Chapter 12: chapter 11

Bihari Assistant for Nri BossWords: 3935

Rivaan woke up slowly, the soft light of the morning creeping through the curtains. As he shifted under the sheets, he noticed the space beside him was empty. Confusion clouded his mind for a moment, and his heart sank. Naina wasn’t there. He thought perhaps she might be in the bathroom, but after waiting a few moments, the silence told him otherwise.

Sitting up, he rubbed a hand over his face, the events of the previous night rushing back. The kiss, the passion, how they’d been unable to stop themselves. But as he rose to get dressed, his eyes fell on the faint bloodstain on the sheets. His breath hitched.

She was a virgin.

A wave of emotions hit him—guilt, surprise, and something deeper he didn’t want to acknowledge. He hadn’t realized it last night, caught up in the moment, but now it was painfully clear. He had been her first. And now she was gone. He wanted to talk to her, to understand how she felt, but she had already slipped away.

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In the days that followed, Naina avoided him as much as possible. She was back to being professional, distant, and cold. But Rivaan wasn’t one to be ignored. He tried multiple times to catch her alone, but she always managed to slip away, refusing to meet his gaze for more than a fleeting moment.

It was driving him insane.

Finally, the opportunity presented itself. They were both in a meeting, discussing new business strategies with the team. Once the meeting ended and people began filing out of the room, Rivaan watched carefully, waiting for his chance. When the last person left, it was just the two of them—alone in the conference room.

“Naina,” he said, his voice soft but firm, stopping her before she could leave.

She froze for a second, then turned to face him, her expression guarded.

“You were a virgin that night, weren’t you?” His voice was low, but his eyes were searching, filled with something unspoken. “You could’ve at least told me.”

Naina's eyes flared with frustration, and she let out a bitter laugh. “Told you? Like we were in any state to talk about that?”

Her words stung, but they were true. Last night had been a whirlwind of emotions and physical need, and neither of them had paused to speak about what was happening.

Rivaan’s face softened, and he stepped closer. “So… what now? What’s next?”

Naina’s shoulders tensed, and for a brief moment, she hesitated. She didn’t know the answer. Her mind had been filled with confusion and doubt ever since that night. She looked at him, her expression conflicted. “I don’t know… you tell me.”

There was a long, tense silence between them, filled with the weight of unspoken emotions. Rivaan opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. He couldn’t find the words.

After what felt like an eternity, Naina spoke again, her voice firmer this time. “Maybe we just forget about it. Forget it ever happened.”

Her words cut through the air like a knife. Rivaan swallowed hard, his heart sinking. “Forget it? Just like that?”

“Yes,” Naina said, though her voice faltered slightly. “We’ll move on. Act like nothing happened. It was… a mistake.”

Rivaan stared at her, his mind racing. He didn’t agree, not entirely. But seeing the resolve in her eyes, he nodded. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

But as they both stood there, pretending to be unaffected, something lingered in the air between them. They both agreed to forget it, but in their hearts, they knew the truth—something had changed that night. Neither of them could truly forget.

From that day on, they resumed their professional roles, behaving as though nothing had happened. They spoke in meetings, exchanged polite words, but beneath the surface, both of them were struggling with emotions they couldn’t quite shake.

They may have decided to forget, but deep down, neither of them could escape the night that had forever altered their relationship.