[heygiwriter]

The Couple's Experiment – The Truth Changes Everything

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 1


Morning Signal

The hilltop air was sharp enough to sting the lungs. Mist still clung to the lower slopes like torn cotton, and every few steps Jeeva’s phone lost what little signal it had.

He had a habit of writing down every experience in his diary — memories, fragments, bits and pieces. One day he wanted to turn them into a film, maybe a coming-of-age story, or a book. It was his quiet passion. Today, though, his mind was blank. He felt like he had already missed the most important thing in his day: the smile that always warmed him up. His wife’s good-morning smile.

Jeeva heard the sound of water running from the bathroom. He smiled to himself and stepped out of the room.

He walked out of the resort gate just after six, hoodie zipped to the chin, hands buried deep in the pockets. The chill felt good. Clean. It cleared his head the way city mornings never could.

He walked until the path curved around a cluster of pine trees, then stopped and unlocked his phone out of pure habit.
Instagram loaded slowly.
One bar.
Two.
Then the feed appeared.


A new post from JTaranowVlog sat at the top.

He smiled before he even tapped it.

Tara filled the frame in a soft cream maxi dress that moved with the light wind. She was walking along a narrow trail that cut through dense trees beside the resort. Early sunlight filtered through the leaves and caught on her skin, turning it gold for a second at a time. She stopped beside a massive tree, tilted her head all the way back to show the camera how tall it was, and gave that small, private smile she had given him every single morning for seven years.

The same smile.
The same quiet joy in her eyes.
He had woken up thinking he might miss it today.
He hadn’t.

Jeeva leaned against the wooden railing and watched the reel twice without sound.

The vlog had started almost by accident on their honeymoon. She had only wanted to show a few college friends the foreign beaches and the ridiculous hotel breakfasts. She posted it publicly by mistake. The numbers climbed overnight. Encouragement poured in. What began as a casual honeymoon album slowly became a full channel. Seven years later it had lakhs of followers, brand deals, and a quiet reputation as one of the “real” couples on the app.

Most of the other Instagram couples they watched were performing. Jeeva and Tara had seen it up close — smiling reels uploaded the same week the couple fought in hotel corridors, perfect anniversary posts while one of them was already sleeping with someone else. They used to laugh about it in bed.
“Maybe we look like the boring ones in their eyes,” Tara would say. “No drama, no hidden stories. Just us.”

“If this is boring to them, let’s stay the boring couple,” he would answer, and they would both laugh.
And for seven years it had been true.

He had never once appeared in the videos. He preferred it that way. Standing behind the camera let him watch her the way no one else could — the small adjustments she made when she thought no one was looking, the way her voice softened when she spoke about home, the exact second the morning light hit her collarbone. No one else had ever held that camera. Not once.

Today the comment count was higher than usual.
He scrolled down, curious.

Almost every new comment pointed to the same timestamp.
:40 – love bite?? ?
bro we finally saw the husband ?
she talks about Jeeva nonstop but we only meet him through his bite marks lmao

Convey our regards to Jeeva, sis

Jeeva’s thumb stopped.

He scrubbed the video back to the forty-second mark and watched with the volume off.

Tara was walking, talking lightly to the camera about the trees and the morning chill. A low branch forced her to dip her head and twist her shoulders to the side. The neckline of the maxi shifted. For half a second the upper curve of her right breast came into frame, and just above it — faint but definite — was a reddish mark. Not dark purple. Not obvious. But once the comments pointed it out, it was impossible to unsee. The skin looked slightly raised, like it had been sucked or bitten and then tried to calm down overnight.

His face went still.
The video was fresh.
Uploaded less than an hour ago.

Everything about today was unusual, because it had not been shot by him — and he knew exactly who had held the camera.

She was twenty kilometers away at a different resort, somewhere on the other side of the same hill range.

For the first time in seven years of marriage, Jeeva felt the blood leave his face. His heart raced faster than he thought possible.

He took a screenshot of the top comment, opened WhatsApp, and sent it.

Jeeva:
[screenshot]
What is this, Tara?
You said it’s just a date? Killing boredom?
I need answers.

What happened last night?
The reply came faster than the signal should have allowed.

Tara:
Shit.
You too??

Won’t I tell you if anything happened?

Some insect bit me while I was shooting and It's itching, i scratched it. That’s all and the result is everyone speaking..
Stop believing random men on the internet ?

and should i delete it?



Jeeva:
I thought you two already had sex. 
Smiling similes to act like he is making a fun comment
There was a longer pause this time. 

The pause is unusual, He could almost see her standing somewhere in the trees, phone in hand, deciding how much truth to give him.

Jeeva: 
Why are you responding unusually?

Tara:
No. I was actually deleting the video. 
That's why late?

Sex? I will Kick you...
Another message followed immediately.

Tara:
Does it look fun for you?

Jeeva:
We agreed this to be a fun experiment right?

Tara:
But its odd you message me like this, you accused me immediately?
You feel insecure just in 18 Hours?



No messages came from Jeeva, 
after a pause, Tara decides to cool it off.. 

Tara:
Okay What now?
Don't tell me., You started writing your daily diary, and in your story tidbits, you write yourself as the pitiful husband getting cheated on by his heartless wife?

He sent a laughing emoji.
Then another.

Sorry, no signal here...

Tara:
Don’t laugh.
I’m serious.

Don’t miss writing in your diary that you are with Ramya.

Okay my revenge time. 

What happened last night there?
Did you had sex with Ramya?
Where is she?

Jeeva:
She’s in the bathroom.
I heard water running — maybe she’s bathing.
Regarding last night… what do you think?

Tara:
Not yet for sure…

He stared at the screen for a few seconds, the corner of his mouth still curved even though the rest of his face had gone quiet.

Jeeva:
We just shared a kiss.
One.
Last night.

Now your turn. Be honest..
Did anything....?

Tara:
He hugged me before telling good night.
Wanted a Kiss, casually..

I didn’t.
I pulled away.

No texts for few minutes from Jeeva,

Tara texted again to Jeeva...

I'm being honest.

Jeeva exhaled through his nose. The smile stayed, but it felt thinner now. He didn’t fully buy the ant-bite story. Or the “pulled away at the last minute.” He wanted to.

Seven years of never needing to doubt her made the doubt feel foreign, almost embarrassing. Yet the game they had started six months ago kept turning over in his mind like a coin that refused to land on either side.
He typed one last message.

Jeeva:
Okay.
if you feel anything uneasy, call me i'm just 20 Kms away i will come directly to you..

She sent a sticker of a girl rolling her eyes, then a heart.

Then a text. 
I Love You!


Jeeva: 
Love you Too

He locked the phone and looked out over the valley. The mist was lifting in slow white ribbons. Somewhere twenty kilometres away his wife was walking through another stretch of forest with someone else’s camera pointed at her, a faint red mark still visible above her right side breast if the light caught it the right way.

All of this — the separate resorts, the careful texts, the shared jokes that were starting to feel less like jokes — had its root on an ordinary rooftop six months earlier.

A friend of his had been drinking heavily, refusing to come down, shouting at the night sky that the woman he had loved since college needed to climb those stairs and explain why she was cheating on him.

That single night was the moment everything between Jeeva and Tara began to change.

He just didn’t know yet how completely it would rewrite them.

[heygiwriter]

"The very first chapter is fantastic! Right from the start, you've made the story incredibly engaging, HEYGI Bro. "I wish this story becomes your finest work. Best of luck!"

Thanks

[heygiwriter]

Character Introduction


Jeeva
Jeeva is a quietly content man. He is not flashy and prefers to stay behind the camera — both literally and emotionally. He finds deep satisfaction in watching Tara shine and in knowing that their life is real while most other “perfect” couples are only performing. He has never felt real jealousy. He trusts her completely and takes quiet pride in that trust. Even when their parents argued, Tara always remained calm and took his side, something he never forgot.

Apart from his life with Tara, he keeps a private diary. He believes their ordinary, peaceful life might one day make a beautiful story or film. He is affectionate and softly possessive in his own way, often calling her “my hidden beauty.” He is still genuinely amazed that an arranged marriage turned into this much love.

Jeeva works as a software engineer but has a real love for photography. He has a mild, almost unconscious habit of photographing Tara when she is not looking — morning light on her face, the way she looks while sleeping, the small expression she makes when she concentrates. These photos stay only on his phone and are never posted.

He started his life with Tara completely clueless and without expectations. That lack of pressure, he feels, is what made everything smoother. People have mixed opinions about his looks — some call him handsome, some say average — but he only cares about staying at the right weight for his height. He goes to the gym regularly and often takes Tara along with him.

