17-09-2026, 10:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 17-09-2026, 11:01 PM by sharath841. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 26
— Her Decision
The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains.
Padma stood before the wardrobe in a deep-maroon saree, adjusting the pallu over her shoulder. Her reflection looked confident, but her eyes betrayed the confusion inside her.
She remembered Rajan’s shameless voice.
“Tum bahut khoobsurat ho, Padma…”
Then his teasing smile.
“Woh walk… champion.”
Padma immediately shook her head.
? Padma: “Bas… enough.”
She turned away from the mirror.
Mohan entered the room.
? Mohan: “Who are you talking to?”
Padma smiled awkwardly.
? Padma: “Myself.”
Mohan looked at her admiringly.
? Mohan: “Well, whoever you’re talking to, she’s looking beautiful today.”
Padma laughed.
? Padma: “You’ve become very good at compliments.”
? Mohan: “I’m learning.”
He stepped closer and gently adjusted her saree pallu.
Padma looked into his eyes.
For a moment, Rajan disappeared from her thoughts.
Then her expression became serious.
? Padma: “Mohan… I want to talk about Rajan.”
Mohan’s smile disappeared.
? Mohan: “Okay.”
? Padma: “He keeps coming into our lives. I want to know exactly what he wants.”
? Mohan: “Then we’ll ask him.”
Padma took out her phone.
Her fingers hovered over Rajan’s name.
Finally, she typed.
? Padma: “You wanted me to ask questions. Fine. You have five minutes. Tell me what you want.”
The reply came almost instantly.
? Rajan: “Not through messages.”
? Padma: “Of course.”
She typed again.
? Padma: “Then I’ll meet you with Mohan. I’m not coming alone.”
A long pause.
Then:
? Rajan: “Agreed.”
Padma wasn’t finished.
? Padma: “And no more secretly watching me.”
Another pause.
? Rajan: “Arre, Padma… you’re giving orders now?”
Padma frowned.
? Padma: “Yes.”
His response came:
? Rajan: “Good. I like this new confidence.”
Padma locked the phone.
Mohan looked at her.
? Mohan: “Ready?”
Padma took a deep breath.
? Padma: “No.”
She held his hand.
? Padma: “But I’m going anyway.”
And somewhere across Bengaluru, Rajan read her final message again.
He smiled.
The shy woman who once avoided his eyes was finally walking toward him—not because he had ordered her to…
but because she had decided to demand answers herself.
— Her Decision
The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains.
Padma stood before the wardrobe in a deep-maroon saree, adjusting the pallu over her shoulder. Her reflection looked confident, but her eyes betrayed the confusion inside her.
She remembered Rajan’s shameless voice.
“Tum bahut khoobsurat ho, Padma…”
Then his teasing smile.
“Woh walk… champion.”
Padma immediately shook her head.
? Padma: “Bas… enough.”
She turned away from the mirror.
Mohan entered the room.
? Mohan: “Who are you talking to?”
Padma smiled awkwardly.
? Padma: “Myself.”
Mohan looked at her admiringly.
? Mohan: “Well, whoever you’re talking to, she’s looking beautiful today.”
Padma laughed.
? Padma: “You’ve become very good at compliments.”
? Mohan: “I’m learning.”
He stepped closer and gently adjusted her saree pallu.
Padma looked into his eyes.
For a moment, Rajan disappeared from her thoughts.
Then her expression became serious.
? Padma: “Mohan… I want to talk about Rajan.”
Mohan’s smile disappeared.
? Mohan: “Okay.”
? Padma: “He keeps coming into our lives. I want to know exactly what he wants.”
? Mohan: “Then we’ll ask him.”
Padma took out her phone.
Her fingers hovered over Rajan’s name.
Finally, she typed.
? Padma: “You wanted me to ask questions. Fine. You have five minutes. Tell me what you want.”
The reply came almost instantly.
? Rajan: “Not through messages.”
? Padma: “Of course.”
She typed again.
? Padma: “Then I’ll meet you with Mohan. I’m not coming alone.”
A long pause.
Then:
? Rajan: “Agreed.”
Padma wasn’t finished.
? Padma: “And no more secretly watching me.”
Another pause.
? Rajan: “Arre, Padma… you’re giving orders now?”
Padma frowned.
? Padma: “Yes.”
His response came:
? Rajan: “Good. I like this new confidence.”
Padma locked the phone.
Mohan looked at her.
? Mohan: “Ready?”
Padma took a deep breath.
? Padma: “No.”
She held his hand.
? Padma: “But I’m going anyway.”
And somewhere across Bengaluru, Rajan read her final message again.
He smiled.
The shy woman who once avoided his eyes was finally walking toward him—not because he had ordered her to…
but because she had decided to demand answers herself.


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