17-09-2026, 11:01 PM
(This post was last modified: 17-09-2026, 11:10 PM by sharath841. Edited 2 times in total. Edited 2 times in total.)
Chapter 27
The Cafe
The coffee shop Rajan had chosen was tucked away at the end of a quiet, dimly lit lane. The air inside was thick with the rich scent of roasted beans and the heavy, electric anticipation between the three of them.
Padma walked in beside Mohan, wearing a simple saree that followed her figure naturally. Her hair fell over one shoulder, and the tiny bindi on her forehead made her look innocent despite the determination in her eyes.
Rajan was already waiting.
The moment he saw her, his conversation with the waiter stopped.
His eyes travelled over her for a moment before settling on her face.
That familiar, shameless smile appeared.
Across the small table sat Rajan.
He didn't look like a man about to be interrogated. He leaned back in his leather chair, one arm dbangd casually over the frame, his dark gaze fixed entirely on Padma. His eyes slowly traced the curve of her throat down to the rise of her chest, completely ignoring the husband sitting right next to her.
? Rajan: “You know something?”
? Padma: “What?”
? Rajan: “You look completely different when you’re angry.”
Padma raised an eyebrow, her breath coming a little faster under his undivided attention.
? Padma: “Different how?”
Rajan leaned forward, the heat of his gaze heavy enough to strip the silk right off her shoulders.
? Rajan: “More defiant. More confident.”
He paused, letting his eyes drop to her lips before dragging them back up.
? Rajan: “And so much more irresistible.”
Padma looked away quickly, annoyed and terrified by how a single sentence from him could make her body throb with dirty excitement.
? Mohan: “Can we get to the point?”
Rajan let out a low, dangerous laugh.
? Rajan: “Jealous, Mohan? Afraid she likes hearing it from me?”
? Mohan: “No.”
Rajan tilted his head, his eyes burning into Padma’s flushed face.
? Rajan: “Your husband says no, Padma. But look at you.”
Padma gave Mohan a quick, uncertain glance, her heart hammering against her ribs.
? Padma: “He’s not jealous.”
She forced herself to meet Rajan’s intense stare, trying to keep her voice steady.
? Padma: “And you’re avoiding my question.”
Rajan leaned back, a dark, appreciative curve on his mouth.
? Rajan: “You’re getting remarkably good at this.”
? Padma: “At what?”
? Rajan: “Looking straight into my eyes, knowing what I want to do to you, and still demanding answers.”
Padma held his gaze, her entire body rigid with thrilling tension.
? Padma: “I want answers, Rajan.”
Rajan’s smile slowly faded into something serious, possessive, and thick with unspoken intent.
? Rajan: “Then ask.”
Padma took a deep, heavy breath, her chest swelling against the thin fabric of her blouse.
? Padma: “Why me?”
Silence fell over the table. Even Mohan turned, waiting for the blow.
Rajan didn't look at Mohan once. His eyes remained locked onto Padma’s, tracing the curve of her throat.
? Rajan: “Because I’ve been craving you for a very long time.”
Padma’s throat went dry, a shiver shooting straight down her spine.
? Padma: “That’s not an answer.”
? Rajan: “Fine.”
He leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table, closing the distance until Padma could smell the rich, masculine scent of his perfume mixing with her own heated skin.
? Rajan: “Because you’re not like the women who throw themselves at me. You don’t flatter me. You don’t try to impress me. You pretend you don’t even like me.”
A faint, dirty smirk returned to his lips.
? Rajan: “And watching you fight your own body while I drive you crazy... makes you impossible to ignore.”
Padma’s face grew tight, her pulse racing violently between her thighs.
? Padma: “I’m married.”
? Rajan: “I know.”
? Padma: “I love my husband.”
Rajan nodded slowly, his gaze heavy and unyielding.
? Rajan: “I know that too.”
Mohan slammed a palm flat on the table.
? Mohan: “Then stay the hell away from her!”
Rajan finally glanced at him, his voice dropping into a low, mocking purr.
? Rajan: “That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out, Mohan.”
? Mohan: “Figure out what?”
