Episode 14 : The Rules I Live By
661 Words
(Kayish's POV)
The city was almost asleep when I pulled my car into the basement of my apartment building.
The digital clock on the dashboard read 4:47 A.M.
Later than I usually stayed out.
I switched off the engine and sat there for a few seconds, allowing the silence to replace the music that had been echoing in my ears all night.
The party had been successful.
The new recruits had enjoyed themselves.
Everyone reached home safely.
The night was over.
Just another responsibility completed.
I picked up my phone, stepped out of the car, and entered the private elevator that opened directly into my apartment.
The moment the doors slid open, familiar silence greeted me.
Exactly the way I liked it.
My apartment occupied the entire top floor. Modern interiors, floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city skyline, warm lighting, dark wooden flooring, minimalist furniture—everything had been designed with precision.
Nothing unnecessary.
Nothing out of place.
Much like my life.
I placed my keys in the tray beside the entrance.
Watch.
Wallet.
Phone.
Everything in its place.
Routine mattered.
Routine never disappointed.
As I loosened my tie, my phone vibrated repeatedly.
Three messages.
Same contact.
Sana.
"You disappeared."
"Thought we'd grab breakfast?"
"Call me when you wake up."
I glanced at the messages before locking the screen again.
No reply.
There wasn't any need.
Sana understood how things worked.
Just like the women before her had.
No promises.
No commitments.
No questions.
No emotional expectations.
It had always been that simple.
People complicated relationships by expecting permanence.
Kayish Sinha didn't promise permanence.
Life was easier that way.
Cleaner.
He walked toward the kitchen, poured himself a glass of cold water and emptied it in one go before walking to his bedroom.
His blazer landed neatly over the chair.
His cufflinks beside the watch.
His shirt followed.
Everything folded.
Everything organized.
He stepped into the shower.
Cold water hit his shoulders, washing away the smell of smoke, perfume and alcohol from the club.
Usually, that was enough to end the night.
A shower.
A few minutes.
Sleep.
Tomorrow—technically today—was Saturday.
No office.
No meetings.
No presentations.
No deadlines.
Exactly the kind of morning most people looked forward to.
He rarely did.
Work gave structure.
Weekends were simply empty hours.
After drying his hair, he walked toward the bed, switched off the bedside lamp and closed his eyes.
...
Nothing.
Sleep didn't come immediately.
Annoying.
He shifted onto his side.
His mind automatically began preparing Monday's schedule.
The quarterly review.
Singapore client meeting.
Marketing budget approvals.
The new campaign proposal.
Good.
Numbers made sense.
Numbers stayed where you placed them.
Unlike people.
For reasons he couldn't explain, another memory interrupted.
"Sir... I want street food."
A small pout.
An almost childish expression.
He opened his eyes.
Seriously?
Out of everything that happened tonight...
That?
He let out a quiet breath.
Ridiculous.
He closed his eyes again.
"Maybe you're afraid to lose control."
This time he almost laughed.
Not because the comment was funny.
Because no one had spoken to him like that in years.
Most employees chose every word carefully around him.
She didn't.
Whether that was confidence or innocence...
He hadn't decided yet.
He turned to the other side.
Enough.
Office stays in the office.
That had always been his rule.
Employees remained employees.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
His phone vibrated again on the bedside table.
Without looking, he switched it to silent.
The room fell completely quiet.
Outside, the city slowly welcomed another morning.
Inside, sleep finally began to take over.
His last conscious thought wasn't about the party.
Nor the drinks.
Nor the dancing.
It was a simple reminder to himself.
Monday.
Everything would return to normal.
The Legacy.
Meetings.
Targets.
Deadlines.
Professional boundaries.
Exactly the way it had always been.
And exactly the way it would remain.
Or so he believed.
Because sometimes...
life begins to change long before a person notices it.
- Writer
