By your side

Can old bonds be rekindled?

He watched as her car vanished into the distance. The sight of her had rattled him to his core. He recognised the hurt he had caused and understood it was time to make amends. Destiny had given him a second chance, and he was determined not to let it slip away. He had yearned for her every day over the past five years. He was resolved to win her back and hold on to her forever.

Aadya spent a sleepless night, her emotions in turmoil. She had convinced herself that she had moved on from him and that her love had died when she lost their baby. But seeing him again, hearing the sincerity in his voice, and witnessing the remorse in his eyes brought back a flood of memories and conflicting emotions. Aadya couldn't deny that a part of her still longed for him, but she also feared getting hurt again.

The next morning, as she descended to the parking lot, she was dismayed to discover her car had been vandalised with a significant dent. Anger surged within her, but she had no choice but to find alternative transportation to the office.

Frustration boiled over as she thought, "Who would do something like this in a parking lot?"

Taking a cab, she reluctantly made her way to the office, dreading the possibility of another encounter with him and fearing he might appear in her cubicle and request another meeting.

Thankfully, that didn't happen. She didn't catch sight of him throughout the day.

"Maybe he didn't come today," she speculated, trying to banish thoughts of him from her mind.

It was 10 p.m. by the time she wrapped up her work. Since her car was in the shop, she had arranged for a company cab. Rushing into the elevator, she was taken aback to find Ishaan already inside.

He raised an eyebrow, questioning, "You're still at the office?"

Aadya hesitated, not expecting to encounter him in the elevator. He should have left for home hours ago.

"I had some critical releases to oversee," she stammered.

"Is staying late a common practice here?" he inquired.

"No, Zigma is known for its employee-friendly policies and work-life balance. Sometimes, last-minute rushes are unavoidable because of schedules. Two of my key resources were out sick, so we had to step in," she explained. She shifted the focus back to him, asking, "Why are you still here?"

"I had some meetings," he replied. "How are you getting back, Aadya? It's late."

"I'll take the cab," she responded quickly, immediately regretting her answer.

As expected, he probed further: "Why? Where's your car?"

"It's at the service centre. Someone damaged it," she grumbled.

Before she could say more, his phone rang, and he answered it. "Hi, Amisha. How are things in New York?"

Aadya couldn't help but eavesdrop, her heart sinking as she assumed he was engaged or even married to Amisha by now.

"Oh, really? I'm glad you're there to handle things," he said with a chuckle. "Tell little Karthik that I miss him and that I'll bring his favorite toys when I return. Alright, I'll look into those. My work here is almost done, and I'll be back soon. Bye."

Aadya averted her gaze, feeling a pang of unease.

"Sorry about that; it was an important call," Ishaan apologised. "So, you were saying?"

"Don't worry; company cabs are safe. I've used them myself several times," she replied, her tone dry.

He didn't seem entirely convinced.