CHAPTER-6

"You called me sir?" Minakshi asked entering Abhimanyu's cabin.

"Sit," Abhimanyu told her while making coffee.

She sat in the chair and waited for Abhimanyu's next call.

"Here, take this" Abhimanyu offered her a cup of coffee

"Thank you," Minakshi replied while holding the cup.

Abhimanyu nodded and gave her a small smile which was not like a smile, but she could say he smiled.

"You did a good job," Abhimanyu said sitting in his chair.

"Thank you, sir," she said and smiled proudly because she did not expect it from her boss.

"You know Aditya, so working with him would be easy because you can let me know what he is like?" Abhimanyu said looking at her and sipping his coffee.

"Aah..About that, we were not even friends when we were in college, sir. It is just that we knew each other as a classmate" she replied back.

"I see," he said thinking.

"Nothing more than that?" he confirmed. She shook her head.

"Okay, so we have to work very hard now as the deal is confirmed" he reminded her and asked her to leave.

Minakshi walked out of the cabin and thought to eat some beverages as she is not that hungry but want to eat something.

She came to the second floor from the lift and asked the lady to give her a cheese paneer burger.

After paying, she sat in one of the chairs. From the counter, she collected her order slip.

"May I sit here?" she heard a heavy voice. She turned around and saw Aditya standing near her chair.

"O please take a seat," she said standing and offering him a chair. He sat with a smile.

"Did you order something?" he asked pointing at the slip she was holding.

"Yes, I ordered a burger," she said

"Do you want to eat or drink something?" she asked him standing up from her seat to order.

"Yes, I will give them my order," he said standing up.

"No, I will tell them. You can tell me" she said telling him to sit.

"Whatever you ordered," he told her after thinking for a moment.

She went to give them his order as well.

After a few minutes, a guy at the counter called their order. They took it and went back to their table to eat.

"When did you join Mickey Clothing?" he asked her while eating his burger.

"It's been a week" she answered.

"Are you willing to work under us?" she asked hesitating, unsure of what he would think.

In response, he looked at her and replied, "Yeah, that's what we discussed in the meeting hall.".

"I just want to work with you" his eyes were fixed on her as he said.

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

In an effort to avoid looking at him, she began eating her burger again.

After eating she came back and started working on her laptop. She has to prepare all the loan details that they will get from the market and the bank. She also has to prepare all the expense details needed with Lata and Akhil.

She was working when Lata came and asked in a sarcastic manner

"May I sit here Ma'am?" she said blinking cutely and making a face like a cute duck.

"Why are you asking? You are not in Sir's cabin" Minakshi said smirking.

"I thought you would say, please have a seat," Lata said making a puppy face and sat in front of Minakshi.

Minakshi looked at her tilting her head with a questioning gaze. She did not understand what she meant.

"What?" She could only say this

"I saw you and Mr. Aditya on the second floor eating together," she said winking at her.

Lata came forward a bit and said "I thought not to DISTURBBB you guys"

She put pressure on the word disturb and laughed out loud.

Minakshi looked at her unbelievably.

"What happened to you, girl? Why are you after him?" Minakshi asked furrowing her brows.

"I am not after him. He is after you...I think so" Lata replied frowning her nose while swinging in her chair.

Minakshi inhaled and exhaled to relax.

"There is nothing going on between us," she said explaining herself.

She thinks Lata and Abhimanyu are asking her such things for no reason.

"All right, let's get back to work," Lata said as she handed her a few files.

"What are these?" Minakshi asked confused

"Some details of this project" Lata replied

Just then Minakshi's intercom rang. She picked up the call and replied with YES.

"Sir called us inside," she said to Lata

Lata stood up from her chair adjusting her dress and goggles hair before walking inside. The lift light was on indicating someone had come. It was Akhil.

"Hey, you guys are here? Abhimanyu called us right?" he asked them confirming.

"Yes, we are just getting there " Lata replied.

The trio walked inside the cabin of Abhimanyu. He was sitting with his back facing them. He was looking at the view outside while sitting in his chair.

"Sit", he said, still looking outside and holding both hands under his chin.

