"You are not unknown, Sanjita."

His voice was calm, unwavering.

I froze.

I had not heard him say my name in years. It was strange-how something as simple as my own name could stir so many emotions within me. Sanjita. It rolled off his tongue so effortlessly, yet it carried a weight I wasn't prepared for.

For a fleeting moment, I felt happy. Happy that he had finally acknowledged me. That he had given me recognition.

But the happiness was short-lived.

Because even though he spoke my name, I was no longer his Sanjita. No longer his rose.

I saw something in his eyes then-something that felt deep, drowning. But in the next moment, it was gone, buried beneath his usual indifference. And just like that, the trance broke.

I blinked, shaking away the feelings that threatened to surface, forcing my usual sarcastic self to take control.

"Wow... Look at that," I drawled, clapping my hands slowly. "Mr. Avyant Singh Rathore remembers my name."

He narrowed his eyes, clearly unimpressed by my theatrics. "Look, Sanjita, I have a meeting to attend. Let's go inside and talk."

And with that, he made a move to step inside.

The key word here being tried.

Because I didn't let him.

I spread my arms wide, blocking the doorway like an eagle stretching its wings.

"No," I stated firmly. "You are not allowed."

His eyes moved lazily from my feet to my face, his expression unreadable. But when his gaze lingered at my neck, I felt an unexpected warmth creep up my skin.

I swallowed hard, realizing just how intensely he was looking at me. Like a lion watching its prey-patient, calculating. As if any moment, he could pounce.

My throat went dry.

I cleared it loudly, hoping to snap him out of it.

Finally, his eyes met mine again.

"You are wasting my time, Sanjita," he said, his voice turning cold.

My blood boiled instantly.

"Oh, I'm wasting your time?" I scoffed.

"I didn't ask you to come here, Avyant. I don't even want that locket. Take it and leave."

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

"You always this dramatic, or do I just have the privilege of seeing your best performances?"

I folded my arms.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if this conversation was beneath him.

"Look, Sanjita, I don't have time for this. I'm keeping the locket here."

He placed it carefully on the small table beside my door.

"It was the last gift from my maa,"

he said, his voice quieter now.

"I hope you understand the value of it."

The air around me stilled.

His... mother?

I had spent days searching for this locket, treating it like just another lost possession. But I had never once considered what it meant to him.

And now that I knew-now that I realized it was the last thing his mother had given him-guilt crept up my spine, sharp and unforgiving.

I had been so quick to reject it. So quick to push it away, not knowing the weight it carried for him.

I looked at him, and for once, I truly saw him. His expression was neutral, but there was something in his eyes-something unspoken.

For the first time that night, I didn't know what to say.

"Your mother’s,"

I whispered, my voice barely audible, yet the weight of the words settled between us like an unspoken truth.

Avyant remained silent, his sharp gaze unwavering as he watched me. The locket lay on the small table near the threshold, untouched, but now it felt heavier—its significance far greater than I had ever imagined.

He had always cherished everything that belonged to his late mother, and now that I knew the truth, keeping it felt wrong. It wasn’t mine. It never had been.

I took a small breath, steadying myself.

"Then you should keep it,"

I said, sincerity lacing my voice.

"It must be very important to you."

For a fleeting second, something unreadable flickered across his features—an emotion too quick for me to grasp. Then, in a voice deep and firm, he said,

"It is important to me."

His fingers brushed over the locket as he picked it up, his touch almost reverent.

"And that is why it is with you," he added softly.

I froze, caught off guard. My gaze snapped to his, searching for a hint of jest, of indifference—anything that would remind me of the cold, distant man I thought I knew. But all I found was quiet certainty.

Avyant stepped closer.

I should have moved, should have looked away, but my body betrayed me. My breath hitched as he reached for my hand, his fingers brushing against mine. A slow warmth bloomed in my chest, unexpected and unfamiliar.

His touch was firm yet gentle as he turned my palm upward and placed the locket in it. His fingertips lingered for a second longer than necessary, his skin warm against mine. My fingers instinctively curled around the locket, and in that brief, fleeting moment, I felt something shift between us.

Something I wasn’t ready to name.

