He isn't old. That was the first observation my stupid brain mustered when I first set my sight on him. Oh, he wasn't even close to old. Probably my age or a year older to me. And too easy on the eye.

I am angry!

Yes, he was damn young. Yes, his voice was deep, melodic, sensuous. Yes, his hazel eyes were too deep for people inexperienced with the methods to stay afloat and not drown into them. Yes, his knife sharp jaw was a sight to behold. Yes, the pure muscles on his arms were mouth watering, screaming masculinity. Yes, his jet black curls were the icing on the cake.

And yes, he did steal your promotion!

My mind kept singing the truth, fighting off the irrational ways my sexually deprived body was reacting to the fine male specimen in front of me.

Only pleasing to look at, we don't know this guy. AND HE STOLE YOUR DREAM POSITION!

But despite me wanting Mr. Abeer Sen to be one mean, egoistic, arrogant brat, reality was far from it. The Staff Meeting wasn't exactly a meeting. More like a chance for Mr. Sen to introduce himself to the staff, much like I had predicted. And to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

He was a good employee. Professional should be the word. Smart, crisp, and yet warm and welcoming. He shook hands with all of the employees, the young, the old, the juniors, the seniors - all of them. Another reality; he wasn't here to be a part of Mr. Chaudhary's kitty party. He wasn't sucking up to him - wasn't desperate to win his approval.

Like you were, my subconscious added. My cheeks reddened at the thought. It was embarrassment and anger combined.

I no longer wanted to be a part of this entire 'Welcoming Mr. Sen Party'. Already standing far away from the crowd that now surrounded him, it was easy to disappear from there. And I did try. But someone also had a sharp eye.

"Hey, Ms. Singhania, right?" He knew my name.

I inhaled, willing myself to be civil to the bloke, before turning around to face him. He was standing too close to me. Way too close. With only a chair separating us. I looked up at him, wholly because of the huge difference in his probably 5"9' and my 5"2' height. It did no good to my already bruised ego. I flashed him a tight smile.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Sen," I said, being as stoic as I could. He smiled back, which, unlike mine, wasn't fake at all.

"You handle the legal matters of the company right?"

"If that's the work of a CS, then yes, I do," I replied, shrugging.

His smile turned amused. "Then we are in the same department, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," I said, not wanting to drag this conversation any further. I didn't leave any room for further conversation. But he didn't seem to catch that.

"You're just a CS...?

"No, Mr. Sen, I..."

"Abeer," he said with a smile.

"Huh?" I couldn't have been more dumb.

His smile transformed into a grin. "Call me Abeer. It's useless to keep up the formality."

"I have done Law too."

He nodded. "Cool! See you around then! But wait..." he called as I turned to leave. "What should I call you?"

I smiled sweetly. Payback time. "Ms. Singhania is just fine!" And I left for my cabin, leaving a confused Mr. Goody Two Shoes behind.

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I tried to stay away from this goody- two- shoes as much as possible. But much of it wasn't possible, considering that we had the same work profile, same department, and were practically supposed to work with each other for every single thing. Too bad my eyes couldn't stand his oh-so Bengali hotness. More like your ego, but I chose to ignore that.

It was just another day at work, and just another file that had to be given to Abeer. The past week had flown with me in the hiding and Abeer trying to seek me. Looking for me, while I avoided his handsome face by sitting in my cabin for lunch, sending all the files through someone, and it had all been going perfect. Until that moment.

Everyone else in the office had gone for lunch, except for myself and Mr. Goody-two-shoes. And too bad a file had to be signed, reviewed and shipped out just then. Bloody fate! So like the professional that I was, I picked my butt up, took the file, and strode to his cabin on the opposite end of the floor. It was a blessing, and also a curse.

Blessing because it was far away, which gave me an excuse to send someone to deliver files, and a curse because his transparent cabin door was in direct line of sight to mine. I grumbled.