Rajan looked straight back at Padma, his eyes probing into her very soul.
? Rajan: “Why two people who claim to have everything are still hiding filthy little secrets from each other.”
Padma’s breath caught in her throat, the heat in her belly turning into a sudden spike of cold dread.
? Padma: “What are you talking about?”
Rajan smiled faintly, a dark secret glistening in his eyes.
? Rajan: “Don’t ask me, sweetheart. Ask your sweet, devoted husband.”
Padma slowly turned toward Mohan, her mind reeling.
? Padma: “Mohan...?”
Mohan sat completely frozen, his mouth tightly shut, sweat breaking out along his hairline.
The silence between husband and wife suddenly became heavier, more suffocating than any filthy compliment Rajan had thrown her way.
Mohan said nothing.
The silence between them suddenly became heavier than anything Rajan had said.
Rajan remained seated, watching the tension grow between them.
Padma’s eyes moved from Mohan to Rajan and back again.
? Padma: “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
? Rajan: “I knew you deserved the truth.”
? Padma: “Don’t pretend you’re doing this for me.”
Rajan’s expression hardened slightly.
? Rajan: “Then tell me what you think I’m doing.”
Padma pushed her chair back.
The sudden movement drew a few glances from the nearby tables.
? Padma: “You’re enjoying this. You’re enjoying watching us fight.”
? Rajan: “I’m not the one keeping secrets.”
? Padma: “Enough!”
Her voice echoed through the café.
Mohan reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
? Mohan: “Padma, please sit down.”
? Padma: “No. I’m done sitting here while both of you speak in riddles.”
Padma had already turned away from the café.
Her heart was pounding.
She wanted to leave before Rajan could say another word.
Then—
? Rajan: “Mohan… you really want her to leave without knowing?”
Mohan stopped.
Padma slowly turned around.
? Padma: “Knowing what?”
Mohan’s face changed.
? Mohan: “Rajan, enough.”
Rajan looked at him for a few seconds.
Then his eyes moved to Padma.
? Rajan: “You asked me why I keep interfering.”
He paused.
? Rajan: “Now you’re going to understand.”
Padma folded her arms.
? Padma: “Say it.”
Rajan’s voice became quieter.
? Rajan: “There was an apartment WhatsApp group.”
Padma frowned.
? Padma: “What group?”
? Rajan: “A group where men were sharing photographs of women from the apartment complex.”
Padma’s expression slowly changed.
? Rajan: “And your photographs were there.”
She stared at him.
? Padma: “My… photographs?”
Rajan nodded.
? Rajan: “Yes.”
Padma immediately looked at Mohan.
? Padma: “Mohan?”
He couldn’t meet her eyes.
Her voice became sharper.
? Padma: “Look at me.”
Mohan slowly raised his eyes.
? Padma: “Tell me he’s lying.”
Silence.
Padma’s face fell.
? Padma: “Mohan…”
He swallowed hard.
? Mohan: “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes widened.
? Padma: “No.”
She took a step backward.
? Padma: “No, don’t say sorry.”
Her voice trembled.
? Padma: “Tell me he is lying.”
Mohan remained silent.
Padma’s eyes became wet.
? Padma: “You shared my pictures?”
? Mohan: “Yes.”
The single word seemed to crush her.
She looked down at herself instinctively, then pulled her saree pallu closer around her shoulders.
? Padma: “Without me knowing?”
? Mohan: “Yes.”
? Padma: “And those men… they saw them?”
Mohan nodded.
Padma closed her eyes.
For a moment, she couldn’t speak.
Then the anger came.
? Padma: “How could you do that to me?”
? Mohan: “I was wrong.”
? Padma: “Wrong?”
Her voice cracked.
? Padma: “You didn’t make a mistake with my phone or forget something at home.”
She pointed toward him.
? Padma: “You took something that belonged to me—my privacy—and gave it to strangers!”
Mohan looked devastated.
? Mohan: “I know.”
? Padma: “No, you don’t know!”
A few people inside the café glanced toward them.
Padma lowered her voice, but the anger remained.
