Recap: Aryan regrets for forcing Sanjana
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After hearing the fading footsteps and the soft click of the door locking, Sanjana slowly opened her eyes, exhaling a deep sigh of relief.
"Why are you doing this to me, Aryan? What do I owe you in this life?" she whispered, her voice heavy with despair.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sobbed herself to sleep, exhaustion overtaking her broken heart.
Standing on the balcony of his room, Aryan Chaitanya stared at Sanjana's dimly lit window on the first floor. His jaw clenched as he struggled with the storm of emotions within him.
What I have done is not right. I have hurt her... but I can't let her suffer alone. I need to face her, no matter how she reacts.
He stood there for a long time, lost in thought, before finally turning away and heading to bed.
The next morning, Aryan was seated at the dining table, dressed sharply for the day, but his eyes flickered towards the staircase every now and then. He was waiting. Waiting for her. But Sanjana did not come.
Kousalya, the caretaker, hesitated before stepping forward. "Sir, shall I serve your breakfast?"
Aryan's fingers drummed against the table. "Where is Sanjana? Is she not joining for breakfast?"
"I'll go call her, sir."
Kousalya walked up to Sanjana's room and found her standing by the window, lost in thought.
"Sanjana, sir has been waiting for you at the dining table. Please come down."
Sanjana didn't turn. "He hasn't left for the office yet?"
"No," Kousalya replied gently. "He has been waiting for a long time."
Sanjana inhaled deeply. "Fine. You go ahead. I'll be there shortly."
As Kousalya left, Sanjana clenched her fists. If he has the courage to face me without regret, why should I hide? Let me see what he does now.
She descended the stairs and entered the dining hall, deliberately choosing a seat far from Aryan. She did not lift her head, her fingers toying with the corner of the napkin.
Kousalya served breakfast, and Aryan stole glances at Sanjana from the corner of his eyes, hoping she would look at him just once. But she never did.
The silence between them was suffocating. Neither spoke a word, nor did they attempt to.
Sanjana barely ate, pushing her plate away before leaving for the garden. The vast greenery provided her a strange sense of solace. She picked up a handful of grains and scattered them on the ground, watching as the birds fluttered down, chirping happily.
Aryan stepped outside, ready to leave for the office, but his footsteps halted when his gaze landed on her. The golden morning light kissed her face, making her look almost ethereal. Her free-flowing hair swayed with the wind, and her calm expression, so gentle yet distant, unsettled him.
Ranjith, his assistant, observed his gaze. "Sir, she does this every day. The birds are her companions. They come here daily, knowing she will feed them."
Aryan gave a small nod before getting into his car and driving off.
At ARC Towers, his corporate empire, Aryan stepped into his office, using his private elevator. He sat at his desk, opening his laptop, but his mind refused to focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to the image of Sanjana feeding the birds.
Giving up, he pulled out his phone and texted Ranjith. " I hope she will be back to normal. " he thought and at the same time a knock at the door pulled him back.
"Come in," he said, adjusting his tie.
Manasi, his finance head, stepped inside, flashing a practiced smile. "Good morning, sir."
"Morning," Aryan replied, not looking up.
She hesitated before speaking again. "Sir, are you okay?"
He frowned. "Pardon?"
"You seemed... disturbed yesterday, so I thought I'd check on you. Would you like some coffee?"
Aryan's eyes turned cold. "Ms. Manasi, I hope you remember your work in this office."
She straightened immediately. "Yes, sir. I just "
"Anything else?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "No, sir."
"You may leave."
Manasi turned away with a grumpy expression. She had tried countless times to gain his attention, but Aryan never once looked at her the way she wished. She was confident in her beauty, yet to him, she was invisible.
Back at Aryan Mansion, Sanjana sat in the living room, flipping through a book, though her mind was elsewhere. Ranjith approached her with a small smile.
"Madam."
Sanjana looked up. "Don't call me Madam. You can just call me by my name."
Ranjith hesitated. "But "
She waved a hand. "Never mind. I'm younger than you. You can consider me your sister."
A genuine smile broke across Ranjith's face. "Sir has sent you something. Please come to the garden."
"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.
"You'll have to see for yourself."
Curious, she followed him outside. Her eyes widened when she saw numerous colorful birds in cages.
Her lips curled into a bitter smile. "Does your sir always find joy in putting life in cages?"
Ranjith chuckled. "Sanjana, sir said you would ask that question."
She blinked. "What?"
He nodded. "He also gave me a reply for you."
"And what was that?"
"He said, 'Not all birds are safe when set free. Sometimes, caging them for a while is the only way to protect them and let the world admire their beauty.'"
Sanjana let out a small, sad chuckle. "What a poetic justification."
Ranjith sighed. "Sanjana, sir isn't what you think. I've been with him for years. You will see his real side in time."
She raised an eyebrow. "No wonder you defend your boss so fiercely."
"You told me to consider you my sister. As your brother, I promise, I won't deceive you."
Sanjana looked away, her fingers lightly grazing the birdcage. "Do you really think that day will come?"
"I hope so," Ranjith said before walking away.
As she turned back to the birds, she sighed. Is he just playing mind games? Yet, watching the birds, a strange warmth settled in her heart.
Back at ARC Towers, Ranjith entered Aryan's office.
"Everything's done as you said, sir."
Aryan leaned back, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hmm."
Ranjith hesitated. "Sir, how did you know she would ask that question?"
Aryan merely smirked in response. "Let's focus on work."
"Yes, sir. You have a meeting at four with the marketing heads."
"Noted."
"Shall I arrange for lunch?"
"Go ahead. I'll be there shortly."
After Ranjith left, Aryan dialed his mansion. The caretaker, Bala, answered.
"Aryan here. Get me Kousalya.", Aryan spoke in a clipped tone.
A moment later, she spoke. "Sir, it's me."
"Did Sanjana have her food?"Aryan asked and kowsalya hesitated but murmured, " Not yet."
"Why?" Aryan asked curiously to know if she was doing fine.
"She said she isn't hungry." kowsalya replied timidly.
"Call me when she eats." said Aryan before he cut the call.
Later, Kousalya informed Sanjana, "Sir called to check if you ate."
Sanjana was stunned. "What?"
"He wants me to call him back once you do." kowsalya said witha sigh and sat out the plate for Sanjana.
She stared, confused. " Now why is he doing this? " she asked and Kowsalya blinked at her with a shrug.
" I don't know, its very unusual of him to do such things so even I m quite surprised " said Kowsalya serving food to Sanjana.
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