Vihaan ~

" Lighten up that scowl Raichand and it's been three years now man, if you like her, make a move on her. Fuck, at least exchange one word with her because your level of obsession with this woman is straight up fucked." My best friend, Yash who was also a silent partner in this firm said as he sat opposite to me with coffee.

I raised my eyes from the computer screen to glare him off but he has grown immune to it, smirking instead of backing off.

" You know you are obsessed with her, I do now too. The point is, when will she find that out?" He does not know to take a hint.

All I did was ignore him, concentrating back on the copy of deposition in front of my eyes on the screen, waiting for him to get out of my office.

" Fine, I will leave you alone if you answer one question." He gave me an out and once again, I looked at him, raising a brow, waiting for him to ask whatever he wanted.

" Have you ever spoken to her? Ever exchanged a word?" He asked a question to which he very well knew the answer and I pressed my lips in a thin line to avoid snapping at him. He knows how to get on my nerves.

" Tsk tsk Raichand. Make a move man. You have been fucking celibate for three years now, ever since she walked down that interview room and with a stick being as far up your ass as it is right now, you need to get laid." He did not give a pause to his filthy mouth ever after receiving the memo that I had no interest in discussing my sex life with him.

" Get out." I gritted through my teeth. He was being even more of a disturbance than usual today afternoon. He should be on his shoot but has zero regards for time, the man.

" Sure. I'll see you tonight for that family dinner in an hour" He said, getting up and brushed his shoulders in his own appreciation before walking out of the door, closing it behind him and I couldn't help but throw my head back on the chair, closing my eyes for a few seconds before a knock on the door interrupted me again.

" Come in Amaya." I called my PA inside. Only she could walk by the door and knock. The others had to let her know.

" Mr. Raichand, all your open cases have been followed up by and the fresh ones are assigned for the month too. You have no appointments anymore today." She popped her head inside and I have her a nod, waving my hand dismissively before getting my black coat jacket from the couch, leaving my office to get to the parking.

It was almost seven thirty and I had to get to mom's dinner. Missing it wasn't something anyone could dare to do or they wouldn't hear the end of it.

As I made way to the parking, I saw her unlocking her car and sitting inside. I halted my steps to avoid alerting her of my presence and my feet were rooting, my eyes never faltering away from her as she rested her head on the steering wheel for a good minute and I know that he eyes were closed.

As she looked back up and fired her car up, I realised that I was behaving like exactly what had accused me of being, obsessed with her.

I am not.

She is my employee, she works for me and that was it.

As she left the parking, I made my way to the car and drove off home, a certain Shivanya Chopra never leaving my thoughts, despite how hard I tried.

Shivanya ~

The whole day, I tried my best not to cry in front of people so every fifteen minutes, I found myself in the break room or the washroom or the file room where there was no body to let the tears out.

The ache in my heart never dulled down as I tried to submerge myself into work. I thought it would, but the voice of betrayal and being unworthy of being loved back kept on ringing in my ears and by the time the day was over, I couldn't even bring myself to cry to let the emotions out, no matter how hard I tried.

" You know that you are heartbroken when even your tears betray you." I murmured to myself as I sat in the car to drive myself home. To my sister, Radhika.

Just that thought of Radhika or Taran finding out that I am in love with him was sending waves of fear and nausea all over me and i dejectedly closed my eyes, dropping my head to the steering wheel, not finding any energy to do this, any of this.

But just on cue, my phone alerted me of a new notification from Radhika, asking me how long was I going to be. I did not reply to her text, just gathered all of myself before starting to drive back home.

I was just drove about five minutes away from office when my car broke down, making weird sounds and I immediately parked it at the side so that it does not stop in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic.

" Fucking brilliant." I let an almost scream out of myself and got down to see what the problem was.

It opened the bonnet of the car and see if one wire which always gives me trouble was the problem this time too but unfortunately, it was not.

Other than that, I had no knowledge about cars whatsoever.

" May be this is a sign that the universe doesn't want me to get home tonight. I should just spend the night in the car and then get home tomorrow." I sounded so ridiculous to myself that I cringed, hard.

Not happening. I had to search a mechanic who could fix it.

I took my phone out and googled but the nearest mechanic was about five kilometres away from  where I was stranded and the phone, unreachable.

I then decided to leave the car here and just get a cab since all the auto's were on strike but talk about my luck.

Right in the middle of the extremely busy route, there was no vacant cab to accept my request. It was like all the cabs in Mumbai had determined to not take me home tonight.

" I should probably just walk home." I had officially lost my brain. My home was almost about a good half an hour drive from work and on foot, it would at least take me about an hour and a half, if not more but I started to walk after locking that car.

