26-05-2026, 02:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 26-05-2026, 02:00 AM by Hornytamilan23. Edited 3 times in total. Edited 3 times in total.)
Chapter 40 — Familiar Absences
The first two days in Coimbatore passed in exhausting routine.
Meetings. Client pressure. Late-night debugging. Calls with Chennai teams.
Shruthi barely had time to think properly.
And maybe that was a good thing.
Because every time silence appeared between her and Karthik, the memory of the kiss returned immediately.
---
Still, emotional closeness has its own dangerous logic.
It doesn’t always grow through touch.
Sometimes it grows because one person notices everything.
---
That evening, after another long client meeting, Shruthi sat tiredly in the hotel lobby scrolling absentmindedly through office mails.
Her head hurt.
She had skipped lunch.
And somewhere beneath exhaustion sat another uncomfortable truth she didn’t want to admit aloud:
Karthik’s attention had begun affecting her emotionally.
Not because she loved him.
Not because she wanted to betray Lokesh.
But because lately, somebody was noticing her constantly.
---
“Coffee.”
She looked up.
Karthik stood there holding a paper cup toward her.
“You looked like you were about to murder Excel sheet.”
Despite herself, she smiled faintly.
“Tempting option.”
He sat opposite her quietly.
Not too close.
Careful now.
---
“You didn’t eat properly again,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“You get angry at laptop differently.”
That made her laugh softly.
A real laugh.
And for one dangerous moment, the heaviness inside her loosened again.
---
Shruthi hated herself slightly for how easy it felt around him sometimes.
Because technically, she could stop this emotional drift anytime.
She knew that.
She could reject the softness. Create distance. Become cold.
But reality was more complicated.
---
At home, life had become responsibilities.
Schedules. Traffic. Exhaustion. Parenting.
Lokesh loved her deeply.
She knew that.
But somewhere over the years, attention itself had become practical.
Routine.
Meanwhile Karthik noticed everything: her mood, her stress, when she skipped food, when she smiled less, when she tied her hair differently.
And unfortunately, when a woman feels emotionally unseen for too long, attention itself becomes intoxicating.
---
That realization frightened her.
Because this wasn’t about physical attraction anymore.
It was emotional vulnerability slowly wearing the mask of comfort.
---
Meanwhile, back in Chennai, Lokesh’s evenings had become strangely hollow.
The first day after Shruthi left, he stayed busy with Hasini.
Homework. Dinner. Office calls.
Manageable.
But by the second evening, absence became more visible.
Not just Shruthi’s absence.
Laila’s too.
---
Ever since she deliberately created distance, the apartment corridor had become quiet again.
No random tea. No playful arguments with Hasini. No evening walks to the park.
And absurdly enough, Lokesh missed it deeply.
---
That evening rain started again around seven.
Hasini sat near the window drawing while Lokesh worked on his laptop distractedly.
Then suddenly:
“Appa… bored.”
“Same feeling.”
“Call Laila aunty?”
The suggestion came innocently.
Yet it instantly stirred something complicated inside him.
---
Before he could answer, the doorbell rang.
Both looked up.
---
Laila stood outside holding a covered steel bowl.
Simple salwar. Loose hair. Slight hesitation in her expression.
“I made soup,” she said softly.
“Too much quantity.”
Lokesh immediately understood.
This wasn’t really about soup.
This was her trying to return to normal carefully.
---
Hasini ran toward her immediately.
“Finally!”
Laila laughed softly while entering.
“Aiyo drama queen.”
---
The apartment slowly became warm again within minutes.
Not romantically.
Naturally.
That was the danger every single time.
---
While Hasini explained college stories dramatically from the sofa, Laila moved toward the kitchen to serve soup.
Lokesh watched her unconsciously for a moment longer than necessary.
And Laila noticed.
Not directly.
But women always notice attention eventually.
---
“You didn’t come yesterday,” he said casually while helping with bowls.
“Busy.”
“Liar.”
The word came out lightly.
Still, it made her pause briefly.
---
She looked at him quietly for one second.
Then softly:
“I thought maybe little distance is good.”
The honesty surprised him.
---
“For whom?” he asked before thinking.
Her eyes lifted toward him immediately.
That question carried more meaning than either should have allowed.
---
For a moment neither spoke.
Rain tapped softly outside. Hasini hummed something in the hall. Steam rose slowly from the soup bowls.
And inside that small kitchen space, emotional awareness returned between them again.
---
Finally Laila looked away first.
“For everyone,” she answered quietly.
Lokesh suddenly felt something tighten painfully inside his chest.
Because he understood exactly what she meant.
And because a part of him didn’t want that distance anymore.
---
Later that night, after Hasini slept on Laila’s lap itself while watching cartoons, the atmosphere became softer.
Domestic.
Peaceful.
Dangerously peaceful.
---
“She got attached to you,” Lokesh said quietly while lifting the sleeping child carefully.
Laila smiled faintly.
“I got attached too.”
The sentence escaped naturally before she could stop it.