Tara
Tara is the warmer, more openly affectionate one between the two. She genuinely believes they are one of the rare couples who simply got lucky. She loves being desired by Jeeva and feels completely safe in his lack of jealousy. She enjoys the Instagram life but is not addicted to the attention.

She is curious about sex but has never been adventurous outside their marriage. She carries a soft, almost naïve confidence that nothing can truly touch what they have. When she needs to feel grounded, she has a private habit of re-reading old chats with Jeeva from the first year of their marriage.
She feels a secret thrill when someone new pays quiet, focused attention to her — a feeling very different from Jeeva’s soft and familiar desire. Until now, she has never lied to Jeeva about anything important.

Like Jeeva, she also began the marriage with no big expectations. That simplicity gave them a life better than anything they could have asked for. As a quiet sign of their love, they have a daughter who now goes to kindergarten.

Tara works in a design company. She started her social media account as a joke to share fun moments with friends, but it slowly grew into a large following. She never boasts about it. The success earned her some enemies at work, but she never cared — as long as Jeeva stood by her side, nothing else mattered.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 2: Six Months Before



Jeeva’s mind reeled back to six months. - Seventh Year Anniversary day. 

He woke to the soft weight of tara’s thigh dbangd over his and the early light already touching the edge of the bed. It was their seventh anniversary. No big trip this year — the kid was staying with tara’s parents because their place was closer to the kindergarten. Both sets of parents had still claimed them for dinner later, so they had kept the morning completely for themselves.

She was still half-asleep when he kissed the back of her neck. She made a small sound and pushed back against him, already knowing what he wanted. He slid his hand under the loose t-shirt she slept in, found her breast, and felt the nipple tighten under his palm. tara turned her face into the pillow and smiled.
“Happy anniversary,” she murmured.

“Happy anniversary.”

He pulled the t-shirt up and off. She helped, arms raised, then settled on her back and looked at him the way she always did when she was ready — open, unhurried, completely at ease. Jeeva took a moment just to look.

Her face was the first thing that had ever truly stopped him. Sharp, elegant, whitish, the kind of face that made people look twice even when she wore no makeup. A real face card. Her body was softer, real. Flat stomach that had somehow returned after the baby. Breasts that were not too big, not small — exactly the size he could try take fully into his mouth. Hips that were full without being dramatic. Average in the way most real women were.

He ran his palm slowly down her side.

“You’re not rankable like any actress,” he said quietly. “You have a great face card… whitish, clean. And these—” he cupped one breast, thumb brushing the nipple “—adequate. Perfect size. I can take the whole thing in my mouth. Not too big, not small. You’re adequate in every way.”


tara laughed under her breath, a little shy even after seven years.


“But I would rate you more than any woman in the world,” he continued, leaning down to kiss the valley between her breasts, “because you are my tara. You still look the same. Not even aged. Seven years have passed and you still look like a college beauty who was never touched.”


He moved lower, kissing the soft skin of her stomach.


“If anyone ever undressed you and really saw you… they wouldn’t leave without tasting you. You’re such a hidden beauty. And I’ve been treasuring you only for myself.”


She pulled him up by the hair and kissed him hard, smiling against his mouth.
“You’re so dramatic in the morning.”

“I’m honest in the morning.”

He kissed her slowly, tasting morning on her tongue, then moved down between her legs. She opened for him without being asked. He licked her the way she liked — flat tongue, steady pressure, no rush — until her fingers found his hair and her breathing changed. When she was wet enough he climbed back up, pushed inside her in one smooth stroke, and stayed still for a second, forehead against hers.

“Seven years,” he said.

She laughed under him, soft and warm. “You’re counting while you’re inside me?”
“I’m allowed.”

He started moving — deep, unhurried strokes that made the bed shift quietly. She wrapped her legs around him and met every thrust. They didn’t speak for a while. The only sounds were skin and breath and the occasional small moan she tried to keep low.

After a few minutes she pulled his head down and spoke against his ear.

“Remember the first time we actually talked? Not the formal meeting. The real one.”
He smiled into her neck. “You mean the day after the wedding when you told me you didn’t know how to make filter coffee and I pretended I did?”

“You burned the milk.”
“You still drank it.”

Yes, We started everything imperfect, i dont know how we stay happy, unbothered, not even fighting, are we missing something.
Jeeva: Yea we miss imperfect love making.

She laughed again, the sound vibrating against his chest. He kept moving inside her, slower now, listening.

They had been complete strangers on the wedding day. Families had decided, horoscopes had matched, and two people who had never spoken properly were married before they turned twenty-three. The first month had been polite, careful, almost shy. Then one ordinary evening she had sat beside him on the balcony and said, “I don’t know if I love you yet, but I like the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching.” That was the moment something real began. Slowly, without fireworks, they had fallen in love the old-fashioned way — by living together, by choosing each other every day, by never needing to perform.

The child had come three years later. Their first few years were spend on visiting various countries, what was started as fun at honeymoon, stayed long, they skipped planning for baby. 3 years later, the child is in Kindergarten now. Family on both sides still hovered helpfully. The social account had started as a private joke on their honeymoon and somehow become a quiet side career. Through all of it they had never had a real fight. No jealousy. No silent treatments. Just an easy, almost boring happiness that other couples seemed to find suspicious.

Jeeva thrust a little deeper and felt her tighten around him. She was close. He reached between them and rubbed her the way she needed. She came quietly, face pressed to his shoulder, body shaking once, twice. He followed a few strokes later, burying himself fully and staying there while the pleasure rolled through him.
They stayed tangled for a long time afterward, sticky and warm and reluctant to move.

“This perfect life is boring,” she said eventually, voice lazy with satisfaction.
Boring?

Am I boring to you?

She bit his shoulder leaving a tooth mark and said, i want you to fight with me like every man does.

He said then don't be understanding and be irritating like every other woman does.
They smiled at each other, realizing what kind of wavelength they have.

He was still inside her, soft now, when both their phones started ringing at the same time.

Tara reached first. The name on the screen made her sit up.
“It’s Meera.”
Jeeva’s phone showed Arjun’s name.

They answered the speaker.

Meera’s voice was tight and embarrassed. “tara… Arjun is drunk on the girls’ hostel rooftop. He’s refusing to leave. He’s shouting that I have to come up and explain myself. The warden is about to call the security officer. Can you both come? Please. He’ll listen to Jeeva.”

Arjun’s voice came faintly in the background, raw and loud: “Tell her to come up! Fifteen years and she thinks she can just—”

The line cut for a second, then Meera again, quieter. “He’s not okay. Please.”
tara looked at Jeeva. He was already reaching for his jeans.

“We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she said into the phone, and hung up.
They dressed quickly, still smelling of sex, still carrying the soft afterglow of the anniversary morning. No one to explain to. No one to wake.

As they locked the apartment door, tara glanced at him.
“This is going to be messy.”

Jeeva nodded, but something else had already started turning quietly in the back of his mind — the same something that would, by the end of the night, change everything between them.

They didn’t know it yet.

They just got into the car and drove toward the girls’ hostel rooftop where a drunk man was shouting at the sky about the woman who had once been his entire life.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 3 : Until Someone Comes Between


The girls’ hostel rooftop smelled of old concrete, cigarette smoke, and cheap whiskey. Arjun sat on the low pabangt wall, legs dangling, a half-empty bottle hanging from his fingers. His eyes were swollen and raw. When he saw Jeeva and Tara he gave a broken, bitter laugh.
“Look who came. The perfect couple.”

Meera stood a few feet away, arms tightly crossed, face stiff with humiliation. The warden had already been sent downstairs. Only the four of them remained under the yellow light.

Jeeva sat beside his friend. Tara stayed near Meera but didn’t touch her.
Arjun didn’t need any encouragement. The words poured out.

“I’m not imagining it, Jeeva. I saw the signs. Clear signs. Last week I found sand stuck on his shoes — the same sand that was on her slippers the day before. They both cut office on the same afternoon and came back late with the same excuse. They keep wearing the same colour clothes like it’s some cute coincidence. She hasn’t kissed me properly in months. Not even a real one. And now she’s going to watch a film with him this weekend. Just the two of them.”

He took a long drink and wiped his mouth.

“He’s the senior, so of course he can do whatever he wants. He pushed me to another team and kept her as his analyst… his ‘helper.’ Right in front of my face. I allowed it. I told her, make friends, it’s healthy. I’m the fucking idiot.”
Meera’s voice came out sharp and low.

“Stop it, Arjun. Don’t shame me in front of them. Don’t paint me like I’m some cheap woman.”
“Then explain it!” he shouted. “Explain the sand. Explain the matching clothes. Explain why you can’t even look at me when you come home.”
“I’m not explaining anything while you’re drunk and calling me a cheater in front of people,” she snapped. “You’re humiliating both of us.”
Jeeva raised a hand gently.

