Chapter 26

Lakshmi moved to the cafeteria, cursing her fate. She entered the cafeteria, and since it was break time, the place was a bit crowded. She waited for a moment, then moved towards the coffee machine and prepared the coffee exactly to Vikram's taste. But as she was transferring the coffee into a cup, a spill splashed onto her hand, scalding her skin.

Meanwhile, Vikram, growing impatient with her absence, kept glancing at the clock. As time passed, his anger simmered until he couldn't sit still any longer. Furiously, he pushed himself up from his seat and stormed out of his cabin, heading toward the cafeteria.

When he entered, he immediately saw Lakshmi standing by the counter, her hand pressed to her skin in pain. His eyes flickered with concern, but the betrayal she had caused him made him hesitate. Instead of approaching her, he leaned against the doorframe, coldly watching her.

"How long does it take to make a coffee?" he demanded, his voice sharp. His gaze moved down to the spilled coffee on the floor. "Can't even do something simple without making a mess? I don't even know who hired you. Maybe I should fire them instead," he continued, his words venomous. "Or maybe you've been using that innocent face to get away with things, huh?" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the tears welling in her eyes.

"Stop your acting," he snapped, his voice low but hard. "No one's buying it. You've got five minutes. Bring the coffee to my cabin, or I'll deduct your salary for every minute you're late."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving Lakshmi standing there, her heart heavy with both physical and emotional pain.

Lakshmi walked to Vikram's cabin with a tray, knocking lightly before entering. Vikram briefly glanced up from his computer before resuming his work. Lakshmi made her way to the table and placed the coffee in front of him, saying, "Sir, your coffee."

As Vikram inhaled the familiar scent of the her, for a moment, memories from the past flooded his mind—memories when he inhaled her scent for the first time, which reminded him, his mother. He closed his eyes, lost in the fleeting sense of calm, but when he opened them, the harsh reality of his anger and frustration returned, the old feelings resurfacing upon seeing her.

After Lakshmi placed the coffee on the table, she turned to leave. Vikram took a sip, savoring the taste—just as he remembered it. He closed his eyes for a moment, appreciating it. Once the cup was empty, he called her again, asking her to clean the cup and refill the water bottle. She did so without hesitation. Then he called her again, this time asking her to clean the restroom in his cabin.

She obeyed each order. Lakshmi could tell he was deliberately pushing her boundaries, but she had no choice. He was in a position of power, and she couldn't afford to challenge him. She was afraid of what he could do—his wealth, his influence, his control over her.

Though Vikram acted as though he was focused on his work, Lakshmi could feel his eyes on her. His gaze was heavy, always watching her, even when he appeared engrossed in something else. He noticed the signs of exhaustion on her—her swollen eyes from crying—and for a brief moment, he felt a twinge of regret, but quickly pushed the feeling away. His more ruthless side, however, felt a perverse satisfaction in seeing her suffer.

The day dragged on with Vikram giving her more tasks—each one a deliberate test of her patience. By the time the clock struck 5:10 p.m., Lakshmi felt a sense of urgency building inside her. Her son, Kittu, would be waiting for her. He would start to cry if she didn't make it home soon.

She looked at Vikram, but it was clear he wouldn't wrap up anytime soon. Slowly, she entered his cabin again and stood before him, uncertain of what to expect. Though he noticed her presence, he continued with his work, ignoring her.

"Sir," she called softly.

When he didn't respond, she called out again, "Sir?"

"What is it?" Vikram asked, irritation creeping into his voice without looking up from his screen.

"Sir, may I leave? It's already 5:10 p.m. I usually leave by 5," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Vikram's irritation flared. "So what? Can't you see I'm still working? Who are you working for, anyway? What if I need something? Who will take care of it if you leave? And don't worry, you will be paid for the overtime. Now go sit outside and don't disturb me.", Lakshmi flinched at his words, her voice trembling. "Sir, please... My son will be waiting for me. He'll become restless if I'm late. Please, sir."

The mention of her son seemed to fuel his anger further. Why should I care about some bastard? he thought bitterly. "So what? Don't you know when you come to work that your son will be waiting at home? It's your responsibility to make arrangements. Not mine. Deal with it!" he shouted.

Lakshmi flinched at his harsh words. Her throat tightened, but she managed to hold back her tears. She turned quickly and walked out of his cabin, the sting of his words echoing in her mind.

Vikram, however, remained focused on his computer, but the image of her tear-streaked face lingered in his mind. With a deep sigh, he closed his laptop, stood up, and left his cabin.

As he walked out of his office, he saw Lakshmi sitting on a stool near the glass wall, her posture defeated. She stood up quickly when she saw him.

"You may leave," he said, his tone indifferent, and walked past her without a second glance.

Lakshmi hurried to the staff room, gathered her things, and made her way out of the office.

As she descended the stairs to the lobby, she noticed Charan exiting the office as well. Lakshmi's unease flared. Charan's eyes raked over her,shamelessly. His gaze lingering on her body in a way that made her skin crawl. She quickened her steps, trying to ignore the discomfort rising in her.

But just as she reached the lobby, Vikram emerged from the elevator. His gaze immediately locked onto her, sensing something was wrong. He saw Charan walking behind her, his eyes lingering on Lakshmi, clearly too interested in her. The way Charan looked at her made Vikram's blood boil. Vikram's jaw tightened as he noted how Charan was lingering far too close.

Vikram's gaze narrowed as he watched them both. Lakshmi's discomfort was palpable, and he saw the uneasiness in her posture. As they all walked out of the building, Lakshmi moved quickly toward the main gate, while Vikram and Charan headed toward the parking lot. Charan, sensing the tension in the air, started his bike and began to follow her. He sped up, intent on catching up to her.

Vikram, noticing Charan's sudden haste, felt a spark of concern flare up. He decided to follow, not trusting Charan's intentions. However, as soon as Charan noticed Vikram's car behind him, he seemed to reconsider his actions. Charan veered off onto his usual route, likely thinking better of pursuing Lakshmi with Vikram on his tail.

Vikram watched Charan's bike disappear into the distance, but his mind remained on Lakshmi. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. His thoughts lingered on her unease, on how Charan had looked at her, and the instinct to protect her started to gnaw at him more than he wanted to admit.

Lakshmi entered her house and saw Rashi comforting Kittu, who had started crying for her. She hurriedly took him in her arms, trying to soothe him. As soon as Kittu saw his mother, he stopped crying, and soon, he was distracted by Rashi and began playing with her.

After freshening up, Lakshmi prepared dinner and carried on with her household chores. Her body ached from the constant work—her back felt like it might break. She knew she needed to rest, or she wouldn't be able to handle the demands of the next day.

Once she finished her tasks, Lakshmi tucked Kittu into bed, laid beside him. Her mind wandered over the events of the day. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about Vikram's harsh treatment and Charan's lecherous behavior. What sin have I committed to deserve all this? Why is God so cruel to me? Do I not deserve happiness, at the very least, some peace of mind?

She felt a wave of disgust just thinking about Vikram, yet here she was—working for him, enduring his cruelty, simply because he was a man, because he had money and power. Despite the damage he had done to her life, there was nothing she could do.

With those heavy thoughts, Lakshmi slowly drifted into a restless sleep, the weight of her struggles clouding her dreams.

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