1 hour ago:
Viraj stamped his feet continuously on the ground in irritation. It was already Friday and he hadn't seen even a glimpse of that honey-coloured girl. It was as if she had vanished from the college. But, he knew she hadn't. Ananya, during her talks, informed him about her friends, and Sneha was one of them.
He was standing in front of his car in the parking lot, waiting for his sister. He had been coming here to pick up Ananya, since Monday in hopes of seeing Sneha. He wouldn't accept it, but his eyes would automatically search for her until his sister arrived.
His gaze found Sneha's friend, Jyoti. She was walking, as usual alone, towards her scooty.
'Should I ask her about Sneha? No! Why should I? How pathetic would it appear! What's wrong with you, Viraj? You don't chase girls. They chase you.' He scolded himself. His narcissist side was on the extreme high.
'But still! Where is she?' His eyes again drifted towards the campus, trying to spot her.
"I am here, bhai!" Ananya said and opened the passenger seat to get inside the car.
Viraj sighed. He wouldn't be able to wait anymore to look for Sneha, now. His sister would start shooting her doubtful questions otherwise.
Getting inside the car, he started the engine.
"This is the first time that you came to pick me up for the entire week! Don't you have any meetings scheduled in the evening these days?" She asked curiously while shopping online for the trip.
"I don't see Sneha these days." He blurted out and instantly regretted it. Where was his diplomatic skill? He should have asked the question indirectly! But, his frustration was high too...and he just couldn't play the trick card.
Ananya looked up from her phone towards her brother.
"Sneha?" She asked, wondering why he specifically asked about her only.
"I see all your friends on the campus...but not her. Is she bunking classes?" He asked curiously.
"No. She attends the last lecture on EVS with me. We then part ways since I have to meet Tina and Shruti for the history assignment." Ananya explained.
'So, she is attending college but not coming to the parking lot. Is she taking the bus? But, I gave her the cycle. Why is she not using it? She was using it until last Friday." He wondered.
He drove slowly out of the campus, expecting that damn girl to pop out of somewhere...but, she didn't. How would she? She was already halfway towards the library.
"You're not coming, bhai?" Ananya asked when she climbed out of the car at their house.
"No. I have some work left at the office. Eat without me if I get late." He told her and reversed the car to drive towards his next destination.
The library.
'It's just to know why she is hiding from me. I don't care, though. She obviously means nothing to me.' He consoled himself as he drove towards the library.
His heartbeat accelerated as he drove into the parking area of the library. He'd be seeing her after so long! Almost an entire week!
His eyes would finally sate at the sight of her.
Entering the library, he asked the receptionist about Sneha's whereabouts.
"She has just walked in that direction, sir." He got informed.
Viraj walked in the direction of the kid's section where a flood of colourful books prevailed. He scanned the bookshelves and finally saw that little girl. She was wearing a maroon coloured top and blue jeans. It was her typical college attire, he realized.
His eyes followed her body like an X-ray machine. She had her hair open and she was keeping some books on the shelf. Her back was to him, giving him the best view of her feminine curves. The jeans hug her bottom firmly, making her look...seductive.
Viraj unknowingly gulped. He could feel himself getting aroused at the sight...something no woman did to him. He hated women because, for him, they were not worth his attention or time. They only fooled with men for their own profit. And, he could never trust them...ever.
But, this little girl...He wouldn't accept it but he was smitten by her...deeply.
Walking towards her like a calf, he stared at her neck. A vein was popping out as she craned her neck to look up to the top-most shelf. He wanted to kiss it.
'What the **** are you thinking, Viraj? She will kill you!' He scolded himself.
He continued his open checkout when he noticed that she was placing the last book. In order to not get caught for ogling at her, he pretended to take out a book from the top shelf.
He felt her get startled as she turned a little to look at him. And, to his dislike, he didn't like her eyes turning fearful.
'It's not like I hurt her!' He tried to reason. For him, hurt always meant physical violence.
"Wh.what are you doing here?" He heard her ask.
"What does one do in a library? I need a book." He answered while taking out the first book his hands fell on.
Sneha took a step back in fear and looked at the book in his hand. It confused her even more.
"Beauty and the beast?" She couldn't help but ask. She didn't know he was into such books.
Viraj followed her gaze in confusion too and looked at his hand. His eyes widened when he realized that he was holding a kid's book.
"Uhh...it's not for me. I need it for...my friend's child." He quickly framed a reply and then licked his lips uneasily.
Not believing him, she nonetheless nodded.
"Okay." She muttered and started walking in the direction of the counter to get the remaining set of books.
"Wait." He called for her. Sneha turned around with raised brows.
He wanted to talk to her. Now when she was so close to him, after so long, he wanted...needed to talk to her...about anything.
But his ego won't let him request for her time...ever.
"Help me." He asked.
"With?" She asked, unable to understand his demand.
"Help me in suggesting a good book for children. I need to give a book to my friend's daughter. It's her birthday." He lied openly.
Sneha's confusion increased.
"You should go to a shop if you want to gift her something. You can't buy books from the library. You can only read here or borrow it for two weeks." She explained.
"I am here only to get a list of books. I'll ask my PA to order them online." He added to his chain of lies.
'Then you should have asked your PA to prepare the list too.' She thought but didn't word it.
Sneha walked towards the nearest rack which held the titles of all the books available in each section.
