"Hi!" He says giving me a bright smile and I immediately force myself to look away and turn around so that my back faces him now.

"What are you doing like this?" I ask him, still turned away from him.

"Sorry can't tell you that but please come inside, Shravya." He says.

"Wear something and tell me when you're decent enough to look at." I say in response.

"I'm quite decent enough to look at with or without wearing something Shravya, now come inside." He tells me.

"Too much exaggeration." I mumble and the next second I feel a tug on my hand. I'm pulled inside, my back hitting Arjun's front, naked front, while he closes the door by placing one palm on it.

"Now Shravya, turn around." He whispers in my ear, his voice smooth like silk.

I feel goosebumps form all over my body as I turn around to face him, my eyes still closed tightly.

I feel him place another palm on the other side of my head, now trapping me between the door and himself.

His aftershave makes me want to inhale continuously even though I cannot see anything.

"Shravya, open your eyes." I hear him say and slowly I do. I open my eyes one after the other.

My eyes land on his well built torso.

Arjun Mehrotra has abs! Well defined and delicious to look at.

Stop, stop, stop Shravya. What did you just say? I immediately mentally yell at myself.

"Arjun, what are you doing?" I ask him, leaning further against the door trying to distance myself from his naked, half naked whatever self.

"I'm just proving it to you, Shravya, tell me, am I not decent enough to look at like this?" He asks me.

I slowly bring my index finger to his forehead because that's the only body part I think is appropriate enough to touch and push him away.

He's taken aback by my sudden attack and I easily distance myself from him. Before he can respond I get out of his trap.

"Go get dressed or you will have no dinner for yourself today!" I tell him.

"You wouldn't do that." He says.

"Oh, but I would, definitely, if you don't get dressed in the next 3....2...and.." Before I can complete my sentence he's already making his way to his bedroom.

I stare at his muscular back. He's got sacral dimples. I don't know why but that just adds onto his sexy self.

You're totally not in your senses today, Shravya. Did you just call Arjun Mehrotra sexy?

How long has it been since I have watched one of SRK's movies?

[SRK : Shah Rukh Khan, the one and only! He's one of the most popular bollywood actor]

[a/n : I LOVE HIM ( ◜‿◝ )♡]

Oh it's been long and I need to do that soon. I tell myself and immediately put my bag down on the sofa after which I take a seat beside it.

I make myself comfortable and then tug on my rubber band pulling my hair out of the ponytail I tied it into earlier today and rest my head on the headrest of the sofa.

A minute later Arjun comes back in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

I immediately sat up straight.

"Hey, no, don't get up, relax for a while." He tells me.

I really need it today because I've had an exhausting day at the office so I don't argue and rest my head back again.

The doorbell rings and Arjun walks over to the door to open it.

A few seconds later he comes back with the two catalogues in hand and sets them on the table.

He then walks over to the three seater sofa and flops down on it after which he switches the television on.

Another match plays on it but this time the television is on mute the entire time.

Fifteen minutes later I decide to finally start making the dinner so that I can reach home in time.

I turn my head sideways and look at Arjun who's engrossed in the match, with three cushions, one plopped under his elbow, one beneath his ankles and the other on which he rests his arm, just like the day before.

"Arjun, what do you wanna have for dinner?" I ask him.

"Anything, make anything." He replies, eyes still glued to the television screen.

"Arjun, be more specific. What if I cook something you don't like?" I ask him.

"It's okay." He replies.

"Arjun!!!" This time I yell and he immediately turns sideways to look at me.

"Yes?" He asks.

"Dinner. What should I make for dinner?" I ask him.

I sound like how Ma does whenever she runs out of what to make for dinner and asks papa about it instead.

For me it's only been a day and this is my condition.

"Something light, like dal fry and rice." He tells me.

[Dal fry is a delicious lentil recipe popular in India that is made with tur dal (pigeon pea lentils), onions, tomatoes and spices.]

