28-06-2026, 11:22 PM
Chapter 75: The Letter That Broke Everything
The HR message still burned on their phone screens as Jay and Nikitha got into the car. Neither spoke at first. The engine hummed to life, and Jay gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, Jay finally broke the silence, his voice low and strained.
“How did they mention a behavior enquiry for you and Tharun?”
Nikitha stared straight ahead, her throat tight. She knew. Deep down, she knew Jay was the only person who could have seen her kissing Tharun in the cabin. The open door. The footsteps. The timing. It all pointed to him. But she also knew Jay — he was many things, but he wouldn’t deliberately try to destroy her reputation like this.
She answered carefully, “Maybe… someone saw me and Tharun kissing in his cabin.”
The car swerved slightly. Jay’s hands shook on the wheel. He slammed his palm against the horn in a sharp, angry blast that echoed through the morning traffic. The sound cut through Nikitha like a knife.
She turned to him, shocked. “Jay—”
He didn’t look at her. His jaw was clenched so tight she could see the muscle jumping. His eyes were filled with raw rage, pain, and something deeper — betrayal.
Nikitha’s mind raced. If he already knew, why is he reacting like this? Was it not him?
They reached the office in tense silence. Both of them rushed toward the HR department. Tharun was already standing outside the room, alone, his face tight with anger.
The moment Jay and Nikitha approached, Tharun stepped forward and grabbed Jay’s shirt collar.
“How dare you, you backstabber!” Tharun growled. “You saw us kissing and placed a letter at HR’s table last night?”
Jay’s eyes flashed. He caught Tharun’s shirt in return, their faces inches apart.
“You don’t know anything. Stop trying to be a hero. I didn’t see you kissing her.”
Tharun’s grip tightened. “I know it was you.”
Nikitha pushed between them, her voice breaking. “Stop! Both of you — please!”
She was caught in the middle, hands on both their chests, heart hammering. She didn’t know who to console first. The man she had shared years of life with, or the man who had made her feel desired again.
The commotion drew HR out of the room. The senior officer looked at the scene with visible disappointment.
“Stop this at once!” he barked. “Tharun, Jay — I never thought my top technicians would fight like street boys. I don’t want to lose talent, which is why I’m handling this internally. But Nikitha… you seem to be married. Why are you involved in an affair with an unmarried man?”
Jay and Tharun both spoke at the same time, voices overlapping in angry defense:
“She is not what you think—”
HR raised a hand, amused and irritated. “Wait… Tharun, you said Jay complained about you two. But now he’s defending you? What kind of drama is this?”
He looked at all three of them, then sighed.
“Fine. I planned to enquire with the entire Coders team anyway. Let’s start with Jay.”
Jay looked at Nikitha and Tharun for a long second, then walked into the room without another word.
Nikitha caught his sleeve desperately. “Jay… what happened?”
He paused at the door, not turning around fully.
“This bastard acted like a friend… and then wrote a letter saying we are adulterers. HR wanted to transfer me and approach your husband. I took the blame. I said I forced you. I’m ready to prove it anywhere — even if it means separating to save your name, Nikki. I’ll do it.”
Nikitha’s world tilted. She looked at Tharun, stunned by the selfless weight of his words. It felt like the kind of love she had been craving — protection, sacrifice, clarity.
But something inside her screamed that it wasn’t Jay. He wouldn’t do this.
She turned back to the closed door, whispering, “Jay… just tell me honestly. It’s not your handwriting, right? I know you wouldn’t harm me or my reputation…”
Minutes later, the door opened.
Jay stepped out, followed by HR. He looked exhausted, defeated.
HR addressed them all, voice firm but tired.
“I know you three are brilliant. But jealousy over others’ growth sometimes buries our own image and talent. I’m sorry, Tharun — Jay admitted he sent the letter. He was furious that Nikitha took the Business Expertise role. He acted out of impulse. But I’m glad he cleared it.”
Im not punishing anyone, i will let it pass. but you all three need to figure out to sort differences. Dont do another mistake Jay.
Nikitha confused asked how you are sure that he was the one done it, may be he is trying to save me by taking blame, exactly like how Tharun did?
HR said even i thought like you, but i got some strong evidence.
He then said come in i will show you something, Nikitha and Tharun walked in, after them.
