35. Wallpaper

Hi!!

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That day, Ananya and Amrita were busy working in the office. It was well past lunchtime, yet neither had eaten.

Ananya walked up to Amrita, her hand on her stomach. “Amul Baby, I’m starving!”

Amrita barely looked up, completely engrossed in her work. Just as she was about to respond, her phone rang. She picked it up without glancing at the caller ID.

“Yes?” she said, her voice firm and professional.

“Did you eat, Ritu?” a soft yet commanding voice asked from the other side.

Amrita froze. The familiar tone made her straighten in her chair. “Uh… no, Mayya,” she replied hesitantly.

“And why is that?” Ishika asked, her voice sharp with a hint of anger.

“Um…” Amrita began, but her mind blanked under the weight of Ishika’s question.

“Isha Amma?” Ananya whispered, her curiosity piqued.

“Ananya? You didn’t eat either?” Ishika’s voice shot up in pitch, and Amrita instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear.

“Ritu, put me on speaker,” Ishika ordered sternly.

Amrita sighed, knowing better than to argue, and obeyed.

“Why didn’t you two eat?” Ishika demanded.

“We… it’s just…” Amrita stammered, unable to come up with an excuse.

“It was work, Isha Ma,” Ananya answered softly, lowering her head as though Ishika could see her.

“Work?” Ishika’s tone was both incredulous and scolding. “Fine. I’m coming there with food. You’re eating, both of you!”

“Oh, no, no, Mayya! Please don’t take the trouble. Just… send lunch with someone else,” Amrita interjected quickly, the thought of Ishika storming into the office making her shiver.

From behind them, a stifled laugh broke the tension. Both women turned to see Mahima, sitting at Amrita’s desk, barely holding in her laughter as she worked.

“Alright then,” Ishika said curtly before hanging up.

“I wonder who the traitor is that told Isha Ma we skipped lunch,” Ananya muttered darkly, her eyes narrowing at Mahima.

Mahima feigned innocence. “What? I was just doing my job!”

“Your job wasn’t to report us to Isha Mayya!” Amrita snapped, her tone sharp.

“Oh, but it was!” Mahima retorted, her grin mischievous. “I’m getting paid not just by you but by Ishika Ma too. I’m just being thorough!”

Amrita and Ananya exchanged a look before turning back to glare at Mahima, who chuckled nervously. Sensing the growing tension, she quickly sought an escape.

“Actually, Ritu baby—uh, I mean, Amrita Ma’am,” she corrected herself hastily when Amrita’s glare intensified, “I need to grab some files from your PC. Let me get on it.”

Mahima walked over to Amrita’s computer, powered it on, and clicked through without hesitation.

“No—!” Amrita yelled, her voice laced with panic, but it was too late.

The moment the desktop loaded, Mahima froze. Her eyes widened in shock. “What the—?”

Curious, Ananya moved beside her to check the screen. The next second, her jaw dropped.

“Aa-Aar-Aaryan Bhaiya?” Ananya pointed at the screen, her voice almost a squeak.

There, on the screen, was Aaryansh’s photo set as the wallpaper of Amrita’s PC.

Mahima blinked, then blurted out, “So this is what you’ve always been staring at all day?”

Amrita’s face flushed crimson, though she quickly tried to mask it with an irritated scowl.

“Shut up, both of you,” she muttered, attempting to grab the mouse and change the wallpaper, but Mahima blocked her way.

“Oh no, this is pure gold!” Mahima said, still gawking at the screen. “You, the ice queen, are crushing on your husband? This is too good!”

Ananya couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. “Oh my god, Amrita! This is priceless! I thought you didn’t even like him!”

“I don’t,” Amrita said sharply, though her red cheeks betrayed her. “It’s just a… coincidence.”

“A coincidence that his picture happens to be your wallpaper?” Mahima teased, crossing her arms. “Yeah, sure.”

“It’s an old picture,” Amrita snapped, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “I just… haven’t had time to change it.”

“Right,” Ananya said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Because you’re soooo busy staring at it.”

“Ananya!” Amrita groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Mahima smirked. “You know, I think we should tell Mr Aaryansh about this. He’ll be so flattered.”

“Don’t you dare!” Amrita’s head shot up, her eyes blazing.

“Relax, Ritu baby,” Mahima said, waving her hand dismissively. “Your secret’s safe with me… for now.”

“Mine too,” Ananya added with a grin, though the mischievous glint in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed.

Amrita sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You two are impossible.”

“We’re just observant,” Mahima said with a wink.

As Mahima walked off, Ananya leaned closer to Amrita, whispering, “You know, Ritu, you can just admit it. You like him.”

“Not another word,” Amrita warned, though her tone had softened.

Ananya simply smirked, following Mahima out of the room, leaving Amrita alone with her thoughts—and her wallpaper.

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Hit The Star ⭐

THEIR FRIENDSHIP, A TIMELESS PROMISE ✨🩵