The next morning, Zain set his plan into motion—he was determined to break Abhir emotionally. But Abhir, unaware of Zain's true intentions, had a mission of his own: to complete the company's target and win Zain's approval.
Surprisingly, Zain began treating Abhir kindly. His sudden warmth made Abhir hopeful—was Zain finally beginning to understand him? As the project work kicked off, Abhir felt a sense of belonging he hadn't experienced before.
But Zain's kindness had a purpose. His first move in this game of fate was to keep Abhir so occupied with the project that he wouldn't have time to focus on his actual target.
Abhir worked late into the nights at home, juggling between the project and the target. Despite his efforts, by the end of the week, he managed to bring in only 30 clients—far from the goal.
The final day arrived. Abhir walked into the office with a heavy heart and a burning fever. His body was weak, but his spirit refused to rest. He knew Zain would humiliate him in front of everyone, yet he showed up.
Zain entered the office and immediately noticed something was off. Abhir looked pale and unwell. Approaching him, he asked about the target.
"Zain sir… I tried, but I could only manage 30 clients," Abhir said softly, his voice laced with exhaustion and guilt.
Zain snapped. "If you can't work, stay home! Don't come here to waste our time!"
The words struck like a whip. Abhir clutched his head in pain—and suddenly collapsed.
Without hesitation, Zain caught him and carried him to his private cabin. He ordered his assistant to call a doctor and gently placed Abhir on the sofa. Sitting at his desk, his mind raced.
"Even after everything, he still managed 30 clients?" Zain thought. "I tried to crush him, and yet… he kept going. Why does this impress me?"
The doctor arrived and checked Abhir.
"He's under severe stress," the doctor said. "No proper rest, high fever… his body is exhausted."
Zain sat in silence, guilt creeping in. He never intended to push Abhir to this point.
A while later, Abhir slowly opened his eyes—confused to find himself in Zain's cabin. Spotting Zain beside him, he whispered, "I'm sorry, sir. I tried my best. I wanted to complete the target, but… I failed. I disappointed you."
Zain's voice softened for the first time. "It's okay, Abhir. Next time, you'll achieve it. I guarantee it."
As Abhir stood to leave, Zain gently held his wrist. "Take care of yourself. Sleep on time. Don't push yourself like this."
Abhir looked at him—his heart full. Someone cared. Someone saw his effort.
He smiled at Zain for the first time… and quietly left the cabin.
The next morning, everyone prepared to visit the new project site. Both Rahul and Abhir got ready. Zain shared the location with Rahul and instructed him to pass it on to Abhir.
"You both go ahead. I'll join you later," Zain said.
Rahul forwarded the location to Abhir and added, "Zain sir said you should leave first. We have some other work here."
Trusting the message, Abhir left for the site. But as he got closer to the location, a strange doubt crept in—this place looks nothing like a construction site... it's a jungle.
To make things worse, his car suddenly ran out of petrol. He took out his phone to call for help, but there was no signal. Isolated and confused, he tried to stay calm.
Meanwhile, Zain arrived at the actual site. He looked around and found only Rahul.
"Where's Abhir?" Zain asked sharply.
Rahul faked concern. "He left before me… but he's not here. His phone's out of network too. I'm really worried—what if something happened to him?"
Zain's heart dropped. He immediately called a tracking service and asked them to trace Abhir's phone. Moments later, the operator replied, "His last known location is deep inside the forest, far from your current site."
Without wasting a second, Zain jumped into his car, worry clouding his thoughts."What was Abhir doing there? Why would he go into a jungle? Was he misled?"
He reached the forest edge and saw Abhir's car, abandoned.
But no sign of Abhir.
Panic set in.
He began shouting into the trees, "Abhir! Abhir!!" The sky was starting to darken, and Zain knew the dangers—wild animals roamed these woods. This wasn't just carelessness—it was life-threatening.
After what felt like an eternity, he spotted someone in the distance. It was Abhir.
Zain ran to him and without thinking, wrapped him in a tight hug.
"What were you thinking? This is a forest, not your backyard! You shouldn't have stepped out of the car. There are wild animals here. What if something had happened to you!?" Zain's voice cracked with fear and anger.
"I'm sorry…" Abhir whispered. Then he looked Zain in the eye and asked, "Why did you send me the wrong location?"
Zain froze. The hug loosened.
Abhir, now trembling, asked again, "What have I done to you? Why do you hate me so much? Why are you making my life miserable?"
