She stepped out from the room just as the lift doors slid shut at the end of the corridor. Nonie had just left. For a brief moment, Nithya stood there, watching the empty corridor… then turned and walked towards the room.
The woman was still seated by the window. The afternoon light framed her in stillness, the harbour stretching quietly beyond her. Nithya took the seat opposite.
“How was it?” she asked.
“She’ll be alright,” the woman replied. “I told her what she needed to know.”
“You think it will settle her?”
“For a while.” A slight pause. “She’s not easily convinced.”
Nithya nodded. “There’s always been something about her.”
The woman looked at her, as if measuring the weight of that statement… then shifted her gaze.
“You have it?” Nithya placed the file gently on the table.The woman opened it, scanning through the contents in silence. Nithya turned her eyes to the window. Ships rested across the water, still, patient… waiting for something unseen.
“Ailurophile agreed?” the woman asked without looking up.
“She will.”
“The move to Kuala Lumpur?”
“She’s… uncertain,” Nithya said softly. “It feels unfamiliar to her.”
The woman nodded. “She won’t be alone. There are people there. We’ll let things unfold as they should.”
Another pause. The words were simple. Enough. Nithya let them settle.
“You’ve done well,” the woman added. “Take some time. Step away for a while.”
Nithya nodded. As she stood, her eyes lingered briefly on the woman… then on the harbour beyond.
There were still things she did not fully understand. But perhaps… she didn’t need to. Not yet. She turned and walked out of the room.
The corridor was quiet again.
Chapter 36/ 36
