Chapter 57

The office buzzed with its usual energy as Mayank walked in, his strides purposeful and his mind laser-focused on work—or so he tried to convince himself. His thoughts kept circling back to Niharika. The fragile moments of peace they had managed to carve out were constantly under threat, thanks to Ruhan.

As he moved toward his department, his eyes caught a familiar figure at the far end of the corridor. Ruhan. His casual posture, the smug grin on his face—it made Mayank's blood boil. He clenched his fists but kept his expression neutral, forcing himself to focus. This wasn't the time to lash out without strategy.

Instead of confronting him then and there, Mayank changed course and headed toward Arjun's section. Arjun was leaning back in his chair, a tablet in his hand.

"Found anything?" Mayank asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

Arjun looked up, his expression serious. "I've got everything. You were right about him. Ruhan's past is messy. There's a pattern—manipulation, fabricating stories, turning people against each other. He's not just a problem for you; he's a liability to the company."

Mayank nodded, his jaw tightening. "And what about the stuff with Niharika?"

Arjun slid the tablet toward him. "There are records—emails, texts. He's been at this for years, Mayank. He's painted himself as the victim in every situation while systematically isolating Niharika. It's a classic move—turning people against her before she can even defend herself."

Mayank's blood simmered. "Where is he now?"

Arjun smirked. "In his section, as usual. Want me to come with you?"

Mayank shook his head. "No. I'll handle this."

He turned and made his way to Ruhan's section, his heart pounding but his resolve firm. As he approached, Ruhan spotted him and waved casually.

"Hey, bro!" Ruhan called out, his tone overly friendly.

Mayank walked up to him, his expression unreadable. "Hi."

Ruhan leaned against his desk, his grin widening. "Look, I think you misunderstood what happened the last time we talked. I was just trying to help you, man. You're married to Niharika, right? Well, you should know the truth about her. She and I used to be best friends. But then I found out she was spreading stuff about me. She was being all snitchy and dramatic, and it ruined my reputation. So yeah, I had to cut her off. I mean, how is that wrong? If someone's trying to ruin your name, you have to protect yourself, right?"

Mayank crossed his arms, his gaze cold and piercing. "How is that any different from what you're doing right now?"

Ruhan blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You're standing here, trying to 'warn' me about my wife, twisting the narrative to make yourself look like the victim. Sounds a lot like the behavior you're accusing her of."

"I'm just trying to help," Ruhan said, though his voice wavered.

"Sure you are," Mayank said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just like you tried to 'help' at the reunion by creating more drama. You're not fooling anyone, Ruhan."

With that, Mayank turned on his heel and walked away, his mind already racing with plans. He needed to be smarter, quicker, and more calculated. This wasn't just about proving Niharika's innocence; it was about protecting her from people like Ruhan once and for all.

That evening, Mayank arrived home to find Niharika standing near the door, adjusting her shoes. She was dressed in a casual yet elegant outfit, her hair tied in a loose ponytail.

"Where are you going?" he asked, setting his bag down.

"I'm meeting Meera, my college friend," she said, glancing at him briefly before returning to her task.

Mayank nodded. "Okay. Be careful."

"I will," she said softly and left, leaving behind a faint trace of her perfume.

Once she was gone, Mayank called Rohan and Imran over. Within an hour, the three of them were lounging in the living room, discussing everything Mayank had learned about Ruhan.

"So, this guy's been playing games for years?" Rohan asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Yeah," Mayank said grimly. "And he's not done yet. He's still trying to turn people against Niharika."

Imran shook his head. "What's his endgame?"

"To feel superior, probably," Mayank said. "But I'm not going to let him win."

As the evening wore on, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Niharika walked in, her expression distant and her shoulders tense. Without a word, she headed straight to her room and shut the door.

Mayank frowned, exchanging a glance with Rohan and Imran. "Something's wrong," he muttered.

"Maybe you should check on her," Imran suggested.

Rohan stood, patting Mayank on the shoulder. "We'll head out. Give you two some privacy."

Once they left, Mayank walked to Niharika's room. The door wasn't locked, so he pushed it open gently. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, her knees drawn to her chest.

"Nihu," he said softly, kneeling beside her. "What happened?"

She looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Mayank... whatever Ruhan told you... do you believe it? Do you think I spread stuff about him?"

"Nihu, I—"

But she didn't let him finish. Words spilled out of her like a dam had broken. "I didn't do anything! I told you everything, Mayank. I thought all those college issues would end back in college, but he just won't let it go. How much more do I have to deal with this? I hate this. I hate him." Her voice broke, and tears streamed down her face.

Mayank pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly as she cried. "Who did what, Nihu? Tell me."

She sniffled, her voice barely above a whisper. "I saw Ananya talking to Neha. She told her that now that I'm back here and working in the same company as Ruhan, they're going to make sure I pay. Mayank, I can't do this anymore. I'm going to leave the company. I'll find another job."

She tried to stand, but Mayank held her firmly. "Why should you leave when you've done nothing wrong? Only the guilty run away. And Ananya seems to have forgotten one small detail."

"What?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"That Niharika's husband also works at Microsoft. So she's not alone."

For the first time that evening, a faint smile broke through her tears. Mayank smiled back, his grip on her tightening. "You're stronger than you think, Nihu. Don't let them get to you."

She nodded lightly, and he stood, helping her to her feet. "Come on. Let's have dinner. I have a few things to tell you, too."

As they walked to the dining table, she hesitated for a moment before slipping her hand into his. He glanced at her, surprised but pleased, a soft smile spreading across his face.

As they sat down for dinner, the air between them felt a little lighter. Niharika served herself some rice, and Mayank reached for the dal, the clinking of utensils filling the brief silence.

Mayank broke the quiet first. "Oh, by the way, your mom called today."

Niharika paused mid-bite, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "Huh? How come she didn't call me?"

"She did," Mayank said, chewing thoughtfully. "But your phone wasn't ringing. I guess you didn't notice."

"Oh," she muttered, frowning as she glanced toward the counter where her phone lay. "I've been having issues with it lately. I guess I really need to get it checked out."

Mayank shrugged. "Yeah, probably. Anyway, she said we have to go with them this weekend."

Niharika tilted her head, confused. "Go where?"

"I... uh... forgot the name of the place," Mayank admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

She raised an eyebrow, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Mayank, this is very bad information retrieval."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, I was multitasking when she called, okay? You'll have to call her tomorrow and find out."

Niharika nodded, smiling as she picked up her glass of water. "I will. Don't worry. I'll get the details for both of us."

Mayank chuckled, relieved to see her back to her usual self. Her smile brought a sense of calm he hadn't felt all day. "Good. And by the way I'm working from home tomorrow, so let me know everything."

She rolled her eyes playfully, but there was warmth in her gaze. For the first time that evening, they both felt a small but comforting sense of normalcy return to their chaotic lives.

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