“Arjun… stop. You’re spiralling. These things… same colour clothes, sand, late coming — it can all be coincidence. You’re overthinking because you’re hurting. Don’t accuse her like this without something solid.”
Arjun laughed again, the sound ugly.

“Overthinking. That’s what everyone will say until it’s too late.”

“Fifteen years, Jeeva. college. College. First job. I gave her everything. And I was the idiot who told her, ‘Make friends, it’s healthy.’ I even introduced her to my senior. Good guy, I thought. Helpful. And he fucked her. Behind my back. For months. Now she’s the one finding reasons to leave me because I ‘don’t trust her.’”


He took a long swallow from the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Never do it,” he said, looking at both of them with sudden intensity. “Never let your partner become friends with the opposite gender once you’re serious. Never. The moment you allow it, you’re already losing.”

Tara opened her mouth, then closed it. Jeeva just nodded slowly, the way you nod when someone is too drunk and too hurt to argue with.
They stayed until Arjun finally agreed to go home. Meera left separately, refusing to look at him. Jeeva drove Arjun back to his apartment, helped him onto the bed, left a bottle of water on the side table, and locked the door behind him.

When he came down, Tara was already waiting in the car.

The city roads were half-empty. Sodium lights slid across the windshield in long orange lines.
For a few minutes neither of them spoke.

Then Jeeva said quietly, “I still don’t think she cheated.”
Tara looked at him. “He sounded very sure.”

“He’s sure because he’s already decided. Sand on shoes, matching clothes, going to a movie… it’s all circumstantial. There’s no real proof. From the way he was talking, he’s been doubting her for a long time. Maybe she got tired of being treated like a criminal and started pulling away.”
Tara was silent for a while, watching the road.

“What if he was right, though? What if she really did sleep with that senior?”
Jeeva’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. “Then their relationship was already broken. It failed.”
“No,” she said slowly. “Maybe she still has feelings. People make mistakes.”

She turned more towards him.

“They were together fifteen years. college, college, office. How does love get tested just because she became friends with someone? 

Jeeva said, Maybe the years didn’t mean anything. Maybe they never really loved each other the way they thought.”

A small, almost proud smile touched her lips.

“I’m glad ours still stands tall. No one even believes we had an arranged marriage. People always say we must have been lovers for years and we’re just lying about it.”

Jeeva gave a short laugh. “We’ve heard that so many times.”
The radio had been playing on low volume the whole time. Some late-night FM show. The anchor’s smooth voice was talking about relationships and trust. Most of it had been background noise.

Then one clear line cut through the car:
“it will only be tested if someone comes between.”


The words hung in the air. It is unrelated, but somewhere both Jeeva and Tara, had in their mind, what if someone comes between both of us. Both thought for a second. 

Jeeva’s eyes left the road, Tara was already looking at him.

Neither of them smiled.
The empty road stretched ahead, and the sentence stayed between them like something that had been waiting for exactly this moment to arrive.

[heygiwriter]

The Couple's Experiment – The Truth Changes Everything.

Giving a stern warning now

don't expect a love story, but this is love story

cheating is there, but i will make sure it remains mystery until last chapter, that was the vision. 


Don't pity for any character, don't make them your favorite just watch what unfolds :)

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 4 - What If & Experiment 



By the time they got home the city had gone quiet.

Tara dropped her bag near the sofa and went straight to the kitchen for water. Jeeva locked the door, switched off the main lights, and followed her. They drank from the same bottle without speaking, the way they always did when both were tired.
In the bedroom they changed slowly. Tara pulled on one of his old t-shirts. Jeeva stayed in just his shorts. The anniversary morning felt like it had happened days ago instead of hours.

They lay on the bed facing each other, the only light coming from the streetlamp outside the window.

For a long time neither of them brought up Arjun.
Tara spoke first.

“She looked so small standing there. I’ve known Meera for years. 
I never thought I’d see her like that.”

Jeeva stared at the ceiling. “He’s going to wake up tomorrow and feel worse. The things he said in front of everyone… she won’t forget that.”


They talked about the sand on the shoes, the matching clothes, the movie plan. They went back and forth, sometimes defending Meera, sometimes understanding Arjun’s fear. The conversation drifted the way late-night talks do.

Tara rolled onto her back.

“It’s strange. Fifteen years. And it can still fall apart because of one third person.”
Jeeva turned his head on the pillow to look at her.
“You think one person is enough?”

“Sometimes one person is more than enough.”

Silence settled again. Somewhere outside a scooter passed and faded.
Tara’s voice came softer.

“Have you ever wondered… what would happen if someone came between us?”


Jeeva gave a small, surprised laugh. “Where did that come from?”


“I don’t know. Tonight just put it in my head.”
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
“No one is coming between us.”


“I’m not saying someone will. I’m saying what if.”
She turned onto her side so they were face to face.


“What if some woman at your office started liking you? Really liking you. 
Not the usual friendly way. What if she made it obvious?”


Jeeva raised an eyebrow, a small smile pulling at his mouth.
“Are you going to get tempted by any man you see?”


Tara laughed under her breath. “I’m serious.”
“So am I,” he said, still smiling. “You’re asking me, so I’m asking you.”


She poked his chest.
 “I’d keep my distance.”
“That’s the correct answer,” he said, copying her tone from earlier. Both of them smiled.



The playfulness stayed for a moment, then thinned.
Tara traced a small circle on the bedsheet between them.
“We’ve been together for seven years. No fights. No jealousy. Nothing. Sometimes I wonder if that’s normal… or if we’re not close enough to get angry? Disappointment? Sometimes too perfect is also alarmingly told that something is not so natural..”


Jeeva stayed quiet. But he began after a minute and said, You are overthinking, it's better, if we treasure what we have with us. 


Tara smiled.. 
Then after a pause she began
“Earlier today,” “when we were still in bed, I even said I wanted you to fight with me a little. Like other couples. For fun. But after seeing Arjun and Meera tonight… It doesn't look fun at all. It looks scary.”
He nodded slowly.

Tara then continued… “Arjun said the moment you allow opposite-gender friendship, you start losing. Do you believe that?”
“No,” Jeeva said. “But I understand why he said it tonight.”


Another stretch of silence. The kind that isn’t uncomfortable, just heavy with things neither of them had ever said out loud.


Tara spoke again, almost thoughtfully.
“That radio line… in the car. Did you feel like it was talking to us?”
Jeeva looked at her for a long second.
“Yeah. I did.”
She waited.


He exhaled through his nose, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile that didn’t fully reach his eyes.
“Maybe we need to really test it.”
Tara’s eyes widened a little, then she laughed — soft, nervous, disbelieving.
Tara: “You’re the one saying it?”
Jeeva: Because you keep bringing this topic, cant i see your intent. 
“You’re the one who started with ‘what if’.”


Tara: “I was joking.”
“So am I.” He paused. “Kind of.”



They both laughed, the sound quiet in the dark room. The laughter lasted only a few seconds before it faded into something quieter.
Tara shifted closer until her forehead rested against his.
“No rules. No boundaries. Just… see what happens if someone comes between.”


Jeeva didn’t answer immediately. He only pulled her fully into his arms. She settled against his chest, one leg dbangd over his, the way she always slept.
Tara, i dont know what is running through your mind.. Let me tell you, No.. i cannot share anyone with you. 


Tara smiled, just a date, friendship, lets see. How friendship goes. 
Jeeva pinched her ass and said I'm not sure if you are playing or serious. 



Outside, the city stayed silent.
Inside the room, they closed their eyes.
But neither of them fell asleep quickly.
Jeeva lay still, feeling the weight of her body against him, and for the first time wondered what it would look like if another woman really tried to pull him away — and whether he would let her. 
Tara kept her eyes closed, listening to his heartbeat.


Jeeva let a word pass through her years. Is this a game
Tara: An experiment 
Jeeva: It looks dangerous. 
Tara: I just want to see how strong your love is. 
Jeeva: Isn't that strong already?
Tara: That’s only you have to tell, maybe prove it.




Jeeva could not ignore the words, he knows Tara best, the word carries seriousness. 
Jeeva: Are you sure? 
Tara: 200% 
Jeeva: How? We….
Tara: Lets sleep now, i will think something and come up tomorrow.  Good night
Jeeva kissed her cheek


Whats that?
Jeeva asked looking at the gift wrapper at corner
Tara said its a gift i bought yesterday near beach. 
Jeeva: You went to beach?
Tara: Yea, why?
Jeeva: When?
Tara: Morning during break hours at my office?
Jeeva: Could not see any sand mark on your slippers
Tara: Why your little brain want to match with Arjun’s story 
She laughs
Jeeva too laughed, he hugged her.. And told
Im sorry 
Tara looked at his eyes..