HR placed the letter and a sample of Jay’s known handwriting on the table in front of them. The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Nikitha’s eyes locked onto the paper. The handwriting was unmistakable — the slight slant of the letters, the way the ‘J’ curved just so, the pressure of the pen that she had seen a thousand times on notes, grocery lists, and late-night work scribbles. Her stomach dropped like a stone.
No… please, not this.
She begged herself silently, desperately, not to believe what her eyes were showing her. It can’t be him. Jay wouldn’t do this. He knows what this could destroy.
Her voice came out shaky, almost pleading.
“Jay… just tell me honestly. It’s not your handwriting, right? I know you. You wouldn’t do anything to harm me or my reputation. Please… say it’s not yours.”
Jay stood still for a long moment, staring at the floor. When he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, the pain in them was raw and unbearable.
“It’s mine,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse but steady. “I asked him to expel me. He didn’t. he gave me another chance.. This is all you need to know.”
The words landed like a physical blow.
Nikitha felt the world tilt beneath her feet. Her knees buckled. She dropped heavily into the chair behind her, one hand gripping the edge of the table as if it was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
Why?
Her mind screamed the question, but no sound came out. Tears welled up in her eyes, hot and stinging, as the reality crashed over her. The man who had once risked everything for her — who had stood beside her when the world tried to tear them apart — had done this. Not out of anger in the heat of the moment, but deliberately. He had written the letter. He had placed it. He had chosen to expose them.
Tharun stood frozen beside her, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked from Nikitha to Jay, disbelief and fury mixing on his face.
Jay didn’t wait for more questions. He gave Nikitha one last, long, painful look — a look that carried years of love, regret, exhaustion, and something that felt dangerously close to goodbye.
Then he turned and walked out of the room without another word.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Nikitha remained seated, staring at the empty space where he had stood. Her hands trembled in her lap. The letter and handwriting sample still lay on the table like evidence in a trial she never wanted to face.
She couldn’t come to terms with it.
How could you do this, Jay? After everything… how could you?
A single tear slipped down her cheek and fell onto her saree, leaving a small, dark stain. She didn’t wipe it away. She simply sat there, stunned, broken, and utterly lost — caught between the man she had once called home and the man who had made her feel alive again.
The silence in the room was deafening.
The HR message still burned on their phone screens as Jay and Nikitha got into the car. Neither spoke at first. The engine hummed to life, and Jay gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, Jay finally broke the silence, his voice low and strained.
“How did they mention a behavior enquiry for you and Tharun?”
Nikitha stared straight ahead, her throat tight. She knew. Deep down, she knew Jay was the only person who could have seen her kissing Tharun in the cabin. The open door. The footsteps. The timing. It all pointed to him. But she also knew Jay — he was many things, but he wouldn’t deliberately try to destroy her reputation like this.
She answered carefully, “Maybe… someone saw me and Tharun kissing in his cabin.”
The car swerved slightly. Jay’s hands shook on the wheel. He slammed his palm against the horn in a sharp, angry blast that echoed through the morning traffic. The sound cut through Nikitha like a knife.
She turned to him, shocked. “Jay—”
He didn’t look at her. His jaw was clenched so tight she could see the muscle jumping. His eyes were filled with raw rage, pain, and something deeper — betrayal.
Nikitha’s mind raced. If he already knew, why is he reacting like this? Was it not him?
They reached the office in tense silence. Both of them rushed toward the HR department. Tharun was already standing outside the room, alone, his face tight with anger.
The moment Jay and Nikitha approached, Tharun stepped forward and grabbed Jay’s shirt collar.
“How dare you, you backstabber!” Tharun growled. “You saw us kissing and placed a letter at HR’s table last night?”
Jay’s eyes flashed. He caught Tharun’s shirt in return, their faces inches apart.
“You don’t know anything. Stop trying to be a hero. I didn’t see you kissing her.”
Tharun’s grip tightened. “I know it was you.”
Nikitha pushed between them, her voice breaking. “Stop! Both of you — please!”
She was caught in the middle, hands on both their chests, heart hammering. She didn’t know who to console first. The man she had shared years of life with, or the man who had made her feel desired again.
The commotion drew HR out of the room. The senior officer looked at the scene with visible disappointment.
“Stop this at once!” he barked. “Tharun, Jay — I never thought my top technicians would fight like street boys. I don’t want to lose talent, which is why I’m handling this internally. But Nikitha… you seem to be married. Why are you involved in an affair with an unmarried man?”