"Here. It has a list of each book that is available in this library for kids. You may find what is suitable for you...I mean...you find suitable for your friend's child." She corrected herself.
She had only turned around when he interrupted her...again.
"I need you to review each book and finalize the list for me." He ordered.
Sneha slowly turned around to face him.
'Whatever made him think I'd do it for him!' She wondered.
"I am an employee here, Viraj. My work here is to stack the books...not decide for the customers." She added, while clearly faking gentleness. Viraj could complain about her for misbehaviour, after all.
Sneha then walked towards the counter and Viraj followed her again, silently. He was amazed how she never could feel him behind her.
She almost ran in the direction of the counter when she saw her supervisor behind it.
"Ma'am..." She called so that she won't run away.
"Oh, hi, Sneha. Mr Khatri, what a pleasant surprise!" Her supervisor, Lata greeted when she saw Viraj standing almost behind Sneha.
It caught her attention and Sneha turned around to see that he was indeed standing behind her. She narrowed her eyes at him again, which he found so damn adorable!
Ignoring him, she raised her query to Lata.
"Ma'am, you said that you'd confirm me about my leave application today." She asked gently, whilst internally praying that she'd agree.
Viraj listened carefully.
"Oh... about that, Sneha. I verified with HR and got to know that three more part-timers are taking leave on one or the other of the days that you have asked for. It's really not possible for me to accept your leaves...that too for 4 continuous days!" Lata said apologetically.
Sneha's face fell, but she still insisted.
"Ma'am, it's important. It's a college trip that I can't miss. Please? I agree to have LOP (loss of pay)!" She requested.
"Sneha, you know the policy. This is allowed only for the full-timers...not for part-timers. Your ID card will be blocked if you'd take leave for 4 continuous days." Lata explained.
Sneha shuffled her weight on her legs in nervousness. She bit her lower lip in order to frame another request.
"Uhh..." She was about to speak when Lata interrupted her.
"Mr Khatri, how may I help you?" Lata asked cheerfully. Viraj finally faced Lata.
"Your employee is not helping me." He straightaway complained, not even realizing that Sneha was in a dilemma herself.
She looked in his direction with a glare.
"Which employee? Please tell me his/her name and I'll make them apologize to you." Lata assured quickly. They all knew Viraj wasn't to be messed with.
"It's her." He pointed at Sneha like a child.
Sneha sighed.
"Sneha! Why aren't you helping Mr Khatri?" Lata complained.
"I did whatever I could, ma'am. I gave him the complete list of books to choose from. But he is asking me to review each book and then make a list of them! It is not my job to decide for the readers. I am only supposed to tell them where they can find the book they are looking for." She explained her situation.
Two can play the blame game.
Lata immediately held Sneha's wrist gently and made her follow her. When they came out of his hearing range, Lata whispered.
"Sneha! Don't you know who he is?" Lata almost scolded.
Sneha rolled her eyes.
"I know who he is. And I am making sure to be professional and respectful. But his demands are impossible!" Sneha complained.
"Please, I am requesting you...Go and help him with whatever he wants. Please!" Lata requested.
'Why don't you go and help him then.' Sneha wanted to say but then she needed to have this job too.
Then an idea struck into her mind.
"Ma'am, would you accept my leave application then...if I'd help him?" Sneha asked hopefully.
"No, Sneha! I can't go against the policy!"
"Then I can't go against my KRA too!" She mumbled slowly.
Lata sighed.
"Fine! I'll talk to Rani ma'am and request her to make an exception. Now please go and help him!" Lata requested to which Sneha nodded with a smile. She knew that Lata was Rani ma'am's favourite employee. She'd definitely get the required leaves.
"Okay! Thank you, ma'am." Sneha said and walked towards Viraj.
He raised his brows slightly when she walked towards him.
"What kind of book do you want?" Sneha asked to which he smiled.
He knew he could get whatever he wanted. It was easy!
.
.
.
Viraj sat like a king on a two-seater study table while he waited for Sneha to bring books for their review. He kept his gaze on her as she picked out random books. Walking towards him, she placed the books on the table with a thud.
She sat on the chair opposite to him and took the first book.
"I think these books would suit a 10 years old girl." She said while pointing at the books.
He knew she was trying to conclude the meeting quickly. However, he was also a businessman, and he knew how to prolong a conversation just as perfectly as he knew how to shorten it.
"Tell me about each book." He ordered.
Sneha internally sighed and flipped the book in her hand. Reading the short review of the book in hand, she reported it to him.
"This is a story of a girl named Ella. It describes her adventure with her stepmother and her chance at meeting a prince." She then explained to him the entire review.
"Nope...Boring. Next." He mumbled.
"It will be interesting for the child." She reminded him.
"Next." He ordered. Sneha sighed but still picked up the next book.
"This is a story of a little girl who accidentally entered a strange room where toys came to life every night." She said and looked at him.
"Hmm. Note it down." He said.
"I don't have any paper or pen right now." She said.
Viraj took out his phone from his pocket and unlocked it.
"Note it here." He said after opening a note making app.
Sneha took the phone carefully. It did not even have a case to protect it! And she didn't want to break it.
She then typed the title of the book and the author's name.
"Isn't there any coffee shop here?" He asked. She looked up from the phone as if he was crazy.
"There is one. But it is out of the library." She said.
"Get me one." He asked.