Jeeva continued, i would in no way cheaply compare you with Arjun. 
Tara kissed his cheek now, and said I'm tired. Let's sleep.
Both began to hug tighter and closed their eyes tight with all heaviness around. 

[heygiwriter]

Shit, I’ve refreshed it a thousand times. Bro, don’t expect me to connect with any other character like I did with Jay. I’m the same guy who enjoyed Gautham fucking Sneha, but I just couldn’t handle it when it came to Jay.

:) just enjoy this story, as it unfolds. Just started, a risky concept, may be the impact would not be same as i thought, but every chapter is important. Look out for hints and nuances

[heygiwriter]

Usual plot:

Couple decides to test their love and relationship so they choose a couple or maybe independent partners

Ultimately both choose not to cross the line...but when such experiments are undertaken...key thing is communication. Even for a day or an hour when they spent with temporary partners outside if they do not communicate, doubts creep in both sides, misunderstandings due to it flare exponentially making it a risk to their love and marriage...

HeyGI signature style - Easily can see misunderstanding in future...one of the two think other definitely fucked and covering it causing the other to get hurt, actually no one crosses the line but the mistrust or misjudgement makes them cross eventually and by the time other one realizes it would be too late and an affair already....

Hopefully plot is not that simple but this testing their own relationship is silly but we need silly to be able to enjoy the erotica.

Lets see if their love is true or not.

~ RCF

:) looking forward to see how you guys will take this story :) I mean, its a new try for me, may look usual but just read it :)

[heygiwriter]

'Fantastic' story line.. Way ro go HeyGi..

Thanks

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 5 - Coffee and Clarity in the Morning

Jeeva woke before the alarm.

The room was still dim. Tara’s leg was thrown across his, her face buried against his shoulder the way it always was. For a few seconds he lay still, listening to her breathing, and tried to convince himself that last night had only been late-night nonsense.
It hadn’t worked.

The conversation kept replaying in pieces.
What if someone comes between us.
No rules. No boundaries.
Maybe we need to really test it.

He carefully moved her leg and got out of bed. In the kitchen he switched on the coffee machine and stood watching the dark liquid drip into the pot. His mind felt heavier than it should have on an ordinary morning.

Tara came out ten minutes later, hair messy, wearing the same t-shirt from last night. She walked straight to him, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and rested her cheek against his back.

“Morning,” she mumbled.
“Morning.”
He poured two cups. They sat across from each other at the small dining table. The silence was comfortable at first, then slowly stopped being comfortable.

Jeeva put his cup down.
“Are you serious about what you said last night, do you think sex between us is not enough??”

Tara looked up, still half-sleepy, and gave a small laugh.
“Why are you suddenly panicking? 
Did I ask us to go and have sexual affairs with other people?”

“Then what exactly did you mean?”

She wrapped both hands around her coffee cup and took a slow sip before answering.

“My intention was different. I just want us to bring a third person between us. A man for me, a woman for you. Just for friendship. Nothing else. But with absolutely no boundaries. I want us to behave like we are not married when we are with them. Be free. Talk freely. Spend time freely. Once they start getting closer to us… that’s when we’ll know. Whether we really love each other seriously, or whether we’ve just become too comfortable and too compatible.”

Jeeva stared at her.

“I can’t buy that. It doesn’t sound logical.”
“It is logical,” she said calmly. “A senior came between Arjun and Meera. Their love got tested and she failed. I just want to see the same thing with us — but in a controlled way. We get dangerously close to someone of the opposite gender, no boundaries, and we watch how we resist temptation. Isn’t that the only real way to know how unbreakable we are?”

Jeeva leaned back in his chair.

“And what if one of us can’t resist? What if we succumb?”
Tara shook her head immediately.

“I don’t think we will let it go that far. You trust me, right?”
“Absolutely.”

She smiled, soft and sure.
“Then we should really test it.”

Jeeva rubbed his forehead.
“How? How do you even want to do this?”

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “Tonight let’s sit and plan properly. I’ll think of something.”
He gave her a long look, then a dry little smile.

“Looks like you’ve already decided.”
“I thought about it the whole night,” she admitted.

“Looks like you planned it even long before last night.” He kept his tone light, but his eyes were serious. “Tell me honestly. Do you need some attention? Or some new kind of thrill? Don’t get me wrong… I just want to make sure. We’ve never had any issues between us, and I don’t want us to create one.”

Tara didn’t get angry. She only tilted her head and answered quietly.

“I won’t get mad at you for thinking like that. But the truth is… ever since I heard that line on the radio, I’ve become stubborn. I don’t want you to overthink this. We’re just going to have a friend of the opposite gender and see how far each of us can resist temptation. How far we can stop ourselves from doing something that shouldn’t be done.”

She reached across the table and touched his fingers.
“That’s all.”

Jeeva looked at her hand on his, then at her face. 
She looked completely calm, almost bright, as if she had simply suggested trying a new restaurant.
He turned his palm up and held her fingers.

“Tonight,” he said finally. “We should really fight for first time.”
Tara laughed, then nodded, im glad its happening finally. .
Outside the window the morning had turned fully bright.

Inside the kitchen the coffee had gone lukewarm, and something that had started as a late-night “what if” was already beginning to take shape in daylight.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 6 - Plan taking shape - Intent and Doubt. 

Same day night 

They reached home a little after ten.

The visit to Tara’s parents had been long but easy — their daughter had fallen asleep in the car on the way back, and they had carried her inside, changed her, and left her in her small bed. Now the apartment was quiet again.
Both of them were tired, yet neither could sleep.

They lay on their bed in the dark, the same streetlight falling across the floor. Jeeva stared at the ceiling. The previous night’s conversation had not left him. If anything, it had grown heavier through the day.

Why did Tara need this now?

In seven years she had never shown any restlessness, never hinted at wanting more attention or new excitement. It felt unusual. A small, uncomfortable thought kept returning: maybe she had already wanted something like this, and the Arjun-Meera incident had simply given her the opening. He tried to push the thought away. He did not want to believe it. But one thing for sure, his mind already occupied with a fear, Tara is seeing someone! or want to have someone apart from marital life and she is using this as her opportunity to do it without any guilt.

Tara noticed his silence. She shifted closer and shook his shoulder gently.
“What happened? Why are you so lost? Already making plans for the experiment?”

Jeeva turned his head.

“You’re still thinking only about that?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “I’m not ready to let it go.”

He pushed himself up on one elbow and looked at her properly.
Jeeva was not prepared enough mentally to question her direct, he was finding right words to question her to clear his doubts. 

“Why suddenly? I need to recheck with you. Are you tempted by someone? Do you actually want to have sex outside?”
We are most honest couple i use to think, i want to know answers.. What ever it is lets speak first? Im not comfortable with this plan , that leading to something that im not ready 

Tara met his eyes without flinching.

“Jeeva, it’s not just about sex. 
I want a friendship. I want to try things other than what we already have. 
Our life is… mundane. 
Can’t you see that?”

He was quiet for a moment.

“We have never fought. Never argued. 
But for the first time I feel like we might fight over this soon.”
Tara smiled in the dark.
Jeeva can see her teethes and chuckles. 

“That’s exactly what I want. 
I want to see you fight for me a little. Want me a little more. Show some jealousy.

If everything is perfect all the time, it becomes too flat.”

Jeeva let out a short, disbelieving breath.
“You’re unbelievable.”

“Okay, let me be clear,” she said, softening her voice. 
“I’m not looking for sexual affairs. 
I want a good friendship. Maybe sharing a little more than friendship.”

“What does ‘a little more’ mean?”
“Maybe going for a film. Beach. Dinner. Together. Without that touches. Without crossing the line.”

Jeeva stared at her.
“Wait. This is confusing. You said ‘no boundaries’ and now you’re saying ‘without crossing the line’.”

Tara cleared her throat.
“This is our little experiment. We want to see how far we love each other by resisting temptation. In the process we might earn a good friendship. But to reach that point to test things properly, if we keep stopping the opposite gender at every step, we will never know our saturation point. Our threshold. So we should not initiate anything. We should not cross the line ourselves. But we also don’t set hard boundaries. If they want to try something… and if it doesn’t make us uncomfortable… we allow it.”

“Like?” Jeeva asked instantly
She thought for a second.
“If my friend wants to take my hand and walk along the beach, I would allow it.”

“And what if he wants to kiss you?”
Tara’s answer came slower.
“It depends. He should work enough… charm me enough… to make me forget my husband for a moment and let him do that.”

