𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒: 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑔𝑎 𝑂𝑓 𝑀𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑎 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 || 18+

17. he came back

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, but for Amaya, it brought little comfort. She woke up with a heavy heart, still reeling from the events of the previous night. Veeranshu's anger had stung her deeply. She knew she had lied to him, but it was never supposed to turn into such a mess. Sighing, she got out of bed, feeling emotionally drained, and got ready for her day. Her movements were slow, as if the weight of her sadness was slowing her down.

Before leaving, she tried calling Veeranshu to apologize, hoping they could sort things out, but realized something horrifying-her phone wasn't in her bag. Panic washed over her as she quickly remembered she had left it at Veeranshu's place. "Of course, just another thing to go wrong," she muttered to herself. She considered going back to get it but decided against it. She couldn't face Veeranshu yet, not when his anger was still raw. Without her phone, she felt disconnected and vulnerable, but there wasn't much she could do coz she don't remember veeranshu's number yet . So, without any other choice, she left for work.

When she arrived at the office, her mind was still clouded with thoughts of Veeranshu. As she made her way inside, she bumped into Max, who was leaning against the wall near the entrance. His eyes brightened when he saw her.

"Amaya! Hey, I was starting to think you were ignoring me," Max said, flashing his usual playful grin. "You didn't reply to my messages last night. Busy much?"

Amaya forced a smile, trying her best to look composed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well last night, so I just slept early. I didn't get a chance to check my phone," she said, hoping he wouldn't press further.

Max raised an eyebrow and glanced at her thoughtfully. "You feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied quickly, eager to change the subject. But Max wasn't done yet. His eyes scanned her outfit briefly, then flicked back up to meet hers with a curious expression.

"You're not wearing that pendant I gave you," he noted casually, though there was a hint of concern in his voice. "Don't you like it?"

Amaya's heart skipped a beat. The last thing she wanted to talk about was that pendant. Her mind flashed back to Veeranshu's outburst, the way he had thrown it against the wall in a fit of rage. Her stomach twisted with guilt and unease.

"No, no, it's beautiful. Really, it is," she quickly reassured him. "But it's just... it's too expensive. I can't accept something like that." She forced another smile, her voice wavering slightly. "I'll return it to you."

Max's smile faltered a bit, but he shrugged it off. "If that's what you want, but you don't need to worry about the cost. I wanted you to have it." He paused, studying her for a moment longer before adding, "But hey, if it makes you uncomfortable, I understand."

Amaya nodded, grateful that he didn't push the matter further. She mumbled a quick thank you and rushed inside to start her work, though her thoughts were still a whirlwind of confusion and guilt. Her mind kept drifting back to Veeranshu-his cold eyes, his harsh words, and the way things had spiraled out of control.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Veeranshu woke up still fuming with anger. The events of the previous night replayed in his mind over and over, feeding his frustration. He couldn't shake off the betrayal he felt. Amaya had lied to him-something he couldn't tolerate. His trust was hard-earned, and her deceit cut him deep.

He threw the covers off and stormed out of bed, his mood sour. His anger found an outlet in everything around him. He yelled at Sameer for minor things-like the toast being too crispy or the coffee being too hot. Every little thing set him off, and Sameer, with his usual laid-back demeanor, tried to dodge the brunt of it.