The Rodrigues residence was unusually quiet that night.
The celebrations for her grandparents' anniversary were still a few days away, yet the house already carried the warmth of preparation. Her grandparents had retired for the night after another long discussion about the guest list, the decorations, and whether there would be enough food for everyone.
Eleanor, however, couldn't sleep.
She lay on the bed in her childhood room, staring at the ceiling.
She had tried everything.
She had put her phone away.
She had turned off the lights.
She had closed her eyes.
She had even tried counting.
Nothing worked.
Her mind simply refused to cooperate.
Because every time she closed her eyes, one particular person appeared in her thoughts.
Anubhab Banerjee.
Eleanor sighed and turned onto her side.
To Anubhab, she was simple.
A junior.
A trusted colleague.
A friend.
Someone talented and hardworking whom he could rely on at the research site.
Nothing more.
And Eleanor knew that.
She knew it far too well.
She had known him long enough to understand the way he treated people he cared about.
He was kind without being overbearing.
Protective without making people feel helpless.
He could be strict, when necessary, but his authority never felt threatening.
At the research site, everyone respected him.
He had an extraordinary command over his work.
Whether he was discussing geological formations, analyzing field data, supervising a survey, or handling an unexpected problem, Anubhab always seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
He never panicked.
He never raised his voice unnecessarily.
He simply took control.
And somehow, everything fell into place.
That was what had first caught Eleanor's attention.
Not his appearance.
Not his reputation.
Not even his position as her senior.
It was his confidence.
His knowledge.
The quiet authority with which he handled responsibility.
The way he could walk into a chaotic situation and somehow make everyone feel that things would be all right.
Eleanor had admired him long before she realized that admiration had slowly become something else.
Something she wasn't supposed to feel.
Something she had never planned.
Something she couldn't simply switch off.
She remembered one of the office events.
Anubhab had been persuaded to play the violin.
At first, he had refused.
But eventually, after enough requests from the team, he had agreed.
Eleanor had stood somewhere among the others, listening.
The moment the first note filled the room, something inside her had become strangely peaceful.
She couldn't explain it.
Perhaps it was the contrast.
The man who was so composed while leading an entire research team suddenly seemed completely different with a violin in his hands.
There was no pressure.
No deadlines.
No responsibilities.
Just music.
Eleanor had watched him that evening and realized, with a sinking feeling, that she had fallen much deeper than she had intended.
She had fallen for the person behind the professional authority.
And that frightened her.
Because Anubhab had never given her any reason to believe that he felt the same.
Not once.
He treated her exactly the way he treated his other trusted juniors.
With respect.
With affection.
With encouragement.
But nothing more.
And she would rather preserve that friendship than risk losing it.
That was why she had never told anyone.
Not her grandparents.
Not her friends.
And certainly not Ethan.
Especially not Ethan.
She could already imagine her brother's reaction.
He would interrogate her.
Then interrogate Anubhab.
Then probably terrify half the geological research team.
Eleanor covered her face with her pillow.
“No.”
She whispered the word to herself.
“No, no, no.”
She couldn't do that.
She didn't want Anubhab to know.
Because if he discovered the truth and became uncomfortable around her, what would she have left?
Her work.
Her career.
Her family.
And—
Anubhab.
Her only real friend at work.
The thought hurt.
She slowly lowered the pillow.
And then another memory came rushing back.
Earlier that day, Anubhab had asked her for a favor.
Not an ordinary favor.
He had asked her to pick up Pragya from the airport.
His sister.
His precious little sister.
The person he was endlessly protective of.
He had trusted Eleanor enough to place Pragya in her care.
That trust meant everything to her.
And yet, at the same time, it had broken her heart a little.
Because it reminded her exactly where she stood in his life.
She was the person he trusted to protect the most important person in his world.
But she wasn't the person he wanted for himself.
Eleanor smiled sadly.
“Of course you don't know.”
She whispered.
“And maybe it's better that way.”
She had no intention of telling him.
She would carry the secret quietly.
She would remain his junior.
His colleague.
His friend.
Whatever allowed her to stay close without destroying what they already had.
