11-12-2025, 09:04 PM
Chapter 10 - Vikram - Arjun's Wife Pooja at Guesthouse Rooftop
Arjun's heart pounded like a drum in the darkness of the rooftop, the sea's relentless crash below a mocking symphony to his turmoil. He had reached the rooftop entrance to the steps, peering down as the doors opened with a sharp crack.
Pooja's voice floated up, laced with surprise: "Oh my, we didn't lock the door—it's open, shit." Vikram's response was immediate: "What?" Pooja replied, "Yes." Vikram, his tone cautious, said, "Maybe someone broke in." He turned on the lights and scanned for signs of breaking, then asked Pooja to wait at the car, handing her the key as he scanned the entire ground floor and second floor, room by room. When he came to the rooftop, Arjun hid himself well behind a cluster of potted plants in the dark garden, his breath shallow.
After finding no one, Vikram looked around and called Pooja up. Pooja asked, "Why are you so alarmed? It's just we forgot it." Vikram replied, "Precautions are fine—I can't risk you." Pooja looked at him meaningfully.
Vikram asked, "Whose house is this, Pooja—yours or Arjun's?" Pooja said, "It's a guest house of his friends; they settled abroad. The keys are with us.
Back in the days when I and Arjun were in love, we used to come here and spend time." She looked at the empty wall, and Vikram reminded her, "You guys still love."
Pooja said, "Well, I believe so." Vikram said, "Come on, misunderstandings happen. You were silent all the way here; I thought I could lift your mood, but you're this off."
Pooja said, "I just need silence for a few hours to get back to myself. That's why I preferred this spot—to refresh myself." "So what's the plan?" Vikram asked.
Pooja replied, "Nothing—let's go to the rooftop.
That's the favorite place of us. Whenever I got mood off, Arjun used to bring me here; we'd get some food outside and eat up there, watching the sky. The garden up there, designed interiors, cushions, couple seaters—they are my refreshments. Let's go up," she said. Vikram stood up; he locked the door. Pooja asked with an eyebrow raising? Vikram replied, "The door was open for weeks; I wanted safety first." Pooja smiled, "You are unbelievable." Arjun, who was hearing their chatters, panicked as footsteps came closer, the stairs creaking under their weight. The panic arose; he quickly retreated to the garden backside, which was stark dark, the lights fused there weeks back.
Pooja showed the place. "This is my regular spot. I will sit in this cushion, Arjun will sit there. This table—sometimes I fall asleep. A lot of nights, this was our cage; we used to sleep seeing the moon."
Vikram saw her with meaning, asking, "Where was this enthusiastic Pooja?"
Pooja said, "She lost the moment my husband lied he was in office, when we were there at the office in the evening. He was up to something; you said he is meeting a woman psychologist, I fear it's not some depression treatment—I doubt more."
Arjun shocked hearing this - how far does they know, why does this vikram reached my doctor, shit.
Vikram said, "You are overthinking, Pooja.
The doctor said Arjun is the client for their project and not patient or somenthing like affair, its just business; as I said earlier, doubt is a big weapon that could destroy a relationship."
Pooja asked, "I don't know why you are defending Arjun this much., if there is nothing such why he need to lie, a simple im at client place is enough, definetly he is hiding something"
Vikram said, see the reason im defeding him is "I just don't want you to worry" and without knowing full truth, coming to a decision is bad. He sat on the table while she comfortably slid on the cushion, their views visible to Arjun, who was relaxed knowing pshycologist Anjali, did her best to hide things plus they were not here for cheating—she was just pissed at him.
While Pooja now looked too deep into Vikram's eyes, she sadi,
"Vikram, more than Arjun, I fear you."
Vikram asked, "What?"
Pooja said, "I fear you."
Vikram asked,
"Why so? What did I do—loving you?"
Pooja said, "No, no, not love. I mean, you are too good to me—you accompany me in my toughs, you encourage me, you defend my marital relationship even when I was pissed off on something? If some people are too good to you, they might have a hidden agenda, my father used to say.
You are now too good to me—that's why I fear."
Vikram said, "I don't; I just follow my heart.
Pooja said: At least Arjun was knowingly distancing himself from me—you better don't hide anything from me. If you have an intention, do say it."
Pooja's instinct (basically women's instinct) still unconvinced, asked him straight, "See, let me ask on your face: you said you love me, my husband is sort of doing something behind my back, yet you, instead of taking the opportunity to split us apart, why do you defend him and try to patch up me with him? What game are you playing, Vikram?" The question was straight.
