Page 73 of Strictly Solo

She bit her lip, trying to contain the tears threatening to spill.

“Neil, he didn’t say anything like that… maybe he doesn’t want to be your dad, sweetie. If he wanted to, don’t you think he would have said something?”

Neil shook his head stubbornly.

“No, Mom,” he whispered, refusing to believe her. “You’re wrong. He couldn’t say anything because he was confused. That’s all.”

Naina was stunned by his fierce insistence to protect Ruhaan.

“Confused?” she repeated, taken aback.

“Yes, confused! Like when I mess up in front of everyone because I get scared when too many people are watching me. I think Ruhaan was just… nervous. It’s hard when everyone is staring.”

Neil was determined to see Ruhaan’s silence as anything but rejection. He wanted so much to believe in the goodness he saw in Ruhaan, the bond they had shared over the past week.

But she couldn’t let Neil hold onto that hope forever, especially if Ruhaan couldn’t meet him halfway. She had to protect her son’s heart, even if it broke her own in the process.

She sighed softly and pulled him close, gently stroking his hair.

“Neil, let’s not talk about Ruhaan right now, okay?” she murmured. “You know, we’ve always been enough for each other, haven’t we?”

He nodded, but it was a reluctant, sad nod. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, holding him close as he nestled into her. But even as she tried to comfort him, she knew the wound would take time to heal, just as her own heartbreak would.

And as she looked down at Neil, she realized that despite her best efforts, Ruhaan had left a mark on them both that couldn’t simply be erased.

*****************

The next day, Naina walked into her office, forcing a bright smile despite the heaviness inside her. She had hoped that being back at work would shake her out of the daze left by the events in Delhi. She had Neil to think about, to care for, and so much work waiting for her, but the thoughts of Ruhaan still lingered.

As she settled into her chair, her boss Deborah entered the office.

“Welcome back, Naina!” Deby beamed, pulling her into a quick, friendly hug. “Feels good to have you here again. I hope Delhi treated you well?”

“It’s good to be back,” Naina replied, offering her best attempt at a genuine smile. “It was… an experience.”

Deborah raised an eyebrow but decided to let it slide, noticing the faint hesitation in Naina’s voice. She cleared her throat and said, “Let’s get down to business then. We’ve got a big campaign presentation coming up for the Bakshi Group—’BBB Campaign. Beauty Beyond Boundaries.”

Naina knew that was the one she had proposed to the client before going to Delhi. Deborah led Naina toward the conference room, speaking over her shoulder, “I want to fill you in on what the team has put together so far.”

Inside the conference room, Deborah quickly dove into the details, outlining the strategy the team had prepared for the campaign so far.

“So, here’s the plan,” Deborah said, pulling out a few slides on the screen. “In one week, we’re presenting this campaign to their CEO, Mr. Ashok Bakshi. He’s old school, early sixties, and quite traditional in his thinking. But it’s crucial we show him just how much this campaign can drive his company’s profit, especially in today’s competitive market. Now, our team has done a lot of groundwork, but Naina, we need your expertise as our marketing consultant to really polish this and add those final touches.”

“Got it. I’ll take a look and make sure we’re prepared,” Naina replied with a nod.

Deborah’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the lack of spark in Naina’s response. She dismissed the rest of the team, but when Naina started to follow them out, she called her back.

“Naina?” Deborah asked gently once they were alone. “Is something wrong?”

Naina looked away, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m fine, Deby. Really.”

Deborah folded her arms and tilted her head, studying her again.

“Fine? I thought you’d come back from Delhi energized, ready to dive back into work, but you seem exhausted. Sad, even. Missing your family already?”

“No,” Naina said quickly, shaking her head. “It’s not that. Everything is fine.”

“Come on, Naina. I may be your boss, but I’m also your friend. I can tell when something’s off. You don’t have to hide things from me. Is there any problem? Anything I can help with?”