Early streaks of dusk were beginning to show in themselves by the time Aarushi wrapped up her last classes for the day. Term exams were hovering above their heads. Medical students with huge dark panda eyes and noses buried in thick books could be seen roaming the campus at every hour of day. College library was densely occupied with hoards of students from morning to night and businesses of nearby cafes and tea stalls had suddenly shot up as every other person drained cups of caffeine faster than light.

Aarushi had switched to half days at work for upcoming month. Jenny had been kind enough to not to cut off her wages granting it as a New Year bonus. The collaborative project with NTI had been progressing steadily. Ajay, as he had said, had taken up the reigns for accomplishing the desired results before deadline as soon as the mania of winter party had worn off. Aarushi on the other hand, was planning to implement Anjali's advice with careful consideration and operation.

She can't be too obvious, because the person she was dealing with was smart as a whip, it would be a matter of seconds before he realized her objective. She can't be too secretive as well, because it would definitely raise his suspicion radar. In short, if she wanted to unveil his true feelings and court him successfully, she has to be customary yet sly and alert.

Suhani had managed to disclose some useful cues about Ajay's preferences from Garvit without making him realize anything. One of them was unconditional love for free and tasty goodies; and Aarushi just happened to have an expert hand at cooking delicacies. She had borrowed Jenny's kitchen for few hours and baked a batch of mouthwatering cookies with chocolate filling.

The packaging was kept as simple as it could be, anything extravagant would definitely arouse curious questions. A subtle yet perfect plan, Aarushi gave her intelligence a mental applause. They had found an abandoned classroom and decided to make it the base for assemblage of smart watch and related works. Aarushi crossed through the trails of dead silent classrooms halting in front of a smaller yet much livelier room. She turned the doorknob peeping inside and instantly her heartbeat froze as her eyes found the person they longed for, looking a thousand times more attractive with that serious work attitude and his rarely worn glasses. She lost the track of time standing in the half open doorway, commending every moment of her stolen glances.

'Hmm... Looking good isn't he?'

'Good would be an undertone, I can't bear to tear my eyes off him', Aarushi answered the mysterious voice with a silly smile. The unknown person snickered at her completely mesmerized reply making her snap out of her contented bubble. The unknown giggling person was none other than Anjali.

'Please don't let those butterflies fly around this room...', she whispered with a mocking dramatic edge. Aarushi turned red in face, partially from anger and other partially from her embarrassment at being caught red handed while ogling mindlessly.

'Aarushi, come over for a second', Garvit called her out as soon as she stepped inside exempting her from further over thinking. She placed her carefully prepared cookie box on nearest table and went over to check out the issue.

'This looks great!', Aarushi said, utterly satisfied with the organized coordination of nerve signals showing onscreen. 'I think I'll adjust the minute flaws before we break apart for the day', Garvit pleasantly replied.

Aarushi nodded. She looked up and spotted a thoroughly exhausted Viraj dropping in one of the empty chairs.

'Are you done with your designs?', Aarushi asked him with a stringent smile. 'Madam, I've been working my bones out these days, can't you let me enjoy some leisure moments?', he pleaded lamely.

'You invited the hardship yourself', Aarushi said coolly.

'I never thought your exams would come up and we would be loaded with additional work... Besides, the current person in charge is driving me nuts ever since he took up the stupid resolution to cover all the lagging work before tenth of January!', Viraj whined.

'You mean Ajay?'

'Who else could it be; while you are on a break from your sachem duties, he automatically becomes the second best who knows this project by heart. If you are formidable, he is a complete crazy nightmare! I can even hear his voice nagging me to complete my work on time even in my dreams now!', he spoke in a single breath. Aarushi sneered with "you-deserve-that" look making him exhale a long defeated sigh.

'Only these can cure my trauma now', Viraj dramatically said reaching out to grab a cookie from the box laying a few feet from him.

'Ow!', he exclaimed as his hand was harshly smacked away.

'Who gave you the permission to touch them', Aarushi gave him a bone chilling icy glare as she snatched the box away. 'Brr... it's just... a cookie', Viraj shivered nervously as he carefully chose his words. He gulped seeing the nearly murderous glare she shot at him.

'You are scaring the hell out of me', he timidly said. Though the looks couldn't kill, but a single shot of Aarushi's maliciously forbidding glare was enough to make him see the gates of devil's lair.

'What's happening here?', Anjali's voice cut through. Viraj let out a relieved sigh as Aarushi released him from her hostile stare.

'I was just trying to taste these lip-smacking biscuits when she-'

Viraj swallowed rest of the sentence at the sharp look on Aarushi's face. Anjali looked between both of them deducing the whole situation.

'Well, well, well... I can sense some tension here', she said. Aarushi tilted her head slightly mentally asking her if she really needed an explanation.

'Aarushi', Ajay called her name. Aarushi turned at blinding speed, smiling a bright and completely friendly smile; something that contrasted her former haughtiness.

'Hi', she breathed out as he halted before her. He beamed cheerfully before spotting the box of treats in her hand. 'Cookies!', he said with child like enthusiasm and quickly picked out the most delicious looking one.

'Mhmm... It's just so delectable! I haven't tasted these before, where did you buy them?', he asked. His eyes were twinkling with excitement similar to that of a child who recently got the daintiest chocolate.

'Baked it myself', she said with a wide smile as her mind squealed at his adorable delirium.

'Yum-yum, it's amazing! Can I get one more?'

He asked blinking cutely like a kid, who would be heartless enough to refuse this cutie? Aarushi laughed at his intentional antics. 'If you like it I'll get you this whole box', she said.

'Excuse me; do I have the permission to interrupt?', Viraj's wary and shocked voice interjected.