Vikram's expression turned earnest, his voice steady but laced with a vulnerability that masked his deeper calculations.
"What you said is right, but if you come to me feeling loveless, maybe I will be different.
But I can see you have full of love for Arjun—you came here not because he was cheating or something; it's because you could not digest a small hidden information from Arjun. You are too deep into him; maybe a random person can miss it, but I love you to the core—how could I miss what you want and what not."
Pooja smiled, so you know me that deep?!.
Vikram said, no but i have been seeing you for years, i watch you closely ever since i started falling for you, how could i not know your heart.
It was you, suddenly felt offended the moment i opened the truth that i loved you.
Pooja said its okay, i dont know how to accept that, it was off kind of
Vikram, then asked, "What was your husband's reaction when he knows I loved you too?" Pooja shocked, "How do you know I said him?"
Vikram said, "I know it —from the reaction of both of you. To be frank, these are reasons I confirmed multiple times you guys are an unbreakable match. You never hid anything to him."
Pooja smiled, vikram continued, even back in the office days when he was also working with us, i have done plenty of this but you guys are unshakable, he comes ahead of me.
Pooja surprised you did something to me for love?
Vikram said Yes, "You know those flowers on every weekend? It was me who placed on your table back when we were working."
Pooja shocked, "What? Is that not Arjun's doing?" Vikram said, "No."
Pooja said, "I thought it was him, not just that the chocolates in your bag mysteriously—it was me." Pooja said, "Shit, I thought all these were Arjun doing." Vikram nodded yes, "I was too shy to reach you then."
Pooja mocked, "You earned a name womanizer and you were shy to come to me?" Vikram said, "Yes, womanizer once, but ever since I fell for you, I stopped looking at women. I never ever touched a woman then."
Pooja asked, "Why do you take such drastic steps? You have a life; you have to live it. Marry someone, Vikram." Vikram said, "I will one day if my mind is ready, but not now."
"Why?" Pooja asked.
Vikram said, "I loved you, and how could I possibly marry someone immediately?"
Pooja said, "Why not?"
Vikram asked, "Imagine your love Arjun, if he married someone, and people around you urge for immediate marriage, will you agree? Won't you need time to heal or time to recover? Won't your mind need time to process and prepare itself for accepting someone you don't love into marriage?"
Pooja said, "Yeah, I will do that way.
And That's what I'm doing too."
Ever since you got married, I was broken, Pooja. I'm being honest with you—I could not see you get married into someone; that's why I didn't attend your marriage."
Pooja asked, "What do you see in me to give your heart this much?"
Vikram said, "I don't know where to start. Frankly, love has no reason to occupy one—maybe love at first sight, or your help in saving my reputation from the crowd on annual tech day.
Frankly, I was only used to helping others as I have abundant money; if someone helps me, it could be for some hidden purpose. I've been with only such women in the past—some looked after my posh things, some on my money, some just sex. I have never had genuine care in my life. You know that annual tech day, with my reputation as a bad womanizer, you still came forward to help and fix my flawed project algorithm in the presentation, saving my day.
That was the first time I decided this is the woman I should give my life to—actually, that incident fixed me to you. Even before that, the first time I met you at the parking lot, you instantly got into me like a love at first sight but those times i look women different i looked that way, only after few minutes i realised, your eyes doing something in me, i tried to reach you to as k your name, but is saw the colleagues bullying you, I actually ran towards you to save, but Arjun came in time.
But I didn't leave them—I gave them a nice beating, but you went in the lift before witnessing it."
Pooja asked, "So the bandages on their skin the next day were due to your beatings, not Arjun?"
Vikram nodded, "Yes."
"What else did you do for me, Vikram? You were everywhere, just like Arjun. You were just a little late," Pooja said. Vikram nodded, "Yes, love has no reason. You can just pity me, but your love for Arjun is still unshakable—how could I shake your marriage with you being strong this way? I'm repeating again: if you feel loveless, come to me. I'm here; I will shower you love. But right now, you are just under some misunderstanding, financial hurdles—allow me to part of your sorrow, let me help you sort it out."
Pooja softened, realizing his true love. She asked, "I don't know what to tell." Vikram said,
"Pooja, I LOVE YOU."
