08-02-2026, 10:03 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2026, 10:04 PM by heygiwriter. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 74 – Mirna enters into Bharaths Room.
![[Image: image-6.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/WvrgLsKK/image-6.jpg)
The house was quiet after dinner — only the soft hum of the pool pump outside and the distant roll of waves.
Mirnaa had slipped into her lavender nighty — the one that always made her feel soft, feminine. She came to bed, crawled in, and after a moment placed her head on Vikram’s chest. Her fingers traced slow circles on his skin — the familiar ritual.
But tonight, her touch was distracted. Her breathing uneven.
Vikram felt it.
Vikram had spent the day turning the situation over in his mind. Bharath’s “drunken” breakdown last night had shaken him more than he admitted. The hug. The tears. He needed. Mirna , thinking about Bharath’s pain.
Vikram didn’t know how deep Bharath’s play had already gone.
He didn’t know Mirna's walls were already cracking.
He is already orchestrating what Bharath wanted.. now Vikram is pushing her— carefully.
“Did you speak something to Bharath today?” he asked gently.
Mirnaa looked up at him. “Yeah… something. While going to the hospital. He didn’t say anything… but tears came out of him. I couldn’t say anything. I don’t know what to do. Looks like his pain is something else.”
Vikram nodded slowly.
“He needs someone to speak openly, share his issues. If he keeps it to himself, it will burden him more.”
Mirnaa sighed. “That’s what I thought too. Maybe he should open up to me.”
Vikram’s hand stilled on her hair.
“He may be needing one… but he’s hesitant to take the call.”
A pause.
Then — carefully — he said:
“Mirnaa… why don’t you go to him? Stay at his place for a few minutes. Hear his story. Give him some moral support.”
Mirnaa lifted her head. “Now?”
Vikram nodded. “Then when? Morning he goes for work early. Coming only at breakfast. Evening we’re all held up in chores. Now is the right time. Your travel time won’t be good enough. He may have a lot to share.”
Mirnaa bit her lip. “Okay…”
But she hesitated.
“Sometimes I get stuck. I don’t have words to comfort one.”
Vikram saw the opening.
He inserted it gently.
“Sometimes words are really not necessary. Just… hug him.”
Mirnaa’s eyes widened — not shocked, but hesitant.
Vikram pushed — soft, reassuring.
“It’s perfectly alright. Imagine Priya in his place. Won’t you hug her and pat her?”
Mirnaa swallowed. “Same…”
Vikram continued.
“I can do the hug too but… that won’t be warm like one from a woman. It’s like a heal. Imagine he was sobbing — you hug him. He gets relief. You kiss him on forehead. He will melt. He would relax.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed. “I can hug… but kiss…”
Vikram smiled gently.
“Won’t you kiss Priya? Won’t you kiss an elderly person, a child? Treat him like a patient. More than that… I feel you could be the medicine. Don’t restrict.”
Mirnaa swallowed hard.
“I wanted to but… kind of fear incoming. Can you come with me?”
Vikram shook his head.
“I need to give him privacy time with you and him. If I’m with him he won’t say anything. With you he can be himself — vent out his anger, his disappointment.”
Mirnaa looked down.
“I don’t think I can…”
Vikram reached for the AirPods on the nightstand.
“Wear these. I’ll be on call with you. I can hear him. I’ll instruct what to do. You need not say or ask anything to me — just do what I say. In first place I’ll leave you as it is. But when you get stuck with no words — just give a cough. I’ll guide. One more cough — I’ll stop.”
Mirnaa stared at the AirPods.
Then — slowly — she nodded.
“Okay.”
Vikram quickly called her phone — connected the AirPods. He didnt give her time to think
“I’m on the line. Go now.”
Mirnaa took one AirPod, placed it in her left ear.
She departed the room.
Vikram watched her descend the stairs from the bedroom doorway.
He fired a quick text to Bharath:
She’s coming. Vent out. Get relaxed. We are with you.
Downstairs, Bharath sank into sober thought.
Stage set.
Mirnaa stepped into the downstairs guest bedroom — wide bed shadowed, lights low. Bharath slumped on the edge, head in hands.
“Bharath?” she whispered, crossing to him.
He looked up — eyes red-rimmed (glycerin still fresh), voice hoarse.
“What are you doing here?”
Mirnaa stepped closer.
“I thought… I should speak with you.”
Bharath’s eyes softened.
he looked at her for few minutes then said
“Come in.”
