23-02-2026, 12:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 23-02-2026, 12:43 PM by heygiwriter. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 131 – Day 4: Priya's advice and Date Proposal
Chennai – Vikram’s Beach House – Morning
The fourth day of the challenge began early. Vikram left for Bangalore before sunrise — same routine, same quiet departure. Mirnaa watched the car disappear down the road from the balcony, a small wave as always. She had grown used to his absences this week. She told herself it was work. She told herself it didn’t matter.
Bharath appeared in the kitchen doorway while she prepared breakfast — pongal, coconut chutney, coffee. His bandage looked less swollen today, but he still cradled his hand.
Mirnaa looked at him and said:
“Wait in the bedroom. I will change the bandage now after finishing the cooking.”
Bharath nodded and left. She finished the pongal, set the table, then went to his room with the first-aid box.
He was sitting on the bed, sleeve rolled up. She sat beside him, unwrapped the old bandage carefully. The wound was healing — less red, stitches holding. Bharath winced once when she cleaned it.
“You’re still taking care of me,” he said softly. “I feel guilty.”
Mirnaa smiled.
“You’re hurt. That’s all. Who else will take care of you then?”
Bharath looked at her — eyes soft, grateful.
“No one. Just you.”
She finished the new bandage. He flexed his fingers carefully.
“Thank you.”
They had breakfast together at the table. Quiet. Comfortable. He kept stealing glances at her while she ate.
“Let’s go to the hospital together again"
Mirnaa nodded.
“Okay.”
On the Drive to the Hospital
Mirnaa drove, the Thar humming along the coastal road with the windows cracked just enough to let the salt air mix with the faint scent of her jasmine perfume. Bharath sat beside her, good hand resting casually on his knee, the bandaged one propped carefully against the door. The Goa playlist was already playing from yesterday — they hadn't bothered to change it. The music felt like an extension of them now, looping back to the laughter and ease they’d rediscovered in the car the day before.
Bharath turned the volume up a little, grinning when the first song hit the chorus — the same upbeat track they’d belted out yesterday.
“Day two of our car concert,” he said, voice teasing. “You ready to defend your terrible high notes again?”
Mirnaa shot him a mock glare, but her lips were already twitching.
“My high notes are iconic. You’re just jealous you can’t reach them.”
He laughed — loud, genuine — and immediately joined in, exaggerating his own off-key wail on the next line. Mirnaa cracked, laughter bubbling out as she tried (and failed) to keep a straight face while driving. She reached over and swatted his good arm lightly.
“Stop! I’m going to crash because of you!”
“Then crash. We’ll blame the music,” he said, still grinning. “Or better — we’ll blame yesterday’s ‘almost crash’ on me driving like a maniac. You screamed louder than the horn.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed with remembered embarrassment and amusement.
“I did not scream. I yelped. There’s a difference.”
“Yelp, scream, same thing when it’s you grabbing the dashboard like it owes you money.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop smiling. The car felt smaller, warmer, the space between them shrinking with every shared laugh. Bharath leaned his head back against the seat, watching her profile as she drove.
“You know what I missed most about yesterday?” he said, quieter now, tone shifting to something softer, more intimate. “Not the swerves. Not even the music. It was just… hearing you laugh like that. Real laugh. Not the polite one you give patients. The one where your eyes crinkle and you forget to be careful.”
Mirnaa’s fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. She kept her eyes on the road, but her voice came out softer.
“I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”
“Yeah,” he said simply. “I noticed.”
A comfortable silence settled — not awkward, just full. The song changed to a slower one, the kind they used to sway to on the beach. Bharath hummed along for a few bars, then glanced sideways at her.
“Remember when we used to make up stupid lyrics to this song? You were terrible at rhyming.”
Mirnaa laughed again — quick, surprised.
“I was creative. You just lacked imagination.”
“Creative is one word for it,” he teased. “I still remember your line about the moon being ‘a big shiny spoon’. Poetic.”
She swatted his arm again — lighter this time, playful.
“Shut up. You laughed harder than anyone.”
“Because it was you,” he said, voice dropping just enough to carry weight
. “Everything was funnier when it came from you.”
Mirnaa’s smile softened. She didn’t reply right away, but she didn’t change the station either.
The music kept playing.
The road kept unfolding.
The space between them kept shrinking — not with touch, but with shared memory, shared laughter, shared ease. By the time they reached the hospital gate, the car felt like their own little world again.
