"What?" Ramit snapped at her right after she picked up his call.

"What about our divorce?"

"Why? Someone caught your eye?"

She did not know what was up with him and why he was so grumpy and irritable. She should be the annoyed one because he made her wait quite a while for his call. "... there will never be anyone and you know that."

"I didn't file it. I... I won't!" His voice became soft. The first to fall in love is on the losing end, someone said. And he lost his spine and his self esteem in her presence. There'll never be anyone, not even him. And yet, knowing that, here he was.

"Then let's rethink it."

Surprised and hopeful, he asked, "I... Then, will you let me stay with you?"

"Well, I'm pregnant. What should we do?"

On the other side of the phone, his face changed quite a bit. First, he was angry, then frustrated. Why did he think she changed somehow? So, this was the reason. Then he felt hopeful and happy. This was the god given chance to turn things for better. He had one final thing to know.

"What are your thoughts? Will you let it be born?"

"Honestly, I don't want to. But if you want, I'm willing. I've taken enough from you." Although you are to be blamed more for your own sadness, she thought. She was not insensible. She could perceive his feelings well. Only, she failed to understand their significance.

"I want."

"Fine. Then tell your parents and mine."

"Okay. I... left the job. I want to completely concentrate on Hidden. But I don't want to ask my parents for help. It's getting hard to pay for maintenance. If I rent my condo, it'll be great." The maintenance getting hard was the only lie.

"You want to stay at mine?"

"No! We should rent it out too. Let that money also go into the investment. I'll pay you back later. But without interest."

"Where are you going to stay? And where should I go when I come back? Are you doing this just so you could convince me to live together?"

"No... I was thinking about what you said that day. I want Hidden to grow big. This is what I want for my second life. Moreover, if I don't come, my parents will ask you to come back. It's reasonable enough for your safety. What will you say then?"

He was speaking the truth. "Then where will you live?"

"You are the best option I have. All you should do is give me one room. I'll cook for you instead of paying any rent."

"You don't have to cook. But... I want a fifth of whatever ownership you have," she said after a moment. She rented a flat only for one person. She should see if the owner agrees.

"I'll give you one third. I'll live rent free for 3 years. It'll be a very profitable investment."

"Okay." She said after a very long pause, 3 minutes.

"Then I'll be there in a week." He hung up right after lest she change her mind.

Their conversation just now felt all air-headed. And this was the most important conversation of their lives.

Over the next week there were congratulations and blessings and pregnancy diet and tips as one after another relative called her. She spoke to all of them for as long as they were willing.

∼•∽

The next week he was at her door. And as soon as she opened it, she kissed him. But he controlled himself and walked in as if uninterested.

"This room is for you." She had spoken to the owner over the phone and the old man agreed as long as she paid 10% more. He hiked seeing the opportunity. She did not have to tell him, but he was helpful when she came to Paris in the beginning. He had taught her most of her French during their initial meetings. She knew very little of the language when she had come, but now she was fluent.

"Isn't this the bedroom?" Almost everything was the same except that her vanity was missing. He opened the two big cupboards and sure enough, her clothes were also missing.

"I don't want to do anything to my study room."

"Where will you sleep?"

"Anywhere..." Often in your room probably, she thought. With how they nuzzled during his sister's wedding, it wasn't a far fetched thought for her.

"How can you sleep just anywhere? Especially now that you're pregnant?"

"Ah... don't worry about me."

He took her to the bedroom and they both sat down to talk.

"About the divorce... I don't want to anymore."

"Sure." Sure, keep it that way until the baby is 2 years old. That would be almost 3 years from now. After that any of them can take care of the child alone.

He caught the indifference in her voice, but smiled anyway. At least she wasn't frantically asking him why he had changed his decision. Maybe he should thank his future child, he thought.

He took out the equity transfer agreement and handed it over to her.

She went through it quickly, signed wherever needed and kept the document carefully in the folder to hide it away from him. She nodded and said, "Alright, ask me if you want any help any time."

He nodded back.

She left the second set of keys beside the lamp and walked out. If only he knew she had such a soft spot for money earlier. Looking at how she hugged the folder, he shook his head with a smile. Little did he know there was a slight mismatch in his conclusion. She loved having a lot of time. And money translated well into time. She did not bother about saving well for the future or forming assets and becoming wealthy. She'd always sign up for extra insurance cover and spend her money and because she lived pretty much in a one person family it was well enough. If spending money on something could save her some time, she'd do it generously.

∼•∽

That day was a weekend. Since he told her he would arrive that day, she didn't have any rigid plans. She simply drove to the local library.

When she returned, she saw the bedroom arranged well and the man inside was on the phone.

She went into her study, promptly remembering that the bedroom wasn't hers anymore. Since the door was left open, she could see the inside and she suddenly felt like a nosy neighbour who was peeping unnecessarily.

Her study was a big room, painted in all white, with the nicest balcony, given that she lived on the 22nd floor. It was more than half of her world. She looked around the room and walked to a wall. She picked out a colourful note, crushed it and put it in the bin. She then added another note in its place, and the wall was barely visible again. She changed 3 more notes.