'No!', they replied at same time. Aarushi involuntarily turned to look at Viraj who was looking at them with a mixture of befuddled distress and betrayal. 'What?', Aarushi hissed impatiently. What was so important that he ruined her special moment?

'It's unfair... I don't even get to touch those cookies and he gets the whole box!', he complained. Aarushi rolled her eyes at him.

'He gets a whole box because it was made for him', she said. Ajay's eyes snapped at her filled with surprise and confusion. 'Made for him?', Viraj spoke incredulously.

'Yeah, it's my thank you and appreciation for looking after the project and efficiently working on it while I was busy elsewhere', Aarushi smoothly said.

'Just for him? What about Hardik, Garvit and me?', Viraj continued.

'I haven't seen someone demand appreciation for his laziness and goofing around in my more than nineteen year long life', Ajay said sarcastically.

'Mate, in these few days, I have worked and studied more than I did in my last two college semesters combined!', Viraj protested. 'You asked to be spared from working during winter party, so take this work as your prize', Ajay replied with a devilish smile.

'Very true; and as for Garvit, Suhani is there to take care of him and Hardik has already received his token of appreciation by Harshita and Anjali', Aarushi said. Viraj gaped at them, aghast.

'These two together can be more brutal than the most feared devils out there', he thought shuddering slightly.

'By the way Aarushi, what've you thought about your birthday?', Harshita's voice called out. Aarushi knew what her friends were playing at. They had suggested arranging a birthday celebration for her in order to get her more chances to get closer to Ajay, but Aarushi had strongly opposed the stupid idea. It wasn't that she didn't like birthday celebrations, actually she loved them; what she didn't like was the idea of boasting around and letting the whole world know, which was exactly what they were suggesting.

'Your birthday?', Viraj was quick to ask. Aarushi nodded, 'Yeah, fifth day of New Year', she replied.

'You are also a Capricorn?', he said.

'Also? Who else is Capricorn here', Anjali asked curiously. 'Me', Ajay answered making her mouth drop open. Anjali exchanged a stunned look with Harshita who was mirroring her expressions at this new piece of information.

'Hahaha... what a coincidence', Anjali laughed awkwardly, widening her eyes at Aarushi.

'When were you going to tell us this?', she asked her through expressions.

'I told you I didn't want a celebration', Aarushi replied through her eyes.

'Don't tell me you have birthdays on same date as well?', Harshita said, giving Aarushi a meaningful look. Aarushi couldn't help snickering at her friends shocked reactions.

'Not the same date. I am five days elder than him', Aarushi replied, struggling to keep a straight face.

'No doubt you are so scary', Viraj said. 'What do you mean?', Aarushi retorted.

'Well, Capricorns are stubborn, merciless and moody with their flawless attitude towards everything. And unfortunately, I have landed with a duo that is far more frightening than others! One is a mean wolf and other is a daunting tiger. Brr... I can feel goose bumps rising on my arms', Viraj said pretentiously.

'Who is a wolf?', Ajay asked him with nerve racking coldness. But of course, Viraj turned a deaf ear to his hostility. 'Of course you, and it's not just a wolf, it's vile, stubborn, callous wolf', he said teasingly.

'You forgot narcissist', Aarushi mouthed to him, grinning wickedly. 'Yeah of course, narcissist too', he said. Ajay looked from Aarushi to Viraj, scoffing unbelievably.

'Fine... Now you should get back to finishing your design if you don't want this wolf to hunt you down', Ajay told Viraj with a look which was scary enough to make him zip up his mouth and retrace his path back to work. Aarushi too tried to slip off before he can get back at her.

'Where do you think you are leaving?', he said grabbing her shoulder bag and tugging her back in place. Aarushi quickly arranged an innocent smile on her face. 'Nowhere', she said as brightly as she can under his piercing gaze.

'Really... I thought you were escaping', he said with a teasing smirk. 'Escaping? Why would I escape? You must be seeing things', Aarushi said laughing.

'Is that so... Well, for your information wolves have sharp eyesight and hearing skills, and recent studies show that narcissist wolves are even better with their skills', Ajay said with derisive yet mocking smile.

'Of course... I do think wolves are super talented; they are loyal, handsome, intelligent,-'

'Narcissist?', he interrupted Aarushi's trail of adjective in a suggestive tone. Aarushi fell silent. She shouldn't have said it; correction, she should've said it but she shouldn't have let him hear it.

'The terrific tigress lost her words... did she?', Ajay said with a mocking smile. Aarushi noticed a speck of chocolate at the corner of his mouth. She bit back her laughter.

'I didn't know that the immaculate Mr. Perfect could also be a messy eater', she faked her derisive astonishment. Ajay frowned confoundedly at her words. 'What do you mean?'

'Be not too close or too far. See the right moment and grab it', Anjali's words played in her mind. Aarushi exhaled a quick breath and got on her tip toes. She felt his breath stop and eyes widen as she wiped the chocolate off the corner of his lips in single sweep.

She can feel her own heart rate escalating at a million miles speed and blush creeping in her cheeks, but more satisfying was the fact that she wasn't the only one flustered by proximity. Ajay's his ears had gone crimson and his cerebrum had lost the comprehensible language. Aarushi gave herself a few minutes to settle, she couldn't let him realize she was also discomposed even if it wasn't as much as him.

'You ate with your whole face; here, take this box of cookies', she said in a more composed manner. Ajay was pulled out of his reverie at the sound of her words. 'Oh... right... cookies', he dazedly uttered a few words before taking the box and walking back to his work. Aarushi smiled behind him, pursuing him was not coming off bad until now.

'Maybe, this New Year, I'll finally be able to call you rightfully mine, my little Capricorn wolf...'

A/N:

Here's a treat chapter for all of you! Thank you for 1K!