His Uncommitted Sin

Caught Pink Handed

Author's POV:

Vihaan stepped into the office, the sound of his polished shoes echoing faintly against the marble floors. His shoulders bore the weight of a long day at the college, but the exhaustion did little to slow his stride. He made a beeline for his cabin without stopping to exchange pleasantries or greet anyone. His movements were purposeful, yet his dark, sharp eyes roamed every corner of the open-plan office, searching for her.  But Kanvi was nowhere to be seen.

The usual hum of activity felt muted, his focus so attuned to the absence of the one person he wanted to see. By the time he reached his cabin, the frown on his face was a clear indicator of his disappointment. As he shrugged off his blazer and hung it on the back of his chair, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said, trying to mask his restlessness.

Bea entered with her ever-efficient air. She carried a stack of files, but her keen eyes didn't miss the way Vihaan's gaze flickered toward the door behind her, as if expecting someone else to walk in.

"Where's Kanvi?" he asked, attempting to sound casual but failing miserably.

Bea's lips twitched into a knowing smile as she placed the files on his desk. "It seems Mrs. Aurora is on a mission to avoid you, sir," she said, the hint of mischief in her tone unmistakable. "Mrs. Jenkins told me Ms. Mittal is on leave today."

Vihaan leaned back in his chair with a sigh, his hand running through his already dishevelled hair. "On leave?" he murmured, his voice laced with both frustration and resignation.

Bea gave a small shrug before stepping out, leaving Vihaan alone with his thoughts. He picked up his phone from the desk and unlocked it. Her face lit up the screen, a candid photo he had taken of her when she wasn't paying attention. Kanvi was laughing in the picture, her eyes sparkling with unfiltered joy, the kind of happiness that seemed so far away now. He stared at the image for a long moment, his chest tightening with regret.

He set the phone down with a thud, as though punishing himself for the ache that wouldn't subside. Guilt clawed at him, sharp and unrelenting. He shouldn't have yelled at her. He had replayed the argument countless times in his head, dissecting every word, every moment where he could have stopped himself. But the damage was done, and now her cold indifference was a stark reminder of his mistake.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he opened his laptop and pulled up the documents for his new project. The work was meant to distract him, to fill the void left by her absence, but it only served as a hollow echo of the companionship he longed for. The hours crawled by, the sound of typing and the occasional murmur of voices outside his cabin the only interruptions.

When the clock struck six, the office began to empty. The faint chatter and occasional laughter from the remaining employees died down as they packed up to leave for the day. Vihaan sat back in his chair, watching through the glass walls of his cabin as the last of his team grabbed their bags and filed out. There were only four employees left in the office now, along with Bea, who was finishing up some last-minute tasks. The once bustling office was now a quiet expanse, save for the faint rustle of papers and the distant hum of a vacuum cleaner.

The loneliness of the evening mirrored the emptiness he felt within. Kanvi's absence wasn't just physical, it had seeped into every corner of his life, leaving him restless and yearning. As the clock ticked on, Vihaan resolved to find a way to make things right. He couldn't endure another day like this, not when the silence reminded him of all he had to lose.

He felt their eyes on him as they passed by. The glances were fleeting but meaningful curious, a little wary, and perhaps, tinged with sympathy. Vihaan Aurora, the usually composed and unshakable figure of authority, was now a man weighed down by something personal. His usual air of confidence had given way to a restless energy that was hard to miss. He caught one of the employees whispering something to another as they left, and for a moment, his jaw clenched. He hated being the subject of speculation, but more than that, he hated the gnawing emptiness that had brought him to this point.