I woke up feeling the sun rays falling on my face. Scrunching my face I turned around and snuggled myself deeper into the bed. Hmm, the bed smells so good and why is the bed hard? I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing that came in my vision was the smooth olive chest. I stared at it confused for a few seconds then slowly last night's events came to mind. The dinner, the confessions, the kiss. Blush crept up my cheeks remembering the kiss. We kissed.
I slowly raised my head and looked at his face. He looked peaceful and the hardness he usually had when he was awake is missing. He looked innocent like a baby. I hesitantly raised my hand and brought up to his face, I slightly ran my fingers in his hair, I traced my finger on his thick arched eyebrows and straight nose and then his lips.
I let out a gasp when he kissed my finger. I raised my head and looked at him staring at me, his hazel eyes half open.
"How long have you been awake?" I whispered blush covering my cheeks.
"Since the time you stirred in arms and snuggled closer to me." His voice was deep and huskier than usual. My core clenched at his deep voice.
"You were awake all this time?"
"Yes." He pulled me closer to him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I pouted slightly.
"Because I was enjoying what you were doing." He nuzzled his face in the crock of my neck. "Good morning, sweetheart." I smiled hearing him call me that.
"Good morning Kartavya." The ringing of my alarm brought me back to reality. Shit! I have to get up and get ready for work. I turned around, stretched my hand and turned off the alarm. When I tried to get up Kartavya tightened his hold on my waist.
"Where are you going?" He murmured.
"Kartavya, we have to go to work. If we don't get up now we'll be late." I moved my hands to his hair and played with them.
He raised his head from my neck and looked at me. "Can't we just skip work today?" He whined.
"Nahi, Hum work skip nahi kar sakte Kartavya." I informed removing his hand from my waist.
(No, Kartavya we can skip work)
"Kyu nahi, we are the bosses. We can do whatever we like." He sat up and leaned on the head board.
(why not)
I let out a chuckle. "Aap hai boss, mein nahi. Mujhe jana hoga." I got up from the bed and looked at him to see him frowning.
(You are the boss, I'm not. I have to go)
"Company tho aapke bhai ka hai na. So you can do whatever you want." He ran his hand through his hair making it more dishevelled. I will never understand how he can look so good when he just woke up. I shook my head.
(It's your brother's company.)
"I can't do that Kartavya. I'm going to get ready and you too get ready."
"I'm the boss, I can do as I please." He smirked in his usual arrogance and offered me a panty melting smile. I rolled my eyes and of course I was smiling.
"Get up and get ready."
******
"I'm sure we can do something about him, Atul. You don't have to stress about him so much." I poured some creamer into my coffee and started mixing it.
"I don't know Anika, I just feel like he's been up to something these past few days and has become more and more aggressive each day. It's like he has a grudge against you." Atul has been worried about Vishal, since he noticed some unusual behaviour from Vishal. And he's been more aggressive with his jabs.
"Don't worry we'll talk about this in the office." I went and sat on the kitchen island.
"I hope that asshole leaves us alone and we can work in peace. Instead of him always lurking around like a creepy psychopath." I laughed. Atul has a personal vendetta against Vishal.
"Okay I gotta go bye. See you soon." I hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" I heard Kartavya ask from the threshold of the living room.
"Oh hey aap tayar hogay, chalo breakfast kar lete hain." I got down from the island with my coffee cup and kept it in the sink.
(your ready, let's have breakfast)
"Hmm. Did you make breakfast?" He came into the kitchen and stood beside me.
"Yes, maine banaya. You go sit, I'll bring it to you."
(I made it)
"It's okay, I'll help you." Saying that he took our plates and I took the orange juice and placed it on the island. After settling down we both started having breakfast when he asked again. "Who was that you were talking to?" I frowned, then I remembered he was talking about Atul.
"Oh yes, Atul se baat kar rahi thi."
(i was talking to Atul)
"The one who called you last night?" He questioned. I turned to him to see him eating his food nonchalantly.
"Yes, the one from last night." he just hummed and continued eating his breakfast.
"Kya hua aisa muh kyu lat ka liya apne?" I asked.
(what's with the long face)
"Nothing, I'll drop you to work and just text me when you finish, I'll come pick you up."
"There is no need for that. Amar hain mere sath already."
(Amar's with me already)
"Don't argue, just c'mon finish your breakfast we will be late for work." I huffed and continued my breakfast.
"Anika are you coming?" He yelled from the living room. We finished our breakfast and were ready to head out.
"Yes. God I'm late. C'mon. Let's go." We made our way to the elevator.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked with a raised brow when we entered the elevator.
"What?" I frowned looking at him.
"This." He pulled me closer to him and kissed me. I gasped at the sudden move. We kissed until the elevator pinged indicating we reached the underground parking lot. He broke the kiss and looked at me and caressed my cheek.
"I have wanted to do this since we woke up." He kissed my forehand and fixed my hair. I smiled while rushes to my cheeks. I just kissed his cheek and held his hand when the elevator door opened.
"Call me when you get off work, I'll be here to pick you up okay." He said when we reached my office. He kissed my hand which he held in his hand. I nodded leaning forward and kissed his cheek and got down from the car. He had a smile on his face when I turned to look at him.
"Bye, see you in the evening."
"Bye baby." With a smile I entered the building.
"Good morning, sneha." I wished the receptionist sitting at the front desk and she raised her head from the computer and looked at me with a smile.
