MY AVERAGE LIFE

Part 70

Sharath Pov :

After a long day, bringing Shivani back home felt like a relief I'd been craving all along. The moment we stepped inside, I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her, letting my head rest on her chest. Her hand found its way to my hair, gently threading through it, and in that moment, I felt a peace I didn't know I was missing. She was my solace, the one person who could calm everything inside me.

"Thank you," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "Thank you for standing by me today. I don't deserve you."

She smiled softly, her fingers tracing gentle lines along my back. "I'd stand by you every single time, Sharath," she replied, her voice tender yet fierce. "All I want is to be by your side. I'm yours."

Hearing her say those words, feeling her heartbeat steady and true, was all I needed. Holding her close, I finally drifted into a peaceful sleep, feeling like I'd finally found home.---The next morning in the office, I walked in with a sense of pride and purpose, knowing everyone would soon know about us. But as the morning passed, a demanding conference call with our international clients kept me tied up. When it finally ended, I immediately went looking for Shivani, only to find her nowhere in sight. I started to feel uneasy. Shivani usually stayed nearby or at least left a quick message.

Back in my cabin, I found Shreya standing there, her posture tense, her face troubled. I clenched my jaw, already frustrated that she hadn't respected the boundaries I'd laid down the last time we spoke.

"Shreya," I said coldly, walking in. "What are you doing here?"She turned to me, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and something darker, something I didn't care to analyze. "I needed to see you, Sharath," she began, her voice pleading. "We need to talk about us."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Us? Shreya, there is no 'us.' I made that clear. Shivani is the only person I'm with, the only person I care about. I don't want to go over this again."

She took a step closer, and I stayed rooted, irritation building. "I can't just let you go, Sharath," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're always so cold to people, so guarded. I thought we had something special. We were close, weren't we? How can you just move on without even giving us a chance?"

I ran a hand over my face, trying to keep my voice calm. "Close? Shreya, we were friends, that's all. I thought you understood that. I don't feel anything more for you, and I'm tired of having this conversation."

Her expression hardened, a flash of anger crossing her face. "So, what—you think Shivani is just going to give you everything? How can you be so sure she's the one?"

"Because I know her, Shreya. She's everything I want," I said firmly, my voice cold. "This thing you're clinging to—it was never real. You need to respect my relationship or keep your distance."Her voice dropped, her words edged with desperation. "Sharath, I can't just... walk away like this. I love you, and I know you feel something for me, too. You just don't see it."

"Enough," I snapped, the frustration spilling over. "I warned you once out of respect for the friendship we had, Shreya. But if you can't respect my boundaries, then you don't even get that anymore. i am in a good mood so leave before I do something that u will regret."

Her eyes widened, shock and anger flickering over her face. But instead of stepping back, she moved closer, and before I could react, she leaned in and pressed her lips against mine.For a brief moment, I was too stunned to respond, my mind blank with disbelief. But in an instant, I pulled back, fury and disbelief mingling. "What the hell, Shreya? What are you doing?"

Before she could answer, the door opened, and my heart sank. Shivani stood in the doorway, her face frozen in shock, her eyes clouded with hurt. Everything inside me screamed to go to her, to explain, but I could see the pain radiating from her, and I knew she didn't want to hear anything from me right now.

"Shivani..." I took a step forward, desperate to reach her, but she raised her hand, stopping me in my tracks. Her gaze pierced through me, cutting deeper than any words ever could. "Shivani, please, listen," I choked out, feeling panic tighten around my chest. "It's not what it looked like. She kissed me—I didn't... I would never—"

Shivani's face was an unreadable mask, but her eyes betrayed the pain I'd caused, the trust I'd shattered in an instant.

Meanwhile, Shreya, standing there with a look of false innocence, had the audacity to speak up. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Shivani," she said softly, her voice meek, trying to appear as though she were just as shocked. "It was... it was just a mistake. We got caught up in the moment."

I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to tell her exactly what I thought of her actions. How dare she act like this was some accidental slip? She'd done this on purpose, knowing it would hurt Shivani. Knowing it would come between us.

"Shivani," I began again, feeling desperation claw at my chest. "Please, you have to believe me. She means nothing to me. You're the only one I want, the only one I've ever wanted. I would never betray you."

But Shivani's expression didn't soften. Her silence was deafening, her pain and anger filling the room, suffocating me with every second that passed. She looked at me, a mixture of disbelief and sadness in her gaze, and it felt like she was slipping away.I took another step toward her, willing her to see the truth in my eyes. "You know me, Shivani," I said, my voice breaking. "You know I'd never let anyone come between us. This—this is nothing. She's nothing to me."