Jeeva’s voice tightened.
“Don’t tell me you already have someone in mind.”
“Absolutely not.” She shook her head. “In fact, you will choose my partner for me. And I will choose yours.”

“What? How is it ?....”
“Stop, Jeeva.” Tara raised a hand gently but firmly. 

“You’re asking too many questions. 
Give me space to finish. If you have doubts, ask later. I will answer.”


Jeeva looked at her for a long second. The fact that she was giving him the right to choose her partner eased one of his deeper fears — that she had already selected someone and was only using this experiment as cover. He forced himself to relax.

“Continue,” he said.

Tara could sense he was not his usual calm self. She had expected that.

She continued anyway.

So. Here is the actual plan....

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 7 - The Plan and the Rules


“Continue,” he said.

Tara could sense he was not his usual calm self. She had expected that.
She continued anyway.

“So. Here is the actual plan.
We are going to befriend a person of the opposite sex to test our limits, our love, our honesty, our loyalty — whatever you want to call it.
The purpose is simple: to see what happens if a new person comes in. Does it change anything between us?

There are only two possible results.
One — we pass the test.
Two — we fail the test.

If we pass, we may gain a new friend… or lose one, depending on how they behave.
If we fail, we will have to fight, figure things out, and try to stay together again.”
Jeeva’s voice was flat.

“Bullshit. If even one of us fails, do you really think things will ever be the same again?”
Tara smiled.

“I just stated the possibility. I don’t think we will reach that scenario.”
She shifted closer.

“Imagine you crossed the line. Out of impulse or whatever. 
Wouldn’t you come and beg me? Or would you say ‘things are not the same’ and leave?”

“I can’t even think that way,” Jeeva said immediately.
“Then why did those words come out of your mouth? 

Oh you already thought that if i fails, things won’t be the same. 
Rules for men and women are different, right? 
Society trained us like that. I won’t blame you.”

Jeeva exhaled.
“Okay. Okay. I agree. We will figure it out if it happens.”
Tara’s eyes glinted with quiet amusement.

“You already crossed the line.”
“What?”

“You disobeyed. You asked questions in between before I finished.”
In spite of everything, a small reluctant smile pulled at Jeeva’s mouth.

“Go ahead,” he said.

Tara settled back against the pillow, satisfied that she still had the floor.
Before she could continue, Jeeva spoke again.

“One thing. When I asked what if he wants to kiss you, you said — ‘It depends. He should work enough… charm me enough… to make me forget my husband for a moment and let him do that.’

If he actually kissed you… that means you failed the test, right?”
“Yes,” Tara answered without hesitation. “Absolutely.”

“And what happens next?”

“I don’t know exactly. But it’s a fail. We should honestly tell each other immediately. Hiding it is the real failure. Even if it was an impulse, even if the other person tricked us, even if it was our own choice — we tell. Hiding it for long without a valid reason is nothing but cheating and dishonesty.”

She looked at him with complete seriousness.

Jeeva stared at the dark ceiling for a few seconds, then drew a deep breath.

“Just put everything from your mind. Let me hear you fully. I think you already have a complete plan. I trust you. Tell me.”

Tara smiled and began again, this time more carefully.


“Actual plan. Don’t make me repeat, and don’t ask questions in the middle.

We are going to befriend a person of the opposite sex — as an experiment.
Purpose

1. To test if someone can come between us and break our bond and understanding.
   
2. To see how far we can resist temptation.
   
3. To see how honest we remain with each other.
   

Rules and Conditions

1. Time period: maximum six months.
   
2. I will select your partner. You will select mine. Partner selection itself is a long process — I’ll explain separately.
   
3. We don’t have to share every detail of how we befriend them. Sharing is individual choice.
   
4. Highest permissible touch is a hug — to console or something similar. Everything from a kiss onwards is a slipping point. Even the smallest kiss on the cheek or forehead counts as an ultimate fail.
   
5. If the chosen partner becomes abusive — mentally or physically — or tries to trick us, they are disqualified. We have to support each other in kicking them away.
   
6. If someone cannot control temptation and slips, i mean sex, don’t complicate it further. Use protection. Strictly no raw sex.
   
7. No out-of-city trips or tours with the chosen partner. If needed, we discuss first.
   
8. We can share progress — what is happening, how it feels, even naughty details about how they are trying. We can use those stories playfully in bed to bring spark between us.
   
9. Flirting is allowed only after both of us agree that the person is trustworthy enough.
   
10. We can bring the chosen partners home at later stages, but only after informing each other, so we avoid awkward crossings.
    
11. Mandatory: we never introduce our partners to each other.”
    

Jeeva looked at her for a long time.
“You really thought a lot. I can sense you’re very serious about this.”

“I’m not finished yet,” Tara said.

“Here’s how we choose the partners.

1. They can be from our friend circle, colleagues, neighbours, or someone from our past.
   
2. We will write these categories on paper, fold them, and pick one. Then we look for people only from that category.
   
3. Example: if we pick ‘neighbour,’ you shortlist 5–6 potential women, watch them, write pros and cons. I will choose one for you. If you strongly dislike the choice, you can ask for a change. Same process for me — I give you options, you choose.
   
4. Important criteria: the person should be under 35, and should already show some readiness to try their chance with us.
   
5. Only a person who is actually capable of seducing us will make this a real test.
   
6. After choosing, we do a quiet background check and share a small report with each other so we both stay in control.”
   

She finished and waited.
Jeeva was stunned.
“Did you think about all this the whole day?”
“No,” Tara said. “From last night it was only bits and pieces. Now it’s complete.”

“When are we starting?” she asked.

Jeeva shook his head slowly.
“I haven’t decided yet.”

Tara immediately reached under the bed, pulled out a small bottle, and held it out to him. Inside were several folded pieces of paper.
“Pick one.”

Jeeva stared at the bottle.
“You’re serious.”

“Take one.”
He hesitated, then finally pulled a paper. Before he could open it, Tara snatched it from his fingers, hid it between her palms, and read it herself.

She looked up.
“Office / Colleagues.”

Jeeva grabbed the remaining papers from the bottle and opened them one by one. Tara smiled looking at him.
Neighbour. People from past (college/college). Strangers. Friends. 

He let out a short, disbelieving breath.
“You’re not tricking me and really playing this.”

Tara smiled.
“Yes. So you doubt me?”
Come on tell what you thought earlier? Be honest, you have decided yourself that im already in affair with someone at office and tricking you into a game? Cant i read my husbands mind. 

“No… I just wanted to see if the game was fair.”
“This entire experiment is about fairness,” she said.

You are not angry on me? Jeeva asked slow
Tara said when did i got angry on you?

Jeeva could not fully dismiss the strange new seriousness in her. 
He asked quietly,

“What next?”
“Tomorrow,” Tara replied, “you bring me five women’s names from office. We take one week to filter and shortlist. Finally I will choose one for you.
Similarly I will bring five men’s names. You will choose one for me.

Our next step starts at the office.”

She put the bottle back under the bed, switched off the last remaining light, and settled against him as if they had just finished discussing a weekend plan.

Jeeva lay awake long after her breathing had evened out, the word “Office” still burning quietly behind his eyes.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 8 - The Lists


They came home later than usual.

Both had stayed back a little longer at office — not for work, but to finish writing the names.

Tara dropped her bag, washed her face, and came to the bedroom with a small folded paper in her hand. Jeeva was already sitting on the bed, back against the headboard, another folded paper resting on his thigh.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds.

It felt strangely formal, like they were about to start a serious project.
Jeeva went first. He unfolded his paper and placed it between them.

“Here. My list.”

Tara laughed, someone was so hesitant yesterday, but he was the first one to give the list...
Jeeva didn't smile. 

Tara picked it up and read slowly.

1. Ramya – 29, married, soft-spoken, visibly unhappy in marriage, beautiful in a quiet way, good figure, often stays late.
   
2. Divya – 27, single, very stylish, flirty eyes, known for office banter.
   
3. Sneha – 31, divorced, confident, gym-going, direct personality.
   
4. Anjali – 26, newly married, cheerful, slightly naïve, laughs too easily at male colleagues’ jokes.
   
5. Priya – 30, married but husband works in another city, elegant, reserved, high-performing.
   
   

She looked at the paper for a long time, then at him.
“Is Ramya special?”

Jeeva frowned. “Why?”
“There’s no alphabetical order. No age order. You just put her at the top. Is there any order?”

“No. It’s random.”
Tara gave a small smile.

“So I thought… maybe you’ve been interested in Ramya for a long time and that’s why she came first. Psychological.”
She laughed softly. Jeeva didn’t.

