02-07-2026, 02:04 PM
Chapter 107: Fragile Facade
The moment Tharun and Sharmi stepped into the ward, Nikitha stumbled slightly outside the door. Her heart pounded with fear. Facing Jay after everything that had happened felt impossible. Yet she forced herself to breathe deeply. She knew she had committed to taking care of him for the next few weeks.
She had originally planned to leave him once they returned from the business trip and move permanently into Tharun’s house after the legal separation. But fate had other plans. The accident and the doctor’s strict advice had trapped her in this situation. She wiped away a tiny tear from the corner of her eye and walked weakly toward the room.
Tharun entered first. “Jay… you’re alright. Just stay strong. One more day and you’ll be discharged.”
Jay turned his head away, clearly not ready to see Tharun’s face. Tharun noticed and quietly stepped back. Sharmi entered next, looking genuinely worried.
“Jay, we’re here. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine. How are you feeling?”
Nikitha came in last. She stood silently near the bed. Her eyes flooded with unshed tears the moment she saw him lying there — bandaged, pale, and vulnerable. She tried hard to hold them back.
Tharun didn’t miss the way Nikitha’s body shivered or how her eyes flooded with unshed tears. He quietly excused himself.
“I need to speak with HR and update them. You take care.”
As he left the room, he turned back and gave her a subtle signal — It’s okay. Be strong.
Nikitha didn’t utter a single word. But her trembling body, the way her eyes glistened yet refused to let the tears fall, and the deep worry etched on her face told a story that only Jay could truly understand.
Sharmi also stepped out shortly after, deliberately giving them privacy. Deep down, she hoped her earlier threat would force Nikitha to stay with Jay. She believed the closeness would give Jay a chance to speak his heart and bring them back together. She feared Tharun’s presence would only complicate things, so she had strategically chosen to threaten them.
When she stepped outside, she saw Tharun sitting quietly on a visitor’s chair, not on any call.
“Let’s call HR and inform them properly,” Sharmi said. “The representatives must have already heard about the accident. The local cops were here a few minutes ago taking statements. We should get ahead of this and avoid unnecessary doubts.”
Tharun nodded. “I haven’t figured out what to say yet. I’ll just inform them about the accident. We can figure out the rest later.”
But Sharmi already had a complete plan in her head.
When Tharun called, the HR head had already received vague information and was about to call him back. As Tharun began explaining, Sharmi suddenly grabbed the phone from his hand.
“Doctor is calling you. I’ll speak with HR,” she lied smoothly.
Tharun realized what she was doing but stayed silent.
“Sir, Jay got into an accident,” Sharmi began. “He is okay now and will be discharged tomorrow.”
The HR head sounded relieved but immediately asked, “Good to hear. But why did you all go to a place completely unrelated and far from our booked hotel? The representative said first Tharun left, then Jay followed. Did both men fight or something? You know the story — Jay had written those letters about Tharun and Nikitha. I got scared if some enmity happened.”
Sharmi replied calmly, “No sir, nothing like that. It’s totally unrelated.”
The HR pressed further, “Then why an unknown place? Do you know any details?”
Sharmi took a breath and delivered her story smoothly:
“It’s a long story sir, but let me tell you in short. Soon after arriving, I got sick and fainted. The reception helped me get a doctor, and I had to stay here. Jay stayed back with me. Meanwhile, Nikitha and Tharun went to meet Dhruv. The meeting failed. Only Tharun knows the exact reasons. He felt guilty about returning empty-handed, so he contacted some friends who were staying at a luxury villa. Tharun sir went first to discuss business matters. He requested Jay to join him at the same address to discuss about coding.. Since I was sick, Jay and Nikitha stayed with me initially. Jay left later to join the meeting and met with the accident on the way. Tharun was the one who got the call and admitted him. This is what happened, sir.”
Her lie was so smooth and well-structured that the HR completely bought it.
“Alright. Let’s postpone this trip. From the start, something has been strange with lots of disturbances. When can he be discharged?”
“Tomorrow, sir.”
“Okay. You all come back tomorrow with Jay. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Don’t worry about the failed meeting. I’ll speak with Tharun when he’s free. Take care of Jay. I want all of you to return safely.”
“Sure, sir,” Sharmi said and cut the call.
Tharun looked at her with a mix of disbelief and disappointment.
“You project me as some sinister, manipulating person… but look at you. How smoothly you lie.”