? Padma: “I trusted you.”
Rajan remained silent.
Padma suddenly turned toward him.
? Padma: “And you knew?”
? Rajan: “Yes.”
? Padma: “You saw my photographs?”
? Rajan: “I did.”
Padma’s face flushed with humiliation.
? Padma: “Then what exactly were you doing in that group?”
Rajan didn’t answer immediately.
That hesitation made her even more suspicious.
? Padma: “Answer me.”
? Rajan: “I was there because I came across the group.”
Padma stared at him.
? Rajan: “But Mohan was the one who shared your photographs.”
Mohan closed his eyes.
? Mohan: “Padma… please.”
She turned back to him.
? Padma: “How many people saw them?”
Mohan had no answer.
Padma’s eyes filled with tears.
? Padma: “You don’t even know.”
Mohan stepped toward her.
? Mohan: “I can explain.”
She immediately stepped back.
? Padma: “Don’t.”
He stopped.
Padma wiped her eyes quickly.
Then she looked at Rajan.
? Padma: “You wanted to destroy my trust in him.”
Rajan’s expression remained unreadable.
? Rajan: “I didn’t create the secret, Padma.”
He glanced at Mohan.
? Rajan: “I only exposed it.”
Padma looked at her husband again.
The man she loved.
The man she had trusted.
And suddenly, the question wasn’t about Rajan anymore.
It was about Mohan.
? Padma: “How long were you going to keep this from me?”
Mohan’s lips trembled.
? Mohan: “I don’t know.”
Padma slowly shook her head.
? Padma: “I came here wanting answers about Rajan.”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
? Padma: “Instead, I found out I didn’t know my own husband.”
Rajan said nothing.
For once, even he seemed to understand that the damage he’d revealed was bigger than any flirtation or argument.
Padma turned away.
? Padma: “Take me home, Mohan.”
A pause.
? Padma: “But don’t expect me to forgive you tonight.”
She turned on her heel and rushed out into the cool night air, leaving Mohan to scramble after her. Behind them, Rajan leaned back, a slow, dark shadow of a smile returning to his face as he watched the utter ruin of her marriage unfold.
The Cafe
The coffee shop Rajan had chosen was tucked away at the end of a quiet, dimly lit lane. The air inside was thick with the rich scent of roasted beans and the heavy, electric anticipation between the three of them.
Padma walked in beside Mohan, wearing a simple saree that followed her figure naturally. Her hair fell over one shoulder, and the tiny bindi on her forehead made her look innocent despite the determination in her eyes.
Rajan was already waiting.
The moment he saw her, his conversation with the waiter stopped.
His eyes travelled over her for a moment before settling on her face.
That familiar, shameless smile appeared.
Across the small table sat Rajan.
He didn't look like a man about to be interrogated. He leaned back in his leather chair, one arm dbangd casually over the frame, his dark gaze fixed entirely on Padma. His eyes slowly traced the curve of her throat down to the rise of her chest, completely ignoring the husband sitting right next to her.
? Rajan: “You know something?”
? Padma: “What?”
? Rajan: “You look completely different when you’re angry.”
Padma raised an eyebrow, her breath coming a little faster under his undivided attention.
? Padma: “Different how?”
Rajan leaned forward, the heat of his gaze heavy enough to strip the silk right off her shoulders.
? Rajan: “More defiant. More confident.”
He paused, letting his eyes drop to her lips before dragging them back up.
? Rajan: “And so much more irresistible.”
Padma looked away quickly, annoyed and terrified by how a single sentence from him could make her body throb with dirty excitement.
? Mohan: “Can we get to the point?”
Rajan let out a low, dangerous laugh.
? Rajan: “Jealous, Mohan? Afraid she likes hearing it from me?”
? Mohan: “No.”
Rajan tilted his head, his eyes burning into Padma’s flushed face.
? Rajan: “Your husband says no, Padma. But look at you.”
Padma gave Mohan a quick, uncertain glance, her heart hammering against her ribs.
? Padma: “He’s not jealous.”
She forced herself to meet Rajan’s intense stare, trying to keep her voice steady.
