"I had a very good sleep last night." I tell Ma at the breakfast table.

"That's good." She replies and adds another sandwich to my plate.

"Ma, no more. I'm full." I tell her and push my plate away.

"You're full already? You hardly ate anything, Shravu!" She says.

"Maaaa, I gotta leave for the office now." I tell her and get up from my chair.

"Okay fine. Let me pack it for you." She tells me and goes inside the kitchen while I wash my hands.

She comes out a couple of minutes later and hands me my tiffin.

I accept it from her and give her a side hug.

"By the way, Shravu, you've been coming home later than usual for the past couple of days. Is your boss making you work extra hours?" She asks me.

"No, Ma. Arjun and I met after office yesterday and the day before yesterday that's why I was later than usual." I tell her. I could have lied to her but I'm damn sure either she herself or someone from the complex must have seen me coming out of Arjun's car and knew I was with him.

"Oh, that's good. Getting to know each other better, I see." She comments smiling teasingly.

More like keeping our ends of the bargain. I think to myself but to her I pass a shy smile.

"I'm leaving now Ma. Will see you in the evening." I tell her and leave.

When I reach the office I first stop by Sneha's desk before making my way to my own.

"Hi, bestfriend." I tell her with a smile.

"Hello, finally got time for your best friend?" She asks me, faking anger.

"Hey, don't be like this. We'll go to our favourite chaat corner as soon as this week of cooking at Arjun's gets over, my treat, okay." I tell her. [Chaat : A savoury snack]

"Okayyy! But the end of the week is so far away." She tells me.

"Arjun said it can end before a week, so let's hope that is the case." I tell her.

"No, but I don't want that to happen." She says.

"Why?" I ask her, confused.

"That's because I'm low-key hoping Arjun and you give each other a chance." She tells me.

"Sneha, Arjun and me? That's never gonna happen. Just last night I was thinking that very soon he's going to meet Ma and Papa and everything is going to get over then." I say.

"Shravya, stop being so practical. What if that isn't the case?" She asks me.

"What isn't the case?" I ask her back.

"In the few days that you have known Arjun Mehrotra have you not for once thought about him more than necessary? Have you not thought about what it would be like once everything is over and the two of you would probably never get a chance to see each other again? Has he never done something that has made you happy or left you in awe? Has he never done something out of his way for you?" She asks me.

"I don't understand what you are trying to say, Sneha. Of course I have thought about him more than necessary. You know I tend to overthink. I have even thought about how the two of us will probably have nothing to do with each other once everything ends but that's what it was supposed to be like from the beginning right. A meeting with my parents and then everything over. He made me happy when he agreed to my request. He's always dropped me off safely to my complex or has made sure I reach home safely but that's because well, because he wants me to reach home safely. Yes, that's all." I tell her.

"That's all? That's not all. Let's just keep everything aside. Why would he want to make sure you reach home safely everyday? And even if we accept that because you're cooking for him for a week but why would he himself offer to drop you off? I mean he's a big shot who has people at the end of his fingertips to do these jobs for him. He must be having a driver right? Then why does he always himself offer to drive you off?" She asks me.

"That's because.." I do not get to complete my sentence because I find myself at a loss of words and without a valid reason to come up with.

"You don't have an answer right? Think about this, Shravya and you'll be wondering too. Get to your desk now, we'll speak more about this later when you have an answer." She tells me.

Without saying anything in response I make my way to my desk, my mind filled with various thoughts.

When I'm back at my desk I try to busy myself with reports and files but it's of no use.

Sneha's words keep on running in my mind over and over again. Why does Arjun do things for me which he clearly doesn't have to do?

I'm the one who asked him for a favour first and not the other way round. Why would he want to make sure I'm always safe? Does he care for me? As an acquaintance maybe.

Yes that's all.

The thought relaxes me a little and I resume working.