He reached for her paper.

“What about your list? Any specific order?”

Tara handed it over. Jeeva opened it.

1. Sam Arya – 32 (3 years older), married, Senior / Manager level, gym body, calm and controlled, not an obvious flirt but has presence, good dresser, known for sharp conversations.
   
2. Karthik – 28, single, charming, talks a lot, slightly immature.
   
3. Vivek – 34, married, quiet, intense eyes, rarely smiles.
   
4. Arun – 29, recently separated, athletic, open about liking Tara’s work.
   
5. Nikhil – 31, married, funny, popular, a bit of a people-pleaser.
   

His eyes stopped at the first name. His jaw tightened slightly.
The list had no order like age/alphabetical.. he just recalled what Tara said..

Jeeva smirked and with a fake smile, like fun intended he said... “So you like to get fucked by him?”
The words came out sharper than he intended.

Tara’s expression cooled.
“Watch your words, Jeeva.”

He looked away for a second.
“I’m sorry.”

“But your question is fair,” Tara said calmly. 
“Do I want to get fucked by him? Answer is no.

But my list does have an order. Unlike what you would have thought. 
I arranged it based on how they look at me.
Sam undresses me with his eyes every time we talk. 
That’s why he’s at the top.

The order is simple — these are the men who are already looking for a chance to bed me.”
Jeeva stared at her.

“Then why are you risking it?”
You should have removed Sam name.

Tara smiled, but there was no playfulness in it this time.

“Because controlling temptation from people like them is the real challenge.
Its no use to select people who has no interest in me. 

If I select someone like Nikhil — he’s kind of nerdy — in six months I might only get friendship.
He won’t even have the courage to step into our house for a casual visit.

With someone like Sam Arya or Karthik, friendship comes easy in the first month. 
Deeper by the end of the month. Flirting by the second. Hanging out, dinners… and the real test begins soon after.

If we are playing this game, we need to be serious, Jeeva.”
She picked up his list again.

“I would like to rearrange your order based on the same logic.”
“I don’t think any of them are like that,” Jeeva said.

Tara looked at him steadily.
“Imagine you are their colleague. You hear gossips, you see things.

Just tell me — if all five of them had to have a reason to sleep with you, what would that reason be for each one?
Think about it and tell me tomorrow. I’ll decide based on that.”
She folded both papers neatly and kept them on the side table.

“I’ve given you my list. Tomorrow we’ll talk about every single person in detail.
I’ll study them. You study yours. Then we share.”

Jeeva didn’t reply immediately.

He kept looking at the name “Sam Arya” that was still visible on the folded edge of her paper.
Tara switched off the main light and lay down with her back to him, as if the discussion was finished for the night.

Jeeva remained sitting against the headboard for a long time, the two lists lying quietly between them like a contract neither of them could fully take back.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 9  - Stories & Scores



The next night they sat on the bed again, both lists open between them, a notebook ready for scores.
Tara spoke first.
“I’ve decided. I’m removing the last two names from my list — Arun and Nikhil.
Arun is still messy from his separation. Too emotional. Nikhil is funny but harmless. In six months he might not even hold my hand.
So you have to filter and choose from the remaining three: Sam Arya, Karthik, and Vivek.”
Jeeva nodded slowly and looked at his own list.
“I’m removing two as well.
Sneha — divorced. I’ve heard enough office stories. She’s a troublemaker. Once she gets close, she creates drama.
Anjali — newly married. I don’t trust that combination. Too cheerful, laughs too easily. Feels risky in the wrong way.”
Tara raised an eyebrow.
“And Priya? Why is she still there?”
Jeeva gave a small smile.
“She’s… too beautiful to ignore.”
He expected her to smile back.
She didn’t.
The absence of her usual smile hit him harder than he expected. Something cold settled in his chest. He suddenly remembered how she had described Sam Arya the previous night — he undresses me with his eyes. The way she said it had been too calm, too precise. He decided he would try to reject Sam in this round.
Tara opened her notebook.
“Tell me properly. One by one. Why would each of them want to sleep with you, if they had the chance?”
Jeeva started with the easier ones, giving weak, almost lousy reasons.
“Divya likes attention. She flirts with everyone. If I show interest, she might take it further just for fun.
Priya’s husband is in another city. She’s lonely. Maybe she wants company more than sex.
Sneha… I already removed her.
Anjali is naïve. She might confuse kindness with something else.”
Then he came to Ramya.
“Ramya is unhappy in her marriage. From what she’s said in passing, her husband is abusive. She stays late at office to escape home. We’ve worked together on deadlines many times. She’s naturally become comfortable with me.”
Tara interrupted.
“So you’re saying Ramya is an easy target?”
Jeeva hesitated, then nodded.
“Easier than the others. Yes.”
Tara wrote something down without speaking.
Now it was her turn.
She started with the ones she knew Jeeva would reject.
“Vivek is married, quiet, intense eyes. But he’s also… unattractive in a cold way. Hard face, no softness. I don’t think I could ever feel comfortable enough with him.
Karthik is dangerous for a different reason. He’s a singer in a weekend band, charming, talks too much, immature. He would expect things fast. Drama will come early. Not good for a controlled experiment.”
Then she came to Sam Arya.
Jeeva was already waiting.
“Sam is different,” Tara said quietly. “He’s tempting. His body, the way he carries himself, the way he speaks. Controlled. Not loud.
Two months ago we got stuck in a crowded lift during the evening rush. People pushed from behind. For almost twenty seconds his chest was pressed against mine. Hard. Masculine. I could feel everything.
I still don’t know if he did it deliberately or if it was just the crowd. After that day I stopped speaking to him unnecessarily.”
She looked at Jeeva.
“If you select him, I will go with it. I’m not hiding that he’s the strongest option. With him the test will start quickly. Friendship will form fast. The real pressure will come early. With the others we might waste months and still not know anything.”
Jeeva tried.
“He’s married. He’s senior. He’s already shown that kind of interest. It’s too risky.”
Tara didn’t argue. She only said,
“The highest score goes to the person with the strongest intent and ability to seduce. That’s the rule we both agreed on.
Sam scores highest on my list.
Ramya scores highest on yours.”
They sat in silence for a while, the notebook open between them.
Finally Tara wrote the shortlist clearly:
Tara’s final three:

1. Sam Arya
   
2. Karthik
   
3. Vivek
   

Jeeva’s final three:

1. Ramya
   
2. Divya
   
3. Priya
   

She drew two stars next to Sam Arya and Ramya.
“Highest marks,” she said softly. “For easy reach and real challenge.”
Jeeva stared at the stars.
He had tried to push Sam out.
He had failed.
The experiment now had faces.
And both of them knew exactly which two faces were most likely to be chosen.

Jeeva stared at the stars.

“So… is this final?”
Tara shook her head.
“No. One more test.
We need to voice-record a casual talk with each of them and play it here. From the way they speak, we’ll know their real intention.
Whoever scores lowest — shows the least interest or the most hesitation — gets rejected.
Then you will select the best one among the remaining for me, and I will select the best one among the remaining for you.”
Jeeva frowned.
“Recording is risky.”
“Just begin a normal conversation and record with your phone when no one notices,” she said. “If you can talk in a private place, even better.”
“What am I supposed to say?”
Tara thought for a moment, then spoke calmly.
“Call them to a secluded place. Tell them you’re in trouble and need help from a woman.
Say you and I are separated. A distant relative is coming with some will money, but he will give it only if he sees you still living a married life.
Ask them to come with you somewhere outside office for a short time so the relative believes it.
The one who shows even the slightest dilemma or eagerness will reveal their real mind.”
Jeeva looked at her, half stunned, half curious.
“And what will you do?”
Tara smiled.
“I’ll tell each of the men that I need to meet a financier and I’m scared to go alone.
I’ll also say I’m hiding it from my husband because I’m arranging some cash for my own family without his knowledge.
I’ll ask if they can come with me.
Their answers will tell us everything.”
Jeeva sat back against the headboard, staring at her.
The level of planning, the quiet cunningness in her voice — it left him speechless for a few seconds.
“At this rate,” he said slowly, “I feel like I’m losing trust in humans.”
Tara met his eyes directly.
“The world is like that, Jeeva.
No one can be trusted.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, the two shortlists still lying open between them, the next step of the experiment already waiting for Monday morning.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 10 - The Recordings



They came home later than usual again.
Both had managed to record the conversations during the day. The apartment felt unusually quiet when they sat on the bed and placed the two phones between them.

Jeeva went first.
He played Ramya’s recording.
Her voice was soft, almost careful.

