The bedroom was unusually quiet.
Purvi stood in the middle of the room, arranging everything with more concentration than necessary.
The cushions on the couch were placed neatly.
The blanket was folded.
The small table beside it had been cleared.
Everything looked perfect.
Almost too perfect.
She had decided she would sleep on the couch again.
After last night, she didn’t want to sleep anywhere near Vincenzo.
She didn’t want to talk to him.
She didn’t want to look at him.
And most importantly, she didn’t want to give herself another opportunity to forget what their marriage really was.
A contract.
She repeated the word silently.
Contract.
She adjusted one of the cushions.
The bedroom door opened.
Vincenzo walked in.
His eyes immediately moved around the room.
Then they landed on the couch.
Then on Purvi.
His brows furrowed.
“Aren’t you sleeping on the bed?”
Purvi continued arranging the cushions.
She didn’t answer.
Vincenzo stared at her.
“Purvi.”
Nothing.
He walked farther into the room.
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
Purvi picked up the folded blanket.
Still nothing.
His jaw tightened.
“I asked you a question.”
She walked past him.
Vincenzo turned his head, following her with his eyes.
“Are you ignoring me?”
Purvi stopped.
For a second, he thought she would answer.
Instead, she simply continued walking.
Vincenzo stared after her.
Unbelievable.
She had never ignored him before.
She had argued with him.
Teased him.
Smiled at him.
Annoyed him.
But she had never simply acted as though he wasn’t there.
And somehow, that bothered him more than all the arguments combined.
“Fine.”
He turned away.
“If you want to sleep on the couch, that’s your choice.”
Purvi said nothing.
She walked toward the closet.
She wanted to put the blanket away, but the shelf was too high.
She stretched her hand.
Her fingers barely touched the edge.
She frowned.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Vincenzo noticed.
“Leave it.”
Purvi ignored him.
He looked at her.
“I’ll get it.”
She still didn’t answer.
She dragged a small stool toward the closet.
Vincenzo’s expression changed.
“Purvi.”
She placed the stool beneath the shelf.
“Stop.”
She ignored him.
He walked toward her.
“I said I’ll get it.”
Purvi climbed onto the stool.
“I can do it.”
Vincenzo sighed.
“Get down.”
She stretched toward the blanket.
“I’m almost there.”
“Purvi.”
“I said I can—”
The stool suddenly shifted.
Purvi’s eyes widened.
“Ah!”
Vincenzo reacted instantly.
He reached forward.
But Purvi had already lost her balance.
The stool tipped beneath her feet.
She fell.
Straight toward him.
Vincenzo caught her.
One arm wrapped around her waist while the other steadied her.
Purvi landed directly against his chest.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Her hands were pressed against his shoulders.
His arm was firmly around her waist.
Their faces were inches apart.
Purvi’s eyes widened.
Vincenzo stared down at her.
Neither moved.
Purvi could hear his heartbeat.
Fast.
Strangely fast.
She swallowed.
Vincenzo’s eyes dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
His jaw tightened.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?”
Purvi blinked.
“I…”
He held her firmly.
“You could have broken your neck.”
“I didn’t mean to fall.”
“Clearly.”
Purvi looked down.
Only then did she realize exactly how she was positioned.
Her body was pressed against him.
His arm was still around her waist.
She immediately tried to step back.
But his grip tightened instinctively.
“Wait.”
She looked up.
“The stool.”
It was lying on its side.
Vincenzo carefully helped her stand.
Once she was steady, he released her.
Purvi immediately stepped away.
Neither spoke.
Vincenzo bent down and picked up the stool.
He placed it against the wall.
Then he looked at her.
“You could have asked me.”
Purvi lowered her eyes.
“I didn’t want to.”
“Why?”
Silence.
Vincenzo’s expression hardened.
“Because you’re angry.”
Purvi finally looked at him.
“I’m not angry.”
“You’re ignoring me.”
“I’m not.”
“You’ve barely spoken to me since yesterday.”
Purvi looked away.
“What do you want me to say?”
Vincenzo stared at her.
She folded her arms.
“You told me to remember the reason we’re here.”
His face changed slightly.
“And I remembered.”
She continued softly.
“So I’m doing exactly what you wanted.”
He didn’t answer.
Purvi walked toward the couch.
Vincenzo watched her.
She picked up the blanket.
“I’ll sleep here.”
He frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you said we shouldn’t share the bed.”
“I said that before.”
“And nothing has changed.”
Vincenzo’s jaw tightened.
He knew exactly what she meant.
The woman from the previous night.
The scene she had witnessed.
He had wanted her to believe he didn’t care.
He had succeeded.
Too well.
Purvi turned toward him.
“Don’t worry.
I won’t cross any boundaries.”
She placed the blanket on the couch.
Then she walked toward the bathroom.
Vincenzo watched her disappear.
He stood there for several seconds.
Then he looked at the couch.
Something about seeing her sleep there bothered him.
Again.
He remembered the previous night.
He had carried her from that exact couch because she was uncomfortable.
Now she was deliberately choosing it.
Because of him.
Vincenzo ran a hand through his hair.
“Why does this bother me?”
He didn’t have an answer.
Later that night, Purvi lay on the couch with her back turned toward the bed.
She closed her eyes.
She could feel Vincenzo’s presence behind her.
Neither spoke.
The room was silent.
Then his voice came.
“Purvi.”
She remained still.
“What?”
“Your back is going to hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
“You said that yesterday.”
She didn’t answer.
Vincenzo sighed.
“You are stubborn.”
Purvi smiled faintly into the cushion.
“And you’re irritating.”
There was a pause.
Then Vincenzo said,
“At least you’re talking to me again.”
Purvi’s smile disappeared.
She turned her face away.
Vincenzo stared at her back.
He didn’t know why hearing her voice again brought him relief.
He didn’t know why he had noticed her silence.
And he definitely didn’t understand why the memory of catching her still lingered in his mind.
The feel of her in his arms.
The way she had looked at him.
The way her heart had been beating against his chest.
He closed his eyes.
This was becoming a problem.
A very dangerous one.
Because Purvi was supposed to be temporary.
And yet…
Every day, she was becoming harder to ignore.