08-10-2026, 11:16 AM
Chapter 3 : Test
It was 5:00 PM.
In the office, Gautham was picking up the files from his desk; it was time to leave. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Hey, are you leaving?" I asked, turning toward him.
Gautham laughed. "Yeah. Aren't you coming?"
"It'll be late for me. I still have some work to finish. You go, I'll be there in 2 hours. "
He nodded and walked toward the elevator.
A timer had started ticking inside me. Gautham walked toward the lift. I returned to my desk. But my eyes stayed fixed on the door. The moment I was sure he had left the parking lot, I jumped up from my seat.
I followed him through the evening traffic, keeping enough distance so he wouldn't spot me.
At exactly 6 o'clock, as soon as he arrived at the apartment, I waited by the gate until he parked his car and headed to the lift.
He got into the lift. I ran up the stairs. I reached the third floor out of breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Malli’s words from this morning echoed in my head, warning me that I was setting myself up to walk into my own home like a thief. A thousand fears filled my mind. Even though I said I'd just be testing things out, there was still a fear in my heart. Still, she was Malli, beautiful and sexy, the kind of girl who could make anyone’s mind wander. Even though I kept telling myself it was just a test, deep down, I knew I was doing it for real.
Hiding near the stairwell, I peeked toward the hallway. The sound of the front door closing echoed softly. Gautham had gone inside. I waited for five minutes, half-expecting him to rush back out asking for help.
When five minutes passed with total silence, I walked slowly and stood outside the apartment door. I checked my watch.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
15 minutes.
Not a single sound came from inside, not even a bell.
My heart was pounding rapidly. Many scenes flashed through my mind. But I didn’t move. Even after almost 20 minutes, the door didn’t open. I shouldn’t wait any longer. What if he was taking advantage of the situation to harm Malli?. No, no, it shouldn’t be like that. I decided not to take the risk and go in, and reached for the door knob to open it.
Suddenly, the door opened by itself.
Gautham stood there, shock and anxiety etched on his face.
“Hey… you’ve arrived? Malli is fainted. I’ve laid her down on the bed. I’ve already called the doctor; he’s coming from the emergency ward. I'm going downstairs to bring him up. You look after Malli”
“Did she faint? When?”
"About half an hour ago," Gautham said quickly.
“Why didn't you call me?”
“You said it would take 2 hours to get here. Even if I called you, it would take an hour to come from there. That's why I called for emergency help. I was going to call you once the doctor arrived.”
“Is she in the bedroom now?”
“Yes, she's in your bedroom”
I didn't say anything. It seemed he had passed the test.
"Alright, I'm going downstairs, you keep an eye on Malli," Gautham said and ran towards the stairs.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
Malli was lying across the bed in her yellow designed saree. Her pallu had slipped, and the saree was completely drenched, clinging tightly to her skin. Water droplets glistened on the fabric, rendering her white bra clearly visible underneath. It was quite a sight for Gautham to walk into.
I approached the bed and called her name in a low, raspy tone. "Malli?"
Recognizing my voice, she slowly opened her eyes. Her first reaction was a whispered question. "Has he gone?"
"He went downstairs to get the doctor."
Malli slowly sat up. The dampness of her saree clung to her body.
"Wait… he actually called a doctor?," her voice was a mix of surprise and relief.
I looked down at her from above.
I stood over her, looking down. "Your saree is soaked. Looks like he splashed water on you to wake you up, but you didn't react."
She gave a subtle nod.
"Okay, why is you saree completely messed up and out of place?,” I pressed.
Malli rolled her eyes, "Can someone who's pretending to faint neatly adjust their saree before falling?"
"So what I feared would happen actually happened."
"This is because of your stupid plan, not me," Malli shot back.
"Did he do anything to you?"
"I didn’t get up. As you instructed, I fell and pretended to be unconscious. How could I see what Gautham was doing?,” she paused, her eyes widening slightly. "Look, there's no time to talk. If the doctor comes, he'll realize my drama. Stop him somehow!"
I quickly came up with a plan. I took my mobile and called Gautham.
“Macha… she's awake. I'm taking her to the hospital and will be back. You send the visiting doctor away. It's best to show her to the regular doctor. She won't get better with the pills that other doctor gives"
Gautham hesitated on the line for a second. Then, "Alright... if you're sure. I’ll tell him. You take care. Do you need me to come along or help you get her to the car?"
"No, I've got it. Just handle the doctor down there."
I kept the phone down and looked at Malli. Her low neckline revealed her white bra, and as the thought crossed my mind of how long Gautham might have been staring, a mix of sharp jealousy and strange excitement tingled through me.
Malli stood up, "I'm changing my dress. Let's stick to the plan—we'll go out, eat somewhere, and then head back."