“Separated? Jeeva… I didn’t know. Of course I’ll help. Just tell me where and when. Don’t worry, I’ll come with you. You shouldn’t face that relative alone.”
No hesitation. No extra questions. Just quiet willingness.

Tara looked at him.
“See? Whoever tries to fill the empty place when someone is lonely becomes the obvious choice.”

Next recording — Divya.
She sounded uncertain.
“I… I don’t know if I should get involved in something like this. What if your wife finds out? Maybe you should ask someone else…”
Clear hesitation. Rejected.

Last one — Priya.
“I’ll come with you… but how much money is in that will? Is it a big amount? And how long do I have to pretend? I need to plan my leave…”
She agreed, but the questions about money and details made her sound calculating.
When the last recording ended, Tara closed the notebook.

“Ramya is the natural choice for you.”

Jeeva didn’t argue. He only nodded once.
Now it was Tara’s turn.

She played the first recording — Karthik.
His voice was light, already smiling.
“Financier? Alone? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ll pick you up in my car. After the meeting we can go somewhere… beach is nice in the evening, or we can catch a movie. You’ll need to relax after dealing with money people, right?”
Too eager. Already planning extra time.

Second recording — Vivek.
“Don’t go to any financier. Tell me how much you need. I can arrange it. No need to involve outsiders.”
Direct offer of money. Different kind of danger.

Then she played Sam Arya’s recording.
His voice was calm, low, almost flat.
“What time do you need to meet him?
Send me the location.
I’ll come.”
No extra questions. No suggestions. No excitement.

Just a quiet, almost ordered acceptance.

When the recording ended, the room stayed silent for a few seconds.
Tara looked straight at Jeeva.

“I choose Ramya for you.”

Jeeva’s face showed nothing.
He took longer with his decision.
He stared at the phone, then at the notebook, then finally spoke.

“I choose the second one. Karthik.”

Tara’s reply was immediate.

“I don’t want him.”
“Why? You want Sam. That’s what you actually want. You’re just hiding it because you’re scared I’ll react.”

No you, yourself now mentioned, Karthik is second, means Sam is first right.
Jeeva could not react. 

Tara further said, “Looks like you don’t trust me,” she said quietly.
There is nothing between him and me so far, i don't have any wish now, 
May be i can have in future depends on his approach, and that's the test. 

“Tara, I do trust you,” Jeeva answered. 
“But I feel he is dangerous. 
What if he comes straight at you when you’re alone and… fucks you mindless?”
Tara held his gaze.

“I have controlled many situations before. I will do the same with him. If anything like that happens, I will call you or text you. 
Won’t you come to save me?

Im arguing because you changed the natural choice of yours for what i described about him. 
okay lets leave that, 
So have you decided to choose him or not?”

Jeeva shook his head. He cannot openly agree he is biased towards Sam.
However as he is already caught with his reactions, he decided to tell and give a second chance. 

“No. I’m not choosing him right now.
You missed one important thing — background check.

I will enquire about Sam Arya and about Karthik. Whoever feels safer after that, I will go with.”
Tara looked at him for a long moment, then nodded once.

“Alright.
We wait one more day.”

She put both phones away and switched off the light.
They lay down on the same bed, bodies close, but the space between their thoughts had grown wider than any physical distance.
Tomorrow the background checks would decide which two names would officially enter their marriage.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 11 - The Choice


The background checks took less than a day.

Jeeva came home first. He sat on the edge of the bed with his phone still in his hand, the notes he had collected open in front of him. When Tara walked in and saw his face, she already knew the information had not made anything easier.

She placed her bag down and sat across from him.
“Tell me.”
Jeeva spoke without looking at her.

“Karthik has a reputation. Three different women in the last two years. Nothing official, but the pattern is clear. He moves fast and gets bored faster.

Sam Arya…” He paused. “Clean record. No office gossip. Married for six years. Wife lives in another city for work. He travels sometimes. Keeps to himself. No one has anything solid against him.”

Tara waited.

Jeeva finally lifted his eyes.
“That should make him safer. But it doesn’t. It makes him worse.”
“Why?”

“Because men like him don’t leave evidence. They don’t need to chase. People come to them.” His voice had grown quieter. “And you already said he undresses you with his eyes. You already felt him pressed against you in that lift. You already stopped talking to him after that.”
Tara didn’t deny any of it.

Jeeva leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“I keep thinking about what you said. That if something happens you will call me. That I should come and save you.” He gave a short, humourless laugh. “Do you know how that sounds? You’re asking me to choose the one man who can actually take you away from me… and then promising that you’ll let me rescue you after he does it.”

Tara’s expression stayed calm, but her eyes had sharpened.
“So what’s your decision?”

The room felt smaller. The streetlight outside threw a long rectangle of light across the floor. Jeeva stared at it for a long time before he spoke.
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate that you’re pushing for him.”


“I’m not pushing. I’m following the rules we both agreed on. Highest capability to seduce. Highest real test.”
Jeeva’s jaw worked. When he spoke again the words came out low and rough.

“If I choose him… and he touches you… I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Tara watched him carefully.

“That,” she said softly, “is the first time you’ve sounded like you’re fighting for me.”
Something in Jeeva’s chest tightened.

He looked at her — really looked — and for a moment the experiment, the rules, the lists, all of it fell away. All he could see was the possibility of another man’s hands on her skin, another man’s mouth on the place he had kissed for seven years.

His voice dropped.
“Sam Arya.”
Tara’s eyes flickered.

“You’re choosing him?”
“Yes.” The word tasted bitter. “I’m choosing him. Because if this is going to be a real test, then it has to be him. Anyone else would be cheating the experiment. And I won’t give you the chance to say later that I protected myself by picking someone safe.”
He stood up, restless, and walked to the window.

“But I’m telling you this only once. If he crosses the line… if he even tries… you call me. Immediately. I don’t care what time, what place, what excuse. You call me.”

Behind him, Tara smiled.
It was a small smile, quiet, almost private.
Jeeva turned and caught it.

For a second he couldn’t read it.
Was she smiling because she had finally seen real possessiveness from him after seven years of perfect calm?
Or was she smiling because the man she had wanted from the beginning was now officially hers to test… and she already knew how far it might go?

The smile stayed on her lips just long enough to leave the question burning.
She walked up to him, placed her palm flat against his chest, and spoke gently.
“If i couldn't handle, i will call you.”

Jeeva covered her hand with his own, gripping it harder than necessary.
Outside, the night continued as if nothing had changed.

Inside, the experiment had just selected its two most dangerous names:
Ramya for him.
Sam Arya for her.

And for the first time, Jeeva felt the clear, sharp edge of jealousy cut through the seven-year-old certainty that nothing could ever come between them.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 12 - Progress


The next morning the experiment officially began.

They stood in the kitchen with their coffee, the same way they always did, but the air between them had changed.
Tara spoke first, calm and practical.

“From today we don’t need to share every detail of how we befriend them. That was already in the rules.
Within a week I’ll show you some progress.”

Jeeva looked at her over the rim of his cup.

“Progress in what sense?”

“Progress like… we are friends. Maybe a coffee date.”
He gave a small sound that wasn’t quite agreement.
Tara put her cup down.

“One more thing. I think we should stop having sex for a while.”
Jeeva stared at her.

“What?”
“When we keep sleeping with each other, our minds stay satisfied. We won’t feel the real temptation properly. We should put ourselves in the worst possible scenario — keep the mind free, a little hungry — so the test becomes honest.”
“I’ve never heard anything so stupid,” he said flatly.
Tara smiled, but it was thin.

“Last month, when you went on that office trip, you told me the same thing. You said you didn’t want to have sex because you needed a fresh mindset to prepare a big proposal. You wanted to stay focused. Remember?”
Jeeva’s face tightened. He had no reply.

“That was business,” he muttered.
“And this is an experiment,” she answered. “Same logic.”
He leaned against the counter.
“What else do you have in store?”

“Nothing big. Just… the way you hold me at night, let’s continue that. I still want your arms around me.
And second thing — from today I need some private space. I’m putting a password on my phone.
Not because I’m planning to cheat behind your back. But to get into his zone I might go a little overboard in messages or calls. I don’t want you to see that and get irritated for no reason. I won’t look at your phone either.”
She glanced at his device on the table.

“Oops. You’ve already locked it with a new password.”
“That’s different,” Jeeva said quickly. “Company documents.”
“I know,” Tara replied softly.

Something in her tone left him unsettled.

That same day he decided he would find a way to check on her and sam, secretly and know truth by himself, at least once, without her knowing.

---

Almost a week passed.

They still slept in the same bed. He still held her at night. But there was no sex. Their conversations stayed carefully light. Both of them were clearly busy with people the other could not fully see.
On the seventh night, just before sleep, Tara turned toward him in the dark.
“Jeeva?”
“Hmm?”
“Here is my progress.”

