"Alone at Dinner"

The air in the room was thick with tension, the silence almost suffocating. Anaya stood near the wardrobe, feeling the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on her as she tried to make sense of the situation. The dark, richly colored room that she now shared with Rudra was more like a fortress than a bedroom, and Rudra himself was as distant and guarded as the space around them.

Before Anaya could attempt to say anything, there was a knock on the door. It startled her slightly, but a wave of relief washed over her at the interruption. Rudra glanced toward the door, his expression unchanged.

" Come in," Rudra said, his voice cold and commanding.

The door creaked open, and one of the female staff members entered, her eyes lowered respectfully as she approached. "Sir, Grandma has called you both for dinner at the dining table," she said quietly, glancing between Rudra and Anaya.

Anaya's heart lifted just a little at the thought of leaving the room. Thank God you came , she thought to herself, feeling an immediate sense of relief at the staff's arrival. She even allowed a small smile to form on her face as she imagined escaping the heavy silence of their room, if only for a little while.

But her hope was short-lived.____ "I'm not coming," Rudra said flatly, his tone as cold as ever. "I'll have my dinner in the room."

Anaya's smile faltered, and she found herself staring at Rudra in disbelief. Seriously? She thought. He couldn't even bother to have dinner with his family? The staff member, already used to his demeanor, simply nodded and turned to leave after getting her answer.

As the staff member quietly closed the door behind her, Anaya continued to look at Rudra, her face expressionless, yet her mind filled with questions. How could someone be so aloof? So detached from everything and everyone around him? They had only just begun living together, and already it felt as if Rudra was placing walls around himself that she would never be able to breach.

Rudra seemed to sense her gaze and turned to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Am I supposed to know why you're staring at me?" he asked, his voice carrying a sharp edge.

Anaya blinked, taken aback by his directness, but she quickly composed herself. Her heart pounded, and she could feel the tension building inside her, but she knew she had to say something.

"Having dinner with family is good for your health... and happiness," she said quietly, her voice soft but firm enough for him to hear. It was an attempt to reach him, to make him see that isolating himself wasn't the answer.

Rudra's expression remained indifferent, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—whether annoyance or amusement, she couldn't tell. "Yes, it is," he replied, his voice cool. "But I prefer eating alone. Any problem with that?"

His tone was so cold, so dismissive, that it felt like a slap in the face. Anaya opened her mouth to respond but quickly realized there was no point in arguing with someone so set in his ways. She sighed softly, shaking her head. "No… no problem," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, the disappointment clear.

Rudra nodded curtly, as if the matter was settled. He turned back to his desk, already focused on his papers as though nothing had happened.

Anaya stood there for a moment longer, feeling a strange mix of frustration and sadness. She didn't understand how someone could choose loneliness over family—especially when they were surrounded by people who cared about them. But she knew better than to push him. Rudra had built his walls long before she had entered his life, and breaking through them wasn't something she could do in a single night.

"Okay… well, I'll go down for dinner then," she muttered awkwardly, not really expecting a response.

Before leaving the room, Anaya couldn't help but murmur under her breath, "Yeah, only people like that would prefer to stay alone…"

It was quiet, almost too quiet for him to hear. But Rudra, with his sharp senses, caught every word. He didn't react immediately, his expression remaining as blank as ever, though something flashed in his eyes—perhaps a fleeting trace of anger, or maybe just acknowledgment. He said nothing, and instead, stood up from his desk, walking toward the attached bathroom to freshen up.

Anaya didn't linger long enough to gauge his reaction. She left the room quickly, her heart heavy with a strange mix of emotions. As she walked down the long, grand staircase toward the dining area, she couldn't shake the feeling that her relationship with Rudra was going to be far more complicated than she had ever imagined.

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##Downstairs at the Dining Table

When Anaya reached the dining room, the warm, comforting smells of dinner greeted her, a stark contrast to the cold atmosphere she had just left behind. The grand dining table was already set, and Komal, Rakhi, Ria, and Misha were seated, chatting lightly as they waited for the food to be served.

As Anaya approached, Komal looked up and smiled warmly. "Ah, Anaya, dear, you've come. Where's Rudra?" she asked, her tone light but curious.

Anaya hesitated for a moment before answering, unsure of how much to reveal. "He… he said he'll be eating in his room," she said quietly, hoping that would be enough to satisfy the question.

Rakhi frowned slightly, though she didn't seem surprised. "Typical," she muttered under her breath, her expression turning briefly frustrated before she sighed and returned to her calm demeanor.

Komal, however, seemed more thoughtful. She nodded slowly, her smile fading slightly. "He's always been that way," she said softly, more to herself than anyone else. "So focused on his work, always preferring to be alone."

Ria, ever the cheerful one, tried to lighten the mood. "Well, at least *we* get to enjoy each other's company, right?" she said with a bright smile, nudging Anaya gently. "Besides, we all know Rudra would just sit there and brood if he came to dinner."

Misha giggled in agreement, but Anaya couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. She had hoped, even just for a moment, that Rudra might step out of his comfort zone, even just a little. But it seemed that hope was in vain.

Anaya forced a smile and took her seat at the table, determined not to let her thoughts of Rudra ruin her evening. The meal was lively, with Ria and Misha sharing stories, and Rakhi adding in her motherly wisdom. Komal watched them all with a soft, proud smile, occasionally chiming in with her own memories of the family.

For the first time in a while, Anaya felt a small sense of belonging, even if it was fleeting. But as the dinner wore on, her thoughts kept drifting back to Rudra, alone in his dark room, choosing solitude over the warmth of family.

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### Back in the Bedroom

By the time Anaya returned to the room, Rudra had already finished freshening up and was seated at his desk, once again engrossed in his work. A tray of untouched food sat on a small table nearby, indicating that dinner had been brought to him, just as he had requested.

