"When I was driving to dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your kiss kept replaying in my mind. I tried to act relaxed during dinner, but all I could focus on was how I left things with you. I drank wine just to numb what I was feeling for you. I don't want to drive back so Vikran offered to let me stay the night at his apartment."
He paused. I looked at him, quietly listening.
"When we got there, he gave me a shirt to sleep in. The one you found. I lay down on the couch, but I couldn't fall asleep. When I saw your message, I wanted to reply and tell you I was in Virkan apartment... but I knew you didn't like him. I didn't want to make things worse."
He stared at the floor, then continued:
"So I sent you a message without saying 'good morning'. I knew you were probably up all night like me. When I got to the office, I changed into a clean shirt and waited for you. The moment you walked in, I saw the disappointment on your face, and I feel guilty for your emotions. When Vikran arrived, I noticed your jealousy. I handed you the documents and touched you not to excuse anything, but so you'd know I was still thinking of you."
He bit his lip, like he was trying to find the courage for his next words.
"You saw his shirt. You got angrier and went into your room. I wanted to follow you and hugged you , but I couldn't gather the courage. I just watched you while you cooked. I didn't go to the office on purpose. Even though you rolled your eyes at me, I knew my presence meant something to you. Even if you didn't say it."
Silence fell between us. Slowly, I leaned into him and whispered,
"I'm sorry I acted so cold. I was mad because you broke your promise. Because I thought... you'd rather be with Vikran than with me."
Chak gave me a gentle smile and pulled me into a hug.
"I'd always rather be with you, Niran."
For the first time today, I smiled.
"Me too."
"Come on, let's head to the kitchen. Dinner won't cook itself," he said, taking my hand.
When we got there, he looked at me and asked,
"What do you want for dinner?"
"Something easy," I replied softly.
We started preparing the food together. We exchanged glances, quiet gestures, small touches. For a moment, everything felt like it was ours again.
During dinner, I asked him,
"Where did you learn to cook so well?"
"I've liked being in the kitchen since I was a kid. I used to help the housekeeper who cooked for our family. When no one was around, she let me chop, stir, and taste things. She taught me how to cook. I still love it because of her."
I was just about to say something when the doorbell interrupted us.
Chak stood and went to the door. From there, he said with a slightly restrained voice,
"It's Vikran. Go to your room."
Caught off guard, I stood up as he tossed me my jacket and shoes. I quickly slipped away to my room and quietly closed the door. I set the shoes by the bed and tossed my jacket on the table.
When I started looking for my phone, I froze it was still in the kitchen. I slowly open the door and tiptoed to the stairs. From there, I could hear Chak talking to Vikran.
"I brought back the book you lent me," Vikran said.
"Thanks," Chak replied.
"Why do you have so many dirty dishes?" Vikran asked.
"From lunch. I didn't have time to clean yet," Chak answered calmly.
"Interesting, or someone maybe eat with you " Vikran muttered as he stepped farther into the living room.
Chak glanced toward me. I subtly motioned that I needed my phone. He nodded. Then he asked Vikran,
"Want something to drink?"
"Juice, if you have any."
"I have," Chak said and headed into the kitchen. He poured the juice into a glass, grabbed my phone from the counter, and quickly tucked it into a drawer before returning to the living room.
"I didn't know you had a new cat," Vikran said when he noticed Leo.
"Oh, that's Leo. I found him on the street," Chak replied calmly.
Vikran leaned back and remarked,
"Have you noticed that Niran's been acting... strange?"
Chak gave a faint smile, then asked slowly,
"What do you mean?"
After a short silence, Vikran said,
"It seems to me like he's in love with you."
Chak simply smiled and replied coldly,
"Niran? In love with me? You're joking."
Then he added in an icy tone,
"Niran will always be just my employee. And if he does have any feelings for me, he'll be fired immediately."
Vikran raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Then why did you put him in Pim's position?"
Without hesitation, Chak replied,
"I want to see if he can handle stress and responsibility."
When I heard that, I leaned silently against the wall and whispered to myself:
"Liar. That's not the truth.
But you have to play the game, don't you?
You're a cold boss in front of Vikran.
And even if you act cold, your eyes always tell a different story."
Vikran said to Chak,
"I think you just want to keep him close."
"That's not true," Chak replied coolly.
"I just want to test him to see if he's good enough for the job. Nothing more."
Vikran smiled faintly and said,
"Yet every time I mention Niran, there's a spark in your eyes.
And that's not something typical for you, Chak."
He took another sip of his juice, then stood up and added,
"Niran could be the one to melt you...
You just need to give him a chance."
With that, he walked toward the door.
"See you around."
The door closed behind him, and for a moment, silence filled the living room.
Chak stood still.
Vikran thinks there's something between Chak and me, I thought to myself as I started walking down the stairs. When I reached the last step, Chak came up to me and said: