently. "If it were possible, I would've taken you with me years ago. But things were different then. We thought she'd change — we hoped she would. She didn't. But you... you turned out to be everything she couldn't see."
His words pressed against something tender in me — a mixture of sadness and comfort. I smiled, but it was faint and weighted.
"Now," he said, patting my hand, "no more skipping dinner. You're coming to eat with us tonight."
"Dadu, I'm just tired—"
"No excuses," came another voice — Dadi's, from the doorway. She was already holding a tray. "Come on, sit. We've set the food in our room."
I followed them, half protesting, half comforted. Dadi had laid out everything neatly — lemon rice and curd.
She took a spoon full of lemon rice dipped it in curd, and held it out to me. "Eat, Rose," she said softly.
I smiled and obeyed.
"How was you day" she asked
"it was nice it went in meeting only" i replied
"So," she asked as I ate, "who came to your meeting today?"
"Rayyan uncle's grandson," I replied absently.
Dadu raised a brow which one?"
"the eldest one ," I said.
"Ohh azlaan," Dadi murmured. "Was he strict?"
I shook my head slowly. "No... actually, he was polite. Very polite. Strange, right? Everyone says he's distant with clients."
Dadu chuckled. "Maybe you remind him of someone."
I looked down quickly, not wanting to think about the way his gaze had lingered for a heartbeat too long.
"Anyway," I said, forcing a smile, "it's late, Dadu. You both should sleep."
Dadi brushed a strand of hair from my face, her touch gentle. "Goodnight, beta."
As I walked back to my room, the house had settled into its familiar stillness — calm, quiet, wrapped in the kind of silence that feels like a secret waiting to unfold.
And as I lay in bed, my mind drifted — not to the meeting, not to my mother's words — but to quiet eyes in a cafe as if it meant something.
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