I was hungry, I was going to Mr. Goody two shoes' office, and I didn't have it in me to deal with him with an empty, grumbling stomach. In no time I was standing in front of his cabin, and letting out a sigh, I knocked. I looked up at the designation plate on the door, the words 'Abeer Sen' mocking me. My mouth twisted in an unpleasant way.

A faint "come in" sounded from behind the doors, and I pushed the door open.

On the desk chair sat Abeer, his brown curls unkempt from perhaps repeatedly running his hands through them, his brow furrowed as he read the document with utmost concentration. Against my wishes, my subconscious drooled at the sight in front of me. He was just.....

"Ahem," I cleared my throat. And then I wished I could melt right there. His hazel eyes looked up, his eyebrows hopping up in surprise.

"Ms. Singhania, what a surprise! Come, have a seat."

And I did. I didn't have strength to do anything else. "So...to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, shutting his file and looking up at me. I cleared my throat, again.

"This file had to be signed and sent out right now, " I said, handing him the file.

"Wait, at least go through it," I said when he reached for his pen, without even once glance at the words of the file.

He smiled. "Ms. Singhania, you are one of the most hardworking employees here, and practically a perfectionist in your work. I don't need to review work I know would be impeccable."

My heart swelled at the appreciation. I knew the file was perfect, but what's wrong in basking in a little appreciation some time? I insisted.

"Still, it's an important file. What if something is amiss? We don't want to put wrong figures in there and upset the client, do we?"

His smile turned into a grin. "Ms. Singhania, we both know it's alright. What are you getting at?" I felt heat creep up my cheeks. He had caught me. But was I the one to be caught? Ha! Then I won't be Aashi Singhania.

I shrugged. "Your loss. Plus, if anything goes wrong, it's your signature on it. Blame on you!" For an instance, his grin turned amused and...piercing. And I stared. It felt I was truly seeing him smile for the first time. It felt too real.

"You would like that too much, won't you?" His eyes were dancing with mirth. I could melt right there. His roguish grin felt like a stab to the heart, a good stab.

There is no such thing as a "good stab"!

I blinked to leave behind that train of thought and shrugged again, my lips curling up. "We both know the truth, don't we?" And taking the file from the desk, I stood up. His deep laughter filled the room. He shook his head, making his delicious curls flop.

Uhhhh!

"You are something, Ms. Singhania!" He chuckled.

"So I have been told. Anyways, thank you, sir. I shall leave."

"I think we had established a first name basis between us," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"You had, sir. I had refused," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Almost rudely even. How could I forget that?" he replied, raising a brow of his own.

"Rude is what you perceive. Direct is what I conveyed."

"Rude is what the world sees it as. Direct is what you see it as. Which would be a more common opinion?" he retorted, not missing a beat. I tilted my head.

"I say someone raped me. He says he didn't. What would be a more common opinion?"

He smiled, getting the hint. " I see why you're a lawyer, Ms Singhania."

"And that's the trashiest thing to exist, more weight being layed on any single side due to preconceived stereotypes" I said, my mouth twisting in an unpleasant way at what I had just used as an example.

He nodded. "Yes, it is. But as you say, it does exist. It's nuts to shy away from the truth." We started at each for a minute, processing what had just happened.

It had been a while since I had sparred with anyone. Let alone a person from the opposite sex. Most I had met for 'rishtas' had just either cut off the talk or simply agreed with me. None had caught on the beat and moved forward, but he had.

And you just compared him to the guys you had met for marriage. I internally groaned. And so did my stomach. So loudly that it was audible to the both of us. If only the floor could split up and swallow me right away.

That asshole grinned, his eyes crinkling. "Seems like someone's missing their meal. Might run for it, before the grumbling becomes way too loud." My face couldn't have been more red. He laughed, taking supreme joy in my discomfort. I spun on my heels, and dashed for the door. He laughed some more.

