[FEATURED IN WATTPAD INDIA PROFILE]
❝Pioneering the art of constructing love, my Kanmani.❞
Xavier teased her skin, slowly caressing her cheeks and her lips trembled.
❝You don't dare!❞
And he kissed her.
------
When he had compromised his dreams and...
♬ baawre se naein chaahe, baawre jharokhon se, baawre nazaaron ko takna...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her body eased up, letting the cool sea breeze work its magic as it swept through her hair. Her right toe lazily traced little patterns in the damp sand, each wave rolling in and wiping them away, leaving a fresh, blank slate behind.
Krithika took a deep breath, the salty, earthy smell of the beach filling her lungs. A small smile crept across her face. Beaches had always been her happy place. Since she was a kid, they'd been her go-to whenever life felt too loud or too messy. And even now, every time she found herself near the coast, she couldn't resist making her way to the shore.
The waves had always been her therapy—and they still were.
She stared out at the horizon, where the sky met the sea in that blurry, magical line. She let her mind wander, wondering what might be out there. Another beach on a distant shore? Or maybe it was just the endless game between the sea and the sky, chasing each other forever. She didn't need answers. It was enough just to sit here and take it all in.
Going back to the office had been awkward, to say the least. For weeks, she'd braced herself for the dreaded "termination notice"—her personal version of the apocalypse—but it never came. She was still employed, somehow, and that was a small miracle she wasn't about to question.
The tricky part was avoiding Xavier. She'd been steering clear of him like her life depended on it, dodging tasks and meetings that might put her in his orbit. But no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to escape him completely.
He was everywhere—if not in person, then in the chatter of her colleagues. It seemed as if the whole office had been swept up in a tide of fascination over their boss's supposed transformation. Whispers of a gentler, more approachable Xavier echoed in hallways as if his demeanor had been polished to a shine overnight. People couldn't stop talking about it, but Krithika wasn't buying it—or maybe she just didn't care to find out.
Fake.
That thought ruined her mood instantly like a storm cloud sneaking in on a sunny day. She shook her head, trying to push it away. No, she wasn't going to think about work or anything related to him. She was here to find calm, to reclaim a sliver of peace. This moment was hers, and she didn't want to waste it.
The last few months had been rough, to say the least. First, she'd been caught up in this messy swirl of emotions she didn't want to name—lust, maybe? And now, she was stuck wrestling with the heavy fog of depression. Her therapist had picked up on it too, giving her that knowing look during their last session. She'd asked Krithika what was going on, and, of course, Krithika had lied through her teeth. There was no way she was going to admit to the meltdown she'd had in her boss's cabin.
