Disclaimer : All the characters written below are imaginary and a work of pure fiction. There is no resemblance to any incident or situation and is written as work of fiction.

Mishti sat in the presentation room ready with the new fabric when Ritwik walked in.
She got up.

"sit....where is Maria ma'am and Shweta?" he said settling on the chair.

"Maria ma'am is on a video conference with the clients and Shweta ma'am has left....it is her daughter's birthday...." she said opening her laptop.

"that's sweet....call Rahul and ask him to send some toys and chocolates to Shweta's house...."

"sure sir...." she smiled a bit and did what he had asked her to.

"so Ms. Khanna what is you suggestion?should we keep the designs same?"

"I don't think that is a good idea sir....considering the difference in fabric will mess with the fall of the clothes if the designs are not altered...."

"makes sense...." he rubbed his temple.

"sir do you need coffee?" she asked him slowly assuming that he was having a head ache.

"no I am good...." he said removing his fingers from his temple immediately. "do you need coffee?"

"I won't mind...." she said knowing he will agree to have it only if she does.

"cool then...." he rang the bell and asked the attendant to bring two coffee.

"so coming back....when do you think the new designs will be ready....we anyway don't have much time....we have already wasted one full consignment...." he asked her.

"I have the designs ready with me...." she forwarded the files to him with the drawings.

He was impressed. She was dedicated.

He went through the designs and nodded.

"Great job...." he muttered in a low voice.

The attendant came and knocked the door.

"haan aiye...." he said sweetly as he came in with their coffee , kept the tray on the table and left.

Mishti picked up his cup and forwarded it to him.

"be careful with my suit...." he said controlling his smile. She smiled softly.

"I am sorry Sir about...." she said slowly.

"It's okay...." he chuckled and then laughed softly as he sipped his coffee.

She smiled shyly and fidgeted with the files and sipped her coffee.

"Aman told me about you father's company....very strange decision on you part by the way...." he said as a matter of fact.

"even Taani doesn't work here....she has opened her own dance academy and is happy there...."

"her field is different....you are in the same field like your father....and Taani does handle a few clients here....it is just that she doesn't get time to invest full time here after her dance...."

She nodded.

"Ms. Khanna...." before he could complete she cut him off.

"you can call me Mishti...."

"deal but then even you need to call me Ritwik...." he shrugged.

"it will look odd in office....we will see that later....what were you saying?"

"oh yeah....can you help Taani with the wedding shopping?mom will go but I think you might help her...."

"for sure I will...." she said sweetly and he nodded softly.

They chatted and finished their work and didn't realise that it was late at night.

"shit it's late...." she was taken aback checking the time. He had a look at his watch and got up.

"yes it is way past your working hours...."

"that is not a problem at all sir....it is just that i didn't realise that it was so late...." she said getting up and was wrapping up her files and laptop. He looked at her softly. Something was there about her. It made him uneasy and uncomfortable but she also had this peace in her. A peace that was infectious. It made everything around peaceful. Her eyes were soft yet passionate. The way she looked would make him go dry in his throat , as if she could read him through. It made him scared and vulnerable. He had never felt this way. He didn't realise that he wa staring at her for too long. Longer than socially acceptable standard where he should stare at his employee.

She was about to put the files inside her bag when those dropped.

"shit...." she muttered and knelt down to pick her files. She brushed her silky hair behind her ears but they made their way over her face again.

He walked towards her and knelt down in front of her involuntarily. He held the files on the floor , still looking at her face.

"sir....I'll do it...." her voice brought her out of the reverie and he quickly stood up with a couple of files. What the hell is wrong with you Ritwik.

She got up with the rest of the files as he handed her the ones in his hand.

"thank you sir...." she said politely and packed her stuffs and they walked out of the building together , Ritwik still dazed out with what was wrong with him , boderline angry at himself.

She took out her phone from the bag to book a cab.

"sit....I will drop you...." he said unlocking his car with a beep.

"thank you sir but i will book a cab...." she said politely.

"i know where you stay....i will anyway have to cross your place to reach mine....come...." he said opening the door of the passenger seat.

"thank you...." she said softly and sat inside.

He quickly sat at the driver's seat and started to drive.

As they reached the sea link , she badly wanted to roll the window down to feel the breeze. But she didn't say anything.

Before she could know what was happening , she found the windows were rolled down.

She looked at him in surprise. Can he read her thoughts.

"the way you were looking at the window and then at the AC....you could have told me...." he said looking straight at the road.

She smiled softly and looked outside as the wind hit her face which made her hair fly near Ritwik's shoulder.

To his surprise he was not irritated. He usually got irritated if Taani's hair would fly near him. He liked the smell of her hair. He turned his face to her hair for a bit and breathed in softly before concentrating on the road again.

The rest of their drive was silent.

"that's the building...." she said pointing at her left as he parked the car.

"thank you sir...." she said getting out of the car and waved at him softly. "drive safe...." she said softly.

He looked at her immediately. Something that only his mom said. Everytime. He nodded and drove away brushing his thoughts away.

A few weeks have passed and Ritwik entered the office on time to find his blood boil in anger with the scene in front of him.

Mishti was leaning on the table of their cafeteria and was having coffee with Rahul , his PA. They were laughing and chatting happily while having their coffee.

She never laughs like that with Ritwik , was his first thought and it made him more angry. Reason unknown to him. He gritted his teeth and went to the lift lobby not replying to the employees who had greeted him. The irrational part of his brain had taken over.

A couple hours later Aman and Taani dropped by. She had a board meeting to attend and Aman dropped her and decided to meet Mishti and Ritwik.

Both the lifts were out of service and both of them took the stairs. Taani was on call and twisted her ankle while walking up and fell a couple of steps down before Aman could catch her safely. She creamed in pain.

Ritwik heard her scream from inside her cabin and quickly ran outside to see Taani crying in pain and Aman was picking her up with a number of employees including Mishti surrounding them.

"what happened?" Ritwik asked them panicked.

"Taani twisted her ankles...." mishti said anxiously. "dada please get some ice packs fast...." she told an attendant.

"Aman come to my cabin and make her sit on the couch...." Ritwik said in fear as they went to his cabin.

Aman made taani lay down on the couch and called the doctor immediately.

"how did this happen?why were you using the stairs?" he asked aman and caressed Taani's ankle softly. "is it paining too much bacchhaa?"

She shook her head.

"the lifts are out of service....i had asked dada to...." before Mishti could finish Ritwik looked at her.

"shut up....just keep your mouth shut....the lifts are out of service and you didn't even bother to get those fixed?because of you my sister is hurt...." he shouted at her angrily. He was angry with the morning incident and thus picked this fight up without any reason. It was not her job to get the lifts fixed.

"Ritwik...." aman was about to hold his shoulder.

"Aman stay out of this.... I always knew you are an incompetent employee....your only business here is to have fun and make jokes and get clingy with people right?and who the hell gave you permission to enter my cabin without my permission....remember you bloody place okay?you are an employee here....get out....i said out...." he screamed.

"Ritwik shut up....you are talking to my sister...." Aman said angrily and held Mishti's shoulder who was looking down with tears.

"bhai what is wrong with you....it is not her job to get the lift fixed bhai....how could you behave like this with anyone?especially to mine and Aman's friend....forget that....you cannot behave like this with anyone....you are not like this....what is wrong with you....apologise right now bhai...." Taani said with tears. "Mishti I am sorry on bhai's behalf...."

Before Taani or Aman could say anything , Mishti walked out of the cabin and went to her cubicle directly. The entire office had heard Ritwik scream. She wiped her tears and typed her resignation and sent it to the HR.