Arjun felt some urge a shock a current pasing trough him when vikram expressed his love and pooja silently taking it
Pooja turned her face. she uttered you know im married and yes i love only ....
Vikram continued, "...Arjun.
You love only Arjun, I know that. I didn't ask you to love me; I just ask you to acknowledge I'm loving you madly, deeply. Just acknowledge it; I will let this go when the time comes. Until then, give me this joy." Pooja looked into his eyes, silence occupied them. Vikram was a conflicted person now to himself—deep down, he wanted her to split from Arjun so he could have her, but as he spoke to Pooja, his genuineness, care, and love occupied rather than his intention. Basically, Vikram knew he was not bad; he was just fixed to demand Pooja, in sex or love.
Arjun was shocked to see an old flame proposing boldly to his wife and his wife silence killing him further.
Vikram continued, "I just want you to do only one thing: remember whenever trouble arises or you feel empty, you can solidly believe there is Vikram—he loved me unconditionally and will be here if I call. That's the thing I want you to believe." Pooja's eyes watered; she looked at the sky, unanswered, her heart full. She thanked him after a minute, "I will remember."
He caught her hand, their palms together. Vikram smiled; Pooja smiled.
This was the moment Vikram was expecting.
Pooja feeling a flicker of empathy for Vikram's devotion. Vikram stood up from his place (opposite to each other) to sit near her on the cushion, but as he walked, he noticed a sandal and body hidden in the garden.
For a second, he was shocked—it's Arjun. What was he doing here, hiding? His mind stuck, all these time when he was proposing to his wife, Arjun was silent—what the hell. Vikram's mind instantly ran: What if he's with someone all day in an affair or sort and hid here seeing us? Or what if he was just on leave for depression or sort as a reason he was here and still hiding here doubting us, likely waiting patiently to catch us? Strangely, a third reason struck—what if he is a cuckold and voyeuristic man? In either way, it felt odd, but the animal in Vikram occupied his brain: If he is genuine, the moment we lied about the birthday party in the car, he should have confronted us when we entered, so likely he must have wild intention. I should check this if he has this intention—Pooja, no one can stop me from taking you in bed... finally the animal in Vikram occupies his brain.
Arjun, who once wanted to leave Pooja to Vikram, is now very conflicted as things unfold before his eyes.
..... End of Chapter 10
Arjun's heart pounded like a drum in the darkness of the rooftop, the sea's relentless crash below a mocking symphony to his turmoil. He had reached the rooftop entrance to the steps, peering down as the doors opened with a sharp crack.
Pooja's voice floated up, laced with surprise: "Oh my, we didn't lock the door—it's open, shit." Vikram's response was immediate: "What?" Pooja replied, "Yes." Vikram, his tone cautious, said, "Maybe someone broke in." He turned on the lights and scanned for signs of breaking, then asked Pooja to wait at the car, handing her the key as he scanned the entire ground floor and second floor, room by room. When he came to the rooftop, Arjun hid himself well behind a cluster of potted plants in the dark garden, his breath shallow.
After finding no one, Vikram looked around and called Pooja up. Pooja asked, "Why are you so alarmed? It's just we forgot it." Vikram replied, "Precautions are fine—I can't risk you." Pooja looked at him meaningfully.
Vikram asked, "Whose house is this, Pooja—yours or Arjun's?" Pooja said, "It's a guest house of his friends; they settled abroad. The keys are with us.
Back in the days when I and Arjun were in love, we used to come here and spend time." She looked at the empty wall, and Vikram reminded her, "You guys still love."
Pooja said, "Well, I believe so." Vikram said, "Come on, misunderstandings happen. You were silent all the way here; I thought I could lift your mood, but you're this off."
Pooja said, "I just need silence for a few hours to get back to myself. That's why I preferred this spot—to refresh myself." "So what's the plan?" Vikram asked.
Pooja replied, "Nothing—let's go to the rooftop.
That's the favorite place of us. Whenever I got mood off, Arjun used to bring me here; we'd get some food outside and eat up there, watching the sky. The garden up there, designed interiors, cushions, couple seaters—they are my refreshments. Let's go up," she said. Vikram stood up; he locked the door. Pooja asked with an eyebrow raising? Vikram replied, "The door was open for weeks; I wanted safety first." Pooja smiled, "You are unbelievable." Arjun, who was hearing their chatters, panicked as footsteps came closer, the stairs creaking under their weight. The panic arose; he quickly retreated to the garden backside, which was stark dark, the lights fused there weeks back.
