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We had finally completed all our pending work and back up research for our joint project. Mr. Chaudhary had been pleased, but nonetheless, there was no escaping work. Abeer and I were having another late night at office, determined to get over with a fourth of the work before hitting the weekend, because we both had agreed on having a work-free weekend dedicated to us and our family and friends.

"Here Aashi," Abeer handed over my piping hot tea cup as I went through a previous project's file. I smiled up at him in thanks and sipped the amber liquid. Just what I needed. Abeer took a seat next to me and took a sip of his own coffee.

"So...shall we start?" He asked, gesturing to the new file that had arrived a few hours ago. I nodded, closing my file to focus on the work at hand.

He opened our file labeled 'Tirany' in black ink and a hundred pages fell out of it. The falling papers weren't as much of a shock as what was written on them. Or marked over them.

Each one had a red stain. Okay, not a stain, more like a lipstick mark. I picked up one to view it closer. 'Mine', it read. I looked up at Abeer to find him frozen in his chair, a dark expression looming on his face. I could feel his grip on the file harden.

A simple little word, 'mine' - but how it sent shudders down my spine.

And I wasn't even the receiver of it!

Abeer refused to meet my eye, his gaze zeroed on the paper in my hand and the four letter word inked in blue below the lipstick mark. My chair scrapped against the floor as I got up to fetch a glass of water. I returned back from the cafeteria to find Abeer cradling his head in between his palms, a horror-filled look on his face. My heart clenched as he downed the glass of water in a blink. I knew this was the moment to break the ice.

"Abeer, I don't mean to pry but I think its high time you tell me what's going on between you and Maya," I said uncharacteristically slowly and calmly. Maybe Abeer was rubbing off on me. He looked up at me, startled at my inference to Maya. He didn't know that I knew, but the look in his eyes told me he had pieced the puzzle of my fake call from previous morning.

He cleared his throat. "We had dated in college for a year or two. She was my first girlfriend, and also one of the prettiest girls in college. I was on cloud nine - she was the most desired in every male circle. But then gradually things started to get sexual and overbearing from her side. She wanted to control every moment and movement of my life. I couldn't handle the stress and decided to break things up before they escalated beyond repair," he explained.

"How did all this emerge again?" I asked, confused.

"It started from the day I came here. At first it was just meeting your ex scenario, but then...things just went out of hand. She doesn't really like me, it's more like an obsession. I will not get back with her and hence she will go to any measures to harass me."

I was shocked.

"Wha...what do you mean harass? That's a big thing, Abeer," I cautioned him. He simply nodded. When he didn't care to explain, I chose to be nosy about it.

"How is she harassing you? In what ways?"

"Umm...cornering me sometimes, blackmailing me..."

"Blackmailing? How?" I asked, alarmed.

"She says she would defame me in the office if I didn't comply to her wishes," he said, staring at the desk.

"Defame you? How?" I questioned, still not able to piece it together.

"Don't you see? She would tell everyone how I'm the one harassing her. Taking advantage of her."

"But...but why are you tolerating this? Scream, push, hit. Do anything to stop it." He looked up at me, his eyebrows shooting upwards.

"Hit her? I can't hit her!" He exclaimed, horrified at my statement.

"You say you can't hit her. Okay, I get it. But then, why not tell anyone? Complain about it!" I agitated, looking at Abeer beseechingly.

"But how can you even suggest something like that? Hit her, seriously!" He shook his head, looking at me incredulously.

"But why is that such a big deal? If a guy were harassing me, the number one option I would have chosen would be to give him a nice whack!" I raised my choice, desperate to get my point through.

"You can't hit a girl, Aashi!" He screamed. I realized that I was being immature about this and violence won't be the solution. Hitting would only add fuel to the fire. I have no idea where my mouth brings those ridiculous words from. But all the sense leaves our mind in the rare moments of heat, not-so-rare moments of heat in my case. Abeer was right. He was always freaking right.

"Okay, if you can't do that, then at least complain about the harassment," I screamed back out of irritation, my temper nearing its stretch.

"Complain? The chances of them believing me is far less than the chances of them believing her," he chuckled darkly.