They sit on the three-seater sofa set looking at each other.

Abhimanyu stood up from his chair and walked towards them. He sat on one of the couches near the three-seater sofa.

"I want the expense report and market report by tomorrow morning," He said looking at them directly into their eyes.

Akhil, Lata, and Minakshi looked at him with their eyes wide open. Then they looked at each other and Lata indicated with her eyes to Akhil to say something.

"Tomorrow morning? Isn't it too early Abhimanyu?" Akhil asked him with an awkward smile.

"If not tomorrow, when?" he asked as he shot him a deadly glare without blinking.

Akhil did not say anything back but looked at Lata and asked gesturing what now?

In dismay, she looked down and did not respond.

"By morning 9 am I want it on my table," Abhimanyu said expressionlessly showing them with his forefinger where his table is.

Standing up, he asked them to leave.

With a sad face as if crying, Lata said, "I don't know if we're going home tonight or not."

"Let's start our job. If we start now, I hope we will make it back home by midnight" Akhil said exhaling his breath.

Minakshi thought this job is not as easy as she thought it is.

As expected, they worked until midnight arranging files, gathering data, studying the market, etc.

"Okay now, this last thing I can do at my home also," Akhil said to Lata and Minakshi.

"Let us leave now. As I already said, it is now midnight. I'll drop you guys off at your home" Akhil said as he tucked the file into his bag.

When they began to leave the office, they saw Abhimanyu standing outside the entrance of the building. He was looking at the sky with a small smile, keeping his hands in his pants' side pockets.

Minakshi looked at him in awe. He was looking damn handsome in the moonlight.

Taking a look at the time on a hand watch, Akhil asked Abhimanyu, "Why don't you leave yet?"

"I was waiting for you guys to leave" He replied looking at Minakshi.

"Where do you live?" he asked looking directly at Minakshi, his hands still in his pockets.

"Me? Aah, I live on Street No. 5" she replied coming back to her senses.

"I will drop you home. You take Lata back to her home" Abhimanyu said to Minakshi and then Akhil.

"No, I will..."

"Come," he said to Minakshi without allowing her to finish her sentence.

"Goodnight," Lata said to Minakshi and walked with Akhil to where he had parked his car.

Abhimanyu pressed the button of a key of his Mercedes Benz car to unlock it and asked Minakshi to sit in the front passenger seat.

Before he starts the car, they fasten their seatbelts. There was silence in the car before Abhimanyu said

"Tell me who is there in your family?" he asked suddenly making Minakshi's heart tremble.

She put her hand near her heart calming her heartbeat to normal. She thought that for a second her heart came out of her mouth.

"I have one younger sister and mother in my family" she replied in a low voice looking at him and then in front.

"What about your father?" he asked looking at her and then changing the gears of his car.

"He died when I was only 6 years old" she replied looking down at her hands sadly.

"Oh, I am sorry for the loss," he said sincerely.

"No, it's alright sir," she said with a small but cute smile on her face. There was sadness in her eyes though.

He looked at her intently. He blinked coming back to his senses and concentrating on driving.

Don't know why but for some reason Minakshi feels good when Abhimanyu is talking to her like this. He is somewhat polite today.

"How did he die?" He asked again.

"He had an accident on his way home from the office" she replied yawning.

"What work did he use to do?"

"He was a lawyer."

"Hmm", Abhimanyu said thinking.

"Sir please take a right turn from here," Minakshi said showing him the direction to her home.

He did as she told him.

"There...Yes, this is my home" she said smiling.

"Home Bakery" he read from the board which was displayed above the door of the house.

"This bakery is run by my mom," she said, taking her purse and getting out of the car.

"Thank you sir and goodnight," she smiled and almost ran home.

Abhimanyu also turned back his car and headed home.

His face was very serious as if he was deeply contemplating something.

After coming back home he headed straight to his room, took a shower, and lay down on his bed after wearing his night pajamas.

"Minakshi," he said closing his eyes and keeping his hands on his forehead.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply. He combed his wet hair back with his hands.

"What is it that makes me want to know more about you? Why?" he asked himself and sighed long.