Sharmi shrugged without any shame. “I lie for the greater good. I manipulate for the greater good. It’s not a selfish act.”
Inside the ward, the air felt thick with unspoken pain.
Jay slowly raised his trembling hand toward her.
Nikitha hesitated for a brief second before gently taking it. His palm was cold, the IV line taped to the back of his hand.
“Doctor spoke to me,” she said softly, forcing her voice to stay steady. “You’re fine. Just one more day here and we’ll go back tomorrow.”
Jay looked at her for a long moment, searching her face. “I came rushing… to stop you before anything could happen between you two.”
Nikitha swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter now. I just want you to recover soon. Other talks can stay away for now.”
Her words sounded gentle, but to Jay, they rang hollow. For the first time, he could clearly feel the fakeness in her tone — the careful distance, the rehearsed calmness. The way her eyes struggled to meet his, the reluctant way she held his hand, the slight tremor in her voice… everything told him what he had feared the most had already happened.
He was glad she had come. She had a chace to cut him off, Tharun might restricted her to be here. But they did came here. Glad they behaved human.. he thought. At least she was here. But the ache in his chest was sharper than any pain from the accident. The thought of Nikitha is here not for love or care, just on humanitarian ground.
He remembered how she didnt answer direct about she and tharun turned into one.
he got a doubt, like what if something really medically happened to him after the accident?
he slowly decided to ask her...
“Did the doctor warn you about something?” he asked quietly.
“Like in the movies — don’t tell the patient anything shocking? Because I can sense so much fakeness in your words, Nikki.”
Nikitha froze. Her heart skipped a beat. In that moment, she realized that not only Tharun, but even Jay could still read her so easily. The realization hit her like a wave — she had messed up everything. Badly.
She had no words to counter him, no way to shut down his painful observation. Her throat tightened as guilt flooded her.
“I’ll… I’ll go meet the doctor and get a note of your dietary plans,” she said quickly, pulling her hand away. “Stop overthinking.”
Jay didn’t argue. He simply closed his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching with suppressed pain. He knew things had come to this point. There was no denying it anymore.
As he lay there silently struggling with the heavy truth, the door opened and Sharmi stepped back into the room.
The moment Tharun and Sharmi stepped into the ward, Nikitha stumbled slightly outside the door. Her heart pounded with fear. Facing Jay after everything that had happened felt impossible. Yet she forced herself to breathe deeply. She knew she had committed to taking care of him for the next few weeks.
She had originally planned to leave him once they returned from the business trip and move permanently into Tharun’s house after the legal separation. But fate had other plans. The accident and the doctor’s strict advice had trapped her in this situation. She wiped away a tiny tear from the corner of her eye and walked weakly toward the room.
Tharun entered first. “Jay… you’re alright. Just stay strong. One more day and you’ll be discharged.”
Jay turned his head away, clearly not ready to see Tharun’s face. Tharun noticed and quietly stepped back. Sharmi entered next, looking genuinely worried.
“Jay, we’re here. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine. How are you feeling?”
Nikitha came in last. She stood silently near the bed. Her eyes flooded with unshed tears the moment she saw him lying there — bandaged, pale, and vulnerable. She tried hard to hold them back.
Tharun didn’t miss the way Nikitha’s body shivered or how her eyes flooded with unshed tears. He quietly excused himself.
“I need to speak with HR and update them. You take care.”
As he left the room, he turned back and gave her a subtle signal — It’s okay. Be strong.
Nikitha didn’t utter a single word. But her trembling body, the way her eyes glistened yet refused to let the tears fall, and the deep worry etched on her face told a story that only Jay could truly understand.
Sharmi also stepped out shortly after, deliberately giving them privacy. Deep down, she hoped her earlier threat would force Nikitha to stay with Jay. She believed the closeness would give Jay a chance to speak his heart and bring them back together. She feared Tharun’s presence would only complicate things, so she had strategically chosen to threaten them.
When she stepped outside, she saw Tharun sitting quietly on a visitor’s chair, not on any call.
“Let’s call HR and inform them properly,” Sharmi said. “The representatives must have already heard about the accident. The local cops were here a few minutes ago taking statements. We should get ahead of this and avoid unnecessary doubts.”
Tharun nodded. “I haven’t figured out what to say yet. I’ll just inform them about the accident. We can figure out the rest later.”
