Absolutely—adding more relative perspectives will deepen the dynamics and make the story more layered. Here's **Chapter 7: *Glass Walls and Gentle F
**Chapter 7: Glass Walls and Gentle Fires**
The aftermath of the dinner lingered longer than either of them expected.
It wasn't about the food or the conversations. It was about the stares.
The silences.
The whispers they thought went unnoticed.
But they hadn't gone unnoticed.
Aanya saw them. Felt them.
And later, back home, when she quietly folded her dupatta and placed it on the chair by her bedside, she asked, "Is that how they see us? Like strangers who happen to wear wedding rings?"
Arjun sat on the couch, elbows on his knees. "They see what they want to see."
Aanya gave a short laugh. "Or maybe we're just easy to misunderstand."
He didn't reply.
He didn't need to.
Because while their lives were tangled in unspoken truths and hesitations, outside their apartment, their story had become someone else's gossip.
***
**RELATIVES' PERSPECTIVES – A CHORUS OF ECHOES**
**Cousin Ritu (his side):**
*"They're not normal. I've never seen a newlywed couple so… cold. No selfies. No 'honeymoon' stories. You know she didn't even wear sindoor properly during the first family function? Just a tiny dot. And she wore pants!"*
**Aanya's bua:**
*"I don't blame the girl. She was ambitious. Wanted to do MBA and fly abroad, I heard. Then suddenly—marriage! Who does that to their daughter? Of course she's angry. And that boy—he's too intense. Possessive types, no doubt."*
**Chachiji (from his side, jealous):**
*"Such a show-off pair. He brings her in branded clothes and watches her every move. Either he's obsessed or insecure. I told my husband—he's wrapped around her finger."*
**Aanya's cousin Nikhil:**
*"Arjun's a smart guy. IIT and all. But he gives off weird energy. Like he's too controlled, too calculating. Doesn't let her breathe. If I were her, I'd have left by now."*
**His sister, Shruti:**
*"He's not the brother I grew up with. He used to joke, stay up late, binge movies with me. Now, he barely smiles. She's turned him into someone else. And I'm not saying she's bad, but… maybe they're not a match."*
***
All those voices. All those assumptions.
None of them knew the truth.
Because inside their glass-walled world, Aanya and Arjun were trying to coexist in a space where love hadn't taken root yet—but something else was beginning to stir.
***
A week after the dinner, Shruti dropped by unannounced.
She brought sweets, claimed it was just to "check in."
But Aanya wasn't fooled.
As they sat in the living room, sipping tea, Shruti's eyes kept scanning the place—like she was hunting for signs of a perfect or failing marriage.
She didn't find either.
Just a quiet apartment with two mugs on the table and a faint trace of cardamom in the air.
"You look thinner," Shruti said abruptly. "Are you eating well?"
"I'm fine," Aanya replied curtly.
"I told Arjun not to be so rigid. He's too intense sometimes. I hope he's not making you uncomfortable."
Aanya gave a tight smile. "If I were uncomfortable, I wouldn't be here."
Shruti blinked.
"Well, good. You know, he never used to be like this. He was fun. Warm. Now he's always... alert. Like he's watching everything."
Aanya's jaw tightened. "Maybe he's just growing up."
Shruti tilted her head. "Or maybe he's trying too hard. You don't even call him by name, do you? Always 'he' or 'him'. That's not how couples talk."
Aanya placed her cup down gently. "Is there a reason you're here, Shruti?"
Shruti shrugged. "I just miss my brother. That's all."
Aanya said nothing.
But her silence spoke volumes.
***
Later that night, Aanya found Arjun working in the study.
She leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed.
"Your sister thinks you've changed."
He looked up. "She's not wrong."
"She thinks I made you worse."
He raised an eyebrow. "Did she say that?"
"Not in those words."
"I don't blame her," he said. "I *have* changed."
"Because of me?"
"Because of how much I care about you."
She didn't know how to respond.
So she stepped in slowly and sat on the edge of his desk.
There was an odd quiet between them.
Then she asked, "Why do you keep a distance but still hover around me like I'll disappear?"
He didn't meet her gaze.
"Because," he said finally, "if I get too close, I'm scared I'll ruin it."
"Ruin what?"
"This fragile thing between us. Whatever it is."
Aanya's eyes softened.
"You're not the only one scared, Arjun."
He looked up, surprised. "You said my name."
"I've said it before."
"Not like that."
She rolled her eyes, but the tension in her chest loosened slightly.
"Everyone thinks we're either fake or miserable," she muttered.
"Let them."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"It used to."
"And now?"
"Now I just want *you* to see me clearly. The rest don't matter."
Aanya paused.
There it was again.
That quiet, raw honesty of his that kept catching her off guard.
And somewhere deep down, a small part of her... believed him.
***
The following Sunday, they attended another family event—this time, Aanya's cousin's engagement.
They entered together, side by side, as usual.
But this time, she didn't walk two steps ahead of him.
She didn't avoid his gaze when someone greeted them as *Mr. and Mrs.*
She even smiled.
Just once.
But it was enough to send a ripple through the crowd.
Aanya's chachiji whispered to her husband, *"Maybe they're actually working things out."*
Arjun's distant cousin narrowed his eyes, murmuring, *"Something's different. Look how he's looking at her. Like he's already lost her and is trying to win her back."*
And perhaps that wasn't too far from the truth.
Because when Arjun held out her chair at the dinner table, when he poured water into her glass before filling his own, when he listened carefully as she spoke to her aunt about MBA applications…
He wasn't performing.
He wasn't faking.
He was trying.
In his own, quiet, obsessive, patient way—he was trying to be enough for her.
And Aanya… she didn't run from it.
Not that day.
She sat beside him and let the whispers fade into the background.
Let the stares dissolve in the golden lights and murmured music.
Let the glass walls stay up—but let the fire behind them flicker a little brighter.
---
**[End of Chapter 7]**