Friday.
7:28pm.
Outside the building-
The air felt lighter.
Cooler.
Normal.
Which was strange.
Because inside-
Nothing had been normal.
Anika stepped out.
Rohan beside her.
Not too close.
Not distant either.
Just-
There.
For a few seconds-
Neither spoke.
Then-
"Tu theek hai?" he asked.
Not casual this time.
Not light.
She exhaled softly.
"Hmm."
He stopped walking.
She didn't.
Two steps ahead-
She realised.
Turned.
"Hmm matlab?" he asked.
She held his gaze.
Measured.
Then-
"Bas meeting thi."
That-
Was a lie.
And they both knew it.
Rohan's jaw shifted slightly.
Not angry.
But-
Not convinced.
"Meeting mein log aise khade hote hai?" he asked.
A pause.
"Kaise?" she countered.
"Jaise tum dono khade the."
Direct.
No buffer.
Her expression didn't change.
But something in her shoulders-
Stiffened.
"Tum observe kar rahe the?" she asked.
"Karne ki zarurat nahi thi," he replied.
A beat.
"Dikh raha tha."
Silence.
Short.
Tight.
She looked away first.
"Overthink mat kar," she said.
"Main nahi kar raha," he replied.
Then-
"Tu avoid kar rahi hai."
That landed.
Her gaze snapped back to him.
"Main?" she let out a small breath. "Seriously?"
"Kal se," he said.
"No reaction. No distraction. No kuch."
A beat.
"Yeh tu nahi hai."
That-
Hit somewhere deeper than she expected.
Before she could respond-
A voice.
"Anika."
Both turned.
Of course.
Vihaan.
Standing a few steps behind.
Phone in hand.
Expression-
Controlled.
Too controlled.
Rohan's eyes flickered.
From him-
To her.
Timing.
Perfect.
Again.
"Sir?" she said.
Back to formal.
Instant.
"I just reviewed your numbers," he said.
Not asked.
Not called.
Stated.
"They don't align with the projections."
That-
Was new.
Because now-
It sounded like a problem.
Not a reason.
Anika's brows pulled together slightly.
"They do," she replied.
Calm.
Certain.
His gaze stayed on her.
"Then explain it."
Not sharp.
Not loud.
But-
Deliberate.
Rohan let out a quiet breath.
Almost a laugh.
But not quite.
"Abhi?" he asked.
Not rude.
But-
Not neutral either.
Vihaan's gaze shifted.
Landed on him.
Measured.
"Yes," he said.
Flat.
Silence.
Because this wasn't about work anymore.
And all three of them knew it.
Anika's fingers tightened slightly around her bag.
"Kal dekh lenge," she said.
Controlled.
"They're already reviewed," he replied.
A beat.
"And they're already off."
Clean.
Strategic.
Cornering.
Rohan stepped forward.
Just slightly.
"Sir, agar urgent hota toh meeting mein raise ho jaata," he said.
Calm.
But-
Present.
Vihaan's gaze didn't leave his.
"It is being raised now."
A pause.
Then quieter-
"Unless that's inconvenient."
There.
Line drawn.
Clear.
Rohan held it.
Didn't step back.
Didn't escalate.
Just-
Matched it.
"For work? Never," he said.
A beat.
Then-
"Bas clarity honi chahiye kis cheez ki urgency hai."
That-
Landed.
Subtle.
But sharp.
Silence stretched.
Anika stepped in.
Because this-
Was tipping.
"I'll explain it," she said.
Both of them looked at her.
At the same time.
Different reasons.
Same intensity.
A beat.
Rohan exhaled.
Looked away first.
"Fine," he said.
Then at her.
Then at Vihaan.
Then back.
But this time-
Before leaving-
He added, light tone, heavy meaning-
"Hope yeh numbers hi ho."
A glance at Vihaan.
Brief.
Intentional.
Then to her-
"Message kar dena."
And he left.
This time-
Not passive.
Not blind.
Aware.
But the air he left behind-
Stayed.
Heavy.
Anika turned.
Back to him.
"This could've waited," she said.
"Yes," he replied.
Honest.
Immediate.
Her brows pulled together.
"Then why didn't it?"
A beat.
Because saying the truth-
Would cross a line neither of them had named yet.
So instead-
"I don't like inconsistencies," he said.
"On the sheet?" she asked.
"No."
There.
Again.
No escape now.
Her breath slowed.
"Then say it properly," she said.
Soft.
But steady.
He stepped closer.
Same distance as before.
But this time-
No pretense.
"I need clarity," he said.
"On the numbers?" she asked.
"No."
There it was again.
Silence stretched.
Longer this time.
Because now-
There was no buffer left.
No third person.
No distraction.
Just-
Them.
Her breath slowed.
"Then say what you need," she said.
Soft.
But steady.
He stepped closer.
Again.
Same distance as before.
Same shift in air.
"I need to know," he said quietly,
"if you're choosing to stay away."
That-
Landed deeper than anything else.
Because that wasn't control.
That was-
Something else.
Her fingers tightened.
Just slightly.
"I'm choosing to do my work," she said.
"That's not what I asked."
"And I'm not answering what you're implying."
Direct.
Clean.
A pause.
His gaze didn't move.
"Then don't," he said.
Softer now.
Less guarded.
"But don't make it look like nothing changed."
And that-
That was the closest he had come to saying it.
Her eyes held his.
Longer now.
Because she felt it.
That shift.
That risk.
That-
Almost-confession.
For a second-
She almost responded.
Almost.
Then-
She stepped back.
Distance.
Restored.
"I'll send the explanation," she said.
Professional again.
Closed.
And just like that-
The moment broke.
He didn't stop her.
Didn't call her back.
Didn't push again.
Because this time-
He knew.
He had already said too much.
And she had heard it.
----------------------------------------------
Outside the building-
The air hit different.
Cooler.
Sharper.
She exhaled once.
Didn't realise she'd been holding it in.
Rohan was still there.
Leaning against his bike.
Waiting.
He looked up as she approached.
Didn't ask anything.
Didn't speak immediately.
Just watched.
"Ho gaya?" he asked finally.
"Hmm," she nodded.
A pause.
Then-
"Chalein?" he asked.
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then nodded.
He handed her the helmet.
Automatically.
Like it wasn't the first time.
She took it.
No argument.
No delay.
And that-
That mattered.
She wore it.
Adjusted the strap.
Then swung her leg over-
Sat behind him.
Close enough to hold.
Not holding.
Yet.
Rohan glanced back slightly.
"Pakad le, gir jayegi," he said lightly.
She didn't respond.
Just-
Placed her hand on his shoulder.
Light.
Careful.
Enough.
----------------------------------------------
Inside the building
Behind the glass-
He saw it.
Not the words.
Not the moment before.
Just-
That.
Her hand.
On someone else.
Casual.
Unquestioned.
Allowed.
His jaw tightened.
Slow.
Controlled.
But this time-
There was no pretending it didn't matter.
The engine started.
The sound cut through the silence.
Sharp.
Final.
And as the bike pulled away-
She didn't look back.
Not once.
And for the first time-
It wasn't the interference that stayed with him.
It was the fact-
She hadn't stopped.
Not for him.
----------------------------------------------
TO BE CONTINUE
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Hey, My Cutiesssss ❤️
I hope you liked this chapter.
Stay tuned for more.
Thanks for reading 🫶🏻
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