Author's note: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it.❤ Please vote and comment if you guys did. The vote and comment ratio to the reads is very low. If you guys don't want to read it further I will understand and there won't be any hard feelings, but please let me know.

"Dhruv, how many times have I told you to keep your things properly?" She scolded as she stood near the dining table while he sat on the couch, hovering over the coffee table. "What are you doing there? You still haven't eaten your breakfast. The school bus will be here."

When Dhruv still didn't move or answer, Dhvani yelled his name again.

"One minute!" He yelled back. "I am busy."

"Busy doing what? Dhruv, don't make me angry." She warned as she walked to the kitchen to pack their lunch.

"Good morning!" Trupti greeted as she walked into the house. Dhruv didn't move from his spot; instead turned his back to her so she couldn't see what he was doing.

Dropping her gym bag on the floor, she straight away went to the kitchen to grab water. "What is Mr. Junior Gupta doing?"

"He has told me not to look." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Just then, Dhruv ran up to the table and sat down in excitement, almost knocking the chair back.

Dhvani noticed him putting something on the table beside his plate. "What is this?" She asked as she picked up the folded piece of paper.

"Invitation for my birthday party." He replied with his mouthful of the omelette Dhvani had made for him.

"But your Mumma has already bought invitation cards for your party." Trupti pointed out.

"It is for my Papa. Mumma says if you hand-make something for someone, they like it better. I can't take any chances. He has to like me." Dhruv said adamantly. "Can you give it to Papa, Mumma?"

Dhvani cleared her throat to fight back the choking and nodded. She looked at the card and his squiggly and tiny writing along with stick figures of him and his father. The effort he had put into the card made Dhvani emotional. Would Shaurya have the same feelings as her? Would his son's efforts move him?

Dhruv visibly relaxed when Dhvani agreed to give his father the invitation. "I love you, mumma." He said with a grin.

Trupti looked up at Dhvani with a small smile. "Have you invited all your friends?"

Dhruv shook his head. "I am going to do it tomorrow. Did you know my Papa looks like me? Mumma told me."

Trupti gave him a surprised look while Dhvani turned around and went to her bedroom.

"Maasi will take you to the bus stop," Dhvani said from behind the closed door of her room.
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"Maasi, you look beautiful today." Dhruv complimented as they waited together at the bus stop.

"What do you want?" Trupti raised an expectant eyebrow at him. The only time he would ever compliment her was when he needed something.

Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out another similar hand, made a card and handed it to Trupti.

Trupti smiled when she read the contents of the card. "You want to invite Shaurya to your birthday party?"

Dhruv nodded enthusiastically. "Can we, Maasi?" Dhruv repeatedly asked as he hopped on the ground.

"Do you like Shaurya?"

"I do. Now he is my friend, not Mumma's. He also doesn't like it when his food mixes in the plate."

"You made him a card? That's sweet." She complimented as she looked at the card again.

"I only gave him two stars because I don't want my Papa to think I like Shaurya more. I drew my Papa four stars." Dhruv informed with his eyebrows furrowed together.

Trupti hugged Dhruv tightly because he looked so cute. "Where do you learn these things?"

"Can we invite him, Maasi. Please! Please! Please!"

She looked over the card, and there was no phone number or Dhvani's name anywhere. "Okay. Just don't tell anyone. We'll keep it a surprise."

Dhruv beamed and hugged Trupti. "No, I won't tell anyone. It is going to be my best birthday ever." He screamed with his hands in the air, making everyone around them laugh at his antics.
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"Hey, pretty girl!" Rajveer said resting his hips against her desk.

"Hey," Dhavni smiled at him distractedly. Hoping that he wouldn't ask her out again.

"How are you?" He asked with a grin.

"Good." She focused her attention on her computer. "I have so much work to do." She said, trying to get him to leave her alone.

"Don't work too hard." He nudged her with his elbow. "I'll talk to Bua if she the pressure is too much."

"No, it's fine."

"I am having a Diwali party next week. You should come."

"Diwali? Already?" She looked up at him in surprise.

"We can have it whenever you want to have it." He leaned forward and tucked her hair behind her ear.

She was stunned by his gesture and immediately leaned back, but Rajveer kept leaning towards her.

"Excuse me!" Someone snarled from beside them.

"Shaurya!" Rajveer stood up with a pleasant surprise expression on his face. He extended his hand to Shaurya.

Shaurya wasn't paying attention on Rajveer. Instead, he focused on Dhvani. She fidgeted with the collar of her shirt as she stood up. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Rajveer chuckled and shook his head. "Dhvani and I were just talking."

"Mr. Gupta," Kritika shrieked as she walked towards them. "What brings you in?"

"I wanted to speak to my PR manager. Alone."

Everyone was taken aback by the anger in his voice.

"S-sure..." Kritika stuttered. "Dhvani?"

Dhvani looked at Shaurya in confusion before nodding and began leading Shaurya to the meeting room.

Lucky whispered something to Shaurya, but one pointed look, and he stopped talking and following them. "I'll wait in the vehicle." He said and looked at Dhvani apologetically.

"What's wrong?" Dhvani asked once both of them settled down into chairs that were on the opposite sides of the table.

"What is wrong with you?" He countered. "What were you and Rajveer doing?"

"Planning our wedding." Dhvani snapped. "Why do you care what I do?" She opened her notebook so she could take notes if he actually had something important to discuss.

"You know that he likes you, right?" He hit his fist against the desk, startling Dhvani with the suddenness. "So, don't lead him on if you're not interested."

Dhvani frowned when she looked up at him. "Firstly, You don't have any right to tell me what I should be doing and what I shouldn't be. You lost that right years ago. Secondly, Don't yell. This is my place of work and I don't want any drama."