She turned over again and pulled the blanket closer.
“Enough.”
She closed her eyes.
“Sleep.”
A few seconds passed.
Then her eyes opened again.
“Pragya!”
She suddenly remembered.
She had promised herself that she would call Pragya.
It was her first day in Chennai.
Tomorrow would be the beginning of a completely new chapter for her at IIT Madras.
Eleanor immediately reached for her phone.
She found Pragya's name and pressed call.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then—
“Hello?”
Eleanor smiled.
“Finally!”
Pragya laughed softly.
“Eleanor?”
“Who else would call you at this hour?”
“Someone who wants to complain?”
“That's probably Aarohi.”
“True.”
Eleanor settled against the headboard.
“So, Miss IIT Madras, how was your first day?”
Pragya groaned.
“Don't start.”
“Why?”
“Everyone keeps calling me that.”
“You earned it.”
“Today were mostly formalities. Hostel paperwork, room arrangements, meeting people…”
“Have you settled into your room?”
“Yes.”
“Roommate?”
“Bristi.”
“Bristi?”
“She's from West Bengal too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And she's pursuing M.Tech. in mechanical engineering.”
Eleanor smiled.
“Good. At least you have someone who understands Bengali.”
“Exactly.”
“Are you homesick?”
There was a tiny pause.
Pragya didn't answer immediately.
Eleanor understood.
“Very?”
“A little.”
“A little?”
“Okay. A lot.”
Eleanor laughed softly.
“I knew it.”
“I miss everyone.”
“Your father?”
“Especially him.”
“And Anubhab?”
Pragya immediately replied,
“Obviously.”
Eleanor's smile faltered for the briefest moment.
Then she recovered.
“Of course.”
Pragya continued talking about her day.
About the campus.
About Bristi.
About how enormous everything felt.
Eleanor listened patiently, asking questions whenever appropriate.
She didn't mention the strange coincidence of being entrusted with Anubhab's sister.
She didn't mention what she had been thinking about before calling.
Instead, she simply listened.
Because that was what friends did.
After several minutes, Eleanor said,
“Anyway, I called for another reason.”
“What?”
“I wanted to wish you luck.”
“For tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Pragya smiled.
“Thank you.”
“You'll do wonderfully.”
“I hope so.”
“You will.”
Eleanor paused.
“And there's something else.”
“What?”
“My grandparents' anniversary is next Sunday.”
“Oh!”
“We're having a celebration.”
Pragya immediately sounded excited.
“Really?”
“Yes. You have to come.”
“I don't know…”
“No.”
“Eleanor—”
“You are coming.”
“I'll have classes.”
“It's Sunday.”
Pragya went silent.
“Oh.”
Eleanor laughed.
“Exactly.”
“I'll come.”
“Good.”
“Is Anubhab coming?”
Eleanor's heart skipped for the briefest moment.
She answered carefully.
“I'm sure he will.”
Pragya laughed.
“Then I'll definitely come.”
Eleanor smiled.
“I'll send you the details.”
“Done.”
“And Pragya?”
“Yes?”
“Don't overthink tomorrow.”
“I'll try.”
“Not try.”
“Okay.”
“Sleep properly.”
There was silence.
Then Pragya laughed.
“You sound like my brother.”
Eleanor smiled.
“Maybe I've spent too much time around him.”
Neither of them realised how ironic that sentence was.
They said their goodbyes.
The call ended.
Eleanor placed the phone beside her.
For a moment, she simply stared at the screen.
Then she smiled.
At least Pragya was happy.
At least she could do something for the person Anubhab loved most.
Perhaps that was enough.
Perhaps loving someone quietly sometimes meant accepting that you could never ask them to love you back.
She switched off the bedside lamp.
The room fell into darkness.
Eleanor closed her eyes.
But before sleep finally came, one last thought crossed her mind.
She hoped Anubhab would never discover her secret.
Because she didn't know what would hurt more—
hearing that he didn't feel the same,
or losing the friendship she treasured because she had told him.
So she chose silence.
And with that secret safely locked inside her heart, Eleanor finally drifted toward sleep.
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