At the Hospital – Lunch Break
The morning had passed in a gentle rhythm: Bharath settled in the staff room with a magazine, occasionally looking up to catch Mirnaa’s eye as she moved between patients with her usual calm efficiency. He didn’t interrupt her work; he just existed nearby, smiling softly whenever their gazes met. By lunch, the three of them ended up together in the canteen — the same small table near the window they’d claimed the day before.
Priya arrived with her tiffin box, plopped down opposite them, and immediately lit up with that mischievous grin Mirnaa knew too well.
“So Bharath is officially Mirnaa’s cop lover now?” Priya said, eyes sparkling as she unpacked her food. “Look at him — injured, brooding, all mysterious. So sexy.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed hot and instant.
“Priya!”
Priya laughed, waving her hand dismissively.
“What? I’m just saying the obvious. If Vikram is always off in Bangalore doing whatever mysterious work he does, you’ve got a perfectly good backup sitting right here.”
Bharath let out a low, amused chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand like he was shy — but his eyes were dancing.
Before Mirnaa could protest again, Bharath stood slowly.
“I’ll go wash my hand,” he said, lifting his bandaged one slightly. “Be right back.”
He walked away toward the restroom corridor, leaving Mirnaa and Priya alone for a moment.
Priya leaned in immediately, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, her tone casual and girly — like they were sharing a secret over coffee.
“Okay, listen. Bharath is hot. Injured-hero vibe, sweet eyes, that protective thing he does? Come on, Mirnaa. You’ve been so tense lately. Vikram’s always gone, you’re basically alone. Why not let yourself have a little fun? Just once. Casual. No strings. Bharath isn’t going to tell anyone. He’s crazy about you — he’ll keep it secret. Explore a little, baby. It’s normal. People do it all the time when things get boring at home. Doesn’t mean you love Vikram less. It just means you’re alive.”
Mirnaa’s eyes widened. She shook her head quickly.
“No, Priya. No way. That’s… that’s cheating.”
Priya tilted her head, expression softening but still playful and you too already dated right? alone for a week together in Goa
“Yes we dated but.
Priya grabbed ... Is it really cheating if it’s just physical? Just a little excitement? Vikram’s not here. He’s not giving you attention.
Bharath is. And he’s not asking for forever — he’s just… here. Offering. You deserve to feel wanted. Desired. Not just loved from a distance.”
Mirnaa swallowed, voice lower.
“It’s illegal. Morally. I’m married.”
Wait did bharath asked you t o speak to me like that
Priya: no darling im hurt when vikram openly alleged something bharath didnt do..
i felt he is doubting your character, doubting you and you dont deserve
and dont i know Bhrath loves you and ready to give you anything.
Just give him something back he deserve and enjoy yourself
Im suggesting you as a good friend.
Mirnaa still thinks.. her gaurd keeps relaxing
A minute later
Priya shrugged lightly, tone still easy, like they were discussing weekend plans.
“Illegal? Morally? Come on. Half the world has side fun and still goes home to their spouse.
It’s not like you’re leaving Vikram. It’s just… a moment. A spark. Bharath looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world.
hen was the last time Vikram looked at you like that?”
Mirnaa looked down at her plate. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her pallu.
“I’m not sure…”
Priya reached over and gently squeezed her hand.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to be sure right now. Just know it’s normal. It’s human. If you ever feel like you want to feel alive again — even just once — Bharath is right here. And he’ll keep it between you two. No drama. No guilt trips. Just fun.”
How do you know bharath will keep safe
Priya said no two person can be idle in a distance place like goa, somthing must have happened but he says you two just dated, is that not enough he is a person who will keep secrets
Mirnaa’s heart was pounding. She opened her mouth to protest again, but the words caught.
Priya’s tone was so casual, so light — like it really was no big deal. Like it happened every day. Like it wouldn’t break anything.
Before she could answer, Bharath returned, sliding back into his seat with a small smile.
“Miss me?”
Priya grinned wide.
“Just girl talk.”
Bharath chuckled, eyes flicking to Mirnaa.
“Hope it was good talk.”
Priya winked at Mirnaa.
“Oh, it was very good.”
The rest of lunch passed with lighter chatter — hospital gossip, patient stories — but the air had changed. Mirnaa kept stealing glances at Bharath, at the way he looked at her, at the way Priya’s words kept echoing in her head.
Normal. Casual. Harmless. Just fun.
No one has to know.
