24-04-2026, 11:46 PM
Chapter 17 – Cold Winds
The next day, Sneha turned cold.
She barely spoke to Suresh in the morning. No morning tea brought to the bed, no casual conversation while he got ready for office. When he tried to talk, her replies were short and sharp. The warmth that had always existed between them — even after years of fading passion — felt suddenly frozen.
She hated it.
Not just the fantasy. She hated that her husband had shared their most intimate problems with another man. That too with Gowtham — someone who lived right opposite, someone she had started treating like family. The fact that Suresh had dragged him into their bedroom matters, even as roleplay, made her feel exposed, cheap, and deeply uncomfortable.
Friday evening, she went alone to bring Ramya back from the hostel. She didn’t ask Suresh to accompany her like she usually did. When she returned with their daughter, she maintained a normal face in front of Ramya — smiling, cooking her favourite food, asking about college. But the moment Ramya went to sleep, the cold wall came back up.
Suresh felt the distance growing.
Saturday night, after Ramya slept, Suresh went to Gowtham’s flat as usual for drinks. He looked defeated.
“I spoiled everything, da,” he said, taking a large sip of whiskey. “She’s barely talking to me. She’s angry that I discussed our personal matters with you. I think I pushed too hard.”
Gowtham poured him another drink and smiled calmly.
“All for good, anna.”
Suresh looked at him, confused.
Gowtham leaned back, looking relaxed and confident.
“Don’t walk around with a failed face. Keep your head straight. Walk like a man in front of her. Let her get confused. Let her wonder why you’re suddenly calm even after she rejected you. That confusion is important.”
He laughed lightly, then turned serious.
“It’s okay. I will help you. There’s a reason I asked you to save my image in front of her yesterday. Now she sees me as the decent, respectful guy who doesn’t want to come between you two. That’s exactly where I wanted to be.”
Gowtham took a sip and continued:
“Before we take the next decision, let’s speak clearly. We cannot rush this anymore. If we push too hard now, she will close off completely. We need to play this smart.”
He looked at Suresh with sharp, calculating eyes.
“Tell me honestly, anna… how angry is she right now? And how much are you ready to do to bring back the spark?”
Suresh stared into his glass, silent for a long time.
The game had entered a dangerous new phase.
Gowtham waited patiently, a quiet, satisfied smile playing on his lips.
The next day, Sneha turned cold.
She barely spoke to Suresh in the morning. No morning tea brought to the bed, no casual conversation while he got ready for office. When he tried to talk, her replies were short and sharp. The warmth that had always existed between them — even after years of fading passion — felt suddenly frozen.
She hated it.
Not just the fantasy. She hated that her husband had shared their most intimate problems with another man. That too with Gowtham — someone who lived right opposite, someone she had started treating like family. The fact that Suresh had dragged him into their bedroom matters, even as roleplay, made her feel exposed, cheap, and deeply uncomfortable.
Friday evening, she went alone to bring Ramya back from the hostel. She didn’t ask Suresh to accompany her like she usually did. When she returned with their daughter, she maintained a normal face in front of Ramya — smiling, cooking her favourite food, asking about college. But the moment Ramya went to sleep, the cold wall came back up.
Suresh felt the distance growing.
Saturday night, after Ramya slept, Suresh went to Gowtham’s flat as usual for drinks. He looked defeated.
“I spoiled everything, da,” he said, taking a large sip of whiskey. “She’s barely talking to me. She’s angry that I discussed our personal matters with you. I think I pushed too hard.”
Gowtham poured him another drink and smiled calmly.
“All for good, anna.”
Suresh looked at him, confused.
Gowtham leaned back, looking relaxed and confident.
“Don’t walk around with a failed face. Keep your head straight. Walk like a man in front of her. Let her get confused. Let her wonder why you’re suddenly calm even after she rejected you. That confusion is important.”
He laughed lightly, then turned serious.
“It’s okay. I will help you. There’s a reason I asked you to save my image in front of her yesterday. Now she sees me as the decent, respectful guy who doesn’t want to come between you two. That’s exactly where I wanted to be.”
Gowtham took a sip and continued:
“Before we take the next decision, let’s speak clearly. We cannot rush this anymore. If we push too hard now, she will close off completely. We need to play this smart.”
He looked at Suresh with sharp, calculating eyes.
“Tell me honestly, anna… how angry is she right now? And how much are you ready to do to bring back the spark?”
Suresh stared into his glass, silent for a long time.
The game had entered a dangerous new phase.
Gowtham waited patiently, a quiet, satisfied smile playing on his lips.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)