Pooja showed the place. "This is my regular spot. I will sit in this cushion, Arjun will sit there. This table—sometimes I fall asleep. A lot of nights, this was our cage; we used to sleep seeing the moon."
Vikram saw her with meaning, asking, "Where was this enthusiastic Pooja?"
Pooja said, "She lost the moment my husband lied he was in office, when we were there at the office in the evening. He was up to something; you said he is meeting a woman psychologist, I fear it's not some depression treatment—I doubt more."
Arjun shocked hearing this - how far does they know, why does this vikram reached my doctor, shit.
Vikram said, "You are overthinking, Pooja.
The doctor said Arjun is the client for their project and not patient or somenthing like affair, its just business; as I said earlier, doubt is a big weapon that could destroy a relationship."
Pooja asked, "I don't know why you are defending Arjun this much., if there is nothing such why he need to lie, a simple im at client place is enough, definetly he is hiding something"
Vikram said, see the reason im defeding him is "I just don't want you to worry" and without knowing full truth, coming to a decision is bad. He sat on the table while she comfortably slid on the cushion, their views visible to Arjun, who was relaxed knowing pshycologist Anjali, did her best to hide things plus they were not here for cheating—she was just pissed at him.
While Pooja now looked too deep into Vikram's eyes, she sadi,
"Vikram, more than Arjun, I fear you."
Vikram asked, "What?"
Pooja said, "I fear you."
Vikram asked,
"Why so? What did I do—loving you?"
Pooja said, "No, no, not love. I mean, you are too good to me—you accompany me in my toughs, you encourage me, you defend my marital relationship even when I was pissed off on something? If some people are too good to you, they might have a hidden agenda, my father used to say.
You are now too good to me—that's why I fear."
Vikram said, "I don't; I just follow my heart.
Pooja said: At least Arjun was knowingly distancing himself from me—you better don't hide anything from me. If you have an intention, do say it."
Pooja's instinct (basically women's instinct) still unconvinced, asked him straight, "See, let me ask on your face: you said you love me, my husband is sort of doing something behind my back, yet you, instead of taking the opportunity to split us apart, why do you defend him and try to patch up me with him? What game are you playing, Vikram?" The question was straight.
Vikram's expression turned earnest, his voice steady but laced with a vulnerability that masked his deeper calculations.
"What you said is right, but if you come to me feeling loveless, maybe I will be different.
But I can see you have full of love for Arjun—you came here not because he was cheating or something; it's because you could not digest a small hidden information from Arjun. You are too deep into him; maybe a random person can miss it, but I love you to the core—how could I miss what you want and what not."
Pooja smiled, so you know me that deep?!.
Vikram said, no but i have been seeing you for years, i watch you closely ever since i started falling for you, how could i not know your heart.
It was you, suddenly felt offended the moment i opened the truth that i loved you.
Pooja said its okay, i dont know how to accept that, it was off kind of
Vikram, then asked, "What was your husband's reaction when he knows I loved you too?" Pooja shocked, "How do you know I said him?"
Vikram said, "I know it —from the reaction of both of you. To be frank, these are reasons I confirmed multiple times you guys are an unbreakable match. You never hid anything to him."
Pooja smiled, vikram continued, even back in the office days when he was also working with us, i have done plenty of this but you guys are unshakable, he comes ahead of me.
Pooja surprised you did something to me for love?
Vikram said Yes, "You know those flowers on every weekend? It was me who placed on your table back when we were working."
Pooja shocked, "What? Is that not Arjun's doing?" Vikram said, "No."
Pooja said, "I thought it was him, not just that the chocolates in your bag mysteriously—it was me." Pooja said, "Shit, I thought all these were Arjun doing." Vikram nodded yes, "I was too shy to reach you then."
Pooja mocked, "You earned a name womanizer and you were shy to come to me?" Vikram said, "Yes, womanizer once, but ever since I fell for you, I stopped looking at women. I never ever touched a woman then."
Pooja asked, "Why do you take such drastic steps? You have a life; you have to live it. Marry someone, Vikram." Vikram said, "I will one day if my mind is ready, but not now."
"Why?" Pooja asked.
Vikram said, "I loved you, and how could I possibly marry someone immediately?"
Pooja said, "Why not?"
