Redeemed Love

Part 27

   
   
    "Why you want me to help you?" Rajat's words reiterated in her mind while she broke a piece of her roti. For one, she felt it to be so odd for him to speak with such tone with her.
   
   
    From the very first day here in the office, she has never seen Rajat snapping or speaking with such tone. He never gets mad at anyone, even if he does, he'll never lash out his anger, instead make them understand politely.
   
   
    "Ask yourself" she remembered him saying that. What shall she ask herself, us a question which is haunting her. Was he mad at her? She doesn't even remember making a mistake, to be precise, he was the one who didn't speak with her yesterday nor dropped her off like always, it's not like she asked him to do or something, it was him who promised he will drop her home till they work late.
   
   
    Shrugging her shoulders, she just tried to keep her mind sane, already she had plenty to worry about. The project is 70% done and there's one more challenge up in front of her, Ram has asked her to supervise the Marketing department, a field which she lacks in, in every possible way.
   
   
    Let alone marketing, she cannot speak two words about her own work properly without preparing before hand, then also she'd fumble, she knew.
   
   
    Her train of thoughts were interrupted "Mind If we join?" She heard someone say and when she raised her gaze, she was startled to see Vikram standing with his plate.
   
   
    Priya kept on looking at him, still trying to pull herself out of her thought process, when she did, she scrunched her face, "Sorry.." she bit her tongue, "Yes sure.. Sir" she nodded.
   
   
    Vikram who smiled back and was going to sit, stood up hearing her say Sir, "Phir Sir, I told you to call me Vikram" he made a sad face.
   
   
    "Sorry.. Vikram" She apologized again.
   
   
    "That's better" Vikram smiled widely at her and took the seat in front of hers.
   
   
    "Ram come" He said making her heed to his words, she looked over her shoulder to see Ram standing at a feet difference with his plate, Ram was surprised to see Vikram sitting there, she could tell.
   
   
    "Aana" Vikram called him again but Ram decided otherwise and sat on the bed adjacent to the one Vikram and Priya sat on.
   
   
    "Arre.. " Vikram said in displease, "I am okay here" Ram gave a pursed smile, settling with his meal.
   
   
    Shrugging his shoulders, Vikram decided to start with his meal. Priya looked at him for a second and stole a glance at Ram who was engrossed in his meal to, shaking her head, she to decided to focus on her meal.
   
   
   
    "This vegetable is so bland" Vikram made a weird face. Priya snapped her eyes to what he was saying and looking at his thali, she could understand why so.
   
   
   
    Pushing the bowl of vegetable aside, Vikram decided to dip his roti into the daal. Seeing him do so, Priya felt bad, "You can have some of this!" She pushed forward her tiffin.
   
   
    Vikram looked at her tiffin then at her, surely there was not too much of it but yet she decided to share, which pleased Vikram making his lips curve at a side.
   
   
    "Arre.. nahi, you have it, will adjust" Vikram denied but Priya insisted, "Thodisi taste kar lijiye, itni bhi buri nahi hai (atleast taste it, It's not that bad)" she smiled.
   
   
    Shaking his head with a smile, Vikram took a spoon, "Bhindi! (Okra!)" He said with delight, "Ram ki favorite hai (Ram's favorite)" Vikram informed. Hearing Ram's name, she looked straight at him and was stunned to see Ram eating his meal silently, even he finished the vegetable which Vikram shrugged as bland.
   
   
    "Ammm..." Vikram moaned in pure delight as he took a bite. She turned around and smiled to see him eating like a child.
   
   
    "Ram you have to try this" Vikram looked at Ram who did turned around this time. He looked at Priya for a brief second, "Lijiye na Sir" She offered him a spoonful. Ram didn't deny the offer and took it.
   
   
   
    Priya waited for few seconds for him to eat it, but he didn't ate it just kept it aside. Dejected, she turned her attention towards what Vikram asked next, "Why do you sit alone?" He looked around to see the others grouping up and she preferred to sit alone at a side.
   
   
    Priya kept her gaze lowered, "I am used to eating alone" a rueful smile lingered on her lips. Vikram stiffed at his position, it felt like a deja vu to him, the same words he has heard before and with that thought, he looked over to his friend.
   
   
    "We are never alone Priya"  Vikram scoffed making her raise her eyes at him, "Even in the darkest of places, we are never alone" he smiled slightly, "how can you be alone when there's a source of light to move past the darkness, you just have to keep on moving forward despite all the fears all the sorrows"
   
    Something in his words made her calm, his voice and the meaningful words felt so true to her sense. An involuntarily smile spread across her lips.
   