•

The elevator produces the ding sound and it's doors open. I step out and make my way to flat no. 17 (c)

However as soon as I reach the doorstep I find Arjun outside locking the door. He's dressed in a three piece suit with a watch on his left wrist and air pods on his ears.

"Hey." I greet and he immediately looks up at me.

"Oh shit!" He curses.

"Are you going somewhere?" I ask him.

"Yes, I have a meeting scheduled at seven at The Regency. It'll take an hour for me to reach so I was leaving for there. I should have informed you but I totally forgot, I'm so sorry, Shravya. I will drop you off, I'm sorry really." He apologizes and seems genuinely sorry.

"No it's okay. I'll be on my way then, you don't have to drop me off." I tell him.

"I have to and I will. Let me, please or else I'll feel all the more bad, I'll be having dinner outside with my clients today so there's no need for you to prepare it for me but I forgot to tell you that." He says.

"Okay fine if it won't be a problem for you." I tell him.

He passes me a smile and walks closer towards me.

"Let's get going." He says and we make our way to the elevator.

I walk inside it and lean against one corner. Arjun walks to the other end and stands facing me.

I stare down at my feet as Sneha's words replay in my mind.

He offered to drop me off again. I feel his gaze on me and I quickly look up to find him already staring at me.

"Any updates on when you'll be getting an entry inside the Mehrotra mansion?" I ask him.

"Eager to get rid of me?" He asks with a chuckle.

"No, that's not why I asked that." I immediately say in response.

"So that means you do not want to get rid of me?" He asks with a smirk.

"No stop twisting my words, Arjun. I was just asking in general." I tell him.

"Don't worry, Shravya, just one more day and I'll be back at the Mehrotra mansion and you'll get rid of me." He tells me with a smile on his face.

Hearing that makes me a little disappointed.

The elevator doors open and a young couple enters inside with about a year old baby girl being carried by the man.

I shift my position from the corner to the back of the elevator to give them space. Arjun does the same and comes to stand beside me.

The baby girl looks at us from her father's shoulder with a smile on her face showing the four teeth she has.

I smile back at her and that only makes her smile wider. I bring my index finger to her cheek and softly pat it which makes her giggle.

My smile turns wider.

From my peripheral vision I feel Arjun's gaze on me. I look up at him to find him smiling too, the only difference being that instead of the baby he's looking at me.

I turn my gaze back to the baby.

Soon the elevator reaches the ground floor and all of us exit it.

The couple along with the baby make their way to the opposite direction.

"Ta-ta ta-ta." The baby says as she waves her small hand at me.

I wave back at her before turning to face Arjun.

"She was so cute." I tell him.

"Indeed she was." He replies and asks me to wait at the reception while he goes to bring out his car.

I wait at the reception and a few minutes later he's out in front of the gate.

I walk towards the car and enter inside.

"Seatbelt." He says and I fasten the seatbelt around myself.

I unlock my phone and randomly scroll through my Instagram account.

"You have an Instagram?" He asks me amused.

"It's bad manners to peep at someone's phone and what's so amusing about me having an Instagram? Doesn't everybody have it these days?" I ask him, narrowing my eyes on him.

"Not everyone is like Shravya Arora though, are they? I just did not take you for a person who uses social media." He tells me.

"Well to be honest I hardly use it and the times that I do it's for checking out pages selling customised items." I tell him.

"Items like a penguin shaped power bank?" He asks me with a chuckle.

"Yes, but how do you know I have a penguin shaped power bank?" I ask him.

"I saw it on your erm colourful desk when I visited your office. Penguin shaped power banks are a little extreme." He tells me trying to suppress a smile

"Hey, stop it, it's cute." I tell him and he laughs.

"Standard five kid." He mumbles under his breath but I hear it too.

I huff and cross my arms across my chest before looking away.

"Hey, Shravya, look at me, I was just kidding." He says but I refuse to look in his direction.

"Shravya, listen to me." He says but I stand my ground.

"Seems like you aren't in any mood to listen to me. Alright, no problem." He says and doesn't pester me any further but instead goes silent and continues driving the car.

