Word Count : 2186

Contd.

SAMARTH couldn't help but feel himself get unnerved at the mention of working overtime, on top of working on a client's base.

After everything that had happened the night before—with his Nani and Niti—he was nervous and frustrated. He had no way to contact Niti; he didn't know where she was, or rather, who she was with. The mere thought of her leaving him made shivers run down his whole body. Samarth cherished his relationship with Niti, and the thought of losing her had always been his biggest fear. It felt to him that it was coming true.

He had to step up his game.

Deprived of sleep, Sam's mind was bombarded with relentless scenarios, his head throbbing from the exhaustion. The morning brought the discharge of Nani from the hospital, with strict advice to prioritize her health. Meanwhile, Tara had already informed their parents, leading to an abrupt end to their vacation. They were on their way back home while Sam remained trapped at work. The urge to take a day off was strong, but he hadn't accrued enough leave to do so.

On top of that, they wanted him to tag along to an onsite meeting. Sigh.

He let his head rest on the table in front of him and covered himself with his jacket. His coworkers' voices were annoying him.

"We told them we can start working as soon as possible only if they have a proposal ready," one of them said.

"I am ninety-nine percent sure they will have it ready," another one replied.

"What about the remaining one percent?" Sam asked, just to stay in loop.

"They probably already have what they need from us and want to see if we can do better than them, they're Clemo afterall."

Upon hearing the mention of the said company, Sam's ears perked up with interest. Clemo held the distinction of being one of the fastest-growing companies renowned for its excellence in its field. It specialized in the branding and marketing of new and emerging products.

It was also where Niti worked.

"What about Clemo?" he asked, interest bubbling in the conversation.

His supervisor eyed him with surprise, "Didn't you say you were tired and didn't wanna partake in this meeting?"

"Yes, I am tired, but I do want to gain experience. Will it be okay for me to shadow you guys?" Sam pleaded.

If they were heading to Clemo, there was a chance he might encounter Niti there. Although it was a large company, he held onto the hope of reuniting with her, returning her phone, and having a conversation. The past few days had been chaotic, and he yearned for reassurance that everything would eventually be alright.

Sam wanted to assure Niti that he could convince his Nani, and he was ready to take their relationship further, given a little time. He wanted to make up for the lack of response from his side.

He was also curious about the photo Tara showed him. Sam had no idea how Niti knew Kavya, and surprisingly neither of them had mentioned her name in all the years they had been together. Not even once.

"Alright, you can come too," his supervisor exclaimed, patting his back. "It's truly refreshing to see young people eager to learn and grow."

✿

They were greeted by two women as they entered the building. A large light post spelling Clemo loomed above their head as the women handed them a bottle of water each and gestured them inside.

"Welcome to Clemo!" one of them beamed.

Sam followed his peers closely but made sure that he was behind them. As he stepped into the grand corporate lobby, he was immediately captivated by its awe-inspiring beauty and refined elegance. The sheer size and sophistication of the space left him feeling small, yet welcomed.

The walls were meticulously crafted with luxurious marble and polished wood, exuding an air of opulence. Tall, slender pillars rose from the floor, supporting the ceiling and adding to the regal ambiance.

Adorning the walls were impressive works of art from renowned artists, adding a touch of cultural refinement to the already majestic ambiance. Each piece seemed to tell its own story, adding depth and meaning to the space while elevating the overall aesthetic.

But Sam wasn't focussed on it. His eyes were scanning the area for Niti. He knew his chances of meeting her were slim but it didn't hurt to try.

Lost in his own world, he didn't notice a woman standing next to him. She gently tapped on his shoulder and smiled.

"I didn't catch your name?" she asked.

"Oh hey, I am Samarth, one of the Product Designers," he replied, extending his hand to greet her.

"Oh, didn't notice that name in the roster," she murmured, pretending to inspect her hand after the handshake. "I am Aditi, and she is Kritya."

Sam followed her gaze towards the other woman. Kritya flashed a smile at him before quickly turning away. Aditi couldn't hold back her mischievous smirk, and Sam couldn't help but wonder if they were scheming something amusing.

Are they making fun of me? Sam pondered, feeling a bit clueless.

"Let's go," Aditi interjected his thoughts, breaking his momentary confusion, and led him and the others into a conference room.

Once seated, folders were distributed to everyone except Sam. He was the unexpected addition to the meeting, so it wasn't much of a surprise.

He peered at the cover of the folder held by his colleague. It was a project proposal, and it was very impressive. The diagrams and instructions were so detailed that he wondered if it was a secret treasure map instead. It must have taken days to craft such a masterpiece.

"Hey Samarth," someone called out, snapping him back to reality. "Take this, we printed one extra for you just now."

Sam looked up to see Kritya, standing there with a project proposal in hand. It wasn't bound like the others, but it was a thoughtful gesture, considering the neck strain he was already developing from trying to peek into his colleague's folder.

"Thanks, Kritya," he beamed as he accepted the papers from her.

Kritya's eyes widened at the sound of her name, and her cheeks turned a shade redder than a ripe tomato. She quickly made her escape, leaving Sam wondering if there was something stuck between his teeth.

"She totally has a crush on you," his colleague whispered, clearly amused by the unfolding scene.

Sam rolled his eyes playfully, taking it all in stride. "You wish."