If I had been avoiding him for the past week, I went MIA whenever he was in my line of sight. After the little incident in his cabin, I knew that I needed to be away from him. He was...toxic.

Manipulative, smarty-pants, opportunist...charming, intelligent, and so unlike the men I had met before.

Yes, as I said, toxic. Toxic! If I was angry at him before, I was super infuriated at him now. Only because he had entertained you, not been an ass at all and appreciated you.

Yes, it was a sin right? Yes, it was definitely a sin. My mental health was having a funny time right now. And all because of him. My insanity did run at a certain level, but it had escalated the moment Mr. Abeer Sen stepped into this office.

-----------------------

For the next few days I pretended to be in a different world, preferably on another planet as well, afraid that my impulsive brain would plan some ideas to deport him if I let it free. Speaking only the amount that work demanded, getting rid of the occasional half smiles I used to throw him earlier, running away from the printer when he was coming there were my ways of preventing mishap, that may or may not lead to murder or deportation.

But one day as fate would have it, it was raining cats and dogs. Delhi did have monsoons, not as vigorous as that of Mumbai, but it was enough to get all the cabs and autos engaged, and make themselves scarce at 9 PM. And too bad fate was feeling extra funny today, because Abeer and I were the only ones left in our department. With him having his bike, and me, being foolish to have left my scooty at home. I groaned. Perhaps I could find a cab or auto...out of sheer, sheer luck! Maybe fate would be kind to me, after all.

I was standing at the entrance of the office with my umbrella barely holding up against the strong wind. My white shirt had started to drench, making me worried.

To be alone, stranded at 9 PM on a stormy Delhi night, at the brink of getting drenched wasn't a pretty picture for any woman living in the capital. I was contemplating ways to smash balls if some street filth tried to take advantage of me when he stopped his bike before me.

The rain had made his hair stick to his forehead. He had a black raincoat on, which only covered his upper half. I was sure his pants were getting soaked to his bone. You really don't want to go down that lane, Aashi. Ahem, yes, right!

He blinked, and asked, "Ms. Singhania, come, I will drop you home." I stiffened.

It was pointless to deny. As much as I supported full feminism, and having the freedom to roam around late at night as well, I wasn't a complete bone head to enter into a dangerous territory willingly. After a few polite declines I realized that I really did not have any other option, it was better to be with someone, irrespective of gender, especially in a city like Delhi popular for women harassment. Ek se bhale do, haina?

Wordlessly, I climbed behind him, making sure to have at least some semblance of distance between the two of us. I reached behind to grab the support handle of the bike, when I realized it was a model which didn't have one. It was the bike which had steep seats, and you had to grab the rider in front if you didn't want to go fall down on your butt. I stiffened some more. This wasn't going right...

At a snail's pace, I shifted forward, my midriff touching his backside, and slid my free hand on his muscled shoulder, and gripped it tight. I wasn't going lower than that. After inquiring if I was seated properly, he started.

He didn't try any of the heroic, flirtatious stunts on me. Didn't press the brakes purposely so I could fall on him. Every time we hit a pothole, he would apologize and go at an even smaller pace than before. But that didn't mean I didn't crash on Abeer. I did. Countless times. And every time that happened, he stiffened like iron. My heart fluttered in the most obnoxious way. But I liked the feeling. Way too much.

Ten minutes in the ride we realized that it was going to be really difficult to go home in this weather, and in the state we were. But nobody mentioned that.

Finally as a tea shop came into view we decided that it was just useless going any further and that we should just stop here for some time. He stopped his bike, and after removing his helmet, he said looking through the rear mirror, "Let's have some tea, if you don't mind, Ms. Singhania."

"Aashi."

"What?" he asked and turned to face me. I turned away, and stepping down, pretended to arrange my shirt. I could feel his piercing stare watching my every move intently.

"Aashi is just fine. The formality does get a bit heavy," and saying so, I hurried to the tea stall. I could feel his grin even from the distance.

He had helped me after all!

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