She unlocked her phone and held it out to him.
The screen showed a single photograph.

It was taken from a short distance, slightly candid, probably by a café staff member.
Tara sat across a small table from Sam Arya. She looked shy, almost self-conscious, a small smile on her lips.

Sam sat relaxed, one arm on the table, body angled toward her. Even in the ordinary café light he looked warm, solid, muscular. The kind of presence that filled the frame without effort.

Jeeva’s pulse stuttered once, hard.
He stared at the photo longer than he needed to.

Tara watched his face carefully, waiting for whatever would come next.

[heygiwriter]

Chapter 13 - Jeeva turned Spy 

Jeeva took leave the next morning without telling Tara the real reason.

He simply said he had a slight fever and wanted to rest. She touched his forehead, frowned, and told him to sleep properly. The moment her cab turned the corner, he got into his own car and followed.
He kept three vehicles between them the entire way. Tara’s cab took the usual route, stopped at the same signal, and dropped her at the office gate at 9:07 a.m. She walked in alone, phone in one hand, bag on her shoulder. No one was waiting for her. No Sam Arya. No familiar car.
Jeeva parked two streets away and waited until 10:30. Then he walked to the rear service entrance where the cleaning staff usually took their tea break. He already knew one of them — a middle-aged man who had smiled at him once or twice when he visited Tara’s office. A short conversation, a folded note with cash, and clear instructions were enough. The man looked nervous but nodded.
By 11:15 a tiny Wi-Fi camera was live, fixed at an angle that covered Tara’s desk and the two seats beside her. The picture was slightly grainy but clear enough. Jeeva sat in his car with earphones on and watched.
Most of the morning was painfully ordinary.
Tara worked. She typed, took two short calls, spoke to a female colleague about a file, and once laughed at something on her monitor. At 11:40 she stood up, picked up her bottle, and went to the cafeteria. The cleaning staff quietly moved the camera. Jeeva watched her sit alone at a corner table, scroll through her phone, and eat a sandwich without once looking around for someone.
At 12:25 she went up to the rooftop calm zone — a small open area with two benches and potted plants where people went for quick breaks. The camera followed again. For eight minutes she sat alone, eyes closed, face tilted toward the weak sunlight.
Then Sam Arya appeared.
He walked in with a coffee in one hand and sat on the opposite bench, not too close. Their conversation lasted exactly twelve minutes. Jeeva increased the volume.
Sam asked about a client presentation.
Tara answered with normal work details.
They spoke about a new film that had released the previous week — the kind of casual talk any two colleagues might have. Sam said the movie was overrated. Tara said the music was good. Nothing more.
When Sam stood up to leave, he simply said, “See you,” and walked away. Tara stayed on the bench for another three minutes before going back inside.
At lunch hour Jeeva watched the main gate from his car. Sam Arya came out alone, got into his vehicle, and drove off. Tara never appeared. She remained inside the building.
The afternoon crawled.
Tara returned to her desk. She worked. She went to the printer once. She spoke to two different colleagues about deadlines. No private meetings. No long calls. No Sam.
Only when the evening lights of the office began to glow against the darkening sky did the pattern finally change.

---

Jeeva watched them walk out of the office building together.


Sam opened the passenger door for her. Tara didn't hesitate even for half a second, it gave him a clear picture to Jeeva that this car ride is regular for sometime now. The car pulled into the evening traffic. Jeeva waited until three vehicles had passed before he followed.

Twenty minutes later the car slowed and stopped in front of a small, warmly lit café on a quieter street. Jeeva parked further down, pulled a black mask over his nose and mouth, and walked in a minute after them.
Luck stayed with him. Tara sat with her back to the entrance. Sam faced her, the soft café light falling across his shoulders. Jeeva slid into the empty table directly behind them. A high wooden partition hid their faces from him, but their voices carried clearly.
For the first few minutes the talk stayed safe.
Sam: “That client would have kept changing the design forever if you hadn’t stepped in. You explained it better than I could.”
Tara: “I just repeated what you already told him in the morning. He only listens when a woman says it in a softer voice, I think.”
Sam gave a low laugh.
Then, after a short pause, his tone changed slightly — still casual, but more careful.
Sam: “Your husband… he doesn’t mind you staying back so often these days?”
Tara did not answer immediately. When she spoke, her voice remained light, almost fond.
Tara: “Jeeva? He never creates issues about work. He’s the kind of man who actually feels happy when I’m doing well at office. Most husbands would ask a hundred questions. He just says, ‘Take care, call me when you leave.’”
Sam: “He trusts you a lot.”
Tara: “He does. Completely. Sometimes I think he trusts me more than I trust myself.” She gave a small soft laugh. “He’s… steady. The kind of steady that doesn’t shake even when things around him get messy. I’m lucky.”
There was a brief silence.
Sam’s voice came quieter.
Sam: “He’s lucky to have you as a wife.”
Another short silence stretched between them. Jeeva sat completely still, listening to his own heartbeat.
Then Tara spoke again, almost playfully, but with a strange edge underneath.
Tara: “Why aren’t you lucky to have me as a friend?”
Sam did not laugh this time. His answer came low and certain.
Sam: “Absolutely. I am lucky. And I do have you.”
The words hung in the air longer than they should have.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Tara broke the quiet first, her tone returning to normal as if the previous moment had not happened.
Tara: “I’ll pay the bill this time. You keep paying whenever we come here. It’s not fair.”
Sam: “Let me—”

Tara: “No. My turn.”

Jeeva heard the soft sound of a card being placed on the table.

He waited ten more seconds, then stood up and walked out of the café without looking back, the mask still covering half his face, Tara’s words about him still echoing in his ears — steady, trusting, lucky — mixed with the way Sam had said I do have you.

Jeeva had heard enough.


Ten minutes later Sam and Tara came out.

Sam opened the passenger door for her again. The car merged into the traffic. Jeeva followed, keeping a careful distance.
At first the route was normal — the same roads Tara’s cab usually took. Then Sam took a left turn that led toward their residential area. Jeeva’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

He’s going toward the house.
The rule flashed in his mind instantly.
They had both agreed: if either of them ever wanted to bring the chosen partner home, they had to inform the other in advance. 

Tara had not said a single word about taking Sam home.
he even though if their drive in evening is regular means, is she already taking same every time to home before he arrives?
A cold wave of panic mixed with anger rose in Jeeva’s chest.

Was she already breaking the rules? 
Had the café conversation been only an act? Was she taking him home right now while Jeeva was supposed to believe everything was still under control?

The car ahead slowed near their street.
Jeeva’s heart was beating so hard he could feel it in his throat. He prepared to follow them all the way to the gate if necessary.
Then the passenger door opened.

Tara stepped out onto the pavement — one full street before their apartment building. She said something through the window, gave a small wave, and started walking the remaining distance alone. Sam’s car stayed there for a few seconds, then slowly drove away in the opposite direction.

Jeeva did not follow.

He turned into a side road, switched off the headlights, and sat in the dark, breathing hard. The panic drained out of him almost as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a strange, shaky relief.

She had stayed true to the rule.
She had not brought him home.

---

When he finally returned and lay down beside her that night, one clear thought settled in his mind:

So far there was nothing wrong. She had not taken Sam home. At the café she had steered the conversation away from danger and spoken well of her husband. A quiet pride rose in him. She was resisting. She is just playing her part in experiment honestly and sincerly. 

He was still smiling to himself when Tara turned her head on the pillow.
“What happened?”

“Nothing. Just… felt happy today for some unknown reason.”
She looked puzzled but didn’t press. Instead she asked,
“What’s the progress with Ramya?”

Jeeva had almost nothing to report. He had barely spoken to her beyond normal work calls.
“Going good,” he said. “She’ll get closer soon. The real test will start.”

Relief and sudden desire mixed in his chest. 
He reached out, grabbed her breast over the thin maxi, and pressed gently.
Tara caught his wrist.

“No. Control yourself. We are still in the experiment.”

For the first time in days Jeeva didn’t feel the usual knot of doubt. She had not crossed any line. She was treating this as a real experiment, not a hidden excuse. He decided, in that moment, to stay true to the game and stop fighting shadows.

He was just beginning to relax when Tara’s phone rang on the bedside table.
12:00 a.m. exactly.

She picked it up at once, voice bright and warm.
“Happy Birthday, Sam.

See this birthday, You’re soon going to get what you’ve wished for a long time.”


Jeeva’s body went completely still.
What is he going to get?

The small freedom he had felt only seconds earlier vanished like smoke.
The experiment pulled him back under, tighter and darker than before.