Yesterday, 12:08 AM
Chapter 56: Cracks in the Facade
Anjali slipped out of the VP’s cabin, her heart pounding with a volatile mix of shock and irritation. She didn’t linger. Standing there watching them devour each other felt disgusting. But as she reached the elevator, a darker thought bloomed in her mind — revenge.
She wanted someone to hurt the way she had been hurt. She actually expected a higher rank person Vp or HR to be there, as soon as she hear the sound. But it was Nikitha and Tharun they weren’t her real targets. She wanted to tell world, she was wronged when everyone there used to be like that.? She cursed herself for not recording the scene on her phone. But it doesn't matter she had seen it and she know their names.. though she doesnt want to make it a scene without proofs, she decided to use the moment later.
She paused in the lobby, inquiring casually about the new VP’s location and learned the entire leadership team had shifted to a different building. With one last glance toward the upper floor, Anjali left the premises, her mind already spinning quieter, sharper plans, she decided to use this news to get things done on her terms with higher ranks.
Inside the cabin, the heated kiss had left Nikitha flushed and breathless. She broke it midway. Tharun looked at her like a puzzle?!
“I felt like someone was watching us,” she whispered, pulling back slightly.
Tharun chuckled softly, still riding the high of their passion. “No one, baby. I locked the door. See for yourself if you’re worried.”
Nikitha walked to the main door to double-check. Her stomach dropped.
The door was ajar.
“Tharun!” she hissed, voice laced with panic.
“The door is open!”
Tharun’s face paled as he rushed over. The realization hit them both hard.
Company rules were crystal clear after Anjali’s incident — no affairs, no hidden relationships. They know the aftermaths.
Nikitha’s hands began to tremble. “This is my fault… I distracted you. If someone saw us—”
Tharun tried to calm her, rubbing her back soothingly. “Hey, done panic. It might have been me who didn’t lock it properly. Or how the door would be open here.
Did you forget this floor has only access to higher ranks and four of us. All the higher rank people are in new buildlng. If someone came in, it could only be from our old team. The floor access is still limited to the four of us — you, me, Jay, and Anjali. Anjali is suspended. HR or directors would have announced themselves if they are about to come here.. The only real possibility is Jay.”
The name alone made Nikitha’s heart clench painfully.
Jay.
The thought of him walking in and seeing her pressed against the wall, kissing Tharun so passionately — moaning softly into another man’s mouth — filled her with crushing guilt. She wanted love, excitement, and a fresh start, but not at the cost of humiliating the man she had shared years of her life with.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t want him to see that… It would break him.”
Tharun cupped her face gently, wiping a stray tear with his thumb. “Don’t panic. I’m 100% sure it was Jay, and if he saw anything, he probably left quietly. He wouldn’t want to interrupt. If it turns out someone else came in, I’ll take full responsibility. but the chance is too low for that. For now, stay calm. Don’t show anything on your face. If things blow up tomorrow, we’ll face it together, okay?”
Nikitha nodded weakly, though her mind was spiraling. She returned to her cabin, obsessively checking the office WhatsApp group for any rumors. Nothing. By evening, she went downstairs pretending to speak with Sharmi. The floor looked completely normal. Jay was focused on his work. She bit her lip, embarrassment and guilt burning on her face. Maybe Tharun was right.
She waited in the car parking until Jay arrived. The drive home was silent, heavier than usual.
At home, she prepared dinner quietly, unable to meet his eyes. But she noticed the change in him — his fever had finally broken. He moved with more strength, his posture straighter. Yet his eyes… his eyes followed her constantly, soft and longing, like a child seeking his mother’s warmth and attention. Every glance felt like a quiet plea for the love they once shared. It pained her deeply.
They ate in near silence. Jay’s gaze never left her for long.
Later that night, as they lay in bed, Nikitha’s phone buzzed.
Tharun: Good night, baby. Don’t overthink it. It must have been Jay. We’re okay.
Nikitha: Do you know it 100%?
Tharun: It’s the only real possibility.
The confirmation twisted the knife. She turned toward Jay in the dark, her throat tight.
“You slept?” she asked softly, voice barely above a whisper.
“Not yet,” Jay replied, surprised she had spoken first after so many days.
Nikitha swallowed hard. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.”
Jay shifted slightly. “Sorry for what?
Nikitha: See i know it would have hurt you. i didnt plan it?
Jay: I dont understand anything Nikitha!
Nikitha: Don't act like you don't know anything and pretend like nothing happened, you never know how much i struggle inside.
Jay: Im not sure why you are speaking like this all of the sudden without any context. You barely spoke to me for almost a week. And you are telling something i don't understand.
Am I that despicable to you now? that you skip to speak with me for weeks.
His words, quiet and raw, broke something inside her. Nikitha’s eyes flooded with tears as the weight of his hurt crashed over her. He had been suffering in silence this entire time — bearing her coldness, her distance, her secret moments with another man - while still looking at her with that quiet, unwavering love.
She reached out tentatively in the darkness and touched his arm. The simple contact felt heavy with years of shared history.
Jay didn’t pull away. For the first time in days, the silence between them felt less like ice and more like fragile, aching warmth.
In the dark Jay could not see her tears. But he knows.
He said.. Nikitha, in the entire years when you are with me, i never saw you in tears, but when you start moving away from me, i could feel your tears..
I know you would deny when i say the tears are due to the hurt you cause yourself , its your love for me. But that's the truth. I don't want to hear anything from you.. Sleep.
But let me tell you don't care for me, if you are moving away.