"Okay. Dal fry it is today." I say and stand up.

I gather my hair back into a ponytail and then walk to the kitchen.

After washing my hands and checking for all the ingredients I start preparing Arjun's dinner.

A few minutes later he comes to check on me.

"Is everything going well, do you need my help with something?" He asks me.

"I'm making the dal right now, you bring the rice container and take out one cup of rice from that cup." I tell him and point to the cup on the counter.

"On it, captain." He says and does what I have asked him to.

"Here, take it." He says and hands it to me a couple of minutes later.

"You can resume watching the match now." I say and he gives me a salute.

I smile at his retreating figure.

Half an hour later I'm done. I cover the lid of the casseroles and walk out of the kitchen.

"I'll take my leave now, Arjun." I tell him as I eye the clock.

7.15 p.m.

"Sure, let's go." He says.

"Hey, wait, you can just call your driver. Please don't bother. You cannot drop me to my house everyday." I tell him.

A frown forms on his face.

"Why not?" He asks me.

"Because you don't have to. Let the driver drop me off, Arjun." I tell him in a hushed voice.

"Okay fine." He says and picks his phone up to call his driver I assume.

After he's done making the call, he looks back at me. "He's coming in five minutes."

"I better go downstairs and wait." I tell him and make my way to the door. Arjun follows me to the doorstep and opens the door for me.

"Bye, have a good night." I say with a smile.

"You too. Text me when you reach home." He mumbles.

I step out of his apartment and leave, behind me I hear the door shut.

•

That night after I'm done with dinner I come back to my room and lay down on my bed.

I expected to sleep as soon as I shut my eyes but that didn't happen. The moment I close my eyes the mental image of Arjun in only a towel appears in front of me and my eyes instantly fly open.

I shake my head, once, twice, thrice and try to erase the picture from my mind but I cannot. I'm instead reminded of the smell of his aftershave. How good does he smell all the time!

Stop, Shravya, stop thinking about Arjun Mehrotra this very moment. I mentally yell at myself.

To distract myself I pick my phone up from beside me and unlock it to find that I've received a message from none other than my pretend boyfriend.

Arjun : Hey, Shravya, I asked you to text me when you reach home.???

I slap my forehead. I totally forgot to do that. The moment I had reached home today I had sat down to eat my dinner.

Shravya : I'm sorry, it totally slipped my mind. I reached home by eight.

The message gets delivered to him but he doesn't view it. Another message pops up on my screen. This time from Sneha. I close his chat and open Sneha's.

Sneha : Girl, where are you! How long has it been since we've had lunch together, you're working during your lunch breaks too now!!!

I laugh at the message and quickly begin typing a reply.

Shravya : Girl, I'm at my house right now and it's only been two days since we haven't had lunch together, a couple of more days and I'll hopefully not have to work on my lunch breaks. Can't wait to have lunch with my best friend.<3

Sneha : typing...

Sneha : Yay!!! By the way how's cooking dinners for Arjun Mehrotra going? Has he fallen for your charms yet? 😋

Shravya : No he hasn't and he never will. It's an agreement that we have between us and nothing else.

Sneha : Keep telling yourself that. ;)

Shravya : Good night, Sneha, I'll see you in the office tomorrow. Stop overthinking! ;)

Sneha : Nighty night Shravya. Sleep tight, see you tomorrow x

I close her chat.

The message that I sent Arjun now has two blue ticks on it which means he's seen the message but not replied to it.

I lock my phone and keep it on the nightstand.

No more thinking about Arjun more than necessary. A couple of more days cooking for him and then he'll meet Ma and Papa. They'll be satisfied and truly believe I have a boyfriend and then Arjun Mehrotra's chapter will close in my life.

Hopefully I'll find someone who I would want to spend the rest of my life with and then I'll tell my parents that Arjun and I have broken up for good.

Yes, perfect. With this thought in mind I finally go off to sleep.