"On the couch." Not a question. A statement loaded with disbelief.
"Yes." Her voice maintained that careful neutrality that had become rare between them. The professional tone. The assistant's voice. "We can return to our original arrangement now that your mother's concerns are addressed."
Vikram stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. The soft click sounded final.
"Our original arrangement," he repeated, the words bitter. "You mean sleeping separately."
"It's more appropriate." She straightened, still not meeting his eyes. "Given our situation."
"Our situation." His voice hardened slightly. "And what situation is that, exactly?"
Her hands stilled on the blanket. "The arrangement. The contract. Two years." Each phrase emerged clipped. "We should maintain proper boundaries."
Vikram moved closer, confusion mingling with the anger still simmering from his earlier calls. "This is about what happened at your examination. Mrs. Menon told me everything Kashyap said."
"This isn't about that." Divya spoke faster, louder, as if trying to drown out his words. "This is about being practical. About remembering what this actually is."
"And what is this, Divya?" He gestured between them, the space that had grown smaller over weeks now suddenly expanding again.
"A contract." She finally looked at him, her eyes shielded behind her glasses. "A business arrangement with mutual benefits and a clear end date. I got carried away with the performance of it."
"Performance." The word fell like a stone between them.
"Yes." She nodded too quickly. "And it's working. The scandal has died down. Your family has accepted me. But we shouldn't confuse convenience with..."
She trailed off, unable to name what lay on the other side of that sentence.
Vikram stepped closer. "With what?"
"With anything that lasts." She stepped back, maintaining distance. "I'm still your assistant. This is still temporary. We should remember that."
He watched her retreat behind walls, building them brick by careful brick. The timing wasn't coincidental. Today's humiliation had driven her back to the safety of clear boundaries. Back to a world where she was just an employee with an end date.
He could push. Could tell her about the lawsuit already in motion, the systematic destruction being arranged for anyone who dared speak to her that way. Could insist that what had grown between them was far beyond any contract.
But her eyes showed fragility behind the professional front, a crack that wouldn't hold under pressure.
"Fine." He nodded, controlled. "If that's what you want."
Relief swept over her face, too quick to hide. She'd been ready for a fight. His calm agreement caught her off guard.
"It is." She turned back to the couch, adjusting the pillow that needed no adjustment. "Thank you for understanding."
He didn't understand. Not really. But he understood the retreat when necessary, the quick step back to safety before losing ground.
For now, he'd let her have this illusion of control.
???
The night stretched between them.
Vikram lay in bed, his bed now, apparently, staring at the ceiling. The space beside him felt wrong. Empty. Cool where it should have been warm.
Across the room, Divya curled on the couch, her back to him, body tight beneath the blanket. Her breathing hadn't settled. She was awake, pretending to sleep.
Minutes stretched to hours. The digital clock marked their silent standoff. 11:45. 12:30. 1:15. Neither spoke. Neither slept. Both pretended.
At 2:37, her breathing finally changed, deepening into genuine sleep.