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“I was just a bit busy with work today, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize at all,” Vikrant replies gently. “I’m the one who calls you at random hours. I should be more mindful. I just wanted to know if everything’s alright with you.”

“Everything’s fine, sir. If anything comes up, I’ll be sure to inform you.”

There’s a strange emptiness in her voice—one Vikrant can clearly sense. He says nothing, just listening intently to her breathing on the other end of the line. When no response comes from him, Jhankar finally speaks again, her tone a little firmer:

“Sir…”

“Sorry, I was just caught up with something. Alright, please continue with your work. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

As soon as Vikrant ends the call, he stares at his phone, taking a deep breath. Just seconds ago, he had heard her voice—and to him, that alone felt like the best part of his day. A soft smile touches his lips as he murmurs to himself:

"You miss me too… You do have feelings for me. I can feel it. And I won’t let you drift away so easily. Not now. Not ever."

~~~~~

Tears continue to stream down Jhankar’s eyes as she sits silently, pressing her lips tightly together. She doesn’t want the sound of her sobs to reach the nearby room where her parents are sleeping. For several nights now, instead of sleeping, she has only cried like this. She knows very well that she no longer has control over her heart—she likes Vikrant, and there’s no denying it. But the kind of person Vikrant is, she knows she cannot compromise with him in any way.

She holds her phone tightly and stares at it. There are several missed calls from Vikrant, but she hasn’t answered even one. She just wants to ignore him somehow, because his words had deeply hurt her. She knows that in his anger, Vikrant often says things that can wound anyone’s heart. But she also knows that she can’t always tolerate his actions. Yes, she loves him, but she’s not willing to accept his behavior.

Wiping her tears, she begins to recall how he waits for her outside the office every time and how his bodyguards always surround her. But none of this makes her happy—there are too many things that are far more important. Trying to calm herselfdown, she quietly walks to the window of her room and looks outside. His bodyguards are still there. As usual, a car waits outside for her. Many times, she’s felt that Vikrant is sitting inside that car watching her, but she would rather not let herself fall into any kind of illusion. Closing her eyes tightly, she says to herself,

“Jhankar, mutual respect is the foundation of any relationship—and right now, there’s none in yours.”

She tries to force all these thoughts out of her mind, lies down on her bed, and compels herself to sleep, even though she knows that, like every night before, sleep will not come easily. Though she's lying in bed with her eyes shut, all she can see is Vikrant. Keeping her eyes closed, she starts whispering slowly to herself:

“I know I’m not wrong.”

~~~~~

Akhil is standing near Vikrant and giving him all the details. Vikrant is also listening to everything and checking the CCTV footage of V International. He had a lot of faith in Patil's work, but he cannot ignore Jhankar's words under any circumstances, so he is investigating everything cautiously. Akhil, who is watching the CCTV footage with him, tells him:

"Sir, I feel that maybe Patil has suspected that Madam has complained against you, because as far as I know, no information has been leaked from my side anywhere, just as you told me. Sir, it is also possible that when Madam was talking to you, he might have heard the conversation, or someone else might have heard it."

Vikrant is watching everything happening in the office cautiously, and immediately he picks up his phone and makes a call. Akhil is observing all his actions very carefully.

“Hello, Patil…”

“Good morning, sir…”

“I checked all the reports very carefully, and I liked each and every report very much. Your work is very commendable. Remember, this time we must get the deal.”

“Sure, sir, it will happen exactly as you said. Our preparations are complete, and we will get this deal under any circumstances.”

“Of course, I am completely confident, and I trust my staff more than I trust myself. Because my company is running on your trust, I cannot trust anyone more than you people.”

“Sir, you have said a very big thing, and I am very grateful that you trust us so much.”

“Of course, I trust my team more than anyone else, and I do not like to believe anything said by anyone else, because I trust my team the most… I am waiting for the deal to be cracked.”

Vikrant hangs up the phone, and Akhil starts smiling lightly. Akhil knows very well that Vikrant is showing his trust in him here, due to which he will now become overconfident and will definitely make some mistake. Vikrant immediately tells his assistant:

“You should not take your eyes off Patil even for a moment, and you should pay extreme attention to Jhankar's safety. If even her hair gets damaged, then Akhil, I am telling you the truth—I will kill all the bodyguards.”

“Sure, sir…”

Akhil immediately leaves from there to do the rest of the work, and Vikrant fixes the focus of the CCTV on Jhankar and says with a light smile: