24-06-2026, 10:18 PM
Chapter 58: Sharmi’s Suspicion
The elevator doors closed with a soft ding, sealing the three of them inside the small metal box. Sharmi stood neatly between Jay and Nikitha, her bright smile contrasting sharply with the heavy silence that had filled the space just moments before.
She glanced at both of them randomly, her sharp eyes taking in every detail. Jay stared straight ahead at the floor numbers lighting up one by one. Nikitha kept her gaze fixed on the polished metal wall, her posture stiff, her fingers clenched around the strap of her bag. They stood apart like polite strangers sharing an awkward ride — no eye contact, no casual greeting, no familiar warmth.
Sharmi was astonished. How do they maintain this act so perfectly?
She hadn’t slept much the previous night. Her mind had been racing, trying every permutation and combination, scribbling notes in her diary like a detective piecing together a puzzle. The clues refused to leave her alone.
She had found Nikitha’s peach saree in Jay’s bedroom laundry basket. Both of them claimed their spouses were abroad — a strange coincidence. There were no photos of their partners anywhere in the house. Last week, both had taken leave on the same day. And then there was Nikitha’s habit of asking about Jay’s health through her, always on behalf of “his wife abroad.”
No one in the office had ever seen or heard about their spouses. Not a single call, not a single mention.
Sharmi had spent hours turning the pieces over in her mind.
Possibility 1: They truly have spouses abroad, and what they say is the truth. But why no one in office had seen them? or heard about them, I have not witnessed Jay or Nikkitha talking to anyone on phone?. Do the spouses of them truly exists? okay even in that case, if they exists. I saw her clothes there… did that mean they were sleeping together? Were they cheating on their absent partners? If she was worried about office gossip, a simple message would have sufficed. Why did Nikitha need to ask her about Jay’s health? Couldn’t she text him directly? Why they need to overact.. Okay lets assume, they have spouses how both of them have spouses working abroad, not at all believable.. No... Sharmi realised, the spouses abroad should be a lie.
Possibility 2: They don’t have spouses at all and are pretending. But why? What were they trying to prove to the world by acting like separate individuals with partners abroad? What they are achieving with that? This possibility felt too convoluted and was quickly ruled out.
Possibility 3: They are actually husband and wife. This had the most potential — the care Nikitha displayed, the dress in the house, the mismatched lies. But why hide the relationship? Why act like strangers in public? A darker thought crossed her mind: maybe they had some twisted fantasy — hiding their marriage so they could enjoy new bodies at the office. Jay with Anjali, now Nikitha with Tharun. A sadistic couple chasing thrills.
Sharmi took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside. Lets say they are husband and wife, even they keep it secret for Thrill or fantasy. But why did she always hear about him through me? Why not ask him directly? Why use me as a bridge?
May be the couple into fight or something and living separate lives for them but living in same house for family pressure? May be Nikitha doesnt want to show him she care too much?
She had come closest to the truth, yet she wasn’t entirely sure. It was the only possibility that fit most of the pieces.
Coming back to the present, Sharmi glanced at them again. The moment she saw them deliberately looking away from each other, a mild, almost amused smile tugged at her lips.
Sadistic couple, hunting their preys for bound count…
She let out a small, involuntary laugh.
Nikitha noticed immediately. Her eyebrow raised slightly. “What’s so funny?”
Sharmi met her eyes with a calm, knowing look as the elevator slowed to a stop.
“I’ll catch you at break time,” she said lightly, but with clear intent. “There’s a reason why I laughed.”
The doors opened. Sharmi stepped out first, leaving a trail of unspoken questions behind her. She had already decided — she would test the waters. She would indirectly cross-question Nikitha and fill in the gaps until the truth revealed itself.
The elevator doors closed with a soft ding, sealing the three of them inside the small metal box. Sharmi stood neatly between Jay and Nikitha, her bright smile contrasting sharply with the heavy silence that had filled the space just moments before.
She glanced at both of them randomly, her sharp eyes taking in every detail. Jay stared straight ahead at the floor numbers lighting up one by one. Nikitha kept her gaze fixed on the polished metal wall, her posture stiff, her fingers clenched around the strap of her bag. They stood apart like polite strangers sharing an awkward ride — no eye contact, no casual greeting, no familiar warmth.
Sharmi was astonished. How do they maintain this act so perfectly?
She hadn’t slept much the previous night. Her mind had been racing, trying every permutation and combination, scribbling notes in her diary like a detective piecing together a puzzle. The clues refused to leave her alone.
She had found Nikitha’s peach saree in Jay’s bedroom laundry basket. Both of them claimed their spouses were abroad — a strange coincidence. There were no photos of their partners anywhere in the house. Last week, both had taken leave on the same day. And then there was Nikitha’s habit of asking about Jay’s health through her, always on behalf of “his wife abroad.”
No one in the office had ever seen or heard about their spouses. Not a single call, not a single mention.
Sharmi had spent hours turning the pieces over in her mind.
Possibility 1: They truly have spouses abroad, and what they say is the truth. But why no one in office had seen them? or heard about them, I have not witnessed Jay or Nikkitha talking to anyone on phone?. Do the spouses of them truly exists? okay even in that case, if they exists. I saw her clothes there… did that mean they were sleeping together? Were they cheating on their absent partners? If she was worried about office gossip, a simple message would have sufficed. Why did Nikitha need to ask her about Jay’s health? Couldn’t she text him directly? Why they need to overact.. Okay lets assume, they have spouses how both of them have spouses working abroad, not at all believable.. No... Sharmi realised, the spouses abroad should be a lie.
Possibility 2: They don’t have spouses at all and are pretending. But why? What were they trying to prove to the world by acting like separate individuals with partners abroad? What they are achieving with that? This possibility felt too convoluted and was quickly ruled out.
Possibility 3: They are actually husband and wife. This had the most potential — the care Nikitha displayed, the dress in the house, the mismatched lies. But why hide the relationship? Why act like strangers in public? A darker thought crossed her mind: maybe they had some twisted fantasy — hiding their marriage so they could enjoy new bodies at the office. Jay with Anjali, now Nikitha with Tharun. A sadistic couple chasing thrills.
Sharmi took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside. Lets say they are husband and wife, even they keep it secret for Thrill or fantasy. But why did she always hear about him through me? Why not ask him directly? Why use me as a bridge?
May be the couple into fight or something and living separate lives for them but living in same house for family pressure? May be Nikitha doesnt want to show him she care too much?
She had come closest to the truth, yet she wasn’t entirely sure. It was the only possibility that fit most of the pieces.
Coming back to the present, Sharmi glanced at them again. The moment she saw them deliberately looking away from each other, a mild, almost amused smile tugged at her lips.
Sadistic couple, hunting their preys for bound count…
She let out a small, involuntary laugh.
Nikitha noticed immediately. Her eyebrow raised slightly. “What’s so funny?”
Sharmi met her eyes with a calm, knowing look as the elevator slowed to a stop.
“I’ll catch you at break time,” she said lightly, but with clear intent. “There’s a reason why I laughed.”
The doors opened. Sharmi stepped out first, leaving a trail of unspoken questions behind her. She had already decided — she would test the waters. She would indirectly cross-question Nikitha and fill in the gaps until the truth revealed itself.
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