While the people from Clemo were busy presenting the idea to the rest of the team, he flipped through the pages of the project. As he continued to read it, a sense of familiarity washed over him. He couldn't believe it; he knew a lot about this project already. When he reached the last page, the truth dawned upon him.

On the cover, it stated that the project was presented by Aditi and Kritya, but on the last few pages, it mentioned — presented by Niti, Aditi, and Kritya.

Niti. The name struck a chord in his heart. He had indeed helped her in the preparation of this proposal. A rush of memories flooded back. She had confided in him, explaining how her colleagues fell sick, leaving the burden on her shoulders to get the project done. He remembered how she sacrificed her sleep, working day and night to make it happen.

A mix of emotions swirled within him. Excitement bubbled at the thought of seeing Niti again, a chance to finally resolve things with her. He already missed their conversations and the camaraderie they shared. But his internal celebration was cut short by a realization.

Why was her name not mentioned on the cover?

With a perplexed expression etched across his face, he scanned the room to find the two women whispering and giggling in the corner. Grasping the papers tightly, he pushed his chair backward and strode purposefully in their direction. The moment he approached, the two women ceased their chatter, straightening up to appear composed before him.

"Hey," Samarth greeted, feeling a bit awkward. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure," Aditi replied with a smug tone. "Go ahead, Kritya can answer any doubts you have."

Aditi playfully nudged Kritya forward, who gave her a look of disbelief and embarrassment before addressing Samarth's query.

"Uh, I noticed that the project was done by three people, but only two names have been mentioned here," he inquired.

Their facial expressions subtly changed, and they smiled, trying to appear innocent. "Oh! We must have forgotten to edit the pages."

"Yeah, don't worry about anything else being wrong. She didn't contribute much anyway," Aditi interjected dismissively.

Sam eyed the two women, "She didn't?"

"Oh yes, she never contributes much. Always bails on us," Kritya exclaimed, then turned to Aditi, "See how she bailed on us today too!"

Her peer nodded in agreement.

"Bailed? How?" Samarth pressed for more details.

"She took a sudden leave without any prior notice, and when I caught her lies, she said she would be here before your team was supposed to arrive," Aditi ranted, her tone dripping with scorn. "Trust me, you don't want her on our team."

"Yes, she's just a nuisance," Kritya chimed in.

Samarth struggled to maintain a composed demeanor, forcing a smile. "I see."

Turning away from them, he clenched the sheets tightly in his hands, causing them to crumple from the force of his grip. Anger surged within him. He couldn't comprehend why they were speaking so ill of Niti. He knew she wasn't anything like they portrayed. He was well aware that this project was primarily her creation, yet they had the audacity to claim credit for themselves.

Glancing back at them before retaking his seat, he observed the two women immersed in their giggling and chit-chatting once again. Their callousness and disregard for Niti's efforts only fueled his anger. Emotions of indignation and protectiveness swirled inside him. He wanted to ensure that Niti's contributions were acknowledged and valued.

If Niti isn't going to be acknowledged, then they shouldn't either.

He got up once again and this time approached his team lead. He whispered something in his ears and they both got up to discuss the proposal in person.

Sam explained that the proposal was not up to the mark. He already knew half of the details in it and that it needed to be redone. He explained it to his team lead in detail before he agreed.

"This is something we can work with, but we need more solid materials," Sam tried to convince him.

The team lead nodded and asked him to go back to his seat. "I will discuss it with them."

Feeling like he accomplished something, he strode towards his seat just to be told that they were having a fifteen minute break.

The two women had already left the room and the rest of the people were moving out too. It was past lunch time but the Clemo team had prepared some snacks for them.

Sam shoved the papers in his bag before leaving the room. As he walked down towards the lobby, he saw Kritya and Aditi rushing towards the exit.

With nothing else to do, he followed them at his own pace. Aditi was continuously bickering on her phone as they made their way out.

"Where?!" she exclaimed and paused in her steps. "I am not going to come to the parking lot just so you could make me carry all the load!"

She waited for a response then cursed and ended the call.

"Who was it?" Sam heard Kritya ask.

"It was Niti, she actually came." Aditi gritted her teeth.

The mention of her name instantly brought a spring to his steps. He ran past the two women and towards the parking lot.

Last night he had met her there and today he was determined to end their problems there.

As he neared the area, he slowed. He recognized Niti's car but not the guy who was getting out of it.

Sam saw him approach Niti's side and usher her out of the driver's seat. The door was held open, and he offered his hands to help her down.

Samarth's breath caught in his throat. A pang of pain in his chest brought into sharp focus just how hurt he felt. It was undoubtedly the same guy he had seen with her yesterday. Questions raced through his mind.

Why are they still together? Who is he?

Sam's feet seemed to move on their own, his body acting independently from his thoughts. He strode towards them and firmly grasped the guy's shoulder, pulling him back and away from Niti.

In response to the sudden jolt, Niti let out a startled shriek, and the guy stumbled backward.

The mixture of anger, jealousy, and hurt in Sam's voice was palpable, as he confronted the guy. With a tight grip on the guy's collar, Sam hauled him up, bringing their faces close together, his emotions boiling over.

"Who the fuck are you?"

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A/N

Hello again!

Writing what I have in mind is tough! It took me ages to write this!

What do you think of Sam in this chapter?

Let me know in the comments!

Do leave a vote if you enjoyed this chapter.

Cheers~
Aeon