Avyant held my gaze, his expression unreadable yet strangely intense, as if he, too, had felt it. Then, with a slight nod, he stepped back, retreating just as smoothly as he had approached.

"See you tomorrow, Sanjita,"

he said, his voice calm yet holding a quiet depth I had never noticed before.

And then, without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his tall frame disappearing into the dimly lit corridor.

I stood frozen at the door long after Avyant had left, my fingers curled tightly around the locket in my palm. It felt familiar, yet strangely different—like something I had always owned but never truly seen until now.

Because this wasn’t just a locket anymore.

It was the same one Avyant had clasped around my neck on our wedding day. Back then, I hadn’t thought much of it—it was just another piece of jewelry, just another ritual in a marriage I never wanted. But now…

Now, its value had changed.

I stared down at it, tracing its edges with my fingertips. He had brought it back to me. Not his secretary, not some messenger—he had. He had come all this way just to return something that was once mine.

“Sanjita, beta!”

A voice from my neighbor startled me, and I quickly shoved the locket into my fist

I turned to see Mrs. Sharma watching me with a smile that carried far too much curiosity.

“Yes, Aunty?”

She tilted her head toward the elevator where Avyant had just disappeared.

“Who was that young man? Your boyfriend?”

The question caught me off guard. I blinked before hastily shaking my head.

“No! Of course not.”

Mrs. Sharma chuckled.

“Oh? But he looked quite dashing. And the way he walked out… so confident, so composed. He seems like a good match for you.”

I forced a laugh. “Aunty, he’s no one.”

The words tasted strange, like a lie I wasn’t ready to admit.

Mrs. Sharma hummed as if she didn’t believe me.

“If you say so.”

Then, with a knowing wink, she added,

“But if he were your boyfriend, I’d say you’ve got good taste.”

I muttered a quick goodbye and slipped back inside, shutting the door behind me.

Only then did I unclench my fingers, letting the locket rest in my palm again. I stared at it, my chest tightening.

Avyant had once placed this around my neck as a symbol of our forced marriage. Back then, I had felt trapped by it.

But now?

Now, it was in my hands, given back to me by him. And somehow, instead of feeling like a burden…

It felt special.

And I hated that it did.

After taking a warm bath, I changed into my soft cotton pajamas and slipped under the covers, hoping that sleep would finally embrace me. But no matter how much I tried, my mind refused to rest. My fingers absentmindedly found their way to the locket resting against my chest, tracing its edges as if committing every detail to memory. It was strange how something so small could hold so much weight—both in meaning and in emotions. A small, involuntary smile curled on my lips as I thought about everything that had happened today.

Avyant Singh Rathore.

His name alone sent ripples through my heart. Today had been nothing short of a whirlwind—seeing him after six months, the way he walked past me like I was a mere stranger, the frustration that boiled inside me at his indifference. And then losing the locket… the sheer panic that gripped me when I realized it was gone. It felt like I had lost a part of myself, a connection to something I wasn’t ready to let go of. But just when I had accepted that it was lost forever, he came back. Not his secretary. Not a messenger. Him.

I still couldn’t believe it. Avyant Singh Rathore had personally returned the locket to me. Not only that, but he had admitted that it was precious to him, something irreplaceable. His words echoed in my mind, refusing to fade.

"It is important to me. And that is why it is with you,"

Why did he say that? What did he mean? One moment, he made me feel like I was invisible, like my presence meant nothing to him. The next, he was standing at my door, giving me something that held so much sentimental value to him. It didn’t make sense. Did I mean anything to him, or was I just overthinking everything?

I sighed and turned onto my side, clutching the locket a little tighter. I hated how my emotions were so tangled when it came to him. How easily he could affect me, even when he wasn’t trying. For months, I had convinced myself that this marriage meant nothing, that I was just playing my part in a deal I never wanted. But tonight, something had shifted.

I was falling.

And the worst part? I didn’t know how to stop.

Would he ever see me the way I was starting to see him? Or was this just another cruel twist of fate, making me want something I could never truly have?

I shut my eyes, willing my heart to quiet down. But deep down, I knew—sleep wouldn’t come easily tonight.