Amrita was running as fast as her legs would carry her. She had to get away from the embarrassing situation she had just created. She ran till she reached the landing of the huge building in which Arjun's office was located. The world was rushing past her. Tears stained her face and her ponytail had come undone.
Why am I running? The thought suddenly came to her. She stopped and reflected. Why should I run like a weak person? I have done nothing wrong. I should face the situation I have created instead of running away. She told herself.
With that, she collected her now open hair together and tied them up into a top bun. She wiped the tears from her face with her hands and forced herself to smile. She turned around and strode back into the building.
Arjun was making his way downstairs rapidly, trying to understand what had upset Amrita so much as to cause her to rush out of his cabin, seemingly while crying. Was it because he had been deliberately cold to her for a couple of days now? Or was it because of what Trisha had falsely implied when referring to their lunch together, as a date. The latter option stirred a cord of hope in his heart. He made his way down two fleets of stairs and came to the ground floor hallway, looking for her.
He made for the entrance. There he saw her, striding confidently back in, with an invincible expression on her face, and he fell, deeper still, in love with her.
Amrita saw him looking at her carefully, from the distance, one hand in his pant pocket, studying her, as if for the first time. She came and stood right in front of him and before he could say anything, looking up, she said. "I am sorry for causing you any inconvenience just now in the office and rushing out like that. I came back to say that I am really thankful for you having treated the matter of the bakery and my acquiring it with such consideration, causing me not the least difficulty in handling what would otherwise have had been quite a complex matter."
Arjun heard her, quite in awe of her. It took an honest and ego-less heart to so confidently apologise and thank, after having felt wronged. He could not hide a small blushing smile that escaped when she had finished, unnerving her.
"Thanks," he managed.
"Uh, welcome. But you were to say welcome, not me," she murmured, this time awkwardly. "Okay, so I won't take up any more of your time now, bye." She turned around and started walking away.
She was stopped by Arjun holding her hand. He turned her to face him, pulling her slightly towards himself.
"You never gave me a chance, an answer," he said, pulling her closer.
"I would very much like to have dinner with you tonight," he rumbled in his deep voice.
Amrita kept looking up into his mesmerizing eyes, afraid, if she said anything, it would change the moment.
"Arjun!" Someone called out his name, making them realise where they stood. Arjun let go of her hand and turned around reluctantly. Abhi was walking towards them with a look of the most amused curiosity on his face.
"Hi Amrita, so you met him I see," Abhi patted Arjun's shoulder. "I am sorry to disturb you brother, but, I have already postponed a very important thing I have to talk to you about for a while now. Please excuse me Amrita, while I steal my brother away." Amrita was embarrassed and could only nod.
"I will come and pick you up tonight at six," Arjun whispered to her before following his brother up the stairs, to their office.
Amrita felt happier than she had in a very long time. Things felt right. She waved for an auto rickshaw to take her back to her aunt's place, when a person came to her, led by Manish. "Ma'am this is Mr Arjun's driver, he will drop you home," he said.
"It's fine, the rickshaw is already here, no need to be bothered," she said, feeling she was imposing.
"It's no bother ma'am, it is the boss' order."
Before Amrita could stop it, the rickshaw driver, reasoning it was useless waiting for the argument to end, made his way off into the crowd to find more decisive customers.
Her phone started ringing as she sat in the backseat of the car, feeling out of place.
It was Harish, her bakery's manager. "Yes Harish? How is everything going?" she asked.
"There has been a slight problem Ms Amrita, our pastry baker Monali and cake decorator have both quit together. The former has gone on a maternity leave and the latter again wants a salary hike. I am having difficulty finding new staff on such short notice, although I have made a few phone calls."
"But the cake decorator doesn't have any professional qualifications! I have already increased his salary much more than in other places and told him earlier I can get much more skilful and professional chefs at the salary he is demanding!"
Amrita weighed the situation, considered the possible solutions, then spoke, "Let him know I will return to work the day after tomorrow. If he can wait till then, well and good, otherwise we will find ourselves a replacement. As for the pastry chef, get the one who came in earlier as a temporary hire till Monali returns."
So, she was to get just one dinner with Arjun. Very well, she had to make sure she left his city the next day, without regrets.