[Author's Pov]
As the last slide faded from the screen, Priya murmured a soft "thank you" and returned to her seat, her palms clammy against the cool surface of her laptop. Her voice had cracked once but Aarav has noticed. He hadn't taken his eyes off her.
Aarav knows. She is different from the rest not just because of her hesitant confidence or the way her voice trembled, It was something deeper. Something personal.
As she sat, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, he caught the faintest tremor in her fingers. She avoided his gaze entirely. But he wasn't looking away.
Aarav straightened in his seat, adjusting the sleeve of his already folded shirt. He should've been focusing on the technical breakdown, but his mind kept drifting. Back to that day outside at the mall.
When the formal session ended and team members began to rise, murmuring among themselves, Aarav stayed still just for a second and watching her movement's.
Then he stood up, cutting a direct path through the exit crowd. She is near the corner of the room, clutching her laptop like a lifeline. "Priya," Aarav said softly, almost like a question.
She looked up startled.
He paused, a rare smile touching his lips, calm but warm. "You did fine," he said. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
Her lips parted slightly, surprised. "Thank you, sir..."
That soft, unsure tone again. His eyes lingered, just for a second longer than they should have. There are twenty other interns in that room. But somehow, it felt like he'd only seen her.
Then, his voice lowered, more casual now. "Do you recognize me?"
She swallows hard. [If I say yes... what will he think? That I clung to a two-second accident? That I made it more than it was?] Better to stay quiet. Safer that way.
Her voice comes out lower than she intends.
Priya blinked too quickly. Her back straightened like a kid caught sneaking extra chocolate during a family Function. "N-No, sir," she said, far too fast. "Should I?"
Aarav raised an eyebrow, amused. "You sure? Maybe somewhere... outside of the mall... crowded... with you holding lots of bags?"
She looked away with a very practiced expression of confusion. "I... I think you must be mistaking me for someone else," she said, shaking her head so vigorously that a pin almost fell out of her hair. Her tone is serious but her eyes are not. Aarav gave a small, knowing smirk but said nothing more.
Just before turning away, he murmured, "Hmm. Must be my imagination then."
But the look in his eyes said he knew exactly what he saw and so did she.
Priya nearly stumbled out of the conference room, clutching her laptop like it might save her from drowning in embarrassment. Her face was burning, and her heartbeat had no business being that loud.
She didn't look back. Not when she could still feel Aarav's gaze like sunlight on the back of her neck.
But just as she stepped into the elevator, she turned instinctively maybe to check if Tanya is following, maybe because some foolish part of her hoped he wasn't still looking. But He was.
Aarav stood a few feet away near the glass wall, hands casually in his pockets, one eyebrow slightly raised, the faintest amused smirk playing on his lips.
The doors slid closed between them like the curtain on a scene. Inside the elevator, Priya exhaled loudly. "What was that?" she whispered to herself, pressing the back of her head to the cold wall. "Why did he ask if I recognized him? Of course, I recognized him! But nooo, Priya, you had to go full panic mode and pretend like you routinely crash into tall, attractive strangers on Bangalore sidewalks."
By the time she reached her bay and dropped into her seat, her thoughts were still spiraling. She tried to focus on her screen, but her brain refused to cooperate.
Just as Priya was settling into her seat, trying to pretend that her heart wasn't doing cartwheels inside her chest, Tanya appeared beside her like a sudden ghost.
"What was that?" Tanya whispered, her voice low and dramatic.
Priya jumped. "Ayy, Tanya! You scared me!"
Tanya grinned mischievously. "Oops. But seriously, why was Aarav Mehta talking to you like he know you?"
Priya's eyes widened. "What? He wasn't I mean, he was just being polite!"
Tanya squinted at her like a detective in a drama serial. "Uh-huh. 'Polite'? With that smile? Aarav never smiles like that. And did you see the way he tilted his head? That's his secret flirty eyebrow. Very rare species."
Priya's mouth dropped open. "Tanya!"
"What? I'm just observing facts," Tanya said with a playful wink. "Why are you acting like you've got something to hide, hmm? You do, don't you?"
"I— No!" Priya's voice went a pitch higher. "Okay, maybe. Ugh. It's complicated."
Tanya gave her a look. "Oh-ho. Now you have to tell me. Come on, spill."
Priya bit her lip, glanced around their bay, then quickly stood. "Washroom. come"
"Ooooh, this sounds juicy," Tanya whispered, hopping up and following her like a puppy who just found the scent of gossip.
Inside the washroom, Priya leaned against the sink and took a deep breath while Tanya waited with mock suspense, arms folded.
"Okay," Priya finally said. "Promise you won't laugh or make it a big deal?"
Tanya raised her hand like she was taking an oath. "Cross my heart. Now tell me."
Priya looked down at the tiles and said quietly, "I bumped into him. Outside of the Pacific Square Mall. On my first day in Bangalore."
Tanya's jaw dropped. "What! You mean you ran into Aarav?"
Tanya repeated again, "Aarav?"
Priya nodded miserably. "And he was asking if I remember him or not."
