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उनके ख़्यालों में उलझे हम,

उन्हें ही सुनना भूल गए।

************

Two months later,

Writer's POV:-

"Get me the proper presentation in one hour or pack your bags and get the hell out of here; you are fired." Aakarsh shouted angrily and warned the fourth person in the whole week as he had actually fired three of them.

" Sorry Sir, please just give me one last chance. I'll get the best one, Sir, please." Naman, the project lead, pleaded trembling in fear as Aakarsh was in Hulk mode and he knew Aakarsh will fire him for real as he never gives blank threats. And the event where Aakarsh actually fired three of the staff was enough to scare him for his job.

"Not a single second more than an hour. Get back here with your damn presentation in 60 minutes sharp." Naman ran off there quickly. He couldn't afford to waste even a single second.

"And you, Vivaan, what the hell are you doing when I clearly ask you to look after all these. This is how you are looking and taking care of the important projects. They are making blunders and you're watching like a fool." Aakarsh yelled at Vivaan as soon as Naman left.

"Sir, I... I have seen the..." Vivaan stammered badly.

"How the hell have you seen? Like this? All the important presentations are going haywire. Is this your watch over the under-going projects, Vivaan?" Aakarsh didn't let him complete and scolded Vivaan yelling at him again.

Vivaan was about to reply when Neev entered Aakarsh's cabin. He heard Aakarsh yelling mercilessly at the poor soul and remembered how everyone was giving him a pleading look throughout his way to Aakarsh's cabin.

He now understood the meaning of all those looks the staff members were having on their faces as if they were stuck in a hungry lion's den.

Devar witnessing the return of Hulk (angrier version) which scared them to the core.

"Woah... chill man, give the poor soul some moment to breathe. You are literally over there necks." Neev mocked.

"Poor souls? They are nothing but a bunch of fools, not poor souls!" Seethed Aakarsh, objecting Neev's words.

"Why are you so grumpy? Everyone is so scared to the core." Asked Neev as he saw Vivaan was sweating and trembling fiercely under Aakarsh's death-glare.

"They are working like amateurs. Just making blunders in every small thing. They just messed up a significant project." Aakarsh snapped back.

"Don't keep standing here now. I need Mehra's next month's presentation's outline ready in an hour. Go and do your damn work." Aakarsh growled at Vivaan. After muttering a faint 'yes Sir', Vivaan literally ran off there.

"Oh my God, Krish, Why are you shouting unnecessarily at them?" Neev teased Aakarsh as he clearly knew the reason behind this furious behaviour of Aakarsh.

Aakarsh didn't reply but glared at him and got up from his seat, going inside the washroom. Neev grabbed the opportunity to walk out, to have a look at the situation.

Vivaan saw him and came running to him to ask for help.

"Sir, please do something, otherwise half of the staff will resign out of fear, while the other half will ultimately get fired from their job by Sir (Aakarsh). Three of them have already been fired in this single week. And, the fourth one is on the verge. It's our project lead this time, Naman." Vivan pleaded desperately as he was losing his shit out of fear of losing his job. He wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Don't worry I'll do something." Neev patted his shoulder in sympathy.

"I don't know what happened, Sir was and is so angry this whole week. It has been a complete week that he has been in his hul... uhhh... I ... I mean angry mode." Vivaan was about to call Aakarsh 'Hulk', but at the correct time he covered it up with a cough and changed it to 'angry mode'. He was afraid that Neev might scold him for his reckless behaviour.

But to his surprise Neev laughed at his nervousness. He shook his head and kept a hand on Vivaan's shoulder.

"Hulk, right? I know. You don't need to get scared, Vivaan. And, I agree, your boss actually becomes Hulk every time." Neev laughed and said to him,

"No... no... Sir, he is actually a very good and amazing person and the best boss we could ever have. No one can train and treat us like he does. All of us (the office staff) really look up to him and admire his nature and behaviour; his sincere and positive attitude towards his work. It's just we are afraid of his anger." Confessed Vivaan, scratching the back of his neck.

Neev smiled and felt proud at his friend who has gained this much respect in his staff's eyes. Vivaan's words and the shine of his eyes, while he was speaking about Aakarsh, were clearly reflecting his respect and admiration towards Aakarsh.

"Don't worry, I know the reason very well and I am going to fix it for you all." Neev referred to the whole office staff who were suffering from their boss' Hulk mode for a week.

