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Author's P.O.V....

The conference room of Valhas was silent as the board members waited for the nation's top business tycoon, and the CEO, Richa Valhas, to begin the meeting of the quarter.

Standing beside her with a tablet in hand, her calm and efficient assistant, Neha Upadhyay, made one final glance at the agenda before the doors closed behind them.

Neha was Richa's personal assistant, but that wasn't her only profession. Along with managing the CEO of Valhas Jewellers, she also worked as an astronomy lecturer, balancing both roles with equal dedication.

Richa looked around the room with quiet authority, then gave Neha a subtle nod. Without another word, the presentation lit up on the screen, and the meeting began.

The meeting room was quiet as everyone focused on the presentation. Richa sat at the head of the table, listening carefully while the Finance Head explained the quarterly report. Neha stood beside the screen, changing the slides one by one and noting down every important point.

"Our sales have grown by twelve percent this quarter," the Finance Head said.

Richa looked up from the report. "Good. But I want to know why the exports are still below our target."

"There were some delays in shipping, ma'am," another executive replied.

Richa nodded calmly. "Fix it before next month. I don't want the same excuse again."

"Yes, ma'am."

Neha quietly handed Richa the next file. "The partnership proposal is ready."

"Thank you, Neha," Richa said before looking at the board members. "Let's move to the next point."

As soon as the meeting ended, Richa walked into her office with her usual calm expression. Neha followed behind her and quietly closed the door.

Richa placed the files on her desk, took a seat in her chair, and finally looked up at her assistant. The moment her eyes landed on Neha's face, she noticed the frustration written all over it.

A small smile appeared on Richa's lips as she folded her arms. "Looks like your husband ruined your mood again."

Neha let out a long, tired sigh before dropping into the chair in front of Richa's desk. She leaned back, crossed her arms, and frowned, clearly trying to control her irritation. "Puch mat yaar... uss khadoos insaan ko dekhte hi man karta hai zahar de du."

Richa chuckled softly. To the rest of the world, she was the powerful CEO, and Neha was her personal assistant. But behind the office doors, they were much more than that.

They had been friends since childhood. Neha had practically grown up in the Valhas mansion because her parents had worked there for years, and over time, she had become a part of Richa's family.

Still smiling, Richa leaned back in her chair. "It's okay. You've already survived five months. Now there's only one month left in your... marriage. After that, you'll finally be free."

Neha's marriage had never been her choice. It had happened by mistake on a night when she had been under the influence of alcohol, and that one mistake had turned her life upside down.

Neha looked at the ceiling and sighed dramatically before resting her head against the chair. "Haan... bas ek mahina aur. Bhagwan mujhe uss Mr. Arrogant ko jhelne ki shakti de."

Richa laughed, shaking her head at her friend's reaction. "You'll manage. You've handled him for five months already. One more month won't defeat you."

Neha gave her a flat look. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to wake up and see his face every morning."

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Richa smirked and casually picked up the file lying on her desk. "Then I guess I'm the lucky one."

The smile on Richa's face slowly faded as she switched back to work. She opened another file and looked at Neha. "Anyways, what about the Drinshas? Their collection launch is next week. They're one of our biggest clients, and I don't want any last-minute problems."

Neha immediately straightened in her chair, her professional side taking over. "Their team approved the final jewellery designs this morning. They've also asked for a private preview before the official launch. The only issue is that they want the diamond necklace delivered two days earlier than the original schedule."

Richa nodded after thinking for a moment. "That's not a problem. Tell the production team to give the Drinshas' order top priority. I want everything ready before the deadline. We can't afford even a single mistake with a client like them."

"I'll inform everyone right away," Neha replied with a nod as she made a quick note on her tablet. She knew how important the Drinshas were to Valhas, and she had no intention of letting anything go wrong.

By the time Neha reached Aaryansh Mansion, it was still early in the evening. She stepped inside, placing her handbag on her shoulder more comfortably as she looked around the spacious living room. Since her marriage, this had been the house she was living in with her husband and his family.

