The cafeteria is a buzz of activity. That evening, Thiya regales some of her day's tales as they relish their cold coffees. Not a chance encounter between friends, but an arranged meeting. Thiya doesn't mind bearing the cafeteria's noise if it means she gets to catch up with Ramya. Of course, there are other means of communication, other places they can meet at, but this now is a short mid-work day respite. One she can't miss.

"So I said I'd pitch in to kill my ex-boyfriend..."

Thiya explains briefly how she put in a strange request all to investigate a strange website leaving all the confidential case related names and facts.

"Seyon's face when I said that!" Thiya has a rather pleasing grin on her face. Though utterly disinterested in the coffee she's drinking (she can drink in later, anyway, when it's not too cold), she eyes the droplets of condensation sliding down the paper mug.

"I wish I could have taken a snap so I could show you, Ramz. It'd been priceless..."

Ramya thinks that slightly sadistic tone, that bitterness isn't Thiya. Her eyelids droop in disappointment.

"Thiya... Seyon is... You shouldn't provoke him. Let him be. It's been eight years. The longer this goes on..."

The sadder you'll be... Ramya trails off, swallowing the rest of her sentence. Thi, I want you to move on and be happy.

Thiya takes a slow sip of her cold coffee. The cafeteria's crappy air conditioning means the summer heat is warming up her cuppa to the desired amount of chill, steadily, much to her comfort. The slasher case, having to work alongside her ex. When will the nightmare end? And why must she spare Seyon?

"Ramz..." she throws Ramya a pointed look, her friend's words finally sinking in. "You mean, I shouldn't even jab at him? Why, he deserves to feel the pain! She deserves to suffer like I did! Seyon Harith, that cheater! I wonder what happened to that woman he dumped me for! She could've dumped him, huh? It's why he became a lone wolf. How wonderful, eh..."

Thiya is rambling on, loud enough for anyone close by to hear. Somewhere along, midway through her speech, Ramya's eyes have gone wide. Thiya hasn't noticed, but Soham and Seyon are nearby. One table away! They have heard everything. Noticing Ramya's stare, Seyon has brought his index finger to his lips, asking her not to speak.

"Ramz, why have you gone quiet?"

Thiya glances at her friend in an inquiring manner. Ramya feigns nonchalance and finishes her coffee. A few seconds pass in silence. She'd been frozen after spotting Seyon. What kind of friend is she? She couldn't even discreetly signal to Thiya that their conversation was no longer private. She swallows her sigh and self pity. Once Seyon and Soham are gone, she turns to Thiya again, hoping she can find an opening sometime soon to confess her guilt.

"So you say..."

Seyon made her silently swear before he left. Ramya won't have regrets breaking a silly promise to someone she doesn't really care about. But she has her own guilt that forbids her from confessing what happened.

"So you say, Thi... You say you want him to suffer. The truth just hit me now and it will hit you harder.  But I'll still say it. You love him, don't you? You're in love with Seyon even after eight years..."

Thiya snorts, huffs at the words she hears, though a tight lump forms in her throat. Oh, the tightness in her chest, the weight of feelings she'd been trying to suppress, are too hard to bear. Only a dimwit would love someone who'd abandoned them eight years ago. How awful that she's that dimwit...

Ramya clasps Thiya's hand, a gesture of solidarity.

"It's okay, Thi. It sounds bad, but you can accept it now. Don't run away from the truth."

"The truth..." Thiya finds it unable to keep her emotions in check. Torn between wanting to lash out at her dear friend and also thanking her for exposing the obvious truth in plain sight. She takes in a deep breath as her eyes mist with tears.

"You don't need to blame yourself." Ramya's tone is sympathetic. "It's not your fault. Love is supposed to be a forever thing, isn't it? It was true love from your end. So it's not a surprise if you still love him. Well, it is the truth like it or not... In all these years, you have never stopped loving him."

That's all it takes for Thiya to break down into tears. The frustration in her heart is so high she feels like pounding her fists on the table and thrashing everything else.

"No..."

She brings her hands to stop the sob leaking out of her mouth at the last moment. "This... Why did this happen... Why do I have to be..."

She tries to keep it in, not wanting to be a spectacle. Both she and Ramya spoke in hushed tones, but the curious glances are already up on them. Thiya brushes off her tears and composes herself. Looking up, she meets Ramya's grimace, their fingers laced together, giving her momentary strength to dull the ache in her chest

***

Seyon races up two flights of stairs before finally stopping for breath on a landing. His blazer is dishevelled and so are his bangs which he hastily pushes back into place. His breath puffs out in sync with Soham's who ran to catch up with him. Soham doesn't blame his friend. That speed is needed to calm anyone's mind, he supposes. The question leaves his lips, "Are you okay, Sey?"

A moment's silence. There's not anyone traipsing around. Seyon has the privacy to speak his mind. "I don't hold her responsible for what happened. Not after eight years. But she does? She called me a cheater?"

Seyon frowns at himself, still speaking in a hushed tone. "She thinks I cheated on her?! I couldn't have imagined she held such a grudge against me. But seriously, who's this other woman? And what's this about a lone wolf..."

"Um..." Soham speaks hesitantly. "Grudge? I'd say she's mad at you, Sey. Mad after eight years... That's something, isn't it? Maybe she's not over you... I think you gotta talk it over ..."

Seyon nods once without looking at Soham. "Once the case is over."

As they return to hall 57, Soham whispers under his breath, his voice full of hope. "And I think you feel the same way, Seyon. I hope you realise."

***

Thiya returns to hall 57 a while later. Seyon's gaze shifts to her, who's plopped at her desk next to him. She's focusing on her computer again, her eyes swollen and red. The thought pops into his head — has she been crying? He can't help but ask, "what's wrong?" sounding as casual as possible.

He won't deny. He'd be lying if he said her words didn't stir his heart. He's wounded, alright. His emotions are a wreck. But at the moment, he worries more about her. The space between their desks is so scarce, one a second glance, he catches the faint traces of tears clinging to her lashes. He's tempted to reach out and comfort her, yet instead, he asks that one dumb question.

"Allergy..." Thiya says without looking his way and shuts her desktop. "You know I'm prone to those."

She rises from her seat so abruptly, making her lie more evident in his viewpoint.

"Excuse me. I have to extend my break a bit. I ...need some air."

With those words, she exits hall 57. Seyon rises to his feet and bangs his fist in the desk with half the force he wants to use, and then runs his fingers through his hair.

"Damn it... First, she wants to kill me. Now she cries! Does she..."

He trails off, realising he is speaking his thoughts aloud. Soham and Mira are also on their feet, throwing him troubled looks. Seyon shakes his head.

"I too need some air..."

He storms out of hall 57 after Thiya, towards a different destination. Air... Yeah, they both need some air before they can refocus on the case. Still, the paths they've been walking on appear to be the same. Maybe they'll arrive on a same destination someday.

***

AN: I think the chapter came around decently? What do you guys think?

Up next: Thiya is frustrated (mostly with herself) but she vents it out on Seyon whenever she can. Until Seyon finally snaps and they get into an argument about what happened in the past... "Who dumped who?" 

Also the website leads Thiya to a clue, where surely danger too awaits....

TBC Stay tuned! <3 Please vote and comment if you're reading this story. Tysm.