   
    "And.. " he took a dramatic pause, "sometimes I tend to get off track and speak philosophically" his smile turned into a grin making her break into a sweet giggle.
   
   
    "What you said is true Sir.." Priya agreed but bit her tongue when Vikram groaned at her, "Vikram" she corrected, "we have to move on at some point, but some things take time to get used to" her sweet smile turned into a rueful one.
   
   
    Just to shrug the tension around Vikram shook his head, "well, atleast now you are not alone" she nodded in affirmation, "you have a new friend now!" Saying he took his other hand forward for a shake.
   
   
    Priya kept her gaze on him and then moved to his hand which waited for her, she was suddenly thrown into a fix. Friendship for her is important, she just can't go and say she is friend with any person she has met at the moment, for her, friendship is something deeper.
   
   
    Seeing her reluctant, Vikram got cautious, "Not now" was her shocking answer. For a guy like Vikram, he can befriend any person he meets, that's his charisma but she just denied to be his friend which surprised him. To add more to his annoyance, he saw Ram smirking, clearly he heard the conversation and was laughing at Vikram.
   
   
    Vikram closed his palm withdrawing it, but seeing him dejected she immediately tried to mend the situation, "maybe after we get to know each other well" though her voice held back, Vikram caught the reluctance in her eyes.
   
   
    "It's completely fine Priya" his smile was back on his face, "Guess I have to earn another friendship with my skills" He said those words a bit louder throwing his gaze at Ram to who did gave him a hard time breaking the shell around.
   
   
    Priya nodded her head with a smile continuing to munch on her meal which now allured her.
   
   
    "Mind if I join?" Came in another voice. She knew who it was but decided not to glance up.
   
   
    "Yeah sure.." She heard Vikram nodding.
   
   
    "Priya!" Rajat who was standing with his plate asked for her permission even though Vikram nodded, he noticed.
   
   
    "Sure" Priya agreed not making it so obvious that she was not pleased by Rajat's behaviour.
   
   
    "We haven't been introduced" Vikram being the social bug asked when Rajat settled besides Priya.
   
   
    "Oh.. Hi, I am Rajat Kapur" Rajat said with a smile.
   
   
    "Our boss" Priya added immediately with a monotonous tone. The change in her tone and voice didn't went unnoticed by the two men on the table and also the Man on the other table who had half of his attention fixed here.
   
   
    "Vikram Shergil" Vikram tried to brush the sulkness that suddenly formed as soon as Rajat came. He noticed how Priya went stiff at her place. Was she uncomfortable around Rajat? He thought but then saw her stealing glances at Rajat which gave in otherwise to what Vikram suspected.
   
   
    "By the way, great team I must say!" Vikram kept the talks going trying to get an insight with whom he was going to work with. Ram has personally asked Vikram to help him out on this project, though it was an easy ride for Ram, he saw the potential of this small project to be established at a vast platform. That's where Vikram comes in to lend a hand.
   
   
    Rajat snickered, "I am not the right person to take all the credit here" he glanced at Priya, "I was lucky in terms of getting the right people on board" Rajat shrugged his shoulders with a smile.
   
   
    "That's true" Vikram nodded, "sometimes, we should let destiny play it's role" he added, "that's philosophical yet again, isn't it?" Vikram turned towards Priya who broke into a soft smile to their inside joke.
   
   
    Seeing Priya smile that sweetly, Rajat sighed. For a moment, the three went silent, though Vikram was the only one talking, he to went silent not knowing what to speak further.
   
   
    "Well, I didn't asked before" being talkative, he did found something to talk about, "Who is looking at the Marketing of our project? As I am here to look at that part" he took a bite into his meal.
   
   
    "Well, there was no one specific at first, but Ram has assigned Priya to supervise it" Rajat replied pointing at both Ram and Priya as he took their names making the two look at each other instantaneously.
   
   
    "Really!" Vikram was surprised to hear Priya's name, from what he knows about Ram, he is particular about the marketing of his projects, he wants the best to be done for maximum reach and seeing him handing Priya the job, for sure made him curious.
   
   
    Here, it was like a reminder for Priya. For a while she forgot about this new job assigned to her and thanks to the two Men accompanying her for making her anxious.
   
   
    "That's great, it means we will be working together" Vikram grinned at Priya who just pursed her lips in a fake smile, nervous from within.