The word left a deep impact in her.
Anjali slipped out of the VP’s cabin, her heart pounding with a volatile mix of shock and irritation. She didn’t linger. Standing there watching them devour each other felt disgusting. But as she reached the elevator, a darker thought bloomed in her mind — revenge.
She wanted someone to hurt the way she had been hurt. She actually expected a higher rank person Vp or HR to be there, as soon as she hear the sound. But it was Nikitha and Tharun they weren’t her real targets. She wanted to tell world, she was wronged when everyone there used to be like that.? She cursed herself for not recording the scene on her phone. But it doesn't matter she had seen it and she know their names.. though she doesnt want to make it a scene without proofs, she decided to use the moment later.
She paused in the lobby, inquiring casually about the new VP’s location and learned the entire leadership team had shifted to a different building. With one last glance toward the upper floor, Anjali left the premises, her mind already spinning quieter, sharper plans, she decided to use this news to get things done on her terms with higher ranks.
Inside the cabin, the heated kiss had left Nikitha flushed and breathless. She broke it midway. Tharun looked at her like a puzzle?!
“I felt like someone was watching us,” she whispered, pulling back slightly.
Tharun chuckled softly, still riding the high of their passion. “No one, baby. I locked the door. See for yourself if you’re worried.”
Nikitha walked to the main door to double-check. Her stomach dropped.
The door was ajar.
“Tharun!” she hissed, voice laced with panic.
“The door is open!”
Tharun’s face paled as he rushed over. The realization hit them both hard.
Company rules were crystal clear after Anjali’s incident — no affairs, no hidden relationships. They know the aftermaths.
Nikitha’s hands began to tremble. “This is my fault… I distracted you. If someone saw us—”
Tharun tried to calm her, rubbing her back soothingly. “Hey, done panic. It might have been me who didn’t lock it properly. Or how the door would be open here.
Did you forget this floor has only access to higher ranks and four of us. All the higher rank people are in new buildlng. If someone came in, it could only be from our old team. The floor access is still limited to the four of us — you, me, Jay, and Anjali. Anjali is suspended. HR or directors would have announced themselves if they are about to come here.. The only real possibility is Jay.”
The name alone made Nikitha’s heart clench painfully.
Jay.
The thought of him walking in and seeing her pressed against the wall, kissing Tharun so passionately — moaning softly into another man’s mouth — filled her with crushing guilt. She wanted love, excitement, and a fresh start, but not at the cost of humiliating the man she had shared years of her life with.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t want him to see that… It would break him.”
Tharun cupped her face gently, wiping a stray tear with his thumb. “Don’t panic. I’m 100% sure it was Jay, and if he saw anything, he probably left quietly. He wouldn’t want to interrupt. If it turns out someone else came in, I’ll take full responsibility. but the chance is too low for that. For now, stay calm. Don’t show anything on your face. If things blow up tomorrow, we’ll face it together, okay?”
Nikitha nodded weakly, though her mind was spiraling. She returned to her cabin, obsessively checking the office WhatsApp group for any rumors. Nothing. By evening, she went downstairs pretending to speak with Sharmi. The floor looked completely normal. Jay was focused on his work. She bit her lip, embarrassment and guilt burning on her face. Maybe Tharun was right.
She waited in the car parking until Jay arrived. The drive home was silent, heavier than usual.
At home, she prepared dinner quietly, unable to meet his eyes. But she noticed the change in him — his fever had finally broken. He moved with more strength, his posture straighter. Yet his eyes… his eyes followed her constantly, soft and longing, like a child seeking his mother’s warmth and attention. Every glance felt like a quiet plea for the love they once shared. It pained her deeply.
They ate in near silence. Jay’s gaze never left her for long.
Later that night, as they lay in bed, Nikitha’s phone buzzed.
Tharun: Good night, baby. Don’t overthink it. It must have been Jay. We’re okay.
Nikitha: Do you know it 100%?
Tharun: It’s the only real possibility.
The confirmation twisted the knife. She turned toward Jay in the dark, her throat tight.
“You slept?” she asked softly, voice barely above a whisper.
“Not yet,” Jay replied, surprised she had spoken first after so many days.
Nikitha swallowed hard. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.”
Jay shifted slightly. “Sorry for what?
Nikitha: See i know it would have hurt you. i didnt plan it?
Jay: I dont understand anything Nikitha!
Nikitha: Don't act like you don't know anything and pretend like nothing happened, you never know how much i struggle inside.
Jay: Im not sure why you are speaking like this all of the sudden without any context. You barely spoke to me for almost a week. And you are telling something i don't understand.
Am I that despicable to you now? that you skip to speak with me for weeks.
His words, quiet and raw, broke something inside her. Nikitha’s eyes flooded with tears as the weight of his hurt crashed over her. He had been suffering in silence this entire time — bearing her coldness, her distance, her secret moments with another man - while still looking at her with that quiet, unwavering love.
She reached out tentatively in the darkness and touched his arm. The simple contact felt heavy with years of shared history.
Jay didn’t pull away. For the first time in days, the silence between them felt less like ice and more like fragile, aching warmth.
In the dark Jay could not see her tears. But he knows.
He said.. Nikitha, in the entire years when you are with me, i never saw you in tears, but when you start moving away from me, i could feel your tears..
I know you would deny when i say the tears are due to the hurt you cause yourself , its your love for me. But that's the truth. I don't want to hear anything from you.. Sleep.
But let me tell you don't care for me, if you are moving away.
The word left a deep impact in her.
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