Chapter 6: The Name He Never Said
479 Words
Office – Later That Day
Anaya couldn’t focus. Her screen blurred, her fingers paused mid-typing. Karthik Suresh.
She'd never asked for his full name. He never offered it either.
And now, she was assigned to a project directly under Suresh Realty—the very name that echoed through elite business circles, real estate awards, and society magazines.
Her stomach twisted.
That evening, she sent him a message.
> Anaya: Can we meet?
> Karthik: Always. 7 PM, same beach?
> Anaya: Not the beach. My place.
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Anaya’s Apartment – That Night
She opened the door before he could knock. Her face was unreadable, arms crossed.
He sensed it immediately.
“What happened?” he asked.
She held up the Skyline blueprint and pointed to the logo.
“Is there something you forgot to mention, Karthik Suresh?”
He froze.
“How long were you going to pretend?” she asked, voice steady but eyes burning.
“I didn’t pretend,” he said slowly. “I just didn’t say it. Because I wanted you to know me—not my last name.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
He stepped forward. “I was going to tell you. I just needed time. I’ve spent my life having people like me for what my family owns. You were the first person who saw me.”
“And now I don’t know who that person is,” she whispered.
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Flashback – Karthik, 10 Years Old
He sat in a black car while his father yelled into the phone. Business meetings, staff issues, land permits—life was always about numbers and names.
That day, he had drawn a house with stick figures—him, a woman, and a little girl. He showed it to his father.
His father barely looked. “You’ll own real houses someday. Not this cartoon nonsense.”
That’s when he started hiding parts of himself.
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Present – Anaya’s Balcony
The air between them felt heavier than usual.
Karthik tried one last time.
“Anaya… what we have—it’s real. Isn’t it?”
She looked away. “I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
“Then let me prove it.”
“How?”
He stepped closer. “By earning your trust. No lies. No filters. Just me.”
She met his eyes. “One lie… and I walk. Forever.”
He nodded, heart pounding. “Deal.”
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Next Day – New Beginnings or Old Fears?
At work, things were awkward. Their project required collaboration—meaning endless meetings, shared designs, and lunch breaks where silence did most of the talking.
But something changed.
Karthik started opening up—about his childhood, pressure from his father, and why he wanted to build a name that was his own.
And slowly, Anaya listened. Not with her ears, but with her heart.
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- Writer