"Thank you, Sir... thank you so much!" Vivaan left after thanking him and Neev pulled out his phone from his pocket. Dialling a number, he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello," said the person, picking up the call in the fifth ring.

"Madam, control your husband or he will fire every single staff member of his office. He is going all Hulk over the whole office and not to mention they are scared to death now." Neev exaggerated, remembering the pleading looks of the staff members that they were giving Neev to rescue them from Aakarsh's anger.

"What happened? Why is he angry? Did somebody do something?" Frowning at Neev's words, Diksha inquired.

Yes, it was Diksha whom Neev had called as he knew she was the right and only person to be called in this situation.

"Yeah, you happened!" Neev chuckled.

"Means?"

"Means... since you have gone back to your parents' place, a week ago, your to-be-husband is either being a grumpy old man at home or the great Hulk, though the latter is fiercely experienced by the office staff. So, today, Vivaan - poor Vivaan I might add - has wholeheartedly requested me to find some solution before every single person resign out of fear or get fired by your dear husband." Neev replied, explaining the situation of the office.

"How... I mean..." she was at a loss for words.

"Your husband is being an active volcano here, in your absence, since he is missing you beyond imagination as we can see it in his behaviour. And, his frustration is being showered on others as he had already fired three of the staff and the fourth is on the way. So, my dear hone wali bhabhi (to-be sister-in-law) please do something before your hone wala husband (to-be husband) shows us the real hell." Neev completed and laughed as Vivaan was looking at him through his cubicle with all the puppy looks, having high hopes in his eyes.

His laughter increased when he heard her faintly say 'this man' in a pissed off tone.

Diksha was half embarrassed plus angry and half happy feeling how dearly Aakarsh was missing her. It indirectly shows his feelings for her.

Whether they say it (in words) or not, they have attained the love they always envisioned.

"I'll talk to him, Neev. Thank you for informing me." Diksha ensured, embarrassingly.

"Please bhabhi, save us." Neev pleaded dramatically, feigning a childish tone, making Diksha blush and chuckle at the same time.

❃❃❃❃❃

Writer's POV:-

Stuti barged inside Neel's room when he was wearing his shirt. He startled due to the sudden intrusion as cursed loudly.

"What the fuck! Don't you know how to knock the damn door?" He screamed at her.

She ignored his words and locked the door behind her. She took out some photographs from her purse and showed them to Neel.

"Here, look at how happily she is shopping for the wedding." She said, acidly.

The photographs showed Diksha with Annapurna, sitting inside a reputed boutique. Diksha was smiling at the dresses shown to them.

"So? Why are you showing it to me?" Neel asked, buttoning his shirt.

"Because there they are happily shopping and heading to their marriage and here we are sitting with nothing. Now, I highly doubt whether you even want to defeat Aakarsh or not. Because if they get married, they will claim the property, and we will be left rubbing our hands with nothing." Stuti said, crushing the photograph.

"Who told you we will be left with nothing. And, they are just doing preparations. No one can say that they will surely get married." Said Neel with a dangerous smirk.

"What do you mean?" Stuti frowned,

"What I mean is, they will get married only when the bride will be present there. What if..." he didn't complete his sentence and laughed looking at the crushed photos.

"You considered my plan... God, I'm so happy..." Stuti hugged him out of excitement.

As soon as she held him, Neel pushed her with a force that she stumbled a few steps back.

"Don't behave like a clingy girlfriend... don't forget what had been decided." He seethed.

"I didn't forget anything. It's just I was Jaap that you considered my plan." Stuti said in a bored tone, fixing her hair.

Neel fetched his phone from the side table and called someone.

"I'll be there in two days, make sure you guys are ready. This opportunity should not be missed at any cost. And she should not run away at any cost."

❃❃❃❃❃

Writer's POV:-

"What the hell, you Mr. PFC, think you're doing? You know what I actually named you correctly, a Potato faced chimpanzee, that's what you are!" Diksha burst out yelling at him through the phone as soon as Aakarsh received her call.

"Hello to you too!" Aakarsh chuckled, leaning back on his chair as a beautiful smile made its way to his lips, for the first time in this whole day.

Yes, he hasn't left his frowned face since a day and his grumpy, shouting, and irritated self since a week.

"Keep your hello in your pocket. Just tell me why the hell are you scaring everyone with your unnecessary shouts?" Diksha snapped at him.