Anaya entered the room quietly, not wanting to disturb him. She glanced at the tray of food, noting that it had barely been touched. He hadn't even bothered to eat properly. She bit her lip, unsure whether to say something or not.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" Rudra's voice broke the silence, though his eyes remained fixed on the documents in front of him.

Anaya blinked, surprised that he had spoken first. "Yes," she said after a moment, her voice soft. "It was nice. Everyone was there."

Rudra nodded slightly, still not looking at her. "Good," he muttered, his tone indifferent.

The conversation died as quickly as it had started, leaving Anaya standing there, unsure of what to do next. She glanced around the room, feeling the weight of the silence between them. Finally, with nothing left to say, she made her way to the other side of the room, ready to settle in for the night.

As she prepared for bed, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how it would always be—silent, distant, and cold. The thought made her heart sink a little. But for now, all she could do was take it one day at a time, hoping that maybe, just maybe, things would change.

And if not… well, she would have to find a way to live in the shadows of Rudra's world.

The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the bedside lamp, casting long shadows over the walls and accentuating the deep, dark tones of the space. Anaya sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she listened to the steady sound of Rudra typing away at his desk. The quiet tapping of the keys was the only sound that filled the room, but to Anaya, it felt deafening. She couldn't help but feel the growing chasm between them—two people sharing the same space, yet worlds apart.

She glanced at Rudra from the corner of her eye. He sat in his chair, completely absorbed in whatever business matter held his attention. The faint light from his desk lamp illuminated his face, highlighting the hard lines of his jaw and the furrow in his brow. He was always so composed, so focused, and yet… so distant. Anaya felt like she didn't even know him, and the thought made her chest tighten with unease.

After a long moment of silence, she decided to break it, her voice hesitant but determined. "You didn't eat much," she said softly, glancing at the untouched tray of food near his desk. "Wasn't the food to your liking?"

Rudra didn't look up from his work, his fingers still moving over the keyboard. "It was fine," he replied curtly. "I'm just not hungry."

Anaya bit her lip, feeling the weight of his indifference. She wasn't sure why she had expected anything different, but a small part of her had hoped for at least a little conversation, something more than the cold formality that always seemed to linger between them.

"Right," she said quietly, unsure of how to continue. The silence stretched on again, thicker and more suffocating than before. She could feel the tension building in her chest, the frustration at being unable to reach him. She wanted to ask him why—why he kept everyone at arm's length, why he preferred to isolate himself even when there was warmth and comfort waiting for him downstairs with his family.

But she didn't have the courage to ask, not yet.

Instead, she stood up from the bed and walked slowly toward the wardrobe, pretending to busy herself with organizing her clothes. Her fingers traced the edges of the fabric, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't shake the feeling that this—whatever this was between them—wasn't how things were supposed to be.

After a few minutes of fidgeting with her clothes, she finally turned to Rudra again. "Do you always eat alone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, though she knew he would hear her.

Rudra's fingers paused over the keyboard for just a moment before he resumed typing. "Yes," he said simply, not bothering to elaborate.

Anaya felt a pang of sadness at his response. She had expected it, but hearing him confirm it only made the reality of their situation hit harder. He was a man who had chosen solitude over connection, and she was the one who had been thrust into that solitude with him.

"You don't think it's… lonely?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity. She wasn't trying to pry, but she couldn't understand how someone could live like this—so isolated, so detached from everyone around them.

Rudra finally looked up from his work, his dark eyes meeting hers. For a brief moment, there was something unreadable in his gaze, a flicker of emotion that was gone as quickly as it appeared. "I'm used to it," he said, his voice steady but not unkind. "It's how I prefer things."

Anaya nodded slowly, her heart sinking a little. She had hoped for more, some glimpse of vulnerability or understanding. But all she got was the same cold, distant response.

"I see," she murmured, turning back to the wardrobe. She didn't know what else to say, and the awkwardness of the situation was starting to weigh on her. She wanted to escape the tension in the room, but there was nowhere to go. This was her life now—this room, this silence, this distance.

She let out a small sigh and closed the wardrobe, deciding that there was no point in trying to continue the conversation. Rudra had made it clear that he wasn't interested in changing the way things were. He had his routine, his preferences, and she was just… there.

As she made her way back toward the bed, her mind still racing with thoughts, there was another knock on the door. Anaya's head snapped toward the sound, her pulse quickening slightly. She didn't know why, but she felt a sudden sense of relief—anything to break the unbearable silence between her and Rudra.

"Come in," Rudra said, his voice carrying that same commanding tone.

The door creaked open, and a different staff member entered, bowing slightly as they stepped inside. "Sir, everything is ready for the meeting tomorrow morning. Is there anything else you would need tonight?"

Rudra barely glanced at the staff member as he responded. "No, that will be all."

The staff member nodded and left as quickly as they had entered, leaving the room just as silent and stifling as before. Anaya felt her earlier sense of relief quickly fade, replaced once again by the overwhelming tension that seemed to hang in the air between her and Rudra.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket as she struggled to think of something—*anything*—to say that might ease the tension. But nothing came to mind. Rudra had effectively shut her out, and she didn't know how to reach him.

"Good night, Rudra," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she pulled the covers over herself and settled into bed.

Rudra didn't respond right away, but after a long pause, he muttered, "Good night, Anaya." It was the barest acknowledgment, but it was something.

As she lay there in the dark, Anaya stared up at the ceiling, her mind racing with thoughts of the day, of their stilted conversation, of the walls that Rudra seemed so determined to keep between them. She didn't know how long she lay awake, listening to the soft hum of the city outside the window and the occasional rustle of paper from Rudra's desk, but eventually, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off into a restless sleep.

##To be continue...**