I couldn't believe him. "Are you serious? Why won't they-"

I suddenly stopped short as realization dawned on me. Abeer smiled a sad smile, as I struggled to digest the truth. Its funny how some situations get you to remember some things from your past. Just like this conversation with Abeer made me remember the conversation we had in his cabin that day. 'I say he raped me, he says he didn't. What would be a more common opinion?'

This was the maligned truth of the society. Maya could make use of the fact that she is a woman and make people believe the false accusation of Abeer's character. Her fake tears and that innocent face which hides horrifying insanity would also come handy in her mission to catch him in the trap.

I glanced at him, unshed tears glistening in my eyes. He was staring at the desk again, his eyes bereft of any emotion.

"You see, things aren't really that simple."

I shook my head, unwilling to give up. I had never given up on things I had truly wanted in life, and I never will.

"Do you want to get out or not? See, we have a few options. I can talk to Maya and make her understand, or we go to HR tomorrow and get done with it. It has to work. And if that doesn't happen, then I would contemplate unleashing my secret weapons." I had lost all my calm by this time and Abeer was looking at me with an unknown emotion in his eyes.

"But why will you talk to her?" He asked.

"I will talk to her in my style. That doesn't necessarily mean verbal exchanges, you know." And here comes violence again spewing right out of my mouth. I can't really help it! The tears were long forgotten, replaced by scorching anger. And I knew just the person who will burn in it.

"But why would you do this?" He asked again, staring at me. I stared back in the most 'duh' expression I could manage while fuming with anger.

"Umm...I don't know, maybe because you are my friend who is being harassed by her. It's my duty to give her a piece of my mind." Or my hands. Or legs.

I must be Hitler in my previous life with the kind of blood lust I possess. But not really, I only possess it for the people who are morally wrong and not random innocent beings. So no, not Hitler.

"I really admire you for your courage. But...do you really want to get involved in this?"

"Abeer...seriously, it isn't that difficult, okay? All we have to do is save these papers as proof, and I am your witness, ain't I?"

"You didn't say you were a witness?" He raised his brows. I rolled my eyes, trying to sound as unabashed as possible.

"Of course. You can't expect me to walk in with Maya having her hands all over you and you actually shouting at her and just leave! Come on!"

"That's called invasion of privacy in normal terms, you know," he commented, a hint of smile in his tone. Heat crept up my neck, but I won't be Aashi if I didn't go on.

"An invasion that is going to help you!" I warned him, my hands flying in all directions.

"But do you really think the HR will help us? I mean the head is a bit..." Abeer trailed off, unsure.

I knew what he meant. Of course, I had worked here 4 years longer than him. The HR head was a complete douche and a sucker for Maya. It was nonsense to believe he would help us out when the matter concerned Maya. But as I had said, I had weapons that won't fail.

I smiled at him. "Don't you worry, I'll get you out of this mess. Just trust me, okay?"

His eyes lit up as he smiled down at me. I felt my heart melt at that smile. Gosh, why do Bengali men smile so good?!

Bengali men or just a particular Bengali man, my stupid subconscious added.

"Thanks Aashi," he said, and squeezed my hands.

I gave him my widest smile and a light pat on his shoulder. "Let's get to work now, shall we? Maya has already doubled the work," I said, indicating to all the red stained papers. He sighed and shook his head, getting his laptop out to get another set of print out of the file.

And that's how two hours went by, work consuming us and the tension from the air. As the clock chimed at ten, we wrapped up, Abeer offering to ride me back home. It had become a ritual - late nights at office and bike trip with Abeer to home. Just as I was about go Abeer called me. "Yes?" I asked.

"Umm...I'm sorry for that day when we were stranded in the rain. I said many...unnecessary things," he said, heat creeping up his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Major aww moment, but control yourself Aashi!

"Are you?" I started laughing. "But I am not taking back everything I said, okay! You really are a goody-two-shoe. Who says sorry for things like that?" He rolled his eyes but laughed anyways. It was a warm feeling. Laughing with Abeer under the chilly late night Delhi sky felt...different. The knots of stress from the last couple of days loosened just like that.

"Goodnight Aashi," he said smiling.

"Good night, Abeer," I replied, chuckling.

Yes, it was truly a good night.

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