On the other side of the wall was a rack full of books. On the next wall was a big white table, properly organised with a computer on one side and a stack of documents on the other. The table would mostly be empty, just how she liked it. On one side, there was a beige coloured recliner. All of this took up half the room. On the corner was a glass sliding door that led to the balcony. The last wall and the space before it was empty. That was where she would sit down and get work done.

She took a book she borrowed that morning and sat on the balcony.

∼•∽

When his call ended, he walked into her room. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him and turned her focus back to the book.

"What book is that?"

This time she frowned at him.

"What do you want for dinner?"

She looked at him and nodded with a serious face.

"What do you want to eat?"

She closed her book. "Anything. And, don't just come in here. This isn't your place."

"Okay... Then I won't ask you next time," he said and smiled at her before softly shutting the door and going out.

The kitchen was minimalistic. So, she really got 80% out of 20% and so abandoned the rest of the 80%, huh? He wished he was in her 20%. She had told him that she followed this principle back in highschool.

He made the best dish he could with the few ingredients and utensils that decorated the cupboards. Thankfully, she had an extra plate, or she'd let him eat after her.

When he wanted to say the table though, he simply didn't find one.

He knocked on her door. "Geetha, where do we eat?"

"Go eat in your room." There was a slight annoyance in her voice.

"Food will turn cold, so come have dinner"

"I'll eat later!" She got a bit agitated.

"O.K."

When she opened her door after an hour, he quickly walked out of his room.

"I'll reheat them." When she found him waiting for her, she became unnerved. She had seen enough guilt tripping all her life. He may not have such an intention, but what else could he achieve with that?

"I'll do it myself. You go."

"I didn't eat either. Where do we sit?" He put the dishes on the stove.

She grabbed a plate and stood beside him. After a few minutes, he filled her plate. She walked towards the window, put her plate on the counter, and then climbed over the counter with a little jump. Her legs dangled as she started her meal enjoying the breeze.

He served himself and walked to her. The counter was spacious and empty enough to accommodate one more person, but his grown up self did not want to sit there. He started eating.

"Go eat in your room. Don't stand and eat."

"I'm okay. Should we get a table?"

"Get a chair or just eat somewhere else." She nodded at the living area in the front.

"It's okay."

After dinner, he said, "That's a great place to eat but don't climb it from now on."

"This is my house."

"You are pregnant, so be more careful. I'll get a small table. We'll put it in there and it'll still be spacious," he said, pointing to a corner in the kitchen.

She had a frown on but she nodded slowly.

The next week, they ate at the little table he assembled.

One month went by and he did not step into the study room nor did he knock on her door just for the sake of talking to her. They'd have 2 meals together everyday and that was enough for now, he thought.

It had been a year since the company reached the break even. The economic situation was also great and the plans to go public were under way. He was so busy, he barely got time off his phone and computer. He did not encroach on her 'my time' at all.

Over dinner, he told her about the plan.

"We finally got a leak. Our popularity has grown a lot. This is the best time. Did you see the report? This leak is a partnered one."

"I saw. They're big. Their investigators are also completely anonymous."

"You did?" He was happy she checked up.

She nodded as she ate.

"You don't have to go on site? At all?" Her voice was low, and her eyes were in her bowl.

"I have to. I'll go once the first phase analysis is done."

She nodded quietly.

"Can you get a leave?"

"Me?" she asked, a little confused.

"Aren't you a shareholder now?"

"The agreement isn't notarized yet."

"So, are you not claiming profit for this quarter?"

"I barely understand the company. I won't object to any decision. You can represent me," she said, without answering his question.

"Hm, alright. I'll get the agreement notarized this time."

She nodded.

When the time came for him to leave, he told her, "Be careful." She was in the fourth month and her baby bump was just starting to show.

"I will."

"Call me if anything happens, okay?" She was an assertive woman and should she need him, she'd definitely call him. But what worried him was that she'd not feel the need at all.

"Okay."

"Then, bye. I'll be back soon."

"Bye."

He was already at the door, but he walked back to where she sat, 10 feet away, with a plant and a paper to draw it on. He kissed her between the eyes and left, closing the door behind.

∼•∽

It would take 8 hours for the flight to land in Delhi. It was bright outside. Sun shone brightly above the clouds outside. All he could see was an infinite blue over them. Strangely, his heart felt as light as the fluffy whites.

The last month was the closest he had ever been with her after they grew up. She was not like that, so anti-social. Whenever he went to pick her up from work, he could see how bright she was within the group.

But once in his company, she would almost go mute, but that was never the case during highschool. Now, she would barely ever start a casual conversation, never ask him if she was going to a movie even if without any company, nor does she go with him if he asked her to. She would promptly tell him not to move things around, to go sit in the bedroom, not to knock on her door for 'every little thing' and she would easily get mad if she had to repeat those orders.

All he felt at that moment was relief and a certain emptiness. For a few days there wouldn't be someone looking at him as if he's an extra, as if he was out of place, and as if he did not deserve to talk to them.

∼•∽