☁️  "Unseen Threads"

Location: Akash's private jet en route to Mumbai

---

Akash leaned back in his leather seat, eyes closed, the hum of the engines filling the silence. The Hyderabad visit had been short, but something lingered in his chest like a thought that refused to settle.

Not the merger.

Not the numbers.

Her.

That woman. Nitya Krishnan.

He couldn't place it why her face stayed in his memory longer than others.

She hadn't said anything unusual.

Hadn't done anything to stand out.

Yet... the calm in her eyes, the restraint in her words  it echoed something.

Raghav, his assistant, interrupted gently, "Sir, would you like me to compile employee reports for the Hyderabad UI team?"

Akash opened his eyes slowly. "Include full background on Nitya Krishnan."

Raghav blinked, surprised. "Any specific reason, sir?"

Akash didn't answer. Just stared out of the window, clouds rolling below them.

---

Meanwhile — Nitya's Apartment, Hyderabad

Nitya placed her laptop aside as Dhruv napped in the next room. The house was silent except for the ticking clock and the faint noise of city traffic below.

Her mind was elsewhere.

Akash had looked directly at her today.

His eyes had lingered  but hadn't recognized. Not even a flicker.

Did that hurt more... or less?

She walked to her small wooden cabinet in the corner. Inside were stacked boxes of her craft startup samples, and behind them  a sealed box.

Old. Untouched.

She unlocked the box to found

A hospital form.

Father's Name: [left blank]

She closed it quietly.

Beside that was a wooden box where a cute peacock couple were dancing carved on it

Nitya opened it to find a black silk dress below knee length, along with a resin-encrusted rose.

She brushed her hand over it, took a deep breath, her eyes landed on the letters beneath the box, old yellowish and a diary with italic engraved letters saying "MY LOVE".

Her hand brushed upon them, rushing back to the memories but compressing them she placed the box back in its place.

Some truths are better left where they belong  behind closed doors, in moments of silence.

Location: Akash's Mumbai Office – Midnight

***

The city below was asleep, but Akash wasn't.

His office was dimly lit, the glass walls catching the reflection of screens filled with spreadsheets and timelines. But his focus wasn't on numbers tonight.

A knock.

"Sir," Raghav entered, holding a neat folder. "Employee background ||Nitya Krishnan||. As requested."

Akash nodded. "Leave it."

But as Raghav turned to go, Akash changed his mind. "Wait."

He opened the folder. Simple profile.

Name: Nitya Krishnan

Age: 25

Department: Software UX/UI

Location: Hyderabad Work from home (primary)

Qualifications: B.Tech-computer science;Design Certification, Past internship at Arvind Corp

Marital Status: Single

Emergency Contact: Meera Iyer (Friend)

LinkedIn / Social Media: Minimal activity

"She keeps a low profile," Raghav added. "No public posts. No pictures beyond basic ID. Keeps to herself."

Akash flipped the pages.

No red flags. No controversies. No missing blocks.

But also no clarity.

She didn't act like someone average. Her designs had an emotional depth most coders lacked. Her presence... quiet, but weighted.

Akash: "Any financial dependency?"

Raghava:

"Nothing unusual. She has another bank account listed under a second name  maybe freelance or personal earnings. But not suspicious."

Akash tapped his fingers on the desk. "Second name?"

"Just a different account for private inflow. Labelled under Rudra Crafts Foundation."

That was new.

Akash raised an eyebrow. "Send me a summary of that foundation's activity."

"Yes, sir."

---

After Raghav left, Akash leaned back, eyes on Nitya's profile photo.

Something in her still pulled at him.

Like a doorway he'd once passed through and never noticed... until now.

He didn't know what he was looking for.

Only that he hadn't found it yet.

____________________________________________

Location: Rudra Crafts Foundation - Rooftop Studio, Hyderabad

***

A gentle breeze fluttered through rows of handmade lanterns strung across the rooftop. The walls were splashed with murals - painted by little hands, each stroke a story.

This was Nitya's secret world.

Rudra Crafts Foundation.

A startup built from late nights, saved-up bonuses, and silent dreams - where orphans created art, crafted home décor, and learned self-worth through colour and clay.

Inside the open workspace, a dozen kids sat around tables - stitching, painting, folding paper, laughing. Bright eyes, messy aprons, and the smell of fresh paint filled the air.

