Chapter 24

Akruti Arora

Elated. Delighted. Gleeful. Awkward. Confused.

These are the things I'm feeling presently. After my breakdown and him caring for me, me being in his arms, all these felt magical. I felt so secured to be in his arms. All the things for which I've been weeping disappeared like it was never there before. Poof!

Lounging in one of the bedrooms of Nila's flat, this is what I'm reckoning about. I started liking him from the day he cared for me when I passed out. But his behavior towards me, made me alter my feelings. But I do know that the mistake was mine. I was defying him like a plague.

I'm gleaming and grinning like a dumbhead right now. It was so embarrassing for us to be in the party room after the episode. I kept on blushing whenever he glanced at me. Even Dadi, Preeti, and Nila asked me whether I was good. What am I supposed to answer? When the moment for us to flee the party came, I bid goodbye to everyone and mumbled a very hasty goodbye to Viren.

'How good his name sounds.'

When I told Nila that I'm stopping at her flat for two days, she looked at me skeptically. But I told her that I wanted to work about the new venture and all stuff. She easily bought my lie. Thank goodness.

The stuffs which I read in books are occurring in my life. All the utopian emotions. I was just lounging on the bed. I couldn't sleep at all.

'What will he be doing now? Will, he think about me?'?

I admonished myself for behaving like an ignoramus. I'm presently looking like a youngster with a new-found crush. Smiling I was about to close my eyes when I heard my mobile's notification tone. Frowning I glanced at the clock. It indicated 2.00 AM.

'Who in their perfect state of mind is texting me now?', I thought.

I felt my heart halt for a second. The notification showed a text from 'Mr.Hoity-Toity'. I know it's a long name. But it kinda suited him. Giggling at my own thought, I opened the text.

"Hello, Ms.Arora... I hope you are doing well - Viren Khanna".

The text read. Back to being formal. And here I'm lounging and guessing all romantic stuff. I wish I could meet that mystery man. That guy will be better I think. This guy totally ruined my mood.

"Yes SIR. I'm totally fine - Ms.Arora"

I replied him back and put my phone aside, I closed my eyes.

'Jerk go to hell.'

Again my phone beeped with a notification. It's no rocket science to find that person. It's Mr. Certified Jerk. I opened my phone and my eyes popped out of my sockets.

"I was thinking of you calling Akruti from now on...after today's happenings...is that okay with you? "

Damn this guy. He surely knows how to make me smile and grin like an idiot. This whole thing feels foreign to me. Then I texted him back.

"But what about in office...will you call me Akruti there too?"

"Yeah...no one can change my decision."

'And yeah, No one can change their attitude within a second like you. Before he was all sweet and now being back to the arrogant jerk he is', I thought.

"Okay", I texted him.

"Didn't catch any sleep? - Viren".

"No... I'm wide awake - Akruti".

"Akruti are you really okay? You nearly made me anxious!!"

"Yeah, I'm totally fine. Thanks to you"

"Thanks for??"

'Ooh....now we're playing dumb, are we?',  I thought.

"You honestly don't know for what I'm  thanking you??" , I texted him.

"No I guess", came his reply.

"Okay then I'll sleep, actually it's a waste of time in telling you", I replied to his reply.

"You thought I'll forget about today's happening just like that? It's a beautiful memory to be forgotten"

I blushed so badly at the text. The arrogant jerk is being so cheesy. Never ever I guessed that this guy will text like this. The next message made me blush even more.

"Don't blush when I can't see"

" Don't dream Mister. Why would I be blushing now?"

"You know the reason, Miss"

"NO... I'm not blushing."

"Then why did you blush at the party, whenever I glanced at you."

"Who told you that I was blushing? For your kind information, I was not blushing"

"Tell whatever let's you sleep at night, but I know you BLUSHED "

Is this guy for real. He's being so cheesy. Texting me like a teenage boy. Okay, I agree even me too. But this guy. I couldn't still digest the fact.