Zain tried to explain, but Abhir was in no mood to listen. He continued, voice breaking, "That night… I was drunk. My friends forced me to drink. I don't even remember what I said to you. I've never touched alcohol before in my life. I was depressed…"
Zain's world shifted as the truth hit him.
Abhir went on, pouring out his heart, telling him everything he had been through—his loneliness, his pain, his struggles. His words broke something inside Zain.
Guilt washed over him like a wave.
"I'm sorry," Zain murmured.
But Abhir wasn't done. His voice shook as he said, "You gave me this job like a charity case. You wanted revenge. You didn't care about me at all."
He began blaming himself, cursing his own existence. Zain couldn't take it anymore.
To silence the storm in Abhir's eyes… he kissed him.
The forest fell silent.
Time stopped.
Their lips met—raw, emotional, desperate. It wasn't just a kiss. It was an outburst of pain, longing, regret, and something neither of them wanted to admit yet… something dangerously close to love.
For a brief moment, they weren't boss and employee.
They were just two broken souls… finally colliding.
Their kiss slowly broke, leaving both breathless and shaken.Abhir and Zain stared into each other's eyes—silent, confused, vulnerable.Neither said a word, but their hearts screamed emotions they didn't yet dare name.
Tears glimmered in their eyes as if their pain had found a reflection in the other.
Suddenly, Zain's phone rang. The moment shattered.
He stepped away to take the call, but the signal cut out halfway. Frustrated, Zain put the phone down.
"We're lost," he said quietly. "With night falling, we won't be able to find the car. It's too dangerous to stay out in the open. We need to find a safe place—somewhere wild animals won't reach us."
Without another word, they walked side by side, the silence louder than ever.Both were lost in thoughts of the kiss—the warmth, the confusion, the feeling they couldn't explain.
Eventually, Zain spotted a small cave hidden behind a dense patch of trees."This should be safe," he said, guiding Abhir inside.
"I'll go collect some branches," Zain added. "We'll need fire to keep the wild animals away."
"I'll come with you," Abhir offered quickly.
But Zain gently refused. "No. Stay here—it's safer. I won't be long."
Abhir hesitated, then nodded. "Okay… just be careful. Come back fast."
As Zain disappeared into the trees, Abhir sat alone in the cave.Darkness began to swallow the space around him.He switched on his phone flashlight, but within minutes, the battery died, leaving him in total blackness.
His fear crept in—the fear he'd always had.
The howls of wild animals echoed in the distance.
Meanwhile, Zain was snapping dry branches hurriedly. His mind kept going back to Abhir—alone, afraid.
Abhir's heart pounded as the sounds grew louder. Just when he began to panic, a familiar figure appeared at the cave entrance.
"Zain!" he cried out and ran toward him, wrapping his arms around Zain tightly. The sticks in Zain's hands scattered on the ground.
"You said you'd be quick… What took you so long?" Abhir's voice trembled. "I'm scared of the dark."
Zain cupped Abhir's face gently, his voice soft and reassuring."I'm here now. You don't need to be scared anymore."
Their eyes locked again, and for a second, everything else faded.
But the distant growl of a wild animal snapped them out of it.
"We need to light the fire now," Zain said.
He fumbled with his car keychain, which had a small emergency lighter attached. In moments, he sparked a small fire that began to brighten the cave and keep danger at bay.
Zain took off his coat, laid it on the ground, and sat quietly on it.Abhir, still unsure of his place, sat on the cold cave floor opposite him.
Their minds were loud with questions neither dared to ask.
Zain's thoughts:"I'm a man. How could I kiss another man? Why do I care so much when he's sad?"
Abhir's thoughts:"He gave me this job to hurt me… right? Then why did he take care of me? Why did he kiss me?"
Zain slowly drifted off to sleep, still lost in his thoughts.
But for Abhir, the night wasn't so easy.
The sounds of the forest crept in again—low growls, rustling leaves.He looked over at Zain, peacefully asleep, and felt drawn to him.
Abhir moved closer, gently sitting beside him.
He looked at Zain's face—the soft curve of his jaw, his black hair, the closed eyes, the lips…
He smiled slightly. "This nose always flares up in anger," he thought.
Then, his gaze fell to Zain's lips, and memories of the kiss flooded back.
His heart thudded in his chest.
He lay down beside Zain, not too close… but just enough to feel safe.
And finally… sleep found him.