Before Leaving the Hospital
As they gathered their things to leave, Bharath stepped aside to “check something on his phone.” He quickly moved towards priya who was standing aside.
“Thanks for that. thanks for speaking to her for me
Priya said: You safeguarded my secret. I’m just trying to help you guys connect ;)”
He said thanks
Priya:
“It’s okay… 100%. You deserve her. Mirnaa doesn’t deserve a husband who doubts her and stays insecure.
At least let her have some solace in you and enjoy her youth with you.”
Bharath smiled — small, satisfied. He said back
“Yes. She needs someone who sees her, not someone who suspects her.”
Priya:
“Exactly. I’ve got your back. Keep making her smile.”
He said see mirnaa might suspect us, let me move now bye..
She said bye. Take care of her.
Another trick silently executed — polluting Mirnaa’s mind through Priya, planting the seed that a little “solace” was not only understandable, but deserved.
Mirnaa, standing a few steps away, didn’t see the exchange.
But she felt the shift in the air — something warm and dangerous settling in her chest.
On the Way Back
The Thar hummed along the coastal road, windows cracked to let in the late-afternoon breeze. The Goa playlist had ended sometime during lunch, and now the car was quiet except for the soft rush of air and the occasional honk from passing vehicles. Mirnaa kept her eyes on the road, but her fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel — a small, restless rhythm.
After a long silence, she spoke, voice low.
“See how Priya talks to us.”
Bharath turned his head slightly, studying her profile.
“She’s just being Priya. Playful. Honest.”
Mirnaa’s lips pressed together for a second.
“She thinks we’re… I don’t know. Having an affair. Or about to.”
Bharath let out a small breath of a laugh — not mocking, just soft.
“She doesn’t know we already had sex.”
Mirnaa’s grip tightened on the wheel. She didn’t look at him.
“Thanks for not telling her that day.”
“Why should we?” Bharath said gently. “It’s our secret. Our privacy. Even if we had sex again, no need to inform her.”
The phrase “sex again” landed like a small stone in still water. Mirnaa’s breath caught. Will there be one more? The thought came unbidden, sharp and unwelcome. No possibility. She shook her head slightly, as if to dislodge it.
Mirna recalls what priya tells to her when he is away.. she doesnt want to tell what priya told she turned on music system lets sing she invited to change the vibe.. but deep inside the injected thought winning her
Chennai – Vikram’s Beach House – Morning
The fourth day of the challenge began early. Vikram left for Bangalore before sunrise — same routine, same quiet departure. Mirnaa watched the car disappear down the road from the balcony, a small wave as always. She had grown used to his absences this week. She told herself it was work. She told herself it didn’t matter.
Bharath appeared in the kitchen doorway while she prepared breakfast — pongal, coconut chutney, coffee. His bandage looked less swollen today, but he still cradled his hand.
Mirnaa looked at him and said:
“Wait in the bedroom. I will change the bandage now after finishing the cooking.”
Bharath nodded and left. She finished the pongal, set the table, then went to his room with the first-aid box.
He was sitting on the bed, sleeve rolled up. She sat beside him, unwrapped the old bandage carefully. The wound was healing — less red, stitches holding. Bharath winced once when she cleaned it.
“You’re still taking care of me,” he said softly. “I feel guilty.”
Mirnaa smiled.
“You’re hurt. That’s all. Who else will take care of you then?”
Bharath looked at her — eyes soft, grateful.
“No one. Just you.”
She finished the new bandage. He flexed his fingers carefully.
“Thank you.”
They had breakfast together at the table. Quiet. Comfortable. He kept stealing glances at her while she ate.
“Let’s go to the hospital together again"
Mirnaa nodded.
“Okay.”
On the Drive to the Hospital
Mirnaa drove, the Thar humming along the coastal road with the windows cracked just enough to let the salt air mix with the faint scent of her jasmine perfume. Bharath sat beside her, good hand resting casually on his knee, the bandaged one propped carefully against the door. The Goa playlist was already playing from yesterday — they hadn't bothered to change it. The music felt like an extension of them now, looping back to the laughter and ease they’d rediscovered in the car the day before.
Bharath turned the volume up a little, grinning when the first song hit the chorus — the same upbeat track they’d belted out yesterday.
“Day two of our car concert,” he said, voice teasing. “You ready to defend your terrible high notes again?”
Mirnaa shot him a mock glare, but her lips were already twitching.
“My high notes are iconic. You’re just jealous you can’t reach them.”