"Who told you?" Aakarsh frowned, as he didn't actually consider his shouting as shouting yet. For him it was the staff members who were making blunders.

"It doesn't matter, just tell me why are you so irritated? And a week, Aakarsh, seriously? A whole damn week you shouted at everyone for nothing!" She exclaimed, making him think hard about who would have informed her about it.

'Neev or Vivaan?' Thought Aakarsh, in his mind.

"First of all I am not irritated or anything. Secondly, all they are actually behaving like fools and disrupting the work. That's why I scolded them, not shouted. Nothing else." He defended himself, scoffing Neev and Vivaan in his mind as they were the only ones to meet him before her phone call.

He wasn't accepting this loudly, but indeed he was grumpy and irritated for a week as Diksha had gone back to her parents' place for her exams and their marriage. It was decided to be held from her place only.

Her being away from him left him grumpy and highly irritated that's why he was behaving so.

Grumpy old man at home and angry young Hulk at office, scaring poor souls. He didn't admit but like Neev, Krishna and Mrinal too understood that he was missing Diksha terribly, hence was so cranky.

"Yeah, just scolding right? That's why three people are fired in a single week!" She mocked, angrily.

"They were not doing their work properly. I don't give them a salary for nothing." Pulling a brave side in front of his angry wild kitten, Aakarsh defended himself again.

"Stop with the excuses and tell me why are you behaving so?" She asked, though she knew the answer which gave her the giddy feelings that he was missing her just like her, she had to put an angry tone as she knew if she didn't interrupt, he would fire the whole staff.

"Why do you have to go?" Aakarsh sulked, indirectly telling her the reason.

"Because I had my exams, Aakarsh!" She said in an obvious tone.

"But I..." he tried to speak but she cut his words in the middle.

"No more words Aakarsh, and stop sulking for a trivial matter." She scolded him like a strict teacher.

"Trivial? It's not a trivial matter. you are away from me for the whole week and you think it's a trivial matter... unbelievable!" He gasped loudly, making Diksha purse her lips, preventing a chuckle.

"You are seriously being unreasonable now. It's just a week moreover you will be here in two days. Then what's the need to behave like a grumpy old grandpa?" She asked, maintaining her firm tone.

As Diksha had only three papers, two theory and one practical plus Viva, her exams were over at the starting three days of the past week. She was now busy preparing for their wedding with her parents. And, now only two days are left for the start of their marriage functions. Vermas will be there the day after tomorrow.

"It's still two days, God, I just hate this whole time period. Can't it fly away faster." He groaned, making her laugh.

"Haan Haan uda lo mazak... (Yeah, yeah... make fun of me)," he sulked more, making her laugh louder.

He turned silent for a moment, hearing her happy laughter which felt like the melodious music to him. Unknowingly, a small smile adored his lips as he imagined her laughing like a happy kid.

"Aakarsh..." She called him but he was so lost in imagining her that he didn't listen to her calls.

Ye sahi hai... unke khayalon me uljhe hum, unhe hi sun na bhul gye! (This is right... so lost in her thoughts, that I forgot to hear her only.)

"Aakarsh..." she again called him and he heard this time, but he responded in such a way that melted her heart instantly.

"Jaan, I'm seriously missing you like hell!"

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Happy Navratri/Durga puja people! 🥳🥳

Hello guys,

First of all, I would like to apologize for not replying to your comments on the previous two chapters. I was actually very busy with my academics, and I hope you'll understand.

Now, I know it's been so long, almost half a month since I last uploaded it. Reason - the day when I updated last was the first day of my Master's examination and it had got over on 6th of October, but, on the last day of my examination I got drenched in rain while coming back to my home from the exam centre, hence was down with fever. That's why I couldn't upload earlier. (*You see your author is weather sensitive 🙈😅)

I know many of you might be thinking why am I explaining all these when clearly no one asked me about the absence, and in response, I would only say that as a writer I feel this is my responsibility to make you guys aware of the reasons that caused the delay on my part. I humbly and sincerely apologize for it.

My health is now getting well slowly, so I can assure you of regular updates again. Like not everyday but on an interval of 2-3 days.

Hope you guys won't mind and won't leave my or your story's side. I feel immense pleasure to read everyone's comments and thoughts. As I'm always needy for love and support... Keep showering your love and support.

Yours,

- Damini Shrivastaw ❤️

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Thank you!❤️