Nitya walked through them gently, offering small nods of encouragement. She corrected a brushstroke here, untangled a thread there.

Her saree was simple today. A pale blue cotton one. Her hair was in a loose braid. She looked nothing like the professional in front of Akash days ago.

Here, she wasn't an employee but a motivator.

---

Meera entered with a cup of coffee and a glass of badam milk "milk for the overworking madam," she smiled.

Nitya chuckled. "One of these days I'll actually learn to rest."

"You won't," Meera said, sitting beside her. "And I wouldn't want you to. This place is... alive because of you."

Nitya's eyes softened as she watched a little girl trying to draw a peacock with shaky hands.

"They don't need sympathy," Nitya murmured. "They need chances. This... this is how I give back."

---

On a far table, Dhruv sat with a paintbrush in one hand and glue in the other. He was designing a lion mask with absolute focus.

"Amma," he called. "Look! I made myself!"

Nitya walked over and crouched beside him.

"Of course you did," she smiled, ruffling his curls. "My brave little lion."

He giggled and reached for the yellow glitter.

---

Meera watched them silently, then whispered, "You know, you're doing great."

Nitya looked at her friend.

"I just... sometimes, I wonder if I'm being unfair to him."

"You've given him everything. Love. Stability. Dignity. That's more than most children get."

"But not the truth."

Meera didn't push further. She simply sipped her coffee.

---

Rudra was more than a foundation.

Smiles of those little orphans, strength and courage to stay alive in this world without wrongdoings

It's a family that gave her support to live in this world after giving birth to Dhruv

Creating a warm environment around him

Happiness, kind hearts and blessings

______________________________________

Location: Akash's Mumbai Office

***

Rudra Crafts.

The name had echoed in Akash's inbox since the Hyderabad visit.

Tonight, the detailed report finally arrived.

Raghav placed the slim folder on Akash's desk, unaware of the quiet storm it might ignite.

---

Akash flipped it open.

Rudra Crafts Foundation

Type: Non-profit / Startup Hybrid

Founder: Unknown (no registered public name)

Operational Lead: 'NK' initials seen on documentation

Mission: Employing underprivileged children and orphans to create handmade crafts

Location: Local Hyderabad studio - registered in an old rooftop building in Banjara Hills

Profits: Minimal. Sustainability model through charity exhibitions and bulk corporate orders

Noteworthy: Anonymous donations cover 80% of material funding

Akash's brows knit. "No registered founder?"

Raghav replied, "Nothing official, sir. Only trail we found was an old domain linked to a personal Gmail... but no identification."

Akash tapped his pen on the desk.

There was something... intimate about the design samples attached - photos of paper lamps, stitched dolls, painted trays. Everything had a warmth that corporate brands lacked.

Too much soul.

Too much hidden emotion.

Then his eyes fell on a familiar design.

A lion-faced puppet with tiny paper curls glued as a mane.

He stared at it. Something flickered.

Why did that remind him of something?

---

"Where is this studio again?" he asked.

"Hyderabad," Raghav said. "Banjara Hills. Not far from our branch."

Akash stood, his tone casual but firm. "Book me a day in Hyderabad next week. No media. No press. Just business."

"Should I prepare a site visit?"

Akash paused. Then, quietly, "No. I'll go alone."

______________________________________

Location: Rudra Crafts Foundation - Rooftop, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

***

The sun was sliding low across the Hyderabad skyline, casting gold across rooftops.

Akash stood at the base of a modest building in Banjara Hills. No signboards. Just a narrow staircase winding up through peeling walls and blooming creepers.

He climbed slowly - each step echoing.

At the top, a rusted gate stood half-open.

A watchman looked up from his stool. "Sir?"

"I'm... here to see Rudra Crafts."

The man nodded, recognising a kind of respect in the visitor's tone. "You can look around, sir. The madam hasn't come yet today."

Akash stepped inside.

And stopped.

The rooftop wasn't a workspace - it was a world.

Clay pots painted in rainbow colours lined the walls. Cloth birds hung from threads above. Little tables were filled with half-done projects - paper crafts, stitched books, bead art.

Children moved around in small groups, laughing, painting, and focusing. The energy was pure. Joyful. Raw.

One girl saw him and waved. "Uncle, come! You want to make a flower?"