But Sharmi already had a complete plan in her head.
When Tharun called, the HR head had already received vague information and was about to call him back. As Tharun began explaining, Sharmi suddenly grabbed the phone from his hand.
“Doctor is calling you. I’ll speak with HR,” she lied smoothly.
Tharun realized what she was doing but stayed silent.
“Sir, Jay got into an accident,” Sharmi began. “He is okay now and will be discharged tomorrow.”
The HR head sounded relieved but immediately asked, “Good to hear. But why did you all go to a place completely unrelated and far from our booked hotel? The representative said first Tharun left, then Jay followed. Did both men fight or something? You know the story — Jay had written those letters about Tharun and Nikitha. I got scared if some enmity happened.”
Sharmi replied calmly, “No sir, nothing like that. It’s totally unrelated.”
The HR pressed further, “Then why an unknown place? Do you know any details?”
Sharmi took a breath and delivered her story smoothly:
“It’s a long story sir, but let me tell you in short. Soon after arriving, I got sick and fainted. The reception helped me get a doctor, and I had to stay here. Jay stayed back with me. Meanwhile, Nikitha and Tharun went to meet Dhruv. The meeting failed. Only Tharun knows the exact reasons. He felt guilty about returning empty-handed, so he contacted some friends who were staying at a luxury villa. Tharun sir went first to discuss business matters. He requested Jay to join him at the same address to discuss about coding.. Since I was sick, Jay and Nikitha stayed with me initially. Jay left later to join the meeting and met with the accident on the way. Tharun was the one who got the call and admitted him. This is what happened, sir.”
Her lie was so smooth and well-structured that the HR completely bought it.
“Alright. Let’s postpone this trip. From the start, something has been strange with lots of disturbances. When can he be discharged?”
“Tomorrow, sir.”
“Okay. You all come back tomorrow with Jay. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Don’t worry about the failed meeting. I’ll speak with Tharun when he’s free. Take care of Jay. I want all of you to return safely.”
“Sure, sir,” Sharmi said and cut the call.
Tharun looked at her with a mix of disbelief and disappointment.
“You project me as some sinister, manipulating person… but look at you. How smoothly you lie.”
Sharmi shrugged without any shame. “I lie for the greater good. I manipulate for the greater good. It’s not a selfish act.”
Inside the ward, the air felt thick with unspoken pain.
Jay slowly raised his trembling hand toward her.
Nikitha hesitated for a brief second before gently taking it. His palm was cold, the IV line taped to the back of his hand.
“Doctor spoke to me,” she said softly, forcing her voice to stay steady. “You’re fine. Just one more day here and we’ll go back tomorrow.”
Jay looked at her for a long moment, searching her face. “I came rushing… to stop you before anything could happen between you two.”
Nikitha swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter now. I just want you to recover soon. Other talks can stay away for now.”
Her words sounded gentle, but to Jay, they rang hollow. For the first time, he could clearly feel the fakeness in her tone — the careful distance, the rehearsed calmness. The way her eyes struggled to meet his, the reluctant way she held his hand, the slight tremor in her voice… everything told him what he had feared the most had already happened.
He was glad she had come. She had a chace to cut him off, Tharun might restricted her to be here. But they did came here. Glad they behaved human.. he thought. At least she was here. But the ache in his chest was sharper than any pain from the accident. The thought of Nikitha is here not for love or care, just on humanitarian ground.
He remembered how she didnt answer direct about she and tharun turned into one.
he got a doubt, like what if something really medically happened to him after the accident?
he slowly decided to ask her...
“Did the doctor warn you about something?” he asked quietly.
“Like in the movies — don’t tell the patient anything shocking? Because I can sense so much fakeness in your words, Nikki.”
Nikitha froze. Her heart skipped a beat. In that moment, she realized that not only Tharun, but even Jay could still read her so easily. The realization hit her like a wave — she had messed up everything. Badly.
She had no words to counter him, no way to shut down his painful observation. Her throat tightened as guilt flooded her.
“I’ll… I’ll go meet the doctor and get a note of your dietary plans,” she said quickly, pulling her hand away. “Stop overthinking.”
Jay didn’t argue. He simply closed his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching with suppressed pain. He knew things had come to this point. There was no denying it anymore.
As he lay there silently struggling with the heavy truth, the door opened and Sharmi stepped back into the room.
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