07-06-2026, 10:45 PM
Chapter 7: The Promotion and the Risky Idea
The moment Jay glanced at the email on phone, his foot instinctively hit the brake. The car swerved slightly before he regained control and quickly pulled over to the side of the highway.
He stared at the screen, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Congratulations! You have been promoted to Senior Gameplay Engineer…”
For a few seconds, he sat frozen. Then pure joy exploded across his face. He stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and punched the air with both fists in victory.
“Yes! Fuck yes!” he shouted, laughing loudly.
Nikitha got out too, a bright smile lighting up her face. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy for you, Jay! You deserve this. All those late nights finally paid off.”
Jay caught her shoulders, his eyes shining with excitement. “You know what this means? My annual package will be more than 20 LPA now. With this, in six years max, we can close the entire home loan!”
Nikitha looked into his eyes, still smiling, but her expression slowly turned thoughtful. “So… we need six more years together?”
The smile on Jay’s face slowly faded.
He realized what she was really saying. In six years, they would both be in their mid-30s. She was sacrificing the best years of her youth — her freedom, her chances at a normal life, maybe even real love — just to stand by him and fight their battles. All because of this marriage and the loans.
A sharp pang of guilt hit him. Am I being selfish? he thought. If she wasn’t tied to me through this marriage and these responsibilities, she could have found someone who truly loves her. She wouldn’t have to suffer like this.
Nikitha noticed the sudden shift in his mood. “What are you thinking?”
Jay forced a smile and shook his head. “Nothing. Just… happy.”
But deep inside, the pain lingered.
The next day at the office was electric.
As soon as Jay entered the floor, congratulatory messages started pouring in. HR had sent a company-wide mail. The entire team gathered around his desk, clapping and cheering. Anjali, Sharmi, and a lot old faces came forward to congratulate him. For the first time in a long while, Jay felt truly seen.
Later, the HR head took him into a private meeting room to explain the new benefits, higher compensation structure, stock options, and the challenging new game module he would lead. Most importantly, he was given the power to directly recruit talented people to support his expanded team.
“But remember the policy,” the HR head reminded him strictly. “No spouses, siblings, or close family members in the same branch. Zero tolerance.”
That line hit Jay like a spark.
He sat alone at his desk afterwards, mind racing. Direct recruitment… no screening… no background checks beyond basic verification…
An idea was born.
Anyway, we are just situationally together. The future is uncertain. Why not bring her in? She’s talented. I’ve taught her everything. She’s a quick learner. Double income. We can clear the loan much faster and set her free sooner if things don’t work out between us.
He worked with fierce dedication for over a month, building a strong reputation. Then, during a team planning meeting, he casually mentioned he was overloaded and needed one strong additional resource.
“I know a talented woman who can handle this work perfectly,” he said confidently. “I’d like to refer her directly.”
That night, back in their villa, Jay told Nikitha about his plan.
At first, she was shocked and hesitant. “Are you sure? What if someone finds out?”
But as they discussed it deeply, the practicality won. Double income. Faster loan repayment. Stability. The risk felt worth it.
Two years ago, Nikitha had entered MX Century Gaming Company as a Junior Executive under Jay’s secret referral.
And today…
Back to the Present
…she stood in front of him in their bedroom, wearing nothing but that short black nighty, breathing heavily after slapping him hard across the face.
“You Idiot,” she hissed, eyes blazing. “That job is everything for us. It’s our survival. Our future. Don’t you dare risk it with your ego and childish jealousy over Tharun and Anjali.”
Jay touched his stinging cheek, looking at the woman who had become his partner in every sense — in struggle, in lust, in this dangerous game they were playing.
The promotion that had once brought them hope was now the very thing that could destroy them if their hidden marriage was ever exposed.
The moment Jay glanced at the email on phone, his foot instinctively hit the brake. The car swerved slightly before he regained control and quickly pulled over to the side of the highway.
He stared at the screen, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Congratulations! You have been promoted to Senior Gameplay Engineer…”
For a few seconds, he sat frozen. Then pure joy exploded across his face. He stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and punched the air with both fists in victory.
“Yes! Fuck yes!” he shouted, laughing loudly.
Nikitha got out too, a bright smile lighting up her face. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy for you, Jay! You deserve this. All those late nights finally paid off.”
Jay caught her shoulders, his eyes shining with excitement. “You know what this means? My annual package will be more than 20 LPA now. With this, in six years max, we can close the entire home loan!”
Nikitha looked into his eyes, still smiling, but her expression slowly turned thoughtful. “So… we need six more years together?”
The smile on Jay’s face slowly faded.
He realized what she was really saying. In six years, they would both be in their mid-30s. She was sacrificing the best years of her youth — her freedom, her chances at a normal life, maybe even real love — just to stand by him and fight their battles. All because of this marriage and the loans.
A sharp pang of guilt hit him. Am I being selfish? he thought. If she wasn’t tied to me through this marriage and these responsibilities, she could have found someone who truly loves her. She wouldn’t have to suffer like this.
Nikitha noticed the sudden shift in his mood. “What are you thinking?”
Jay forced a smile and shook his head. “Nothing. Just… happy.”
But deep inside, the pain lingered.
The next day at the office was electric.
As soon as Jay entered the floor, congratulatory messages started pouring in. HR had sent a company-wide mail. The entire team gathered around his desk, clapping and cheering. Anjali, Sharmi, and a lot old faces came forward to congratulate him. For the first time in a long while, Jay felt truly seen.
Later, the HR head took him into a private meeting room to explain the new benefits, higher compensation structure, stock options, and the challenging new game module he would lead. Most importantly, he was given the power to directly recruit talented people to support his expanded team.
“But remember the policy,” the HR head reminded him strictly. “No spouses, siblings, or close family members in the same branch. Zero tolerance.”
That line hit Jay like a spark.
He sat alone at his desk afterwards, mind racing. Direct recruitment… no screening… no background checks beyond basic verification…
An idea was born.
Anyway, we are just situationally together. The future is uncertain. Why not bring her in? She’s talented. I’ve taught her everything. She’s a quick learner. Double income. We can clear the loan much faster and set her free sooner if things don’t work out between us.
He worked with fierce dedication for over a month, building a strong reputation. Then, during a team planning meeting, he casually mentioned he was overloaded and needed one strong additional resource.
“I know a talented woman who can handle this work perfectly,” he said confidently. “I’d like to refer her directly.”
That night, back in their villa, Jay told Nikitha about his plan.
At first, she was shocked and hesitant. “Are you sure? What if someone finds out?”
But as they discussed it deeply, the practicality won. Double income. Faster loan repayment. Stability. The risk felt worth it.
Two years ago, Nikitha had entered MX Century Gaming Company as a Junior Executive under Jay’s secret referral.
And today…
Back to the Present
…she stood in front of him in their bedroom, wearing nothing but that short black nighty, breathing heavily after slapping him hard across the face.
“You Idiot,” she hissed, eyes blazing. “That job is everything for us. It’s our survival. Our future. Don’t you dare risk it with your ego and childish jealousy over Tharun and Anjali.”
Jay touched his stinging cheek, looking at the woman who had become his partner in every sense — in struggle, in lust, in this dangerous game they were playing.
The promotion that had once brought them hope was now the very thing that could destroy them if their hidden marriage was ever exposed.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/images/bootbb/collapse_collapsed.png)