It was almost seven when the doorbell rang again.
Arina looked up from the dining table, smoothing her saree before walking toward the door.
When she opened it, a cheerful voice greeted her.
"Mrs. Malhotra, I assume?"
The man standing there was exactly as she had imagined — tall, confident, with an easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Yes," Arina said softly, returning the smile. "You must be Manav."
"In the flesh," he said, stepping inside. His presence filled the quiet house with sudden energy. "And finally, I get to meet the woman who managed to tame Reyansh."
Reyansh appeared from the hallway then, and the two men exchanged a brief handshake that carried years of silent understanding.
"Still dramatic as ever," Reyansh muttered.
"Someone has to make up for your lack of expression," Manav shot back with a grin.
Arina laughed politely as both men settled on the sofa. She turned to the maid and said softly, "Bring the snacks."
The conversation between the two flowed easily — or rather, it looked easy. Manav spoke with the kind of charm that made others comfortable, his words light and teasing. If Arina hadn't known his true nature — the cold precision that hid behind that warmth — she might have thought him harmless.
"So tell me," Manav said, leaning back comfortably, "how do you live with this man? Doesn't his silence drive you insane?"
Arina smiled faintly. "You get used to it. It's peaceful, actually."
"Peaceful?" Manav chuckled. "That's one word for it. I'd call it terrifying."
She laughed softly, but Reyansh's expression didn't change — though Arina caught the faint flicker of a warning glance he threw Manav's way. Manav didn't seem to notice. Or perhaps he did and simply didn't care.
After a while, Arina excused herself and called them for dinner. The three sat together at the table.
Manav tasted the first bite, then looked up, pleasantly surprised. "This is excellent. If I'd known you could cook like this, I'd have shown up long ago."
Arina smiled. "Then you should come again — if you have the time."
"Oh, I have plenty of time," he said, his eyes glinting with humor. "It's your husband who'll never let me in again."
Arina chuckled, but Reyansh only gave him a calm look that said more than words ever could.
A few minutes later, Reyansh's phone buzzed. He excused himself to take the call, leaving the two of them alone at the table.
The air felt subtly different.
Manav set down his spoon and looked at her properly for the first time — not as Reyansh's wife or his friend's hostess, but as someone to be studied.
His smile was still there, but quieter now.
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Manav leaned back slightly, his smile still easy, but his gaze had changed—curious, probing.
"So," he began casually, "how's married life treating you?"
Arina smiled politely. "Peaceful," she replied. "Reyansh has been kind."
Manav chuckled under his breath. "Kind? That's not a word I often hear used for him."
He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair, watching her with interest. "You must be doing something right."
Arina met his gaze steadily, though there was something about the way he looked at her—calm, playful, but with a strange sharpness underneath—that made her pulse quicken.
"Maybe he's softer than he seems," she said, her tone light.
"Maybe," Manav echoed. "Or maybe you've become his exception."
He said it so smoothly that for a moment, Arina couldn't tell whether it was a compliment or a warning.
Before she could respond, Reyansh returned. His eyes immediately flicked between the two of them—Manav's relaxed grin, Arina's composed smile.
"What did I miss?" Reyansh asked, his tone neutral but his gaze firm.
"Nothing serious," Manav said, standing up with an exaggerated sigh. "Just trying to understand how someone managed to melt your frozen heart."
Reyansh gave him a flat look. "You talk too much."
Manav laughed. "And you're still as charming as ever."
He turned toward Arina, his smile polite again. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Mrs. Malhotra. It's rare to see Reyansh this... civilized."
Arina smiled, though her heart still beat unevenly. "I'm glad you liked it."
As Manav walked to the door, Reyansh followed him out, their voices low. For a brief second, Manav turned back, meeting Arina's eyes. His expression softened—almost kind—but something in that glance told her he had already begun observing her more closely than she'd realized.
When the door finally closed, the silence returned.
Arina stood still for a moment, the bouquet of pink roses still resting on the table behind her.
She reached for it slowly, her fingers brushing the petals.
Her reflection in the nearby mirror caught her eyes, she wasn't sure whether the warmth in her chest was comfort... or warning.
---
"Some smiles hide questions sharper than any blade."