The door shut with a soft creek.
Vikram — listening through the AirPods — felt a strange jolt.
He was shaken.
The house was quiet after dinner — only the soft hum of the pool pump outside and the distant roll of waves.
Mirnaa had slipped into her lavender nighty — the one that always made her feel soft, feminine. She came to bed, crawled in, and after a moment placed her head on Vikram’s chest. Her fingers traced slow circles on his skin — the familiar ritual.
But tonight, her touch was distracted. Her breathing uneven.
Vikram felt it.
Vikram had spent the day turning the situation over in his mind. Bharath’s “drunken” breakdown last night had shaken him more than he admitted. The hug. The tears. He needed. Mirna , thinking about Bharath’s pain.
Vikram didn’t know how deep Bharath’s play had already gone.
He didn’t know Mirna's walls were already cracking.
He is already orchestrating what Bharath wanted.. now Vikram is pushing her— carefully.
“Did you speak something to Bharath today?” he asked gently.
Mirnaa looked up at him. “Yeah… something. While going to the hospital. He didn’t say anything… but tears came out of him. I couldn’t say anything. I don’t know what to do. Looks like his pain is something else.”
Vikram nodded slowly.
“He needs someone to speak openly, share his issues. If he keeps it to himself, it will burden him more.”
Mirnaa sighed. “That’s what I thought too. Maybe he should open up to me.”
Vikram’s hand stilled on her hair.
“He may be needing one… but he’s hesitant to take the call.”
A pause.
Then — carefully — he said:
“Mirnaa… why don’t you go to him? Stay at his place for a few minutes. Hear his story. Give him some moral support.”
Mirnaa lifted her head. “Now?”
Vikram nodded. “Then when? Morning he goes for work early. Coming only at breakfast. Evening we’re all held up in chores. Now is the right time. Your travel time won’t be good enough. He may have a lot to share.”
Mirnaa bit her lip. “Okay…”
But she hesitated.
“Sometimes I get stuck. I don’t have words to comfort one.”
Vikram saw the opening.
He inserted it gently.
“Sometimes words are really not necessary. Just… hug him.”
Mirnaa’s eyes widened — not shocked, but hesitant.
Vikram pushed — soft, reassuring.
“It’s perfectly alright. Imagine Priya in his place. Won’t you hug her and pat her?”
Mirnaa swallowed. “Same…”
Vikram continued.
“I can do the hug too but… that won’t be warm like one from a woman. It’s like a heal. Imagine he was sobbing — you hug him. He gets relief. You kiss him on forehead. He will melt. He would relax.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed. “I can hug… but kiss…”
Vikram smiled gently.
“Won’t you kiss Priya? Won’t you kiss an elderly person, a child? Treat him like a patient. More than that… I feel you could be the medicine. Don’t restrict.”
Mirnaa swallowed hard.
“I wanted to but… kind of fear incoming. Can you come with me?”
Vikram shook his head.
“I need to give him privacy time with you and him. If I’m with him he won’t say anything. With you he can be himself — vent out his anger, his disappointment.”
Mirnaa looked down.
“I don’t think I can…”
Vikram reached for the AirPods on the nightstand.
“Wear these. I’ll be on call with you. I can hear him. I’ll instruct what to do. You need not say or ask anything to me — just do what I say. In first place I’ll leave you as it is. But when you get stuck with no words — just give a cough. I’ll guide. One more cough — I’ll stop.”
Mirnaa stared at the AirPods.
Then — slowly — she nodded.
“Okay.”
Vikram quickly called her phone — connected the AirPods. He didnt give her time to think
“I’m on the line. Go now.”
Mirnaa took one AirPod, placed it in her left ear.
She departed the room.
Vikram watched her descend the stairs from the bedroom doorway.
He fired a quick text to Bharath:
She’s coming. Vent out. Get relaxed. We are with you.
Downstairs, Bharath sank into sober thought.
Stage set.
Mirnaa stepped into the downstairs guest bedroom — wide bed shadowed, lights low. Bharath slumped on the edge, head in hands.
“Bharath?” she whispered, crossing to him.
He looked up — eyes red-rimmed (glycerin still fresh), voice hoarse.
“What are you doing here?”
Mirnaa stepped closer.
“I thought… I should speak with you.”
Bharath’s eyes softened.
he looked at her for few minutes then said
“Come in.”
The door shut with a soft creek.
Vikram — listening through the AirPods — felt a strange jolt.
He was shaken.
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