? Padma: “And you’re avoiding my question.”
Rajan leaned back, a dark, appreciative curve on his mouth.
? Rajan: “You’re getting remarkably good at this.”
? Padma: “At what?”
? Rajan: “Looking straight into my eyes, knowing what I want to do to you, and still demanding answers.”
Padma held his gaze, her entire body rigid with thrilling tension.
? Padma: “I want answers, Rajan.”
Rajan’s smile slowly faded into something serious, possessive, and thick with unspoken intent.
? Rajan: “Then ask.”
Padma took a deep, heavy breath, her chest swelling against the thin fabric of her blouse.
? Padma: “Why me?”
Silence fell over the table. Even Mohan turned, waiting for the blow.
Rajan didn't look at Mohan once. His eyes remained locked onto Padma’s, tracing the curve of her throat.
? Rajan: “Because I’ve been craving you for a very long time.”
Padma’s throat went dry, a shiver shooting straight down her spine.
? Padma: “That’s not an answer.”
? Rajan: “Fine.”
He leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table, closing the distance until Padma could smell the rich, masculine scent of his perfume mixing with her own heated skin.
? Rajan: “Because you’re not like the women who throw themselves at me. You don’t flatter me. You don’t try to impress me. You pretend you don’t even like me.”
A faint, dirty smirk returned to his lips.
? Rajan: “And watching you fight your own body while I drive you crazy... makes you impossible to ignore.”
Padma’s face grew tight, her pulse racing violently between her thighs.
? Padma: “I’m married.”
? Rajan: “I know.”
? Padma: “I love my husband.”
Rajan nodded slowly, his gaze heavy and unyielding.
? Rajan: “I know that too.”
Mohan slammed a palm flat on the table.
? Mohan: “Then stay the hell away from her!”
Rajan finally glanced at him, his voice dropping into a low, mocking purr.
? Rajan: “That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out, Mohan.”
? Mohan: “Figure out what?”
Rajan looked straight back at Padma, his eyes probing into her very soul.
? Rajan: “Why two people who claim to have everything are still hiding filthy little secrets from each other.”
Padma’s breath caught in her throat, the heat in her belly turning into a sudden spike of cold dread.
? Padma: “What are you talking about?”
Rajan smiled faintly, a dark secret glistening in his eyes.
? Rajan: “Don’t ask me, sweetheart. Ask your sweet, devoted husband.”
Padma slowly turned toward Mohan, her mind reeling.
? Padma: “Mohan...?”
Mohan sat completely frozen, his mouth tightly shut, sweat breaking out along his hairline.
The silence between husband and wife suddenly became heavier, more suffocating than any filthy compliment Rajan had thrown her way.
Mohan said nothing.
The silence between them suddenly became heavier than anything Rajan had said.
Rajan remained seated, watching the tension grow between them.
Padma’s eyes moved from Mohan to Rajan and back again.
? Padma: “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
? Rajan: “I knew you deserved the truth.”
? Padma: “Don’t pretend you’re doing this for me.”
Rajan’s expression hardened slightly.
? Rajan: “Then tell me what you think I’m doing.”
Padma pushed her chair back.
The sudden movement drew a few glances from the nearby tables.
? Padma: “You’re enjoying this. You’re enjoying watching us fight.”
? Rajan: “I’m not the one keeping secrets.”
? Padma: “Enough!”
Her voice echoed through the café.
Mohan reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
? Mohan: “Padma, please sit down.”
? Padma: “No. I’m done sitting here while both of you speak in riddles.”
Padma had already turned away from the café.
Her heart was pounding.
She wanted to leave before Rajan could say another word.
Then—
? Rajan: “Mohan… you really want her to leave without knowing?”
Mohan stopped.
Padma slowly turned around.
? Padma: “Knowing what?”
Mohan’s face changed.
? Mohan: “Rajan, enough.”
Rajan looked at him for a few seconds.
Then his eyes moved to Padma.
? Rajan: “You asked me why I keep interfering.”
He paused.
? Rajan: “Now you’re going to understand.”
