Chapter Ninety Eight.

Chapter Ninety Eight.
"You like her, don’t you?" she asked bluntly, tilting her head at him with a knowing smile.

Kabir blinked, caught off guard. "W-what? N-no, I… I don’t. I—"

Shanaya’s smirk deepened, her arms folding smugly across her chest. "Gosh. You are whipped."

Kabir’s face flamed as he glared at her.

Without another word, he turned and stalked off, trying to put some distance between himself and her relentless teasing.

Shanaya only laughed behind him. Kabir’s jaw clenched as he walked faster, his fists tightening at his sides.

He hated that she was right. He hated that it showed.

Yes… he liked Veda. More than liked, if he was honest with himself.

And if Shanaya could see it this easily, then… did Veda know too?

The thought made his stomach twist.

Meanwhile, Varun sat slouched in his chair, lazily swaying it from side to side.

His sharp gaze never left the glowing monitor, one hand resting near his lips, the other gripping a pen he kept stabbing rhythmically against the armrest.

The image on the screen had him possessed. His darkened eyes followed every second of the footage, Veda walking out of her space, pressing the elevator button, stepping out into the lobby.

Then two people joined her, a boy and a girl. They fell into step with her, chatting as they exited the building together.

But it wasn’t the girl who caught Varun’s attention. It was him, the boy.

The same one he had noticed on orientation day. Sitting far too close to Veda. Staring at her.

A sharp crack broke the silence as Varun’s pen snapped under the force of his grip.

At that moment, his office door opened. A woman stepped in, her heels clicking against the floor.

She was undeniably striking, blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, light brown eyes, and porcelain skin.

“Mr. Sengar, good evening.” British...Her accent carried a faint lilt, her tone smooth, almost flirty.

She placed a laptop neatly on his desk as she leaned forward. “Here are the new project details and test assignments for the interns. The presentation will be in three weeks.”

Varun rose slowly.

“Send it to my email..” his deep voice cut through her attempt at charm. “Anita should have already given you my work details, Miss Ruby. Excuse me.”

Without sparing her another glance, he brushed past her and walked out of the office, his shoulders rigid with silent fury.

Left behind, Ruby straightened, her lips curving into a sly smirk as her gaze lingered on the closed door.

“So the rumours were true..” she murmured to herself, a soft giggle escaping. “For someone so young, he wears that sternness like a crown. Handsome too…”

She picked up her laptop, still smiling, and strolled out of the office.

♤♤♤

A few hours later…

With the final click of the lock, Veda exhaled shakily.

Her nerves had been rattling all day, and not once had her mind found peace, especially since Varun had told her he was coming.

The thought alone left her petrified.

She made sure everything was secured, the doors, the windows, the blinds, before sinking onto the couch.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, pulling her attention. The name flashing on the screen made her lips curl softly.

Samaira.

Veda’s chest eased a little as she read her friend’s text.

She began typing back, their conversation flowing back and forth, Samaira telling her about work, about the new friends she had made, few days in.Pune.

“I miss you, Vee.” Samaira had written.

Veda smiled faintly at the words.

I miss you too.

But even as they chatted, the unrest in her chest refused to fade.

It lingered, heavy.

♧♧♧

After a while, she walked into her room, then slipped her phone onto the bed and went into the bathroom.

The sound of rushing water filled the silence, drowning out everything else.

Meanwhile, her phone buzzed against the sheets, an incoming call.

It rang, then stopped. Rang again. And again. Then silence.

Minutes later, Veda stepped out of the bathroom, her skin flushed and fresh, her damp hair tumbling over the shoulders of her light pajamas.

She towel-dried it slowly, her mind already drifting back to ease after the shower.

Her phone lit up again, catching her attention. She was moving toward it when a sharp knock echoed from her front door.

Veda froze mid-step. Her stomach twisted. Her breath caught.

The knock came again.

She swallowed hard, snatching her phone before opening her bedroom door.

Slowly, she padded down the corridor, each step she takes were making her pulse quicken. She reached the living room.

Another knock.

“Veda? Are you home?”

Relief washed over her like a tide. It was Shaun’s voice.

She let out a shaky sigh, quickly unlocking the door.

There he was, Shaun. His piercing blue eyes softened with a sad, lopsided smile.

“Hey, Shaun.” Veda greeted, her lips tugging up gently.

But then she noticed, his gaze wasn’t steady. He kept glancing past her, as though searching the space behind her.

Her brows knitted. “Are you okay? Do you… need something?”

“O… oh um… I–it’s just… I needed your help with my code. I’ve been trying to debug and… um… it’s fine if your boyfriend is around, I… I just wanted to check if you were… less busy.” Shaun’s words stumbled out, his voice tight, his eyes refusing to meet hers while his cheeks burned red.

Veda blinked at him, then gave a small, nervous smile.

“Shaun, firstly… I don’t have a boyfriend.” Her throat bobbed as she corrected him, and for a moment Shaun’s face lit up, relief flickering in his blue eyes...only for it to vanish into a frown.

“Wait… that—”

“He’s not my boyfriend. Okay?” she cut in quickly, as if needing to clarify before the air itself misunderstood. “And sure, I can help you debug. But can it wait? Maybe Friday night? I’ve got a heavy workload right now.”

Shaun’s grin returned, boyish and eager, and he nodded almost too quickly.

“Okay. Good night, Veda.”

She watched him turn away, his grin stretching as he glanced back at her more than once before finally close to his apartment..

Veda exhaled deeply, shutting the door with a click, her hand lingering on the lock before twisting it again, securing it.

The sigh that slipped out of her chest was tired, uneasy.

She turned and started toward her room when another knock rattled the silence.
Her brows pulled together.

Shaun again? She thought,

Didn't he just left? He came back?? irritation and weariness mixing as she sighed, dragging herself to the door. She pulled it open..

And froze.

Her lips parted, air trapped in her throat as her gaze lifted to the man standing there.

Varun.

Tonight, his eyes were darker, burning, so deep they looked almost black under the night light.

He look Furious...