The silence between them didn't last long.
It exploded.
Riya slammed the file on Arjun's desk.
"I can't do this anymore!" she said.
Arjun looked up, annoyed. "What now?"
"This attitude. This confusion. One moment you act like nothing matters, and the next—"
She stopped.
Breathing heavily.
Arjun stood up slowly.
"And the next what?" he asked.
Riya looked away.
"Nothing," she said.
"Say it," he demanded.
Riya's eyes filled with frustration.
"You kiss me… and then call it a mistake!" she snapped.
The room went silent.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Arjun's jaw tightened.
"That's because it was," he said coldly.
Those words hit like a slap.
Riya froze.
Then laughed bitterly.
"Of course. Everything is just a 'deal' for you, right?"
Arjun stepped closer.
"That's exactly what it is."
Something inside Riya broke.
"Then I quit," she said suddenly.
Arjun stopped.
"What?"
"I quit this job," she repeated.
"You don't get to decide that," he said sharply.
"Yes, I do!" she replied.
"No, you don't," he said.
"Because you signed the contract."
Riya's eyes widened.
"That contract was for work, not for controlling my life!"
Arjun's voice dropped.
"You knew what you were getting into."
Riya shook her head.
"No… I didn't know I'd lose myself in it."
Silence.
Then she turned.
And walked out.
---
For the first time—
She chose herself.