Padma folded her arms.
? Padma: “Say it.”
Rajan’s voice became quieter.
? Rajan: “There was an apartment WhatsApp group.”
Padma frowned.
? Padma: “What group?”
? Rajan: “A group where men were sharing photographs of women from the apartment complex.”
Padma’s expression slowly changed.
? Rajan: “And your photographs were there.”
She stared at him.
? Padma: “My… photographs?”
Rajan nodded.
? Rajan: “Yes.”
Padma immediately looked at Mohan.
? Padma: “Mohan?”
He couldn’t meet her eyes.
Her voice became sharper.
? Padma: “Look at me.”
Mohan slowly raised his eyes.
? Padma: “Tell me he’s lying.”
Silence.
Padma’s face fell.
? Padma: “Mohan…”
He swallowed hard.
? Mohan: “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes widened.
? Padma: “No.”
She took a step backward.
? Padma: “No, don’t say sorry.”
Her voice trembled.
? Padma: “Tell me he is lying.”
Mohan remained silent.
Padma’s eyes became wet.
? Padma: “You shared my pictures?”
? Mohan: “Yes.”
The single word seemed to crush her.
She looked down at herself instinctively, then pulled her saree pallu closer around her shoulders.
? Padma: “Without me knowing?”
? Mohan: “Yes.”
? Padma: “And those men… they saw them?”
Mohan nodded.
Padma closed her eyes.
For a moment, she couldn’t speak.
Then the anger came.
? Padma: “How could you do that to me?”
? Mohan: “I was wrong.”
? Padma: “Wrong?”
Her voice cracked.
? Padma: “You didn’t make a mistake with my phone or forget something at home.”
She pointed toward him.
? Padma: “You took something that belonged to me—my privacy—and gave it to strangers!”
Mohan looked devastated.
? Mohan: “I know.”
? Padma: “No, you don’t know!”
A few people inside the café glanced toward them.
Padma lowered her voice, but the anger remained.
? Padma: “I trusted you.”
Rajan remained silent.
Padma suddenly turned toward him.
? Padma: “And you knew?”
? Rajan: “Yes.”
? Padma: “You saw my photographs?”
? Rajan: “I did.”
Padma’s face flushed with humiliation.
? Padma: “Then what exactly were you doing in that group?”
Rajan didn’t answer immediately.
That hesitation made her even more suspicious.
? Padma: “Answer me.”
? Rajan: “I was there because I came across the group.”
Padma stared at him.
? Rajan: “But Mohan was the one who shared your photographs.”
Mohan closed his eyes.
? Mohan: “Padma… please.”
She turned back to him.
? Padma: “How many people saw them?”
Mohan had no answer.
Padma’s eyes filled with tears.
? Padma: “You don’t even know.”
Mohan stepped toward her.
? Mohan: “I can explain.”
She immediately stepped back.
? Padma: “Don’t.”
He stopped.
Padma wiped her eyes quickly.
Then she looked at Rajan.
? Padma: “You wanted to destroy my trust in him.”
Rajan’s expression remained unreadable.
? Rajan: “I didn’t create the secret, Padma.”
He glanced at Mohan.
? Rajan: “I only exposed it.”
Padma looked at her husband again.
The man she loved.
The man she had trusted.
And suddenly, the question wasn’t about Rajan anymore.
It was about Mohan.
? Padma: “How long were you going to keep this from me?”
Mohan’s lips trembled.
? Mohan: “I don’t know.”
Padma slowly shook her head.
? Padma: “I came here wanting answers about Rajan.”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
? Padma: “Instead, I found out I didn’t know my own husband.”
Rajan said nothing.
For once, even he seemed to understand that the damage he’d revealed was bigger than any flirtation or argument.
Padma turned away.
? Padma: “Take me home, Mohan.”
A pause.
? Padma: “But don’t expect me to forgive you tonight.”
She turned on her heel and rushed out into the cool night air, leaving Mohan to scramble after her. Behind them, Rajan leaned back, a slow, dark shadow of a smile returning to his face as he watched the utter ruin of her marriage unfold.
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