Ananya noticed the change before anyone said anything.
It was small. Almost invisible. The way conversations paused half a second longer when she walked into the office. The way eyes followed her, curious but cautious, as if they were waiting for confirmation of a rumor they weren't sure they were allowed to believe.
She kept her head down and focused on her screen.
Work was supposed to be neutral ground.
By mid-morning, it wasn't.
"Ananya," her colleague Ritu said lightly, leaning against her desk. "You were at Orion Café last night, right?"
Ananya's fingers froze over the keyboard for just a moment too long.
"Yes," she said evenly. "Why?"
Ritu smiled, the kind of smile that carried information. "I thought so. I saw Aarav there too."
So it had already started.
"He was meeting someone," Ananya replied.
Ritu's eyebrows lifted. "Was he?"
Ananya turned slowly. "Is there a reason this matters?"
"No reason," Ritu said quickly. "Just… interesting."
Interesting. That was the word people used when they didn't want to say unexpected.
Ritu wandered off, but the seed had already been planted.
Ananya tried to ignore it.
She failed.
Around noon, she saw Aarav across the floor.
He was standing near the glass-walled meeting room, jacket draped over his arm, listening to someone speak. His posture was relaxed, but his attention was sharp—focused, precise. The kind of presence that made people unconsciously lean in.
A woman stood close to him. Too close.
She was attractive in an effortless way—confident smile, polished appearance, the kind of ease that came from knowing she belonged wherever she stood.
The woman laughed at something Aarav said.
Ananya looked back at her screen.
Why should that bother her?
It didn't.
At least, it shouldn't have.
By the time lunch rolled around, the office buzz had shifted. Whispers traveled faster than emails. Ananya caught fragments as she walked past desks.
"…didn't expect him to—"
"…thought he wasn't the type—"
"…they looked comfortable—"
She ate at her desk, appetite gone.
Her phone buzzed once.
A message from an unknown number.
Lunch at one. Ground floor café.
No greeting. No explanation.
She stared at the screen.
Too familiar, she thought.
Still, at one sharp, she found herself walking toward the elevators.
He was already there.
"You shouldn't message me at work," she said quietly as the doors closed.
"I waited until lunch," he replied. "That seemed reasonable."
"It draws attention."
"So does not being seen together," he said.
She frowned. "You're enjoying this."
"No," he said. "I'm managing it."
They walked into the café side by side, the space bright with midday light. Heads turned. Not dramatically—just enough.
They chose a table near the window.
"This was a mistake," Ananya murmured once they sat.
"Was it?" Aarav asked.
"Yes," she said. "People are talking."
"They were going to," he replied. "Now the narrative is clearer."
She stared at him. "You make it sound strategic."
"It is."
She sighed. "This isn't how I imagined today going."
"Neither did I."
She glanced at him. "You didn't?"
"For what it's worth," he said calmly, "I don't enjoy being the subject of speculation."
"Then why lean into it?"
"Because uncertainty invites worse conclusions."
She didn't like how logical that sounded.
As they ate, she noticed it again—the looks. The way people glanced, then looked away. The way a few lingered.
And then she noticed the woman from earlier.
She was seated a few tables away now, watching them openly.
The woman's gaze flicked from Ananya to Aarav, assessing. Curious.
Something tight coiled in Ananya's chest.
Ridiculous, she told herself.
She leaned closer to Aarav without thinking. Not touching. Just enough to look intentional.
"You know her?" she asked softly.
He followed her gaze. "Yes."
The answer came too easily.
"Oh," Ananya said, keeping her tone neutral. "Who is she?"
"A colleague from another department," he said. "We worked together previously."
"That didn't sound casual."
He glanced at her. "Are you asking out of interest or obligation?"
She stiffened. "I'm asking because people are watching."
He studied her for a moment. "She's not relevant."
"That wasn't my question."
"No," he said, "but it's my answer."
The woman stood and walked past their table, smile polite but pointed.
"Nice to see you, Aarav," she said warmly, eyes briefly flicking to Ananya. "I didn't know you were taken."
Aarav didn't hesitate.
"I am," he said.
The word landed heavier than Ananya expected.
The woman nodded, something unreadable crossing her face before she walked away.
Ananya stared at her plate.
"That was unnecessary," she said quietly.
"It was clear," he replied.
Her heart beat faster, and she hated that it wasn't anger driving it.
"You could've softened it," she said.
"I don't soften boundaries," he said. "I define them."
She looked at him then, really looked.
"And what am I?" she asked. "A boundary?"
He held her gaze. "No."
The answer came too fast.
They sat in silence after that.
When lunch ended, they stood together once more, the office watching.
As they parted at the elevator, Ananya spoke without thinking.
"You didn't have to do that."
Aarav turned to her. "Do what?"
"Claim me," she said.
His expression softened just a fraction. "I wasn't claiming," he said. "I was clarifying."
The elevator doors slid shut between them.
Ananya stood there longer than necessary, pulse uneven.
She told herself it was irritation.
She didn't quite believe it.