Just then, Asha, one of the housemaids, noticed her and hurried over with a warm smile. "Arey, Neha didi, aap aaj jaldi aa gayi?"

Neha smiled back and gave a small nod. "Haan, aaj zyada kaam nahi tha." She glanced around before asking, "Waise... Garima kahan hai?"

Garima was her best friend and also her sister-in-law in relation because her husband's elder brother Kartik Aaryansh married Garima.

Asha answered with a smile, "Garima di toh Princess aur Kartik sir ke saath bahar gayi hain."

Neha nodded in understanding. "Okay... main apne room mein jaa rahi hoon. Tum mere liye ek chai bhijwa dena."

"Ji, didi," Asha replied politely before turning around and walking toward the kitchen.

With a small smile, Neha headed upstairs toward her room, hoping to enjoy a few moments of peace before the evening became busy again.

As soon as she stepped into her room, she froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked around. Clothes were scattered across the floor, drawers were left open, books and other belongings were lying everywhere. The room looked less like a bedroom and more like a pile of chaos.

Still staring at the mess, She slowly walked a few steps inside, trying to understand what had happened. Her gaze moved from one corner of the room to another before she let out a confused breath. "W-What is this?" she asked in disbelief.

Just then, her eyes landed on the person standing near the open drawer. Ahaan Aaryansh. Her husband... and the one person she could never get along with.

Ahaan Aaryansh wasn't just a name. It was a name that could make anyone think twice before crossing him. He was the MD ( Managing Director of Aaryansh Industries, ) the nation's second-largest business empire, and the younger brother of Kartik Aaryansh, the CEO of the company and the Lord of Crowned Ashes.

" What are you doing here!" she asked, hearing her voice Ahaan turned his head to look at her.

She let out a slow breath and gave him an unbelieving look. "Please tell me... you didn't turn my room into this."

Ahaan met her eyes without the slightest change in his expression. "I was looking for an important file."

She looked around at the scattered clothes, books, and papers before looking back at him. "And this was the only way you could think of?"

" I guess you had brought it here by mistake," he replied in his usual calm, cold voice. "You picked up your papers from the library this morning. My file was kept with them."

She frowned, trying to remember. "If you thought that, you could've just waited for me to come back and ask."

"I didn't have time to wait." He said.

"So your solution was to enter and search my entire room? Without my permission? " She asked.

"It seemed faster." He replied.

Her eyes narrowed, and she clenched her jaw. More than the mess, it was his calm, cold expression that annoyed her the most. That look on his face always made it seem as if her presence didn't matter at all. Every single time, it made her want to argue with him.

"No matter what the reason is, you can't enter my room without my permission, Mr. Arrogant," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

He looked at her without any expression. "This is my house," he said in a calm, dry voice. "And the room you're staying in also belongs to me."

Hearing that only made her more irritated. She took a step closer, refusing to back down. "Maybe the house is yours, but for now, this room is mine. Aur yaha aane ke liye tumhe meri permission leni padegi....I hope basic manners aren't too difficult for you."

His jaw tightened. There was something about her that could get under his skin without even trying. In his entire life, he had never met anyone who could provoke him this easily. He was known for being calm, patient, and polite with everyone... except her.

He took one slow step toward her until they were standing only a few inches apart. His eyes locked with hers, both refusing to look away. "One month," he said quietly, his voice cold. "Only one month is left until our divorce. After that... don't ever show me your face again."

She didn't move. She held his gaze without the slightest fear. "Trust me," she replied in the same steady tone. "I'm counting the days more than you are."

Their marriage had been an accident neither of them had wanted. And the very next day, they filed for divorce. They had no intention of living together or even seeing each other, but because of Garima -the one person neither of them could refuse....they had agreed to stay under the same roof until the divorce was finalized.

Five months had already passed, yet nothing had changed between them. No peace, no understanding -just arguments, teasing, and endless bickering. And now, only one month remains.

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How was it?

If you want to read about Kartik and Garima ( Try " Tere Naina " )

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