13 First kiss

Ira didn't withdraw her hands as he expected. 

A kiss on the hand implies admiration and respect for the other person. And it's acceptance by the other expresses trust in the giver.

'Does that mean, Ira trusts me now?' Vivan wore a radiant smile. Ira smiled, too bashful at Vivan's action.

Yes! It was just a kiss on the hand!

Yes! They were married.

But both were behaving like shy teenagers that just got their first kiss on the lips, though theirs was only on her hand, it was the first kiss of love to them. Looking at the red-faced Ira, Vivan built up the courage to get up and kissed her...

Kissed her cheeks…

"Thanks for the meal." He said and ran away like a shy teenager. 

A man who had a severe egg allergy, made eggs for her. What if he accidentally ate some? What if he forgot to wash his hands and ate? She couldn't imagine the outcome!

'Does he  like me?`` Ira thought.  'It could make my plan to capture his heart much easier,' she laughed. First attempt; success!

She knew that he was a responsible man of a traditional family who cared for his wife. The realization of Vivan having feelings for her was out of the blue and it shocked her. After catching her with proof as he saw her online search history, he still believed her. 

Even though she was slow-witted in the matters of love and emotions, but Ira was not blind to not see his devotion and care for her. Also, she wasn't so confident that he would have no doubts at the same time. As long as the relationship between them was not fixed their marriage was still in crisis. 

-------

The air was filled with the fragrant smell of garlic and onion being fried in the oil. There was also the sound of the meat being sizzled by the fire. It was mixed with the scent of the oil. 

Ira carefully placed the sliced fish into the pan. The pieces of meat rolled in the oil and sizzled, then she poured the cut green garlic into the pan and stir-fry. 

Ira remembered the fresh taste of her mom's craftsmanship. Without a bit of fishy smell, she used to make the best fish fry. 

It was now time to execute her Plan no. 2: Surprise Vivan with a lunchbox.

When the lunchbox was ready, she went into her bedroom and searched for clothes to change. But as soon as she stood in front of her wardrobe, she was completely dumbfounded.

What kind of garments are these? All she could see were pants, pencil skirts, white blouses, and coats. All were business attires; tailored and conservative.

She practically flipped over every item in the closet before finding a sky blue short-sleeved dress that reached her knees.

She looked in the mirror and said, "Let's utilize the potential of this beauty." 

---

V Architectural firm.

A beautiful woman was looking around in amazement. She was dressed in a sky blue dress and her black hair comed neat  Her face was painted with light makeup. There was slight anticipation in her eyes.

The secretary's eyes fell on Ira, and he secretly gloated, 'Is she the one?' For so many years, he had never seen a woman around the boss! Hehehe! Boss was in love for sure. A man who falls in love becomes abnormal…

"I want to meet Vivan." 

Oh, the intimate greeting confirmed his guess and he didn't ask her if she had any appointments.

"Miss, the Chairman is now in a very important meeting, please wait here for a moment." The secretary placed a cup of coffee in front of Ira and smiled stupidly.

"Okay! I can wait here."

"Ma'am, can I know your name please?"

"Ira Rai Shah," she deliberately added her surname. 

Shah! Shah! Oh, no. The secretary shook his head. Same surname? The staff members gossiped about the new face.

"Who is she?"

"Boss has a sister?"

"No, no sister."

"Hey, she's his wife." 

"Wife!"The secretary's jaw dropped to the floor. 

"But I heard their relationship isn't going well. There were even talks about their divorce."

Divorce! The silent, shocked secretary panicked. He couldn't help but doubt if the woman on the phone that day was her or someone else. He barged in the meeting and informed the boss of Ira's arrival to see his response. 

"Let's end the meeting," Vivan said and he ran to his office. 

Behind him, Secretary was smiling since he realized things weren't as complicated. This was the girl. Whatever the circumstances he decided to support his boss. 

As soon as Ira entered she got astonished by the innovative exterior of the big glass building, but she was more amazed at the indoor design. It had traditional screens and a wood interior. There were many atriums with wood, bamboo, and other plants.

Ira looked around Vivan's office. She was sitting on a soft sofa, next to the floor-to-ceiling windows which faced the sea. The wall behind Vivan's desk was a glass that separated the garden. 

She walked towards the glass, feeling very comfortable. This beautiful and ethereal indoor garden simply took her breath away. Surely an office deemed to be worthy of a renowned architect...

"The scenery is not bad, right?" A voice came from behind.

"It's stunning and comfortable. Is it your design? Can you design a similar indoor garden for our apartment?" Ira asked.

"Sure, I will start working on it," Vivan responded.