She quickly changed into another saree.
Meanwhile, I scanned the bedroom. Near the television rested my old phone—the one I had set up to record everything. I took it and slipped it into my pocket before Gautham could return.
We came down to the parking. Malli acted a bit dizzy. I held her shoulder and supported her as we walked. Gautham met us near the car, looking concerned.
"If she's feeling really bad, I can come with you guys," he offered.
"No, Gautham, you stay at home," Malli said gently. "We'll manage. The female doctor at the clinic will take care of it."
"Alright, take care," Gautham said, stepping back.
We drove off. As soon as we were 200 feet down the road, both of us burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hey.. do you have any idea how nerve-wracking those 20 minutes were for me?" I admitted, shaking my head. "In the last minute, I thought he must have done something to you "
Malli laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're unbelievable! Shameless... you're laughing and saying your wife must have done something."
“I have nothing to be ashamed of compared to those who tie their brains to act realistically while in a state of confusion”
"I have nothing to be ashamed of compared to the guy who lost his mind trying to make the perfect reality test"
"Enough, stop!" Malli giggled. "My eyes were shut tight the whole time. I didn't even move when Gautham splashed water. Honestly, I was terrified at one point."
While she was talking, I pulled the car into the busy parking lot of our dinner spot.
"Malli, it looks packed inside," I said, looking at the crowd in the restaurant. “You go inside and ask the waiter for a table for two, give him our names. I'll park the car in the overflow lot and meet you inside."
Malli stepped out, and I circled around to the back lot to park the car.
As I opened the car door to get out, an attendant approached me. "This isn't restaurant parking, sir. If you want to park here, you'll have to pay 20 rupees." Annoyed, I reached into my pocket, handed him a coin.
I had grabbed my old mobile in a hurry, and after a quick glance, I saw its battery was low—only 20%. Wanting to make sure it didn't die, I plugged it into the car charger.
As soon as I plugged it in, instantly lit up, displaying the saved video file. It was time to find out what really happened during those silent twenty minutes.
Goutham seemed to have passed the test with flying colors.
I hit play, expecting to see a routine confirmation of Gautham's innocence. But two minutes into the recording, my heart stopped. I sat frozen, staring at the screen in complete disbelief.Hadn't Malli just told me everything that happened?
A chilling realization washed over me: asking her about this video was going to ruin everything.
So, what exactly is on that recording?
---->>0<<----
It was 5:00 PM.
In the office, Gautham was picking up the files from his desk; it was time to leave. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Hey, are you leaving?" I asked, turning toward him.
Gautham laughed. "Yeah. Aren't you coming?"
"It'll be late for me. I still have some work to finish. You go, I'll be there in 2 hours. "
He nodded and walked toward the elevator.
A timer had started ticking inside me. Gautham walked toward the lift. I returned to my desk. But my eyes stayed fixed on the door. The moment I was sure he had left the parking lot, I jumped up from my seat.
I followed him through the evening traffic, keeping enough distance so he wouldn't spot me.
At exactly 6 o'clock, as soon as he arrived at the apartment, I waited by the gate until he parked his car and headed to the lift.
He got into the lift. I ran up the stairs. I reached the third floor out of breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Malli’s words from this morning echoed in my head, warning me that I was setting myself up to walk into my own home like a thief. A thousand fears filled my mind. Even though I said I'd just be testing things out, there was still a fear in my heart. Still, she was Malli, beautiful and sexy, the kind of girl who could make anyone’s mind wander. Even though I kept telling myself it was just a test, deep down, I knew I was doing it for real.
Hiding near the stairwell, I peeked toward the hallway. The sound of the front door closing echoed softly. Gautham had gone inside. I waited for five minutes, half-expecting him to rush back out asking for help.
When five minutes passed with total silence, I walked slowly and stood outside the apartment door. I checked my watch.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
15 minutes.
Not a single sound came from inside, not even a bell.
My heart was pounding rapidly. Many scenes flashed through my mind. But I didn’t move. Even after almost 20 minutes, the door didn’t open. I shouldn’t wait any longer. What if he was taking advantage of the situation to harm Malli?. No, no, it shouldn’t be like that. I decided not to take the risk and go in, and reached for the door knob to open it.
Suddenly, the door opened by itself.
Gautham stood there, shock and anxiety etched on his face.
“Hey… you’ve arrived? Malli is fainted. I’ve laid her down on the bed. I’ve already called the doctor; he’s coming from the emergency ward. I'm going downstairs to bring him up. You look after Malli”
“Did she faint? When?”
"About half an hour ago," Gautham said quickly.
“Why didn't you call me?”
“You said it would take 2 hours to get here. Even if I called you, it would take an hour to come from there. That's why I called for emergency help. I was going to call you once the doctor arrived.”
