Our Secret Love : Office Romance.

9.Tara

The weekend arrived, offering a much-needed escape from the suffocating atmosphere at the office. I found myself at Mrs. Singhania's cosy apartment, the aroma of freshly baked cookies filling the air. Mrs. Singhania bustled around the kitchen, her vibrant energy a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside me. We settled on the plush sofa, sipping steaming cups of chamomile tea.

"So, Tara, tell me all about the internship," Mrs. Singhania prompted, her warm eyes fixed on me. "How's Dhruv treating you?"

Shame burned in my cheeks. How could I confess the truth, the stifling environment, and the constant dismissal of my ideas, especially with Nikitha seemingly on Dhruv's side? "It's going well, Mrs. Singhania," I lied, forcing a smile. "We're learning a lot, and Dhruv's a great mentor."

Mrs. Singhania's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of suspicion crossing her piercing gaze. "Really?" she said, taking a thoughtful sip of her tea. "Because Dhruv mentioned feeling a bit overwhelmed with the new team dynamics. He didn't go into specifics, but something seemed off." Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken doubt.

The weight of Mrs. Singhania's scrutiny cracked the dam of my carefully constructed facade. Before I could stop myself, the frustration that had been simmering all day spilled out.

"It's not going well, Mrs. Singhania," I confessed, my voice thick with emotion. "My ideas are constantly dismissed, especially by Nikitha. And Dhruv just sides with her. It feels like I'm not even welcome there."

Mrs. Singhania listened patiently, her expression a mixture of concern and understanding. When I finished, she placed a comforting hand on mine. "There, there, Tara," she soothed.

Just then, the door shut. A moment later, Dhruv stood at the doorway, his face etched with surprise. His gaze flickered between me and Mrs. Singhania, a knot of tension forming in his jaw. The air crackled with unspoken words.

Mrs. Singhania, ever perceptive, gave Dhruv a pointed look, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Dhruv, there you are! Just in time. Look who's here."

Dhruv looked at me, and I am so embarrassed I don't know why. It feels like I was snitching on him and got caught.

Mrs. Singhania just kept going, "We were just talking about how her work is going on."

I could see the shift in emotions. Was he thinking I'd come here and complain about him? I hope he's not.

"Now, I believe you'd have things to talk about. Let me just go and look in the kitchen once." Mrs. Singhania stood up and said, "Keep her company until."
The air hung heavy, like a bad joke lingering too long.

"Tara," he started. "Look, I shouldn't have done what I did. You need to understand that I'm not the one to set rules. I just do business. I do what feels profitable. Nikitha has been on the scene long enough, and I believe in her abilities, but that doesn't mean you are bad."

I refused to look at him. I kept my gaze on my hands resting on my table. Now that he's explained why he did what he did, I feel bad. I feel selfish.

I saw Dhruv shift in the corner of my eye. He pushed his dining chair a bit closer, and his knees ended up touching mine. I felt his hand on my chin, forcing me to look his way. His face visibly softened as soon as I laid my eyes on his.

The ghost of an apology lingers between us. I can feel it, but it never came. The Dhruv Singhania I know doesn't do apologies, but again, he doesn't act the way he's acting right now either.

Should I just swallow my pride and say, "It's fine"? This whole thing could be over before it gets any more awkward. Like a bad improv session without the laughs.

I looked at Dhruv and, oh no- I could see his head leaning into me slowly. I could see him contemplating whether to do it or not.

Should I stop him? Maybe.

Do I wish to stop him? No.

And then, his phone pinged. He moved away, I could see the frustration that laced on his face.

For a moment, all that existed was Dhruv and the faint scent of his cologne.

The reality, however, is a jealous b*tch.

I'm too aware of my surroundings now. Everything is too much. The sound of my blood running around my ears, too loud. The scent of him, too pungent. My skin where he touched, too alert.

I jerked my head back before this could go anywhere, and I looked dead in his eyes. I hate the fact that I don't know what he was thinking.

Tension hung heavy in the air as we sat there, the echo of our brief, impulsive moment reverberating between us like a fragile thread stretched taut. My heart hammered in my chest, a cacophony of conflicting emotions swirling within me.

"Dhruv," I began, my voice barely above a whisper.

He cut me off, his expression unreadable. "I know," he murmured. "I shouldn't have-"

He once again started tracing my jawline.

Despite his words saying we can't, his actions speak something entirely different.

His touch sent a shiver down my spine, igniting a flood of desire and confusion within me. I should pull away, put an end to this before it spirals out of control. But a part of me, a reckless, impulsive part, yearned to lean into his touch, to lose myself in the intensity of the moment.

Before I could gather my thoughts, Mrs. Singhania's voice broke through the haze, her footsteps drawing closer. Panic surged within me, and I pulled away from Dhruv as though scalded, the distance between us suddenly a gaping chasm.

"Last minute chores; would you please help me, beta?" Mrs. Singhania asked Dhruv with her head poking out of the corner.

"Sure, mom," he said with such certainty, while I couldn't even seem to talk. He looked at me as if he wanted to say a million things, but, ugh. This is messing with my brain. In the course of events I planned out for my life, coming so close to kissing Dhruv Singhania has been miles and miles away.

As Dhruv rose to help his mother, my mind raced with a flurry of conflicting thoughts and emotions. I needed to get out of there, away from the chaos of my own making. With every fibre of my being screaming for escape, I seized the opportunity while Dhruv's back was turned.

Slipping from the sofa with all the stealth I could muster, I tiptoed towards the door, my heart pounding in my chest like a drumbeat echoing through the silence of the apartment. Every creak of the floorboards beneath my feet sounded like a deafening roar, threatening to give me away.

I reached for the doorknob, my fingers trembling as I turned it slowly, praying for it to make as little noise as possible. With bated breath, I eased the door open, wincing at the faint squeak of protest.

To my relief, neither Dhruv nor Mrs. Singhania seemed to notice as I slipped out of the apartment, closing the door behind me with a soft click. The cool night air embraced me like an old friend, offering solace and anonymity in equal measure.

As I hurried down the dimly lit street, my mind whirled with the tumult of emotions unleashed by the unexpected encounter with Dhruv. Guilt gnawed at me, mingling with the thrill of forbidden desire and the sting of regret.

What had I done? How could I have let things out of control like that? And yet, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder what might have been if I had allowed myself to succumb to the intoxicating pull of Dhruv's touch.

But there was no turning back now. With every step I took, I left behind the tangled mess of emotions that had ensnared me in Mrs. Singhania's apartment. All that remained was the cold certainty that things could never be the same again.