He gave a half-smile and shook his head.

"No, just looking."

As he walked slowly between the tables, a paper lamp caught his eye hand-painted with a little boy and a lion walking under stars.

Something tugged at his chest again.

He didn't know why this place felt like a story he forgot.

Or maybe... one he'd abandoned.

He walked over to a corkboard pinned with photos.

No adults.

Only kids  holding crafts, laughing, hugging one another. A few names scribbled in crayon.

But one photo stood out  a child with a lion mask, throwing glitter in the air. The eyes behind that mask...

He stepped closer.

Before he could stare longer, a volunteer approached. "Sir? Are you from the media?"

"No," Akash replied gently. "I just... heard about this place. Wanted to see what it is."

"You like it?"

He looked around.

"...Yes," he said softly. "It feels like it matters."

The volunteer nodded with pride. "The founder never shows her face to outsiders. Says this is for the kids. Not for attention."

That made Akash pause.

His thoughts "Who was this woman who built something this meaningful  and stayed in the shadows?"

He stood at the edge of the rooftop now, watching the sun slip into twilight.

He had walked in looking for answers.

But he left with a question.

-----

Evening had settled gently over Hyderabad when Nitya climbed the rooftop stairs, carrying a small cotton bag of fabric scraps and snacks for the children.

The warm laughter of the kids calmed her like a familiar lullaby.

"Nitya Akka!" a little girl squealed, running up and hugging her legs.

Nitya smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Missed me, troublemaker?"

She handed out the snacks, hugged the children, and then moved toward the worktable where the latest lion-puppet project was being assembled.

That's when Anvi, one of the senior volunteers, approached - hesitant.

"Akka..."

Nitya looked up. "Hmm?"

"A man came earlier. Said he just wanted to look around."

Nitya's hands froze.

"Who?"

Anvi shook her head. "Didn't say his name. Tall. Formal. Looked like... well, not media. More like a businessperson. But not rude. He was quiet. Polite."

Generally, no businessman visits our place; they book their order through online! said to herself

Nitya's heart began to thump.

A businessman? Here?

Her fingers instinctively pulled at the dupatta wrapped around her.

"What did he ask?"

"Nothing really. Just looked around. Especially at the corkboard, the lion crafts, and the kids. He said-" Anvi hesitated.

"What?" Nitya asked quietly.

"He said this place felt like it mattered."

Nitya exhaled softly. A strange swirl of fear and warmth rose in her chest.

She walked to the corkboard and stared at it - her eyes catching the picture of Dhruv with the lion mask.

She quickly unpinned it and placed it in her cloth bag.

She couldn't take risks.

Not now.

Not after keeping everything so carefully hidden.

Outside, a breeze moved through the rooftop like a whisper.

Just like Someone had stepped into their little world... and left footprints behind.

______________________________________

Location: Little Buds Preschool, Hyderabad

***

The walls of Little Buds Preschool were covered in crayon rainbows, alphabets dancing across murals, and stick-figure families with too many hearts.

Dhruv, wearing a red T-shirt with a cartoon lion and a slightly oversized backpack, was busy explaining something to his teacher.

"...and my amma makes lions too!" he said proudly, his eyes shining. "Big lions. Paper ones. They can talk sometimes!"

Miss Haritha (Homerun teacher) chuckled. "Really? Talking lions?"

"She says they talk to good boys," Dhruv added with a wink, as if letting her in on a very serious secret.

Just then, the school bell rang for dispersal. Parents began gathering outside the gate.

Nitya, standing beyond the half-open mesh gate, spotted him from afar.

A moment. Just one small moment.

And her entire world smiled back at her.

Dhruv waved with both hands, running toward her with the energy of the sun.

Dhruv: "Ammaaa! Miss said I draw the best rocket!"

Nitya crouched and hugged him, inhaling the faint scent of glue and crayons in his hair. Her eyes stung, just a little.

"Did you?" she smiled. "Then I'll put it on the fridge next to the lion, hmm?"

"Amma," he whispered, "today I told everyone I have only you. And they said daddies come to Annual Day, but I told them ours won't. Because our lion is busy flying rockets."

Nitya froze.

She didn't know whether to smile or cry.

She kissed his forehead instead, holding him tighter than usual.

Later that night, at home...

