Abhinav stepped through the courtyard, and stopped.
Two days. That was all it had taken.
The ground had been opened and reset. Open sky had given way to rising frames that threw long shadows across the ground.
He took it in.
Then he saw her.
Meera stood at the far end with the lead engineer, a large sheet spread between them. Her hair was pulled into a bun, a few strands loose at her temples, damp from the heat. Her dupatta was looped over one shoulder and secured at her waist.
The woman had been avoiding him since that night on the terrace.
Carefully. Too carefully.
Files appeared on his desk before he returned. Notes reached him without conversation. She attended meetings, recorded and left.
No arguments. No defiance. No unnecessary words.
He didn’t like it.
He hadn’t realised how much until now.
She looked up. Their eyes met. One second. Two. And she looked away.
Too fast. Too neat.
The corner of his mouth shifted.
By the time he reached them, both had straightened.
“Hukum,” the engineer greeted, inclining his head. “We were reviewing the foundation alignment.”
“Show me.”
They moved as the engineer led. Meera and Abhinav followed, a careful, professional distance maintained between them.
Except he knew exactly where she was.
Half a step behind.
He could track it without turning. The rhythm of her anklets, the soft chime of her bangles, the slight pause when her hand rose to brush the sweat at her temple.
He kept his gaze ahead.
Mostly.
They stopped near a joint where new work met old stone.
Abhinav bent to examine it. At the same time, Meera leaned in. Their shoulders almost touched.Almost.Close enough to be felt.
She stilled… just for a fraction of a second.
He caught it. That sudden awareness that ran through her before she could hide it. A faint flush rose along her neck, just above the edge of her dupatta.
She stepped back, resetting the distance like she was correcting a line that had drifted out of place.
“The craftsmen arrive tomorrow.” Her voice was steady. Too steady. “Each arch will match the main entrance.”