“Is she in the bedroom now?”
“Yes, she's in your bedroom”
I didn't say anything. It seemed he had passed the test.
"Alright, I'm going downstairs, you keep an eye on Malli," Gautham said and ran towards the stairs.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
Malli was lying across the bed in her yellow designed saree. Her pallu had slipped, and the saree was completely drenched, clinging tightly to her skin. Water droplets glistened on the fabric, rendering her white bra clearly visible underneath. It was quite a sight for Gautham to walk into.
I approached the bed and called her name in a low, raspy tone. "Malli?"
Recognizing my voice, she slowly opened her eyes. Her first reaction was a whispered question. "Has he gone?"
"He went downstairs to get the doctor."
Malli slowly sat up. The dampness of her saree clung to her body.
"Wait… he actually called a doctor?," her voice was a mix of surprise and relief.
I looked down at her from above.
I stood over her, looking down. "Your saree is soaked. Looks like he splashed water on you to wake you up, but you didn't react."
She gave a subtle nod.
"Okay, why is you saree completely messed up and out of place?,” I pressed.
Malli rolled her eyes, "Can someone who's pretending to faint neatly adjust their saree before falling?"
"So what I feared would happen actually happened."
"This is because of your stupid plan, not me," Malli shot back.
"Did he do anything to you?"
"I didn’t get up. As you instructed, I fell and pretended to be unconscious. How could I see what Gautham was doing?,” she paused, her eyes widening slightly. "Look, there's no time to talk. If the doctor comes, he'll realize my drama. Stop him somehow!"
I quickly came up with a plan. I took my mobile and called Gautham.
“Macha… she's awake. I'm taking her to the hospital and will be back. You send the visiting doctor away. It's best to show her to the regular doctor. She won't get better with the pills that other doctor gives"
Gautham hesitated on the line for a second. Then, "Alright... if you're sure. I’ll tell him. You take care. Do you need me to come along or help you get her to the car?"
"No, I've got it. Just handle the doctor down there."
I kept the phone down and looked at Malli. Her low neckline revealed her white bra, and as the thought crossed my mind of how long Gautham might have been staring, a mix of sharp jealousy and strange excitement tingled through me.
Malli stood up, "I'm changing my dress. Let's stick to the plan—we'll go out, eat somewhere, and then head back."
She quickly changed into another saree.
Meanwhile, I scanned the bedroom. Near the television rested my old phone—the one I had set up to record everything. I took it and slipped it into my pocket before Gautham could return.
We came down to the parking. Malli acted a bit dizzy. I held her shoulder and supported her as we walked. Gautham met us near the car, looking concerned.
"If she's feeling really bad, I can come with you guys," he offered.
"No, Gautham, you stay at home," Malli said gently. "We'll manage. The female doctor at the clinic will take care of it."
"Alright, take care," Gautham said, stepping back.
We drove off. As soon as we were 200 feet down the road, both of us burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hey.. do you have any idea how nerve-wracking those 20 minutes were for me?" I admitted, shaking my head. "In the last minute, I thought he must have done something to you "
Malli laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're unbelievable! Shameless... you're laughing and saying your wife must have done something."
“I have nothing to be ashamed of compared to those who tie their brains to act realistically while in a state of confusion”
"I have nothing to be ashamed of compared to the guy who lost his mind trying to make the perfect reality test"
"Enough, stop!" Malli giggled. "My eyes were shut tight the whole time. I didn't even move when Gautham splashed water. Honestly, I was terrified at one point."
While she was talking, I pulled the car into the busy parking lot of our dinner spot.
"Malli, it looks packed inside," I said, looking at the crowd in the restaurant. “You go inside and ask the waiter for a table for two, give him our names. I'll park the car in the overflow lot and meet you inside."
Malli stepped out, and I circled around to the back lot to park the car.
As I opened the car door to get out, an attendant approached me. "This isn't restaurant parking, sir. If you want to park here, you'll have to pay 20 rupees." Annoyed, I reached into my pocket, handed him a coin.
I had grabbed my old mobile in a hurry, and after a quick glance, I saw its battery was low—only 20%. Wanting to make sure it didn't die, I plugged it into the car charger.
As soon as I plugged it in, instantly lit up, displaying the saved video file. It was time to find out what really happened during those silent twenty minutes.
Goutham seemed to have passed the test with flying colors.
I hit play, expecting to see a routine confirmation of Gautham's innocence. But two minutes into the recording, my heart stopped. I sat frozen, staring at the screen in complete disbelief.Hadn't Malli just told me everything that happened?
A chilling realization washed over me: asking her about this video was going to ruin everything.
So, what exactly is on that recording?
---->>0<<----
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