I remain silent too until he takes a different turn which doesn't lead to my house.

I immediately look in his direction. There's a blank expression on his face.

Where is he taking me? I wonder to myself but choose to not ask him. Not yet.

As far as I know Arjun Mehrotra, he isn't someone who'd kill a person and hide their dead body. Nor would he cause any harm to someone over such a small issue.

But then again how much do I even know him? What if he is actually taking me to some abandoned road.

He's a famous person, he won't do such a thing in public right?

Of course he wouldn't. That's why he's taking me to some deserted place I think to myself as I see the number of people on the road reducing as he drives further.

"Arjun?" I call out in the best steady voice possible.

"Yes?" He asks me.

"Where are we going? This isn't the way to my house." I ask.

"Somewhere." He answers.

The reply scares me all the more. What kind of a vague reply is that?

"Where exactly?" I tried asking him again.

"You'll see, be patient." He answers and continues to drive further.

This isn't right. Something is wrong.

With shaking fingers I unlock my phone and begin typing a message to Sneha.

"Please be online. Please be online." I keep on chanting under my breath while typing the message.

Shravya : Sneha, Arjun is taking me somewhere and he isn't telling me where exactly we are going. All I can see is isolated roads. I have a bad feeling about this. CALL ME.

The moment I press send the message gets delivered and I relax a little.

She views the message and a couple of seconds later starts calling me.

I receive the call and press the phone to my ear.

"Hello Shravya are you fine? Can you see anyone on the road now?" She asks me.

"No." I answer.

"Okay, do one thing: put the phone on speaker." She tells me.

"Okay, I'm doing that." I tell her and move the phone away from my ears.

I put it on speaker. "Yes, you're on speaker now." I tell her and slowly raise my eyes from the phone's screen to look at Arjun who looks back at me, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Mr. Arjun Mehrotra." Sneha's voice booms inside the car.

"Uh well who's this?" Arjun asks, looking taken aback.

"That doesn't matter right now, what does is that you have to drop Shravya safely back to her house at this very moment so turn back from the isolated road that you are on and instead choose the way to her house." She says.

I focus my eyes on my phone refusing to even look at Arjun because I'm scared of what his next move is going to be.

"And why if I don't do that?" Arjun asks.

"Then, my boyfriend who is an ACP will be on your door the next morning ready to arrest you. Mayank Grewal, you know him?" Sneha asks.

[ACP is the Assistant Commissioner of Police. In the IPS (Indian Police Service), it is known as one of the top ranks.]

"I do know him, he's an acquaintance but what I don't know is why would he be at my door the next morning?" Arjun asks.

"For doing whatever you plan on doing with Shravya, of course. I know you have taken her to some isolated place and she's scared as fuck right now because you refuse to tell her where you're taking her. One cannot help but feel scared at such a situation. Now drop her off at her house." Sneha says.

"I will not Ms. Sneha. And rest assured wherever I intend on taking Shravya, is a safe place where neither me nor anyone else will cause her any harm." He says.

"You mean like a surprise? A good one?" Sneha asks, her tone suddenly changing from the previous serious one to an excited one now.

"Yes." Arjun replies.

"Oh my God, Shravya, you just won't stop overthinking or assuming the worst in every situation, will you? Here your boyfriend, pretend boyfriend whatever is taking you out on a surprise date and you thought he's going to kill you?.." I am about to switch off the speaker mode when she continues to blabber.

"No wait, Arjun I'm so sorry. It's just that Shravya is like a baby to me and I'm very protective of her. When she sent me a text saying she's having a bad feeling about you taking her to some isolated place and got scared too, but this girl. What do I even begin to say about her? A week back she had assumed that you were going to ask her for a sexual.. " I immediately pressed the hang up button.

By this time my face is flushed and heat is radiating from my cheeks.

I slowly look up at Arjun.

"A sexual what, now?" He asks me, a sly smirk forming on his face.

I'm in some deep shit now.