Vikram asked, "Imagine your love Arjun, if he married someone, and people around you urge for immediate marriage, will you agree? Won't you need time to heal or time to recover? Won't your mind need time to process and prepare itself for accepting someone you don't love into marriage?"
Pooja said, "Yeah, I will do that way.
And That's what I'm doing too."
Ever since you got married, I was broken, Pooja. I'm being honest with you—I could not see you get married into someone; that's why I didn't attend your marriage."
Pooja asked, "What do you see in me to give your heart this much?"
Vikram said, "I don't know where to start. Frankly, love has no reason to occupy one—maybe love at first sight, or your help in saving my reputation from the crowd on annual tech day.
Frankly, I was only used to helping others as I have abundant money; if someone helps me, it could be for some hidden purpose. I've been with only such women in the past—some looked after my posh things, some on my money, some just sex. I have never had genuine care in my life. You know that annual tech day, with my reputation as a bad womanizer, you still came forward to help and fix my flawed project algorithm in the presentation, saving my day.
That was the first time I decided this is the woman I should give my life to—actually, that incident fixed me to you. Even before that, the first time I met you at the parking lot, you instantly got into me like a love at first sight but those times i look women different i looked that way, only after few minutes i realised, your eyes doing something in me, i tried to reach you to as k your name, but is saw the colleagues bullying you, I actually ran towards you to save, but Arjun came in time.
But I didn't leave them—I gave them a nice beating, but you went in the lift before witnessing it."
Pooja asked, "So the bandages on their skin the next day were due to your beatings, not Arjun?"
Vikram nodded, "Yes."
"What else did you do for me, Vikram? You were everywhere, just like Arjun. You were just a little late," Pooja said. Vikram nodded, "Yes, love has no reason. You can just pity me, but your love for Arjun is still unshakable—how could I shake your marriage with you being strong this way? I'm repeating again: if you feel loveless, come to me. I'm here; I will shower you love. But right now, you are just under some misunderstanding, financial hurdles—allow me to part of your sorrow, let me help you sort it out."
Pooja softened, realizing his true love. She asked, "I don't know what to tell." Vikram said,
"Pooja, I LOVE YOU."
Arjun felt some urge a shock a current pasing trough him when vikram expressed his love and pooja silently taking it
Pooja turned her face. she uttered you know im married and yes i love only ....
Vikram continued, "...Arjun.
You love only Arjun, I know that. I didn't ask you to love me; I just ask you to acknowledge I'm loving you madly, deeply. Just acknowledge it; I will let this go when the time comes. Until then, give me this joy." Pooja looked into his eyes, silence occupied them. Vikram was a conflicted person now to himself—deep down, he wanted her to split from Arjun so he could have her, but as he spoke to Pooja, his genuineness, care, and love occupied rather than his intention. Basically, Vikram knew he was not bad; he was just fixed to demand Pooja, in sex or love.
Arjun was shocked to see an old flame proposing boldly to his wife and his wife silence killing him further.
Vikram continued, "I just want you to do only one thing: remember whenever trouble arises or you feel empty, you can solidly believe there is Vikram—he loved me unconditionally and will be here if I call. That's the thing I want you to believe." Pooja's eyes watered; she looked at the sky, unanswered, her heart full. She thanked him after a minute, "I will remember."
He caught her hand, their palms together. Vikram smiled; Pooja smiled.
This was the moment Vikram was expecting.
Pooja feeling a flicker of empathy for Vikram's devotion. Vikram stood up from his place (opposite to each other) to sit near her on the cushion, but as he walked, he noticed a sandal and body hidden in the garden.
For a second, he was shocked—it's Arjun. What was he doing here, hiding? His mind stuck, all these time when he was proposing to his wife, Arjun was silent—what the hell. Vikram's mind instantly ran: What if he's with someone all day in an affair or sort and hid here seeing us? Or what if he was just on leave for depression or sort as a reason he was here and still hiding here doubting us, likely waiting patiently to catch us? Strangely, a third reason struck—what if he is a cuckold and voyeuristic man? In either way, it felt odd, but the animal in Vikram occupied his brain: If he is genuine, the moment we lied about the birthday party in the car, he should have confronted us when we entered, so likely he must have wild intention. I should check this if he has this intention—Pooja, no one can stop me from taking you in bed... finally the animal in Vikram occupies his brain.
Arjun, who once wanted to leave Pooja to Vikram, is now very conflicted as things unfold before his eyes.
..... End of Chapter 10
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