Shaurya opened his mouth to do just what she told him not to do. "Don't yell." She warned again as she pointed a finger at him. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he leaned back against his chair.

"What do you want, Shaurya?" She asked in irritation.

"Do you like him too?"

Scrunching her nose, she closed her notebook and laptop. "I am not having this conversation with you." She said with annoyance and frustration blaring in her voice and body language. "I am leaving." She announced and walked to the door.

"That's the one thing you were always very good at." He taunted from where he was seated.

Dhvani paused at the door. Without thinking, she turned back around and closed the door, making sure to lock it as well. "Fine. I won't leave. I am going to sit right here." She said to him as she took a seat. "Let me know when you are ready to discuss work. And just so you know the company charges by the hour."

"Don't worry; I have a lot of money now. Much more than your father." He retorted bitterly.

"Great!" Dhvani said with feigned sweetness. "That's all I ever wanted from you. Too bad I didn't stick around to enjoy it."

Shaurya bit back a snarky remark and decided to chat about work with her so he could get out of here. "Did you talk to Priya's PR manager about a plan?"

She looked up at his angry face and nodded. "Yes... I mean, since you both are having a scene already. It makes sense we-"

"There is nothing between Priya and me. Just like there was nothing between us years ago." He said through gritted teeth.

"There is proof everywhere." She snapped. "How many times have you slept with her?" The question had just slipped out. It wasn't an answer she wanted to know.

Shaurya ground his molars together. "Good to see you haven't changed one bit. You still believe anything and every one over your husband."

"When the media keeps reporting your husband sleeping around with multiple women with proof, there is nothing much left for speculation, is there?"

"What proof? Pictures? You out of all the people should know how media operates." He screamed in frustration. "Shows how much you knew me, after all."

Refusing to ever cry in front of Shaurya again, she fisted her hands tightly to the point where she could feel her nails biting the insides of her palms. "What do you want me to do, Shaurya?"

Tell me, you still love me! He wanted to yell, but he stuck to the script. "We are not doing any cheap publicity. I think I have learnt my lesson by trusting someone with my heart. I refuse to do it again, even if it is just for show."

Ignoring the jibe and urge to shake him and ask him what he meant by that, she tried to muster her professionalism. She was sure she had it somewhere. "I asked Lucky, and he said-"

"You are my PR manager, not Lucky's. I am saying no."

"But-"

"It's ridiculous and cheap. My dream has always been to play cricket. I am not stopping to lies and deception." He leaned forward and pinned her down with a hard gaze.

"I am...." she made the mistake of looking into his eyes and found herself falling for the sadness and loneliness in them. Shaking her head to rid off the spell he was spewing, she tried again. "I don't understand why you are making a big deal. Just go out there and tell everyone you and Priya are together. Her company even has brands lined up who want to sign both of you together. Plus, you have an amazing love story that goes back eight years."

"Dhvani!" He sighed in exhaustion. "I told you a thousand times there was, and there is nothing between Priya and me."

Dhvani scoffed. "This is for your benefit. Whether I like it or not, I am legally bounded to work for you."

Shaurya wanted to punch something. Why was he suddenly expecting to understand? "The next time you try to do anything for my benefit. Please make sure you ask me first."

"Will remember that. Now, can I leave? Obviously, with your permission, Sir." She gave him another smile with feigned sweetness.

Shaurya just glared at her, so Dhvani took her stuff and went towards the door once again.

"What's wrong?" He asked when he saw Dhvani rattling the doorknob.

"I... It's not opening."

"What?" He frowned and stepped behind her, so he could reach around her to try rattling the door.

"It's the other direction." She scolded and pushed his hands away. When she tried to do it in the right direction, but it refused to budge.

"Don't try to murder it. Do it lightly. It might work." He pushed her hand away.

"Excuse me!" Dhvani shrieked loudly as she hit against the door. "We are stuck in here!"

Shaurya flinched and chuckled involuntarily. "Yell a little louder, and maybe Shamsher Singh will hear." He said, referring to the guard at their old apartment building.

Dhvani smiled only because she was facing away from him. "He could only hear when we fought and never when there was a security breach."

"Dhvani," Rajveer called out from the other side of the door, breaking their little moment. "Are you okay?"

Shaurya stiffened beside Dhvani. "Guess he can't wait to plan your wedding." He taunted.

"Rajveer," Dhvani said, ignoring Shaurya. "Please get us out of here." She pleaded.

"I am on it!"

It hurt Shaurya's ego that Dhvani was going to get help from some other man. He placed his hand on hers and tried to maneuver the knob. They both seemingly froze at the touch. That's when they both realized how close they were standing to each other.

There was complete silence in the room except a loud lub dub sound echoing. Was it hers? Or his? Or both of theirs?

She could feel his breath tickle the skin of the side of her neck while he inhaled her sweet jasmine-scented perfume. It was the same perfume she always wore when they were together.

Against her better or worse judgement, she turned around. And to make it worse, she looked into his eyes.

"Why didn't you want a baby with me?" She asked after a pregnant pause.

"What?" He looked at her in confusion before realization hit him. "Really?"

She folded her hands and glared at him.

"I apologized the day you came back from doctors with your report." That was the one thing he will always regret for the rest of his life. He wished he could have gotten past his fears and held her close and told her they could figure it out together. "Did I not tell you how sorry I was, Dhvani? I told you I reacted very poorly and wasn't there when you need me."

"That's not what I needed. I wanted you to tell me you were with me, not some halfhearted apology."

"Halfhearted?" Shaurya scoffed. "What did you want me to do? I can't turn back time and change things."

Dhvani took a deep breath and licked her lips nervously. "What would you have done if I was actually pregnant?" She whispered as she looked into his eyes to see if she could find any hint of him wanting Dhruv, but before any one of them could do something or say anything, the door swung open.