Chapter 4: The Confrontation

Arjun sent me a message.

His name flashed on the screen, bringing back memories of all the nights I’d waited for a message that never came. Now, it felt almost anticlimactic.

Against a row of red exclamation marks in a green message box, the black text in the white bubble stood out even more.

It almost looked comical, like a game of cat and mouse that had finally run out of moves.

Looks like Arjun had finally removed me from his WhatsApp block list.

The irony made me let out a short laugh, shaking my head. The drama of our story reduced to a simple tap on a phone.

I laughed at myself.

It was the kind of laugh that is equal parts relief and regret – the realisation that sometimes, moving on is quieter than you expect.

He told me to come to his office tomorrow, Monday. His lawyer would draft the divorce agreement, and after both sides agreed on the terms, we’d sign and wait for the cooling-off period.

[Okay.]

I typed my reply without thinking twice. The finality of it didn’t scare me anymore.

On Monday, I went to Arjun’s company as agreed.

I wore my best kurti and tied my hair neatly, determined to look composed. The lift ride to his floor felt endless, my heartbeat steady but unhurried.

Because I didn’t have an appointment, the receptionist called to check.

The office was all glass walls and expensive furniture, the kind of place where even the AC smelled rich. The receptionist, a girl in a perfectly pressed saree, glanced at me with polite curiosity.

"Yes, a lady named Meera."

Her voice was brisk, efficient, like she handled important visitors every day.

After hanging up, the receptionist told me to go up to the director’s floor; a secretary would meet me there.

She handed me a visitor badge and pointed towards the lift. The badge felt heavier than it should have.

I thanked her and went straight up.

A young woman I didn’t know greeted me. Since I’d been separated from Arjun for half a year, she was probably new.

She wore a smart salwar suit and greeted me with the faintest hint of a smile, her eyes flicking over my face as if trying to place me.

"Ms Meera, please wait here. Sir is in a meeting."

She didn’t recognise me, either. She called me Ms Meera and led me to a reception room.

I noticed how the room was decorated with generic flower paintings, a tray of biscuits untouched on the table. No trace of my past remained here.

Before, when I came, I’d go straight to Arjun’s office to wait. His meetings would last at least an hour. I hated waiting for people. Arjun knew that, so he’d keep books and movies in his office for me.

There was a time he’d even have my favourite filter coffee ready, a cushion placed just right for my back. Small gestures that once made me feel loved.

"You can read or watch a movie. If you’re tired, there’s a lounge—just rest there."

He used to remind me like that.

The last time I came, all my things in his office had been replaced. The person who could freely enter his private lounge had also changed.

Now, if I wanted to see him, I could only wait in an ordinary reception room.

I glanced at the clock on the wall, hearing the distant sound of someone’s laughter from down the hall. My reflection in the glass looked oddly calm.

The AC hummed but the air still smelled faintly of old masala and printer ink. Somewhere outside, the singsong call of a chaiwala drifted up, someone bargaining over prices. I felt a strange isolation, the world carrying on while I sat alone in this sterile, unfamiliar space.

But I had no energy or desire to argue over such details now. So I waited quietly. There was plenty of time anyway.

My phone battery drained slowly as I scrolled through mindless reels, the world outside moving on while I waited for closure.

But I didn’t expect to wait two hours this time—and still, no one came to tell me to see Arjun.

By now, the biscuits were stale, and the coffee in the flask was cold. The receptionist avoided meeting my eyes.

"Excuse me, has Sir’s meeting ended?"

I finally went to ask the young woman who’d brought me.

She stammered, "Sir is still in a meeting..."

She looked uncomfortable, her eyes darting away. I wondered if she too was afraid of Priya’s wrath.

I frowned, about to speak, when I heard laughter and conversation nearby.

Their voices floated in from the corridor, easy and carefree. I recognised them instantly.

"Let’s have lunch together at that restaurant."

"Okay!"

Those two voices couldn’t be more familiar. I’d just heard them on the phone last night.

Hearing them together, so casual and happy, made something in my chest twist, though I tried not to show it.

I saw Priya hugging a folder, skipping behind Arjun. The pretty, lively girl radiated youth and energy.

She looked like the kind of girl who never worried about tomorrow – always smiling, her anklets tinkling with every step.

Arjun walked beside her, leaning in to listen as she spoke. Whatever Priya said made the smile at the corner of his mouth deepen.

His eyes lit up with the kind of easy affection I once thought was reserved for me alone.

"Hey..."

The young woman saw me walking straight toward Arjun and didn’t have time to stop me.

I moved with a purpose, head high. The office staff stared, sensing drama was about to unfold.

"Arjun."

At my voice, the two of them turned to look at me in unison.

The corridor fell silent. Even the office peon, who was sweeping nearby, paused to watch.

I clearly saw the surprise and shock on Arjun’s face.

For a moment, he looked like a schoolboy caught bunking class, guilt and confusion warring in his eyes.

I asked if his meeting was over? If it was, it was time to discuss our business.

My words were clipped, formal. I was determined not to show any weakness.

"I arrived at ten and have been waiting for you for two hours."

"Who told you I was in a meeting?" Arjun frowned, asking back.

He looked genuinely puzzled, glancing around as if searching for an explanation.

I was stunned, subconsciously looking at him. The confusion in his eyes didn’t seem fake.

In that moment, I realised that Arjun really didn’t know. He’d been kept in the dark – and I was just another pawn in someone else’s game.

We realised almost at the same time.

Our eyes met, and understanding dawned. Priya looked away, her lips pursed in faux innocence.

I didn’t say anything. Arjun’s gaze swept seriously across the whole office. Everyone lowered their heads in silence. The young woman who brought me shrank back, lowering her head. But before she looked down, she shot a quick glance at Priya.

Of course. In this whole office, who else could pull strings and bully others like this? Who else but Priya?

"I forgot to tell everyone the meeting was cancelled. I didn’t do it on purpose. Sorry, Sir."

Priya pursed her lips, looking innocently at Arjun. He’d always indulged her, so this time he said nothing.

His silence was his answer – she was above reproach, and I was just a guest in their world now.

"Come in."

He looked at me, glossing over the matter.

The corridor relaxed as we walked away, gossip already starting to ripple among the staff.

As I passed Priya, I saw the pride and provocation in her eyes.

It was the look of someone who had won, the look that says, "This is my territory now."

I paused, adjusting my dupatta and setting my bindi straight—a small but deliberate gesture—before turning my gaze back to Priya. My eyes met hers, calm but unyielding, and I replied quietly, "Don’t get too comfortable. Some lessons in life come unannounced."