"Good morning Anika." With a smile I walk to the elevators and press the call button. While I was waiting Atul came and stood beside me.
"Good morning, Mrs.Raichand." He said with a teasing smile. "You are in a good mood this morning." I looked at him and just shook my head.
"Morning Atul. Any updates about the meeting at 10?"
"Not yet but, I'm hoping there will be some in the next 20 minutes." We enter the elevator and start discussing the meeting.
"Let's do this, see if we have anyone who is free in our group and hand them the work while we finish detailing for resorts." I moved towards my cabin while he went to get us our morning coffee.
We were waiting for the clients to come as this project is a big and important one. We've been preparing for this project for more than a month and finally it's time to show them our designs. Since Vishal and I couldn't come to an agreement to work together, our boss Koushik has given us a chance to prove ourselves. He wanted us to make our own different designs for the project and let the best designs be selected by the clients. The clients entered the conference room at exactly 10 and we stood to introduce ourselves to them.
Koushik welcomed and greeted them while Mr.Shukla introduced his team to Koushik. Vishal moved to where they were standing and interrupted them.
"Vishal Das, lead designer of the company." He introduced himself without even bothering to wait while the bosses finished their talk. Shaking my head I moved to stand next to him.
"Mr.Das, nice to meet you." Mr.Shukla, the resort owner shook his hand with a strained smile. Koushik was glaring daggers at Vishal which he was oblivious to. Mr. Shukla turned towards me and smiled at him.
"Mrs.Anika Raichand, lead designer." I forwarded my hand for a handshake.
"Ofcourse I know you. We met at your wedding Mrs.Raichand." He shook my hand. I just smiled at him not wanting to tell him I don't remember any of the people I met in my wedding.
"Mr.Shukla, shall we start the presentation." Koushik asked.
"Ah yes, yes let's start." Koushik showed the members of his team their seats and soon the presentation started. From my peripheral vision I saw Vishal talking to Koushik about something serious. Koushik shook his head for whatever vishal was saying, then finally after a few beats he nodded his head. Vishal had a victorious grin on his face and I've got a bad feeling about it.
"Yeh bandar itna kyu khush ho raha hai?" Atul muttered from beside me. I just shrugged my shoulders and sat down in my seat. Vishal stood in front of the projector and cleared his throat, after a few beats everyone settled down.
(Why is this monkey so happy)
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I'm delighted to show you my designs.---" After that he launched into a 5 minute rant about all his achievements, I rolled my eyes. "And now for the reason why we are all here. These are all wonderful designs we came up with Mr.Shukla, you can choose whichever you like." He started showing his designs. After maybe three or four, a familiar design came up on the screen. He started explaining the designs.
What. the. Fuck.
"Anika, that is our design just with a few tweaks here and there." I nodded just looking at him. Then he continued showing most of our designs. For what I was feeling, anger would be an understatement. Atul went to stand up but I held his hand and made him sit back down.
"This is not the right time to fight him. Do you have our back up designs?" I whispered.
"Yes I do." He started opening the file in his laptop. "Here." He showed me the designs.
"Okay show some of these and the one he didn't steal okay." He nodded and started arranging them all in a file. I just kept staring at me with anger and looked at me with an innocent smile. I was burning rage, but I tried to maintain my calm which was getting harder by the minute he continued to talk.
"That's all guys now, I'll hand over the presentation to Mrs.Raichand." He went and sat in his seat with a cunning smirk.
"Go, do the presentation. I can't right now. I am too angry to talk." I said to Atul. He nodded and went to start the presentation.
It was after the presentation and I was waiting for Koushik to finish his talk with Mr.Shukla.
"How can he steal our designs Anika, first of all how did he get his hands on them. I still don't understand." Atul was fuming. "We have to report him to the HR."
"We will, first we need to talk to Koushik then we will report it to the Hr." Koushik finished his meeting and walked out of the conference room. He looked at me standing there and raised an eyebrow.
"What's the matter?" Kosuhik asked, standing in front of me.
"I need to talk to you about today's presentation."
"Okay c'mon let's go to my cabin." Nodding, I gestured Atul to return to his work.
"So tell me what you want to talk about." Koushik asked, settling on his chair.
I sighed not knowing where to start. "So I don't know how to say this but Vishal stole our team's designs." Koushik was shocked by what I was saying.
"But how is that possible? You guys never share the same working space or anything then how can you say that he copied?" He asked, trying to understand.
"I don't know how this happened, Koushik but an action needs to be taken against him." I demanded.
"Do you have proof Anika?"
"What?"
"Proof Anika, I need Proof I can't do anything without proof."
"Don't you believe me? I can show you our work if you want and we've been working on this project for so many days." I snapped.
"See Anika, Let me be honest with you about something. This was never a competition, you guys made it into one and I accepted whatever it was so you guys will work in peace without being at each other's throats all the time. How does it matter whose designs are selected at the end of the day the company is getting the project."
"How can you say that Koushik? This may not affect me but it will affect the people in my group. They were hoping for a pay raise after this project based on which team's designs get selected."
"Did I promise anything about a pay raise, did I even hint at it?" He raised his eyebrow at me.
"No, but-."
"There is no but, Anika, you guys assumed all these crazy things. I'm sorry I can't do anything about this." he shook his head and looked at me with pity. Ugh!
"But at least take some action against him about this Koushik, he can't just get off easily for stealing."
"I promise, I will, Anika, don't worry."
******
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