Unconditional Love

15. Distance

It was almost 3 a.m. when Virat wrapped up his work. He still needed to check more files, but he could hardly keep his eyes open.

He closed everything, leaving it scattered on his desk, and moved to the couch to sleep. He couldn't drive in his sleepy, whiskey state.

The next day, Rohit entered the cabin to find Virat already in the office, working on something.

It was 7 a.m., and he had arrived early to avoid facing Virat directly, but here Virat was, already at his desk in a white shirt and blue pants, working intently.

Seeing him, for a moment, Rohit felt guilty for his actions the previous day.

He had left without informing anyone and gone to sleep to shut off his thoughts about the feelings he had for Virat, feelings he knew he shouldn't have.

"Stop staring and get to work, Rohit. I've emailed you feedback. You've made mistakes again. I hope you don't do the same in the third report," Virat said, without even looking up from his file.

Rohit felt embarrassed and sat down at his desk to work. He checked the file in front of him, where all the mistakes were highlighted in red.

They worked for an hour until Rohit received a notification for a meeting in the other conference room.

Virat noticed Rohit silently entering the conference room, not even waiting or asking if they should go together.

He felt a pang of disappointment. This was the first time he had allowed himself to get close to someone— hugging, caring, feeling affected by someone's emotions. But in return, all he received was this cold indifference.

Why, Rohit? he wondered, his mind clouded with frustration and confusion.

Virat took a deep breath, composing himself. He put on his coat and headed for the meeting. Just then, Aman arrived, handing him the file for the meeting.

Virat entered the room, and everyone stood up. He gestured for them to take a seat and began the meeting.

"Over the next few weeks, each and every task of yours will be reviewed. Make sure you do everything with perfection. Mistakes will not be tolerated," Virat said, his tone firm. He then proceeded to explain the key points.

Rohit noticed the shift in Virat's demeanor. He suddenly seemed more professional, colder, just like when Rohit first joined the company. Is it because of me? he wondered. No, why would someone like me affect him?

Rohit couldn't shake the thought, the doubt lingering in his mind.

"Mr. Sharma?" Virat's voice snapped Rohit out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Sir?" Rohit replied immediately.

"Take over and explain how the financial report should be for the project. You've worked on it," Virat instructed, passing control to Rohit.

Rohit took a moment to compose himself. He couldn't afford to let his boss down, especially someone he admired so much. He began explaining the details, speaking confidently about what he knew.

Virat watched, feeling a mix of pride for how Rohit handled it and hurt from the distance between them. His emotions, however, took a backseat to the priority of his work and his company.

Virat stood up, buttoned his coat, and addressed the room. "I will need each and every report with details and within deadlines. Your extra time will be compensated, but if I find any discrepancies, there will be consequences. The meeting is over," he said in his authoritative tone, before leaving the conference room.

As soon as Virat walked out, an employee approached Rohit with a smirk. "Rohit, you sit in the boss's cabin, tell us the secret to getting up there," the employee said, a teasing tone in his voice. Rohit felt disgusted by the comment.

More whispers followed—"He must have slept with Virat to move his way up," "Virat is just using him like he has with many others," "Soon Virat will get bored of him," "Virat is nothing but an arrogant person who never cares for anyone."

The words stung deeply, each one hitting Rohit harder than he expected. He couldn't take it anymore. He hurried to the washroom to calm himself, trying to regain control over his emotions.

Rohit entered the cabin and saw Virat smoking on the balcony. He sat down at his desk and started working on his tasks.

"Should I move out of his cabin? He has made so many arrangements for me and taken care of me, but I cannot give anyone a reason to question Virat's character. I know how soft and caring he is, not the arrogant person the world claims him to be. Yes, I should move from here," thought Rohit.

He got up and gently knocked on the balcony door. Virat turned and saw Rohit there. He put his cigarette down. "Yes, tell me," he said, turning his attention to Rohit, hoping it was for some reason why he was behaving like this. But Rohit's next words crushed all his hopes.

"Sir, I would like to move out of the cabin," Rohit said, not looking at him.

Virat was hurt by that, but he quickly composed himself. "Okay, I will have the staff move your things out," he said, making a call to the staff.

The staff moved Rohit's table and chair to the corner room where Rohit had requested to work. Virat just relayed the same instructions and had everything shifted there.

Rohit picked up his laptop and moved out of the cabin, casting one last glance at Virat, who was on the balcony talking to someone on the phone.

Virat watched Rohit leave his cabin. For a moment, he felt as if he were going to cry; his heart couldn't handle it. But he had learned to master his emotions, and for the nth time in his life, he had to do it again.

Aman entered the cabin when he noticed Rohit leaving. He saw Virat smoking on the balcony.

"He left," Virat said, sensing Aman's presence. Aman just placed his hand on Virat's shoulder and then hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Bhai. I'm always here," Aman said, and Virat buried his face in his shoulder, giving himself a moment of vulnerability.

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