"Okay now sleep. It's already late. Good night Akruti"

"Good night Viren". I messaged him back.

I was feeling so happy that I couldn't sleep. But thoughts about certain black eyes lulled me to sleep.

__________________

Viren Khanna

It's been two days since the party. She's making feel all those things which I don't want to feel. And that late night text on Friday night. Man, I was so nervous to text her.

'Really the great CEO was scared to text a girl', my subconscious mocked me.

'Bro it's a girl, not a deal!!!'  my heart exclaimed.

'Okay shush you now '.

I steadied myself when I heard a knock on the door. I was kinda excited to see her. Damn, I was behaving like a hormonal youth. I replied a 'come in' and pretended to be busy. She entered and didn't speak for a minute or so.

"So you're gonna just stand here and not tell my schedules Akruti? ", I said reading a file.

I didn't get any response from her.

"So you're not gonna talk now....okay then I'll text you, I guess you'll reply only for my texts, not to my talks". I heard snickering sounds. Yes...you read it right. Sounds!!

I pulled my face of the file, to look at the person standing in front of me.

'No...no.. not these two'.

Sharav and Daksh were standing with a smirk adorning their faces.  'How badly I want to wipe that smirk off'.

"So Akruti huh??", Sharav asked me in a teasing manner.

"Man quit that all. These guys are TEXTING for God' sake", Daksh yelled.

"Oh shut up you two", I told them.

"So when did this all start?", questioning me, Sharav took a seat, while Daksh was acting like he's going to pass out.

"From the party night!?", my answer was a sort of question.

"What!!", they shouted in unison.

"Yeah!!"

I replied to them in a nonchalant manner. Like hell, I'll get embarrassed by them. Daksh was about to question me when a knock interrupted him.

'Bless the person', I prayed internally for that person.

I was about to answer when these two answered instead of me. I saw Akruti walking inside my cabin in, looking beautiful as usual. When she saw the smirking and teasing faces of Daksh and Sharav, her eyebrows furrowed. She asked them gesturing 'What' by mouthing at them. But these two idiot friends of mine continued to grin like anything.

"Nothing Akruti we just came to know your boss' late-night texting habits", replied Daksh coolly. And in an instant her cheeks starting turning red.

'Damn....how badly I'm beginning to love that blush of hers!!'.

"Oh", was her reply.

"Okay now if you guys can leave I've some important works to do. So please excuse us", I told them in a sarcastic manner.

"I see", they said in unison. They started towards the door when the meeting with the Paris clients came back to me.

"And guys we do have a meeting with the Paris clients. And you do know the things right?", I questioned them. I've to ask them because these two forget things easily.

"Yeah we remember"

"That's good", hearing my response they were grinning like a fool. Then they left my cabin. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then she started saying my schedule, and we started working on it.

Then around twelve in the afternoon the clients from Paris reached. They liked our company and the meeting went pretty well too. All this time I tried to focus on the work, but I couldn't. She kept distracting me. Doing nothing. The way she listens when others discuss in the meeting, the way she notes the points. All these things did something in my heart. I couldn't focus.

She's the clumsiest person I've ever come across. She wobbles while walking, crashes her head on the door, the desk. And the reactions she gives to them are so cute. She pouts cutely. Damn, I badly craved to kiss that pout of hers.

Suddenly my phone beeped with the message.

"Concentrate on the things which need your attention, not on the one which doesn't!!

- Sharav"

After reading the message I saw both Daksh and Sharav struggling to hold their laugh. When I turned to look at Akruti she was listening to all talks with utmost concentration. I sighed heavily. Seeing this Sharav laughed and covered his laugh by feigning a cough. Whilst Daksh patted his back in a comforting manner, looking at me with a smirk. Akruti was feeling bad for Sharav 'cause he was coughing. Can't she differentiate the difference between a real and a reel cough?

' Maybe that's why I like Ms. Akruti Arora'.

'Gosh, this girl will be the death of me'.

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