Jay and Tharun both spoke at the same time, voices overlapping in angry defense:
“She is not what you think—”
HR raised a hand, amused and irritated. “Wait… Tharun, you said Jay complained about you two. But now he’s defending you? What kind of drama is this?”
He looked at all three of them, then sighed.
“Fine. I planned to enquire with the entire Coders team anyway. Let’s start with Jay.”
Jay looked at Nikitha and Tharun for a long second, then walked into the room without another word.
Nikitha caught his sleeve desperately. “Jay… what happened?”
He paused at the door, not turning around fully.
“This bastard acted like a friend… and then wrote a letter saying we are adulterers. HR wanted to transfer me and approach your husband. I took the blame. I said I forced you. I’m ready to prove it anywhere — even if it means separating to save your name, Nikki. I’ll do it.”
Nikitha’s world tilted. She looked at Tharun, stunned by the selfless weight of his words. It felt like the kind of love she had been craving — protection, sacrifice, clarity.
But something inside her screamed that it wasn’t Jay. He wouldn’t do this.
She turned back to the closed door, whispering, “Jay… just tell me honestly. It’s not your handwriting, right? I know you wouldn’t harm me or my reputation…”
Minutes later, the door opened.
Jay stepped out, followed by HR. He looked exhausted, defeated.
HR addressed them all, voice firm but tired.
“I know you three are brilliant. But jealousy over others’ growth sometimes buries our own image and talent. I’m sorry, Tharun — Jay admitted he sent the letter. He was furious that Nikitha took the Business Expertise role. He acted out of impulse. But I’m glad he cleared it.”
Im not punishing anyone, i will let it pass. but you all three need to figure out to sort differences. Dont do another mistake Jay.
Nikitha confused asked how you are sure that he was the one done it, may be he is trying to save me by taking blame, exactly like how Tharun did?
HR said even i thought like you, but i got some strong evidence.
He then said come in i will show you something, Nikitha and Tharun walked in, after them.
HR placed the letter and a sample of Jay’s known handwriting on the table in front of them. The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Nikitha’s eyes locked onto the paper. The handwriting was unmistakable — the slight slant of the letters, the way the ‘J’ curved just so, the pressure of the pen that she had seen a thousand times on notes, grocery lists, and late-night work scribbles. Her stomach dropped like a stone.
No… please, not this.
She begged herself silently, desperately, not to believe what her eyes were showing her. It can’t be him. Jay wouldn’t do this. He knows what this could destroy.
Her voice came out shaky, almost pleading.
“Jay… just tell me honestly. It’s not your handwriting, right? I know you. You wouldn’t do anything to harm me or my reputation. Please… say it’s not yours.”
Jay stood still for a long moment, staring at the floor. When he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, the pain in them was raw and unbearable.
“It’s mine,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse but steady. “I asked him to expel me. He didn’t. he gave me another chance.. This is all you need to know.”
The words landed like a physical blow.
Nikitha felt the world tilt beneath her feet. Her knees buckled. She dropped heavily into the chair behind her, one hand gripping the edge of the table as if it was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
Why?
Her mind screamed the question, but no sound came out. Tears welled up in her eyes, hot and stinging, as the reality crashed over her. The man who had once risked everything for her — who had stood beside her when the world tried to tear them apart — had done this. Not out of anger in the heat of the moment, but deliberately. He had written the letter. He had placed it. He had chosen to expose them.
Tharun stood frozen beside her, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked from Nikitha to Jay, disbelief and fury mixing on his face.
Jay didn’t wait for more questions. He gave Nikitha one last, long, painful look — a look that carried years of love, regret, exhaustion, and something that felt dangerously close to goodbye.
Then he turned and walked out of the room without another word.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Nikitha remained seated, staring at the empty space where he had stood. Her hands trembled in her lap. The letter and handwriting sample still lay on the table like evidence in a trial she never wanted to face.
She couldn’t come to terms with it.
How could you do this, Jay? After everything… how could you?
A single tear slipped down her cheek and fell onto her saree, leaving a small, dark stain. She didn’t wipe it away. She simply sat there, stunned, broken, and utterly lost — caught between the man she had once called home and the man who had made her feel alive again.
The silence in the room was deafening.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)