Both became silent immediately afterward.
Because now the truth sat openly between them.
The first two days in Coimbatore passed in exhausting routine.
Meetings. Client pressure. Late-night debugging. Calls with Chennai teams.
Shruthi barely had time to think properly.
And maybe that was a good thing.
Because every time silence appeared between her and Karthik, the memory of the kiss returned immediately.
---
Still, emotional closeness has its own dangerous logic.
It doesn’t always grow through touch.
Sometimes it grows because one person notices everything.
---
That evening, after another long client meeting, Shruthi sat tiredly in the hotel lobby scrolling absentmindedly through office mails.
Her head hurt.
She had skipped lunch.
And somewhere beneath exhaustion sat another uncomfortable truth she didn’t want to admit aloud:
Karthik’s attention had begun affecting her emotionally.
Not because she loved him.
Not because she wanted to betray Lokesh.
But because lately, somebody was noticing her constantly.
---
“Coffee.”
She looked up.
Karthik stood there holding a paper cup toward her.
“You looked like you were about to murder Excel sheet.”
Despite herself, she smiled faintly.
“Tempting option.”
He sat opposite her quietly.
Not too close.
Careful now.
---
“You didn’t eat properly again,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“You get angry at laptop differently.”
That made her laugh softly.
A real laugh.
And for one dangerous moment, the heaviness inside her loosened again.
---
Shruthi hated herself slightly for how easy it felt around him sometimes.
Because technically, she could stop this emotional drift anytime.
She knew that.
She could reject the softness. Create distance. Become cold.
But reality was more complicated.
---
At home, life had become responsibilities.
Schedules. Traffic. Exhaustion. Parenting.
Lokesh loved her deeply.
She knew that.
But somewhere over the years, attention itself had become practical.
Routine.
Meanwhile Karthik noticed everything: her mood, her stress, when she skipped food, when she smiled less, when she tied her hair differently.
And unfortunately, when a woman feels emotionally unseen for too long, attention itself becomes intoxicating.
---
That realization frightened her.
Because this wasn’t about physical attraction anymore.
It was emotional vulnerability slowly wearing the mask of comfort.
---
Meanwhile, back in Chennai, Lokesh’s evenings had become strangely hollow.
The first day after Shruthi left, he stayed busy with Hasini.
Homework. Dinner. Office calls.
Manageable.
But by the second evening, absence became more visible.
Not just Shruthi’s absence.
Laila’s too.
---
Ever since she deliberately created distance, the apartment corridor had become quiet again.
No random tea. No playful arguments with Hasini. No evening walks to the park.
And absurdly enough, Lokesh missed it deeply.
---
That evening rain started again around seven.
Hasini sat near the window drawing while Lokesh worked on his laptop distractedly.
Then suddenly:
“Appa… bored.”
“Same feeling.”
“Call Laila aunty?”
The suggestion came innocently.
Yet it instantly stirred something complicated inside him.
---
Before he could answer, the doorbell rang.
Both looked up.
---
Laila stood outside holding a covered steel bowl.
Simple salwar. Loose hair. Slight hesitation in her expression.
“I made soup,” she said softly.
“Too much quantity.”
Lokesh immediately understood.
This wasn’t really about soup.
This was her trying to return to normal carefully.
---
Hasini ran toward her immediately.
“Finally!”
Laila laughed softly while entering.
“Aiyo drama queen.”
---
The apartment slowly became warm again within minutes.
Not romantically.
Naturally.
That was the danger every single time.
---
While Hasini explained college stories dramatically from the sofa, Laila moved toward the kitchen to serve soup.
Lokesh watched her unconsciously for a moment longer than necessary.
And Laila noticed.
Not directly.
But women always notice attention eventually.
---
“You didn’t come yesterday,” he said casually while helping with bowls.
“Busy.”
“Liar.”
The word came out lightly.
Still, it made her pause briefly.
---
She looked at him quietly for one second.
Then softly:
“I thought maybe little distance is good.”
The honesty surprised him.
---
“For whom?” he asked before thinking.
Her eyes lifted toward him immediately.
That question carried more meaning than either should have allowed.
---
For a moment neither spoke.
Rain tapped softly outside. Hasini hummed something in the hall. Steam rose slowly from the soup bowls.
And inside that small kitchen space, emotional awareness returned between them again.
---
Finally Laila looked away first.
“For everyone,” she answered quietly.
Lokesh suddenly felt something tighten painfully inside his chest.
Because he understood exactly what she meant.
And because a part of him didn’t want that distance anymore.
---
Later that night, after Hasini slept on Laila’s lap itself while watching cartoons, the atmosphere became softer.
Domestic.
Peaceful.
Dangerously peaceful.
---
“She got attached to you,” Lokesh said quietly while lifting the sleeping child carefully.
Laila smiled faintly.
“I got attached too.”
The sentence escaped naturally before she could stop it.
Both became silent immediately afterward.
Because now the truth sat openly between them.
-Pickup, drop, escape.
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