It started like any other day.
The lift doors opened.
People stepped in.
The same quiet hum of routine settled into place.
Siddharth stood in his usual spot, eyes on the floor indicator, mind already somewhere between tasks and timelines.
Something felt… slightly delayed.
He didn’t think about it.
When he reached his desk, everything was as it should be.
System on.
Inbox loading.
Files waiting.
Except—
The chair beside his wasn’t pulled out.
Saanvi’s desk was neat.
Too neat.
He sat down.
Opened his laptop.
Started working.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Then forty.
“She’s not coming today,” someone said casually from the other side of the room.
He didn’t look up.
“Hmm.”
“Fever, I think.”
Another “hmm.”
Nothing more.
Work continued.
It always did.
The AC felt colder.
Not by much.
Just enough to notice.
Siddharth glanced up at the panel once, then back at his screen.
He didn’t get up.
Mid-morning came and went.
Coffee break happened.
He didn’t go.
Around noon, he finally stood up.
Walked to the counter.
Ordered one coffee.
Paused.
“Anything else?” the person asked.
He shook his head.
“No.”
For a second, his hand hovered near the tray.
Then he picked up just one cup and walked back.
At his desk, the second spoon was missing.
He didn’t think about why that stood out.
He just placed the single spoon beside the cup and continued working.
The plant near their desks looked different.
It had always been small, but alive—leaves slightly tilted toward the light, edges soft and green.
Today, it seemed… still.
Not dead.
Just… less.
By afternoon, the office felt quieter.
Not silent.
Just missing something that usually filled the gaps between conversations.
“You didn’t go for lunch?” someone asked.
“I did,” Siddharth replied.
He hadn’t.
He opened a file.
Closed it.
Opened another.
Paused.
For a moment longer than usual.
“You always open too many tabs.”
The thought came uninvited.
He almost said it out loud.
Then didn’t.
The hours moved, but not smoothly.
Like something small had slipped out of place and the rest of the day didn’t quite know how to adjust.
Evening came earlier than expected.
Or maybe it just felt that way.
Siddharth leaned back in his chair, eyes briefly unfocused.
The desk beside him was still untouched.
No scattered notes.
No half-finished coffee.
No pen tapping against the table.
He stood up.
Walked to the AC panel.
Adjusted it slightly.
Then stopped.
Looked at it for a second.
And walked back.
No one noticed.
Or maybe they did.
The next morning, the lift doors opened again.
Same time.
Same quiet rhythm.
Saanvi stepped in.
Hair slightly tied back, face softer than usual, a faint tiredness in her eyes.
“Morning,” she said.
Siddharth nodded.
“Morning.”
A pause.
“You didn’t come yesterday.”
“Fever,” she replied simply.
“Hmm.”
The lift continued its slow ascent.
At her desk, things returned to motion.
Bag placed down.
Chair pulled out.
System starting up.
The space didn’t feel as still anymore.
Siddharth looked at his screen.
Then, without thinking—
“You should’ve taken one more day.”
She paused.
Just slightly.
“…Why?”
He didn’t look at her.
“You weren’t fully fine.”
A small silence settled between them.
Not heavy.
Just… aware.
She sat down slowly, turning on her system.
“I’m okay,” she said.
Another pause.
“…Now.”
A few minutes later, he stood up.
Walked to the coffee counter.
Came back with two cups.
Placed one on her desk.
This time, there was sugar.
And a spoon.
She looked at it.
Then at him.
“You remembered.”
He didn’t respond.
Just sat down, already back to work.
She took a sip.
The warmth settled in quietly.
Familiar.
Around them, the office moved like it always did.
People talking.
Systems running.
Time passing.
But something had shifted.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
The plant near their desks looked a little brighter.
The air didn’t feel as cold.
The silence didn’t stretch as far.
And for the first time—
without either of them saying it—
the absence from yesterday had left behind something clear.
Something undeniable.
It mattered.
More than it should have.
More than they expected.
Saanvi glanced at him briefly.
“…Did you eat?”
He paused for a second.
“…I will.”
She smiled faintly.
“Good.”
And just like that—
everything returned to normal.
But not the same.