" Yeah Shivanya, wear more heels. That would do you great." I muttered to myself as I had walked for about ten minutes in my pumps and to say that my feet were killing me would be an understatement.

To add to that, I had a feeling that I was being followed, raising the hair on the back of my neck.

" Stop being so cynical. No one is following you. Why would anyone do that? You are not interesting enough for your best friend to fall in love with you, why would a random stranger be anymore interested?" I could not believe the words coming out of my mouth. I was ready to be stalked but did not want to admit to myself that not even once in my lifetime has anyone showed absolutely any interest in me.

I was this close to taking my pumps off and walk barefooted when a Rolls Royce, god knows which model parked next to me after a honk, making my steps stop.

I turned my face to look when the windows of the car rolled down and I saw my boss, Vihaan Raichand, in all his glory, looking at me. There was no way he could know me by face because in the three years that I have worked for him, I have only seen him once, at the time of the job interview.

" Miss Chopra, get in the car." I was shocked for a minute when those words left him. All I could do was look at him in confusion.

" Umm...No, thank you sir." I replied without any explanation seeing that he failed to give me one.

" Miss Chopra, you plan on walking home which is extremely unfeasible considering how far you live." He spoke the words in such a nonchalant manner that for a second, my otherwise overthinking brain failed to register that he knows I live far, how?

" I am walking to the bus stand sir." I lied to him in the smoothest manner possible and he looked at me intently, making me squirm under his gaze.

" Give me some credit Miss Chopra. I know a lie when I hear one. The bus stand is in the opposite direction." He raised a brow and I looked away for a second to recollect myself before gazing back at him.

" I don't want to be a bother sir. Besides, I am sure I'll get a cab ahead." I tried to politely turn his offer down again but his eyes were unwavering.

" Get into the car Shivanya." He spoke up once again and I sighed.

" Mr. Raichand I don't...." I had started to oppose this time too when his one look made me shut my mouth and walk to the other side, opening the door and slipping onto the passenger's seat. If there was a moment of resistance in me, it was all gone when he gave me that look for some damn reason!

What on Earth did just happen?

He started to drive and I, for a moment, couldn't take my eyes off him before I realised how inappropriate that was and averted my eyes away.

" You didn't have to take this pain Mr. Raichand. I could have easily found my way home." I told him to break the uncomfortable silence we were sitting in.

He was perhaps used to it but I, in seven heavens, wasn't.

" My mechanic will get your car repaired and have it over to your house by tomorrow morning. Leave the keys with me." He changed the topic and I stopped myself from snapping at him.

" Thank you sir." I said in a small voice and he gave me a brief nod.

" You are going to assist me in the triple murder case, starting tomorrow Miss Chopra. I suggest you go through the files before sitting in that meeting with me tomorrow afternoon." This time, he was the one who spoke up.

" Goes without saying, sir. Thank you for the opportunity." This suddenly lifted my dampened mood and I couldn't help but smile.

" You have been doing good for us Shivanya." He threw a compliment, making me focus on his face once again as I muttered a thank you again to him.

That's when I noticed how deliciously handsome he is. Right from the watch on his wrist to the steering in his hands, everything screamed class about him. The way he had clutched the wheel had my attention drawn to the veins almost popping out in his arms and I should just shut up about his suit.
Shit. What is wrong with you Shivika? Stop it!

Thankfully, he did not catch me practically ogling and before he could even suspect, I looked out the window, fidgeting with my fingers.

He took the turn towards Churchgate and that is when I realised that I hadn't told him where I lived yet, how did he know? How was this even possible?

But before I could voice my concerns out, my phone went off. It was Taran and my hands trembled a bit, reading his name.

I disconnected the call and tried to ask my boss about how on earth is he aware about my living situation when my freaking phone went off again! Taran, again and this time, I took it.

" Let me get home and talk to you please?" I asked without a hello.

" I am at your place. How far are you?" He asked in return.

"  Almost there. My car broke down." I couldn't stop myself from telling him because I don't have it in me to hide things from him or Radhika.

" What? Where? Send me your location, I'll be there to pick you up." He sounded a put panicked when I intervened again.

" No, that's okay. I'll get home soon. See you." I replied before hanging up, not wanting to explain it to him.

" Mr. Raichand, how do you know where I live?" I asked him as he parked right outside my Apartment and I was flabbergasted.

" I want you there in the meeting on time Miss Chopra. I don't stand tardiness." He said as I got down from the car.

" Yes sir." I told him, still expecting him to answer my question but he did not.

Instead, he drove off, leaving me standing there with about a million questions going on in my head.

WHAT.WAS.GOING.ON.WITH.TODAY?

Hey guys! This is the next chapter. I hope you all like it.

I love you all. Until next time. Byee!!