"Sir, your lunch is ready. Should I lay the table?"

Cabir's PA Samantha asks in hesitance as she knows her boss doesn't like to be disturbed during his works. He is a workaholic.

"Hmmmmm?....No....I have some work to finish. You go and have your lunch."

Cabir says without shifting his eyes from the laptop screen. Samantha sheepishly glances at the wall clock. It is 4:00 pm. She already has had her lunch. After a few second Cabir feels something awkward. He lifts his face just to locate Samantha still standing in her previous place in an attention position. He crunches his eyes in annoyance.

"What?...Do you have anything to say?"

His voice is ruffled.

"Sir, Nandini Ma'am called me to ask if you have had your lunch. She told me to report her back."

She informs with a confused face. Cabir looks at her for a while.

"This girl or should I say my little mother spies on me even she is not around. She even appointed some envoys to report her about my movement. God..."

Cabir signs and beckons Samantha to get lunch. Samantha gives a bright grin of relief and leaves in a hurry. Cabir throws the pen on the table and pulls the drawer to take out a packet of cigarette. However, he can't find it inside so inserts his hand further. Suddenly something sharp pricks his fingertip. He pulls back his hand with a jerk. A blood drop is oozing out from the corner of his middle finger. He sucks it and tries to look inside the drawer. A photo frame is kept inside. Its sharp corner might prick his finger. He carefully slides his hand inside the drawer and takes out the frame. There is a photo of a girl in the early twenty's. He caresses it with a rueful grin.

"You still aren't fed up of hurting me?"

He murmurs with brimming eyes. Wiping them he again slides the photo frame inside the drawer. He closes it with a thrust and locks it with gritted jaws. It seems like he wants to hide a corner of his heart even from his subconscious mind.

........................................

I am vacantly staring at my laptop screen. The geometric lines on the screen seem like dancing hypnosis spirals. I close my eyes and lean back in my seat. However, I don't get a respite. Nandini's swollen lips flash in front of my eyes.

"Damn...I can't work like this. I am not being able to take her out from my head. It was an impulse reaction...but why does it feel weird to take it as an impulse reaction? Is it because this was my first kiss? I never felt in the way I started to feel for this girl? My body and mind instantly react whenever I come in her proximity. What is this feeling called? Lust?...No it can't be mere lust. Then love?...Not at all. We just met and I don't believe in love at first sight.Why don't you ask her? If she is feeling in the same way."

My inner God suggests.

"But she has been avoiding me since that kissing thing happened."

I mumble unmindfully.

"So what? She hasn't fired you yet. That means she wants you to be around."

My optimistic mind gives logic.

"I think I should talk to her. I have to know her mind."

I say to myself and pick the intercom receiver.

"Yeah...I want to meet Ms Nandini Murty. Is she free? Can I go to her cabin?"

I ask the receptionist. She takes some minutes to confirm.

"Sorry Mr Manik, she can't meet you right now."

Her words make me clench my jaws. She is still avoiding me. But how long?

"Ms Nandini Murthy...you shouldn't have tested my patience like this. I want to talk to you and I will."

I put the receiver down with a thud and open my mail page to write a mail to our CEO.

"Let's see..how will you avoid this?"

I say with my famous smirk.

.....................................................

I am meandering in my cabin with a restless mind. There are lots of works to do but damn...I am not being able to concentrate. His touch, his smell, his proximity is spiralling in my mind even if I am trying a lot to shun the thought. To divert my mind I ping Samantha and ask her about Bhai. Damn..he hasn't had his lunch yet just like me. I throw the phone to the sofa in frustration. Just then, the intercom starts beeping in order to vex me more.

"Yeah, Natasha..."

I try to control my exasperated tone. But her words put me in the fire again.

"Tell him I am busy...can't meet right now."

I spurt out and put the receiver down.

"Why does he want to meet me? Doesn't he have enough drama? Perhaps he wants to apologise for his mistake."

My ever teaser inner Goddess answers.

"Mistake?...was it a mere mistake for him? Then what was that feeling that I felt when he was smooching me?" Your lust..of course. He is hot and you were starved."

She again opines.

"Shut up... it was not lust...at least not from my side."

I try to counter.

"Then love...at first sight."

She opines again.

"No way...I don't believe in love at first sight. Even more, I don't believe in love. This love destroyed my brother. Now it can't trap me."

I try to convince myself.

"Then talk to him and clear it"

My talkative mind suggests.

"I can't...he makes me weak and I don't want to be weak in front of him."

I wobble to wave away the thought.

"And you are saying it is not love..."

My inner Goddess never misses a chance to tease me. Suddenly my mailbox pings. I sit on my chair to open it.

ELYSIAN

1xxx A Bandra

Mumbai

Dear Ma'am

CEO ELYSIAN

Please accept this letter as my resignation from my position..........

I don't read the other lines but stick my eyes on the name below the letter.

Sincerely,

Manik Malhotra.

"Natasha, send Mr Malhotra in my cabin.. right now."

My blood is boiling at the moment. What does he think of himself? I press my temples to control my uprearing anger.

..............................................

"May I know, what is the reason behind this abrupt decision?"

Ms Nandini confused Murthy turns her laptop at me.

"It was not abrupt rather I thought about it over and over and after that only I made the decision."

I calmly reply because I know how to irritate her. I smile in my mind.

"Ohh...But may I know the reason?"

Her voice is stern.

"YOU.."

I reciprocate with same stony tone. She frowns to grok my words.

"I can't work in such a place where my boss doesn't have time for me."

My words just increase the anger in her eyes. But Ms Nandini Murthy, I haven't finished yet.

"You also have a valid reason to accept my resignation. I kissed you...you can fire me unless it also affected you in the same way it did to me."

I look through her mysterious doe eyes. She immediately shifts hers.

"I didn't understand what are you talking about? I can't even remember such an incident. Nothing happened at all which can affect me in any way."

She is trying her best to hide her emotion. But she doesn't know Manik Malhotra.

"Then it is easier to let me go. Nothing happened at all...so nothing will happen after my exit."

Now it is my turn to play with words.

"I can't...we have some immediate client demands and I committed them on the basis of your work experience."

She finds out a superb excuse. I smile at her immaturity.

"What a lame excuse to keep me close! Why don't you accept that I affect you? You don't want me to leave because you like me. You started feeling for me since we met. Your body reacts when I touch you. Can you deny all these?"

I didn't notice when I get up from my seat and come near to her. She leaps up from her chair and pushes me in frustration.

"Yesss....I don't feel anything for you. The kiss was a mistake which I want to forget. I don't like you...rather I don't like to have any man in my life. Because I don't trust the word 'love'."

She vents out while I am only observing her.

"I didn't mention the word 'love'. But it's good that you confessed at last. Maybe your conscience is not allowing you admitting it right now but I promise..very soon you will confess your love for me."

I say confidently and leave her cabin with hope.

Author's note: The lines in bold and Italic are the thoughts of the respective characters. Plz do inline comments.🙏🙏🙏♥️♥️♥️