Yesterday, 02:46 PM
Chapter 131 – Fading Echoes
Several days passed.
Jay had returned to the office, and the entire floor welcomed him back with warmth and relief. Colleagues clapped, some patted his shoulder, and a few even joked about how the team had missed their “backbone.” Jay smiled through it all, but his eyes kept searching for one person.
Sharmi stood awkwardly at the far end of the room, hesitant to approach. The last time she had seen him — after that vulnerable day — she had left his house immediately after dressing, unable to meet his eyes. The shame still lingered.
But Jay approached her himself.
“Sharmi,” he said with a gentle smile, “why didn’t you pick my calls? I expected you would come to my place. Why?”
Even if you leave me alone, how will I breathe?” he added, laughing lightly to ease the tension.
Sharmi looked down, her cheeks flushing.
“Please… I feel embarrassed about that day,” she whispered.
Jay caught her hand gently.
“You are pure. You have a golden heart — that’s why you cared for me selflessly and wanted me to come out of it. To the woman who thinks about me like that, will I ever see you as little? I have a big place for you in my heart.”
Sharmi felt a weight lift. She smiled shyly.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“No,” Jay replied, grinning. “Buy me lunch. It’s on you.”
She laughed softly. “Okay.”
Then he reminded her, “Tomorrow I’m going to my village.
I need you to send the drafts to my mail. I’ll rework them and send them back.”
She nodded, still smiling.
Meanwhile, Tharun had not yet opened up to Nikitha about the new threat looming over them. However, he had spoken to his parents over the phone. They were confused and upset — they had already fixed dates, halls, and everything for his marriage. He told them he would come the following weekend to explain everything in person.
Nikitha could not be herself. She felt more pain only after finally breaking things with Jay. She still regretted missing every chance they had. Her stubbornness had cost her dearly.
Tharun didn’t sexually approach her during this period, but he was becoming increasingly irritated and losing his inner peace with every sudden development around them. To make matters worse, Nikitha entered his cabin one afternoon and said,
“Tharun, tomorrow we must go to his village. We need to start early.”
She pressed gently, “It’s the last thing that will connect me with Jay. I promise I will come out of it after our village visit.”
Tharun looked at her, his expression unreadable.
“After we return from the village,” he said quietly, “I need to hear his name only in court and on papers. I’m going to reapply and write a letter to HR asking to post us to Cochin locations. We may shift there soon.”
The reality kept her in check.
Jay used to say that after sex, everything would fade. She was already facing it. Tharun had been her only moral support, but she had not yet considered him as love. She only had Jay in her heart, and the truth of that reality hurt her more. Now, after she had moved on with the divorce, things were fading even more vigorously. She couldn’t satisfy Tharun’s emotional needs or fully understand what he was undergoing. She felt herself like a failed lover.
Several days passed.
Jay had returned to the office, and the entire floor welcomed him back with warmth and relief. Colleagues clapped, some patted his shoulder, and a few even joked about how the team had missed their “backbone.” Jay smiled through it all, but his eyes kept searching for one person.
Sharmi stood awkwardly at the far end of the room, hesitant to approach. The last time she had seen him — after that vulnerable day — she had left his house immediately after dressing, unable to meet his eyes. The shame still lingered.
But Jay approached her himself.
“Sharmi,” he said with a gentle smile, “why didn’t you pick my calls? I expected you would come to my place. Why?”
Even if you leave me alone, how will I breathe?” he added, laughing lightly to ease the tension.
Sharmi looked down, her cheeks flushing.
“Please… I feel embarrassed about that day,” she whispered.
Jay caught her hand gently.
“You are pure. You have a golden heart — that’s why you cared for me selflessly and wanted me to come out of it. To the woman who thinks about me like that, will I ever see you as little? I have a big place for you in my heart.”
Sharmi felt a weight lift. She smiled shyly.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“No,” Jay replied, grinning. “Buy me lunch. It’s on you.”
She laughed softly. “Okay.”
Then he reminded her, “Tomorrow I’m going to my village.
I need you to send the drafts to my mail. I’ll rework them and send them back.”
She nodded, still smiling.
Meanwhile, Tharun had not yet opened up to Nikitha about the new threat looming over them. However, he had spoken to his parents over the phone. They were confused and upset — they had already fixed dates, halls, and everything for his marriage. He told them he would come the following weekend to explain everything in person.
Nikitha could not be herself. She felt more pain only after finally breaking things with Jay. She still regretted missing every chance they had. Her stubbornness had cost her dearly.
Tharun didn’t sexually approach her during this period, but he was becoming increasingly irritated and losing his inner peace with every sudden development around them. To make matters worse, Nikitha entered his cabin one afternoon and said,
“Tharun, tomorrow we must go to his village. We need to start early.”
She pressed gently, “It’s the last thing that will connect me with Jay. I promise I will come out of it after our village visit.”
Tharun looked at her, his expression unreadable.
“After we return from the village,” he said quietly, “I need to hear his name only in court and on papers. I’m going to reapply and write a letter to HR asking to post us to Cochin locations. We may shift there soon.”
The reality kept her in check.
Jay used to say that after sex, everything would fade. She was already facing it. Tharun had been her only moral support, but she had not yet considered him as love. She only had Jay in her heart, and the truth of that reality hurt her more. Now, after she had moved on with the divorce, things were fading even more vigorously. She couldn’t satisfy Tharun’s emotional needs or fully understand what he was undergoing. She felt herself like a failed lover.
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