Tanya excitedly asks,"So what did you say?"
"I told him that I don't know him"
Tanya gasped, half-laughing, half-scolding. "What? But why?!"
Priya groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Because I panicked, okay? My brain stopped working. I didn't expect him to recognize me."
Tanya leaned in with wide eyes. "But it's like a rom-com movie! The girl bumps into a handsome stranger. Stranger turns out to be a hot senior manager. Stranger flirts. The girl lies. Drama begins!"
Priya swatted her playfully. "Don't make it sound cute! It's not cute, it's terrifying. You didn't see the way he looked at me. Like... like he knew all my secrets."
Tanya laughed. "Girl, you are hiding secrets. Like this whole mysterious bump-into-Aarav-outside-the-mall thing you never told me!"
Priya gave her a sheepish look. "I was going to. Eventually."
"Mhm," Tanya said, squinting suspiciously. "So what now? You gonna tell him the truth? Or keep pretending you're just some random intern he's never seen before?"
"I don't know..." Priya muttered, her voice a whisper. "What if he's just messing with me? What if he doesn't remember and I imagined the whole thing?"
Tanya shook her head, smirking. "He remembered. Trust me. That man isn't a coincidence."
Tanya clutched her chest dramatically. "Girl, this is fate!"
"Please," Priya groaned. "This is a disaster."
Tanya giggled. "Well... your disaster has dimples and power. Lucky you."
She threw her arm around Priya dramatically. "Now come on. If this turns into an office romance, I need front-row seats."
Priya pulled away, scared. "I am not here for all this nonsense, okay? I came to work, not to star in some weird office love story."
Tanya grinned wickedly. "Sure, sure. That's exactly what every girl says before falling head over heels for her super-hot manager."
Priya gave her a glare. Tanya laughed, completely unfazed and smiles gently. "Okay, drama queen, deep breath. You didn't kiss him you just bumped into him and he remembers you. That's it."
Priya looks at her helplessly. "But why did he ask if I remember him? And that smile..."
Tanya tosses her an exaggerated wink. "Because you were memorable, duh."
That finally makes Priya laugh. Tanya steps forward and gently grabs her shoulders.
"Hey. Relax. I promise, no one's going to write a gossip blog about you two. Just... stay cool. Be yourself. You're doing great."
Priya exhales, slowly nodding. As they return to their bay, Priya feels a little lighter, her nerves slowly settling thanks to Tanya's calm energy.
They had barely taken their seats when Sudeep swiveled around in his chair, eyebrow raised. Rohit leaned forward on his elbows, smirking like he'd been dying to ask.
"Where did the two of you disappear?" Rohit asked. "We thought you both ran away."
Tanya didn't even blink. She tossed her hair back and gave them a look. "Women talk," she said with mock seriousness. "You wouldn't survive five seconds in that conversation."
Sudeep snorted. "You were gone for 20 minutes."
Tanya arched her brow. "Exactly. It was that intense."
Priya tried to keep her face neutral, but a deep blush crept up her neck. She kept her eyes fixed on her screen, hoping nobody noticed.
Rohit glanced between them. "Something's up. Priya looks like she saw a ghost."
"Must've been the air-conditioning," Tanya replied, fighting back a grin as she opened her laptop.
Sudeep narrowed his eyes playfully. "We'll get it out of you both. Eventually." Tanya gave a sweet smile. "Good luck with that."
[Aarav's POV]
I walk back to my cabin, closing the glass door behind me. My expression is calm, but my mind's running all over the place.
Priya.
That was her name, right? I also saw her full name on the presentation slide. Priya Kumari.
No, wait not Kumari. Singh, it's Priya Singh. I sit at my desk and open my laptop, still trying to piece things together.
I log in quickly and open the internal dashboard. Front-End Development Interns. My fingers type faster than I realize, as if I'm chasing a puzzle I didn't know I was meant to solve.
There she is. Priya Singh. Twenty-four. From Ranchi. Joined just this week. Referred through the campus outreach program. Huh.
Ranchi.
Now it makes sense, sort of. That innocence in her eyes, the slight village lilt in her voice, the way she almost ran into the elevator like she is escaping a crime scene. God, is she always this expressive?
I rub the back of my neck and lean back in my chair, letting out a silent chuckle. She really denied knowing me. Bold. Funny too. But something in her face tells she did remember.
I'm sure of it. And now I can't stop thinking about her. I'm still staring at her resume when a soft knock pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Sir?"
I glance up to see Mehul, one of the analysts from my team, standing at the door with a folder in hand and that familiar look of slight panic. Great. Real world calling.
"come in," I say, quickly minimizing the screen.
Mehul steps forward. "The client meeting slides you asked for, sir... There are some issues in the version Ritu shared. I thought you'd want to take a look before it goes to the director."
I nod, already forcing my thoughts to shift gears. "Okay, put it here," I say, tapping the desk. As he places the folder down, my eyes flicker back to the corner of my screen, Priya Singh. Just for a second.
Then I shut the laptop, like I'm shutting the door on a thought that's suddenly too loud.
