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She freed her hands and walked inside. Vikrant smiled faintly and joined her. She already goes to the balcony, from where she sees a pond.

“If you plan to escape me by jumping into the water, let me warn you, I’ll jump with you. Like in that movie…”

“You watch movies?” she asked, surprised.

He leaned on the railing beside her.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. And a lot I don’t know about you. But I know one thing—I’ve fallen in love with you.Since the moment you left, I’ve suffered every second. I don’t want to suffer anymore.”

“Maybe you’re mistaken…”

“Then ask yourself—why have you started crying so easily? Why do you seem so lost all the time? The sadness on your face tells the truth your lips won’t.”

Jhankar simply looked at him. Somehow, he seemed to know her every unspoken feeling. Vikrant immediately steps closer, looking into her eyes as he places his hand on her waist, pulling her gently toward him. Jhankar, despite herself, is unable to resist. Her mind tells her to push him away, but her heart refuses. She just stares silently into his eyes, as Vikrant says,

“I know I’m wrong. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I don’t know how to fix them, and honestly, I don’t want to learn on my own—I want you to help me see where I go wrong. I admit I ruin things when I get angry, and no one ever stopped me. So when you did, it felt harsh… But now, what’s bothering me even more is that you’ve stopped stopping me. Jhankar, I don’t know how to express my feelings, but I know this much: if you walk away from my life, I have no idea what I’ll become—but it won’t be anything good. I’ve always trusted myself more than anyone else. But slowly, I don’t know how or when I started trusting you. And I want to keep that trust alive with you by my side. I want you to remind me when I’m wrong. I want to hear everything you have to say because I want to listen to you. I don’t know what you’re thinking about me, but I would rather force you to stay. I just want you in my life. Please don’t leave me, Jhankar. If you do… nothing will be left in this life.”

He pulls her into a tight embrace, and Jhankar, who had been listening in stunned silence, is overwhelmed. She had wanted Vikrant to feel the weight of his mistakes—but seeing him sobroken hurts her deeply. Slowly, she wraps her arms around his waist, holding him in return. Vikrant clutches her tightly. Jhankar, in that moment, wants to lose herself completely. She doesn’t pull away. Vikrant lifts her face gently and presses his lips to hers. This time, Jhankar immediately begins kissing him back. As they kiss, he starts smiling like a child. Jhankar quickly pulls away, slightly embarrassed. Vikrant is still smiling, but Jhankar avoids his eyes, the look in them feels like a spell, pulling her in, making her blush.

The air hums with unspoken tension between them as they stand close on a moonlit balcony, the city sprawling below like a sea of twinkling stars. Their earlier banter has faded, replaced by a charged silence. Her breath catches as Vikrant’s gaze drops to her lips, his usual cocky grin softening into something tender. Her heart races as her fingers brush him. She steps closer the cool night air no match for the warmth building between them. He doesn’t hesitate. Leaning in, his hand cups her cheek, and their lips meet again, soft, tentative at first. She responds, pressing closer, the kiss deepening with a quiet urgency as if trying to make up for all the moments they lost. The world fades. There’s only the taste of him, the faint smoke smell of his jacket telling her how much he is smoking, and her hands resting against his chest, feeling him closer.

When they pull back, their foreheads touch, breaths mingling in soft laughter—both a little dazed, knowing that nothing will ever be the same. Occasionally they smile; other times they just lose themselves in each other’s eyes, letting the moment stretch endlessly. Jhankar melts into his arms the moment he holds her, and she knows, no matter how hard she tries, she cannot stop her heart from leaning toward him. She only wants one thing—to never stand by him in his wrongs. She, too, makes mistakes. That’s human. Everyone’s nature is different; everyone has theirreasons. But she knows what she needs to do moving forward. She doesn't know how she’ll help Vikrant unlearn his anger, but one thing is clear—she cannot stay away from him. Vikrant gently cups her face and kisses her forehead before whispering,

“Jhankar, I think this feeling is called love. And I want to say—I love you. If you ever feel I’m doing something wrong, you have every right to yell at me, stop me, and say whatever you want. Just don’t leave me. I’m honestly terrified of the idea of you leaving my life.”

Jhankar can't tear her eyes away from his. She can feel his fear—and that vulnerability moves her. She gently nods and playfully hits his chest with her fist.

“You’re bad. You’ve always been awful. You get angry, act without thinking, and do so many things I don’t like... and yet, I don’t know why, but nothing ever felt right without you. I don’t know where this relationship is going—but I do know I probably don’t want to be away from you…”

After a fierce argument that left raw wounds, they have finally reconciled. The anger has dissolved into a fragile, new closeness. They sit together on the balcony, the moist cold air giving them a soft chill. The weight of their earlier fight lingers, but it’s lightened by the warmth of shared silence, their shoulders touching as they lean into each other. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears, but she smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He reaches for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers—a gesture that feels like a quiet promise.

“Sorry... I will try to change myself.”

His voice is low and sincere. She nods and gently squeezes his hand. The night feels alive, charged with the beauty of a healing bond. As stars begin to peek through the sky, Vikrant pulls hercloser. They lie back in the chair, her head resting on his chest. The rhythm of his heartbeat grounds her.

They talk soft, unguarded words about dreams, fears, and the future. Laughter bubbles between them, light and free, as they trace constellations above. In this perfect, fleeting moment of connection, the world feels infinite.

CHAPTER 31

THUMPING HEARTS

FEW PAST EVENTS

Jhankar is sitting at the bus stop, and Vikrant is sitting in his car a short distance away. He’s silently watching her. He takes out his phone and immediately calls her. As soon as Jhankar sees Vikrant's name on the screen, an unknown emotion begins to stir within her, and tears start to well up in her eyes. But she quickly blinks them back, hiding them deep within, because she cannot let these tears overpower her in any way. A strange, sharp pain pierces Vikrant’s chest as he senses the tears in her eyes, even from afar.

"She is crying because of me…"

He begins to feel overwhelmed with guilt, deeply aware that he has not treated Jhankar as he should have. And now, the situation she is in—it’s all because of him. He pulls out another phone—the one he uses to speak to her only in the capacity of her boss—because currently, all he wants is to hear her voice. He just wants to make sure she’s okay. He knows Jhankar doesn’t want to see him, and this time, he wants to give her the freedom to truly understand feelings. But he also knows one thing for sure: he can’t live without her anymore. He won’t be able to hold himself back and might end up forcibly bringing her back into his life. He dials her number.

"Hello…"

"Hello, sir…"

The moment Vikrant hears her voice, he begins to smile in a way that makes it seem like he has just found a priceless treasure. And he can’t contain the joy of it. He wants to talk endlessly with her, but he also knows very well that right now, he can only talk about work, because he still can’t reveal to her that he is the mysterious CEO.

"Is there any problem at the office?"

"Sir, there’s no problem at the office at the moment."