***

Dhruv had fallen asleep one hand clutching a paper rocket, the other curled like a paw.

Nitya sat on the balcony, her laptop open beside her, but her eyes weren't on the screen.

They were on the stars.

"Why did you come back, Akash?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Why now, when I've built so much silence between us?"

She thought of the lion puppet. The corkboard. The photo held in her hand; was taken from the board the previous day

Clinching to that photo

She had protected Dhruv with every thread of her being.

But fate, it seemed, was tugging at those threads  one by one.

---

Location: Akash's Mumbai Corporate Headquarters — Executive Boardroom

***

The conference room was buzzing with numbers and projections. Slide after slide painted a familiar picture: Mumbai thriving, Hyderabad struggling.

Akash leaned back in his leather chair, fingers interlocked, eyes calm but calculating.

The CFO, Mr. Deshmukh, finished his pitch. "Sir, the Hyderabad branch is solid in manpower but inconsistent in execution. It lacks... visible leadership."

One of the older board members spoke up. "Exactly. Look at what your presence did to Mumbai's graph in just two years."

"Employees there need your direct engagement," another added. "Motivation, inspection, strategic restructuring the works."

Akash remained silent for a moment, tapping his index finger lightly on the table.

He had visited Hyderabad recently, but only for a day just to check the numbers and a curious rooftop studio.

That studio...

A flicker crossed his mind. The lion puppet.

That name Rudra Crafts.

And then, as if the universe heard his thoughts, someone else at the table spoke:

"We've been concentrating on small hold business to uphold the profit margin and to fund them, such that under our name they could survive but I think that idea doesn't show the expected ups so; our team thought to dismiss it, sir

Akash's eyes snapped toward the speaker. "No," he said quickly.

Then paused.

"...Put it on hold. I'll evaluate it personally."

The room went quiet for a beat. Then Deshmukh smiled. "So you're agreeing to Hyderabad?"

Akash rose from his chair.

"Make the arrangements. I'll stay there for a month. Full-time presence."

He looked out the tall glass windows, the cityscape reflecting in his sharp gaze.

Hyderabad was calling again.

He didn't know why it felt personal... but it did.

______________________________________

Location: Hyderabad Branch – Office Chat Group & Nitya's Apartment

***

It started with a ping.

Nitya was on her balcony with a steaming cup milk and her laptop, Dhruv napping inside. She absentmindedly opened the Hyderabad office's internal group chat  a place usually filled with leave requests and birthday greetings.

But today, a message flashed like thunder across the screen.

📢 "BIG NEWS, TEAM!"

Our Group CEO Mr. Akash Varma will be working from the Hyderabad branch for a month (or more) starting next week!

Let's bring our A-game! 🎯🔥 #BossAlert #NoCasualsFromMonday"

The cup slipped slightly in her hand. Milk was spilt on her saree.

She didn't react to the burn.

Only to the name.

Akash Varma. Here. For a month.

She closed her eyes. The walls around her ones she had built with so much care began to tremble. Many questions flooded in her mind.

Inside, Dhruv stirred in sleep, turning over with a soft murmur, hugging his lion plushie closer.

Nitya watched him through the door.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for a tissue to wipe her saree.

A storm was heading straight for them.

A storm with dark eyes and the memory of a night she'd tried to forget but carried in her child's smile every day.

She whispered to herself.

"You don't remember me, Akash.

Don't find a reason to."

But deep inside her, a small part  buried under fear wondered what would happen if he did.

————

The clock blinked 5:42 AM.

Nitya was already awake.

She stood in front of her cupboard, buttoning up a crisp sky-blue kurta the kind that didn't draw attention but looked tidy enough for work.

Her eyes drifted to the mirror.

She practiced a smile.

Polite.

Professional.

Forgettable.

Exactly how she needed to be.

---

In the living room, she moved swiftly.

Dhruv's toys tucked into the basket.

Drawings on the fridge replaced with plain magnets.

The photo of newborn Dhruv with her slid carefully into a drawer.

She walked into her small, sunlit craft studio. The lion puppets hung silently, like witnesses.

Her hands hesitated at the door.

She closed it gently, turning the key in the lock.

Rudra Crafts would remain a locked world for now.

He couldn't see it.

Not yet.