He laughed — loud, genuine — and immediately joined in, exaggerating his own off-key wail on the next line. Mirnaa cracked, laughter bubbling out as she tried (and failed) to keep a straight face while driving. She reached over and swatted his good arm lightly.
“Stop! I’m going to crash because of you!”
“Then crash. We’ll blame the music,” he said, still grinning. “Or better — we’ll blame yesterday’s ‘almost crash’ on me driving like a maniac. You screamed louder than the horn.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed with remembered embarrassment and amusement.
“I did not scream. I yelped. There’s a difference.”
“Yelp, scream, same thing when it’s you grabbing the dashboard like it owes you money.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop smiling. The car felt smaller, warmer, the space between them shrinking with every shared laugh. Bharath leaned his head back against the seat, watching her profile as she drove.
“You know what I missed most about yesterday?” he said, quieter now, tone shifting to something softer, more intimate. “Not the swerves. Not even the music. It was just… hearing you laugh like that. Real laugh. Not the polite one you give patients. The one where your eyes crinkle and you forget to be careful.”
Mirnaa’s fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. She kept her eyes on the road, but her voice came out softer.
“I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”
“Yeah,” he said simply. “I noticed.”
A comfortable silence settled — not awkward, just full. The song changed to a slower one, the kind they used to sway to on the beach. Bharath hummed along for a few bars, then glanced sideways at her.
“Remember when we used to make up stupid lyrics to this song? You were terrible at rhyming.”
Mirnaa laughed again — quick, surprised.
“I was creative. You just lacked imagination.”
“Creative is one word for it,” he teased. “I still remember your line about the moon being ‘a big shiny spoon’. Poetic.”
She swatted his arm again — lighter this time, playful.
“Shut up. You laughed harder than anyone.”
“Because it was you,” he said, voice dropping just enough to carry weight
. “Everything was funnier when it came from you.”
Mirnaa’s smile softened. She didn’t reply right away, but she didn’t change the station either.
The music kept playing.
The road kept unfolding.
The space between them kept shrinking — not with touch, but with shared memory, shared laughter, shared ease. By the time they reached the hospital gate, the car felt like their own little world again.
At the Hospital – Lunch Break
The morning had passed in a gentle rhythm: Bharath settled in the staff room with a magazine, occasionally looking up to catch Mirnaa’s eye as she moved between patients with her usual calm efficiency. He didn’t interrupt her work; he just existed nearby, smiling softly whenever their gazes met. By lunch, the three of them ended up together in the canteen — the same small table near the window they’d claimed the day before.
Priya arrived with her tiffin box, plopped down opposite them, and immediately lit up with that mischievous grin Mirnaa knew too well.
“So Bharath is officially Mirnaa’s cop lover now?” Priya said, eyes sparkling as she unpacked her food. “Look at him — injured, brooding, all mysterious. So sexy.”
Mirnaa’s cheeks flushed hot and instant.
“Priya!”
Priya laughed, waving her hand dismissively.
“What? I’m just saying the obvious. If Vikram is always off in Bangalore doing whatever mysterious work he does, you’ve got a perfectly good backup sitting right here.”
Bharath let out a low, amused chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand like he was shy — but his eyes were dancing.
Before Mirnaa could protest again, Bharath stood slowly.
“I’ll go wash my hand,” he said, lifting his bandaged one slightly. “Be right back.”
He walked away toward the restroom corridor, leaving Mirnaa and Priya alone for a moment.
Priya leaned in immediately, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, her tone casual and girly — like they were sharing a secret over coffee.
“Okay, listen. Bharath is hot. Injured-hero vibe, sweet eyes, that protective thing he does? Come on, Mirnaa. You’ve been so tense lately. Vikram’s always gone, you’re basically alone. Why not let yourself have a little fun? Just once. Casual. No strings. Bharath isn’t going to tell anyone. He’s crazy about you — he’ll keep it secret. Explore a little, baby. It’s normal. People do it all the time when things get boring at home. Doesn’t mean you love Vikram less. It just means you’re alive.”
Mirnaa’s eyes widened. She shook her head quickly.
“No, Priya. No way. That’s… that’s cheating.”
Priya tilted her head, expression softening but still playful and you too already dated right? alone for a week together in Goa
“Yes we dated but.
Priya grabbed ... Is it really cheating if it’s just physical? Just a little excitement? Vikram’s not here. He’s not giving you attention.
Bharath is. And he’s not asking for forever — he’s just… here. Offering. You deserve to feel wanted. Desired. Not just loved from a distance.”
