Aditya grins. “It was not ridiculous.”
“You asked the author to make the protagonist cry for ten pages.”
“He had emotional depth.”
“He had emotional exhaustion.” He laughs again.
The sound echoes down the hallway. I shift my weight awkwardly, suddenly feeling very aware of the lunch bag in my hand.
I wasn’t expecting…This. Not that they’re doing anything wrong. They’re just talking. Laughing. Like colleagues do. Heprobably knows her since a long time, definetly more than me. Still. For some reason the sight of it sits strangely in my stomach.
The woman says something else I can’t quite hear. Aditya shakes his head.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.” She smiles at him.
And something in my brain decides that is a very unnecessary amount of smiling. Before I can talk myself out of it, I step forward.
Aditya notices me immediately. His entire face changes. “Divya?” The surprise in his voice is genuine.
The woman turns around too. “Oh.” For a second I consider turning around and pretending I got the wrong building. But that would be ridiculous. So instead I walk closer.
“Hi.”
Aditya straightens. “What are you doing here?”
I hold up the bag. “I brought you lunch.”
For a second he just stares at it. Then his expression softens into something that makes the tight feeling in my chest loosen slightly.
“You did?”
“Don’t get used to it,” I say quickly.
The woman beside him watches the exchange with obvious interest.
Aditya clears his throat. “Divya, this is Rhea.”
Rhea waves cheerfully. “Hi.”
“This is my wife.” The word still sounds new when he says it.
Rhea’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh wow.”
Then she grins.
“So you’re the famous Divya.”
I blink. “I’m… what?”
Rhea laughs. “Aditya talks about his wife all the time.”
Aditya groans. “That’s not true.”
“Oh it absolutely is.” She turns back to me. “He’s been unbearable since he got married.” My ears feel warm.
Aditya rubs the back of his neck. “Rhea is exaggerating.”