Dhruv shuffled out of the bedroom, sleepy-eyed, his curls bouncing with every step.

"Amma... juice?" he mumbled.

She bent down and kissed his cheek. "Coming, kanna."

He looked up. "Why are you wearing lipstick?"

Nitya froze.

She hadn't realized.

"I have a meeting," she said softly, wiping it off with the edge of her dupatta.

As Dhruv sipped his juice, watching cartoons with his plushie, Nitya sat beside him. Her fingers brushed through his hair.

Nitya (to herself)

"I've hidden you for three years, my love,"

"I'll hide you for thirty more if I have to."

But somewhere in her chest, her heartbeat didn't agree.

————

In the kitchen, idlis steamed on the stove. In the living room, Dhruv sat cross-legged on the floor, tracing a lion in his colouring book.

His tiny voice broke the silence.

"Amma, are you not coming to drop me to school today?"

Nitya knelt beside him, smoothing down the collar of his tiny uniform.

"No, kanna. Today you're not going to school. You're going to Meera Aunty's house. For a few days."

Dhruv looked up, blinking. "Why?"

She smiled gently, but her eyes betrayed the worry behind it.

"Because Amma's office work is getting busy. There's going to be someone new... someone important. And I don't know if they'll visit our house or not."

Dhruv tilted his head. "But our house is clean."

She chuckled, cupping his cheeks. "It is. But sometimes... it's not about clean, it's about keeping certain things safe. Like you."

He stayed quiet for a moment, then whispered, "Is it scary?"

Nitya's voice softened. "No, kanna. But just to be extra safe, okay? You'll stay with Meera aunty for a month. Amma will come to you every single day. I promise."

Dhruv's face fell. "But I want to be with you."

She pulled him into her arms, holding him tightly.

"I want to be with you too, kanna. But this is just a little space, just a little time. And we'll count the days together. Okay?"

He clutched her kurta. "You'll come with a story every day?"

She smiled through the sting in her chest. "A story, a kiss, and your favourite mango candy."

Dhruv finally nodded. "Okay. But Leo comes too."

She picked up his lion plushie, hugging it before handing it over. "Leo's in charge of protecting you when I'm not there."

As Meera arrived and Dhruv's bag was zipped up, Nitya knelt one last time.

"Be a good boy. I love you infinity."

Dhruv held her hand. "I love you infinity plus ten."

The door shut. The house felt too quiet.

And in that stillness, Nitya stared at the front door.

---

Location: Hyderabad Branch Office – Morning

The glass doors of the Hyderabad branch slid open, and the atmosphere immediately changed. Whispers began to ripple across desks as Akash Varma, stepped in.

Sharp suit. Crisp aura. A presence that made even silence stand taller.

Receptionists stood up. Assistants bowed slightly. He offered only a polite nod, already scanning the surroundings with a calculating gaze.

The branch manager, Mr. Raghunath, rushed to escort him in.

"Sir, welcome! It's an honour to have you here. We've kept your cabin ready top floor, just as per Mumbai standards."

Akash followed with composed authority.

"No need for formalities. I'm here to observe, assess, and bring stability. Nothing more. Let's get started."

Cut to: Nitya's Apartment

***

Nitya sat at her home desk, headphones on, reviewing a UI build on her second monitor.

A message pinged on her office chat group:

Akash Varma, CEO, has just entered the Hyderabad branch.

Her fingers froze on the keyboard.

The moment was here.

She took a deep breath and typed

Working remotely today. Let me know if anything urgent arises.

Then she minimized everything and sat back, her heart racing.

He's in Hyderabad.

He's closer than ever.

But he still doesn't know who I am... or who Dhruv is.

---

Back at the Branch

***

Akash walked through the floors, noticing employee dynamics, process gaps, wall displays, branding and mentally ticking what needed fixing.

He paused for a moment outside a small cubicle desk.

It was empty decorated with a small quote on the pinboard:

> "Create. Craft. Care."

A voice in his head stirred.

That phrase.

It felt... familiar?

But he brushed it off and moved on.

"Whose desk is that?" he asked casually.

"Ah, that's Ms. Nitya's," Raghunath replied. "She usually works remotely. One of our most consistent employees, though. Very punctual."

Akash nodded, uninterested.

"Have her reports ready by Monday. I want to review individual performance closely."

"Yes, sir."

---