Mirnaa swallowed, voice lower.
“It’s illegal. Morally. I’m married.”
Wait did bharath asked you t o speak to me like that
Priya: no darling im hurt when vikram openly alleged something bharath didnt do..
i felt he is doubting your character, doubting you and you dont deserve
and dont i know Bhrath loves you and ready to give you anything.
Just give him something back he deserve and enjoy yourself
Im suggesting you as a good friend.
Mirnaa still thinks.. her gaurd keeps relaxing
A minute later
Priya shrugged lightly, tone still easy, like they were discussing weekend plans.
“Illegal? Morally? Come on. Half the world has side fun and still goes home to their spouse.
It’s not like you’re leaving Vikram. It’s just… a moment. A spark. Bharath looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world.
hen was the last time Vikram looked at you like that?”
Mirnaa looked down at her plate. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her pallu.
“I’m not sure…”
Priya reached over and gently squeezed her hand.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to be sure right now. Just know it’s normal. It’s human. If you ever feel like you want to feel alive again — even just once — Bharath is right here. And he’ll keep it between you two. No drama. No guilt trips. Just fun.”
How do you know bharath will keep safe
Priya said no two person can be idle in a distance place like goa, somthing must have happened but he says you two just dated, is that not enough he is a person who will keep secrets
Mirnaa’s heart was pounding. She opened her mouth to protest again, but the words caught.
Priya’s tone was so casual, so light — like it really was no big deal. Like it happened every day. Like it wouldn’t break anything.
Before she could answer, Bharath returned, sliding back into his seat with a small smile.
“Miss me?”
Priya grinned wide.
“Just girl talk.”
Bharath chuckled, eyes flicking to Mirnaa.
“Hope it was good talk.”
Priya winked at Mirnaa.
“Oh, it was very good.”
The rest of lunch passed with lighter chatter — hospital gossip, patient stories — but the air had changed. Mirnaa kept stealing glances at Bharath, at the way he looked at her, at the way Priya’s words kept echoing in her head.
Normal. Casual. Harmless. Just fun.
No one has to know.
Before Leaving the Hospital
As they gathered their things to leave, Bharath stepped aside to “check something on his phone.” He quickly moved towards priya who was standing aside.
“Thanks for that. thanks for speaking to her for me
Priya said: You safeguarded my secret. I’m just trying to help you guys connect ;)”
He said thanks
Priya:
“It’s okay… 100%. You deserve her. Mirnaa doesn’t deserve a husband who doubts her and stays insecure.
At least let her have some solace in you and enjoy her youth with you.”
Bharath smiled — small, satisfied. He said back
“Yes. She needs someone who sees her, not someone who suspects her.”
Priya:
“Exactly. I’ve got your back. Keep making her smile.”
He said see mirnaa might suspect us, let me move now bye..
She said bye. Take care of her.
Another trick silently executed — polluting Mirnaa’s mind through Priya, planting the seed that a little “solace” was not only understandable, but deserved.
Mirnaa, standing a few steps away, didn’t see the exchange.
But she felt the shift in the air — something warm and dangerous settling in her chest.
On the Way Back
The Thar hummed along the coastal road, windows cracked to let in the late-afternoon breeze. The Goa playlist had ended sometime during lunch, and now the car was quiet except for the soft rush of air and the occasional honk from passing vehicles. Mirnaa kept her eyes on the road, but her fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel — a small, restless rhythm.
After a long silence, she spoke, voice low.
“See how Priya talks to us.”
Bharath turned his head slightly, studying her profile.
“She’s just being Priya. Playful. Honest.”
Mirnaa’s lips pressed together for a second.
“She thinks we’re… I don’t know. Having an affair. Or about to.”
Bharath let out a small breath of a laugh — not mocking, just soft.
“She doesn’t know we already had sex.”
Mirnaa’s grip tightened on the wheel. She didn’t look at him.
“Thanks for not telling her that day.”
“Why should we?” Bharath said gently. “It’s our secret. Our privacy. Even if we had sex again, no need to inform her.”
The phrase “sex again” landed like a small stone in still water. Mirnaa’s breath caught. Will there be one more? The thought came unbidden, sharp and unwelcome. No possibility. She shook her head slightly, as if to dislodge it.
Mirna recalls what priya tells to her when he is away.. she doesnt want to tell what priya told she turned on music system lets sing she invited to change the vibe.. but deep inside the injected thought winning her
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