Back to work.
[Author's POV {Lunch Time}]
It's nearly lunchtime when Aarav steps out of his department.
Aarav's floor lies just below the CEO's top-level suite, and while most senior executives prefer the executive elevator, today Aarav heads toward the regular employee lift. The elevator pings open, empty. He steps in, presses the button, and leans slightly against the wall as it begins to descend.
DING. The lift slows and halts on the 5th floor. The doors glide open and there she is.
Standing between Tanya and Sudeep, one hand covering her mouth as she tries to stifle her giggles. Rohit says something else, and all three laugh again. But the moment they notice who's standing inside the elevator, the air shifts.
Priya's laughter dies first, Tanya straightens, sudeep and rohit coughs lightly, like suddenly remembering he's in an office. And Priya... her eyes meet Aarav's, and just like this morning, that nervous expression creeps in , eyes slightly wide, shoulders tensed, body tilting ever so slightly behind Tanya like she's trying to disappear.
Aarav hides his smile, but inside, it's there. But something else too. He doesn't like the fear in her eyes. She still looks like she's expecting him to call her out, or worse, pull her into trouble. As if he doesn't know how to exist in her world without unsettling it.
They step into the elevator, say nothing, and press G- ground floor.
The group stands quietly beside him. Tanya leans toward Priya and bumps her shoulder playfully, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Oh ho," she mouths silently, teasing. Priya looks away, cheeks burning, pretending not to notice.
The elevator reaches the ground floor. The doors slide open. Aarav steps to the side automatically.
The group walks out, Tanya still grinning, the boys pretending they don't notice. Priya carefully avoids brushing against him, almost holding her breath as she slips past and yet, Aarav's eyes follow her, watching every step. He doesn't stop until the elevator doors close again, cutting off his view.
Down in the parking lot, Aarav walks to his car, unlocks it but doesn't get in. He stands there for a moment, tapping his fingers against the car roof. Then pulls out his phone.
"Hey," he says when his teammate picks up. "You guys having lunch in the cafeteria?"
There's a pause on the other end, and then "Uh... yeah? You're coming?"
"Yeah."
"But You never eat here..."
"I've got a lot of work today, that's why I am not going home." Aarav says casually, already turning back toward the glass doors of the office building.
There's a pause on the other end of the line. "Ohh... okay," his colleague replies slowly, clearly surprised. Aarav usually heads home for lunch it's his routine. And definitely not in the buzzing cafeteria.
Aarav presses the elevator button again, phone still at his ear.
"Which table are you guys at?" he asks, his tone neutral.
"We're at the corner table near the glass wall. Beside the juice counter," his teammate says, now sounding curious. "Want me to order something for you?"
"No, I'll come see the menu."
"Okay, cool. See you in a bit."
Aarav hangs up but doesn't pocket his phone right away. As the elevator opens and he steps in again, a flicker of a smirk returns to his face barely visible, but it's there.
The moment her eyes had met his, she had frozen again, like a deer caught in headlights. She looked like she wanted to run.
Why does she look so scared of me? He wonders, pressing the button for the first floor. All I did was ask if she remembered me.
The elevator hums gently as it descends. Aarav leans against the side, arms crossed, replaying her expression first the laughter, then the panic.
And that ridiculous little lie — "I don't know you."
Of course she does.
He shakes his head, amused and thoughtful all at once. He has no plan. No strategy. No reason for doing what he's doing except one. He wants to see her again.
The cafeteria at Infinitum Tech Solutions hums with life trays clattering, laughter echoing, the soft buzz of conversations floating through the air. It's always packed during lunch hours, and today is no different.
Aarav enters , walking past the long counters of colorful food and neatly uniformed servers
Aarav enters , walking past the long counters of colorful food and neatly uniformed servers. His sharp eyes scan the room once, quickly locating the corner table near the glass wall shaded, semi-private, and far enough from the usual crowd.
His colleague is already settling down. "Told you, quiet spot," he says with a grin, sliding a tray toward Aarav. But Aarav barely nods, distracted.
Across the cafeteria, at a table near the center, sits Priya. She hasn't seen him. Good.
He watches silently as she talks animatedly with Tanya and the two guys. Tanya nudges Priya with a teasing smirk, and all four of them break into laughter. Priya hides her face shyly with her hand, her shoulders shaking.
It's strange how different she is when she thinks he isn't looking.
He takes a bite of the roti on his plate, though his eyes drift back to her every few seconds. She's wearing a silk kurti , with her long hair in a loose braid falling over her shoulder. There's something incredibly... real about her.
Not like the people he usually works with.
Not like anyone.
His teammate leans in. "You sure you're okay? You've barely touched your food."
"I'm fine," Aarav replies, picking up the glass of water in front of him.
But he's not paying attention to the food. Not to the conversation.
His mind is still on Priya's face. On that flicker of joy he saw earlier before it vanished the second she spotted him. On her stubborn denial.
She remembers me. He knows it now more than ever.
And the more she pretends not to, the more curious he becomes.
.
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To be continued........
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