Anu got down from her bike after parking it in the parking lot and at the same time Siddharth also got out of his car. Both of them moved towards the building without seeing each other.
They noticed each other when they got bumped at the entrance.
They both felt each other's touch after a very long time which made them stare at each other.
" Sorry Mr. Khurana." Anu said moving away from him.
But Siddharth was still in some trance reminscing their past memories.
He snapped out when he saw her moving away bending to pick her handbag.
They both walked inside the building towards elevator to go to their floor.
He stopped at the elevator but Anu kept on walking further.
" Ms. Agarwal, elevator is here." He said to her pointing at the lift. He shouldn't care but don't know why he stopped her.
She looked at him and then at the lift.
" I don't use elevators Sir, I always use only stairs." She said to him blankly and left without waiting for his reply.
He just stood there watching her retreating figure.
******
She got out of flower bouquet shop holding a red roses bouquet for her friend in her hands smiling widely.
He got out of the gift shop smiling widely after purchasing an amazing gift for his mother for her birthday.
Both didn't see their way but just kept walking glancing at their gifts grinning widely as they were too happy.
They didn't watch where they were going and got bumped into each other.
He gripped her waist with his arms stopping her from falling down while she shut her eyes tightly in fear.
Flower bouquet flew high from her hands and fell down showering them with rose petals.
He looked down at the angel in front of him and stunned to see such a beauty. He kept staring at her beautiful face, at her silky flowing hair where some rose petals stuck and beautiful hazel orbs.
She on the other side opened her eyes slowly and got shocked to see beautiful black eyes staring back at her intensely. She looked at his gorgeous face and got lost in his sharp features.
After sometime they got snapped out of their trance when they heard some noises around them. They looked around and turned red as people in the mall were watching them curiously.
They moved away from each other and looked down. They gasped loudly staring at the floor.
" My flowers."
" My gift."
Both yelled at the same time and kneeled down to collect their gifts.
" Can't you see and walk?" She hissed at him angrily.
" That implies to you too miss." He replied glaring at her.
" Because of you my gift got spoiled." She said standing up.
" And because of you my gift must have been broken." He said standing too.
" Your gift is wrapped and nothing will happen to it, but my gift....." She trailed off looking at the roses scattered on the floor.
He looked at her who is having tears in her eyes which are looking at the scattered flowers and he felt bad.
He kneeled down and collected all the flowers. He placed them all together in the satin cover and stood up.
All the while she was just staring at his actions and looked at his face when he stood up.
He forwarded the bouquet with his hands smiling at her. She smiled back at him taking the bouquet from his hands.
She looked at the bouquet and smiled thinking that it's not that bad and she can fix it with a satin ribbon.
Looking at her smiling face his heart started beating faster.
" Thanks, I hope your gift isn't spoiled because of me." She said smiling at him looking at his gift.
" No, it's perfectly fine." He said smiling back at her.
They stood there in silence for sometime.
" Umm.....I am Siddharth." He said forwarding his hand.
" I am Ananya." She said smiling and shook his hand.
And that's how they met and their story began.....
******
Siddharth jerked his eyes open and looked at his surroundings. He had a faint smile on his face remembering their first meeting. He always wonder about it thinking that whether it was also a lie.
He snapped out of his thoughts and stood at the glass window in his cabin which is facing his staff. Then he saw her, sat there as if she want to be anywhere but not here.
He frowns looking at her, she is not talking to anyone or laughing like she daily does. From past one week she used to come daily in time exactly at 9:30 am with his coffee in her hands, did whatever he tells her to do, obeyed his orders but he never saw her like this gloomy and dull.
Why do you care?
I don't care.
Yeah sure.
Arghhh.....this stupid conscience again started to mock me.
When he was about to turn he saw some boy approaching her. It was Raj, he placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned to him.
They talked something with each other which Siddharth couldn't hear. They went to one corner where there was a water filter and started talking again.
He frowned when he saw Anu hugged Raj and stayed some time like that. But in his jealousy he couldn't see that she was crying in her friend's arms.
Siddharth smiled at them bitterly and thought of doing something.
******
" Yes Sir." She said after coming in when he called her.
" Ms. Agarwal go and check what colour they are using for painting the walls in my cabin and tell me." He said to her not sparing a glance at her.
What did you say that you don't use elevators right? Let's see what you will do now.
He thought and smirked bitterly.
" Ok Sir." She said and went to his floor through stairs.
She saw that whole room is painted in grey colour and it's looking classy.
" Come in." He said from inside when she knocked.
" Sir, it's grey colour." She said to him.
" Ok, check what type of plywood are they using whether it's classy, elegant, and waterproof or not." He ordered her and she nodded her head.
She again went to his floor through stairs and checked the details he asked for and also looked other things in case if he asks her again to check.
" Sir, plywood they are using is Metallic black colour which is classy, elegant and also waterproof." She informed him.
" How do you know it's waterproof?" He asked her this time looking at her who is panting slightly.
" I asked the designer who showed me the guarantee certificate of the plywood." She said to him.
" Ok bring me some coffee." He ordered her.
She frowned at him but nodded.
Why can't he say things to do at once?
She went into the cafe but there was no cook in it. So she prepared the coffee according to his preference and brought it to him.
" Sir, your coffee." She said and kept it on the table.
He took the cup, sipped some coffee and looked at it frowning. He liked it as it was exactly like what he wants and not like daily what she brings.
" Sir, may I leave?" She asked him tired.
" No, you need to supervise the work going on in my cabin and report to me." He ordered her.
She climbed the stairs slowly as her legs are aching like hell due to the continuous climbing up and down of the stairs.
She went and stood there looking at the work going on. Looking at her tiredness Shweta offered her some water for which Anu looked grateful at her as she was very much thirsty.
She gulped down two glasses of water and supervised the work for sometime.
" Sir, every work is going on smoothly. Painting is over, cabinets work is finished, glasses are also there. The only work left is to fix the cabinets and the glasses." She informed him in one go.
He stayed silent and she just want to go and sit for sometime as her body is aching.
" Sir, it's lunch break in few minutes. So can I leave? " She asked him clearing her throat.
" Yes." He said and went back to his work.
She stormed out of his room as quickly as possible.
******
In lunch time, both Raj and Neha asked her what happened seeing her tiredness but she shrugged it off by saying that she is just tired.
Anu ate her lunch silently, sometimes laughing at her friends usual bickerings.
After lunch she sat on her desk rubbing her forehead but then her phone rang and she sighed.
" Yes Sir?" She answered the call.
" In my cabin. Now." He said and hung up.
" Come in." He said and she went inside and stood.
" I am not finding Raheja's file here, may be it's in my car.....go and get it." He ordered her.
She came out of the cabin and climbed down 3 floors of stairs. He went to his car and asked the driver to unlock the car. She went into the car's backseat and looked for the file.
When she found the file, she thanked the driver and went inside the office again.
She climbed 3 floors of stairs again and went to his cabin.
" Here is the file Sir." She said panting while wiping the sweat on her face.
" I said I need the file urgently, what took you so long?" He asked her.
She didn't say anything. She understood he is doing all this wantedly as she said she won't use elevators today morning itself so he wants make her suffer.
She is suffering but she didn't want to let him know, she didn't want to be weak in front of him, she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction that he won.
He looked at her who is staring at space blankly and frowned. He thought she will snap at him or apologize him but she is calm and either way he doesn't care.
" Now go and check whether work is finished or not in my cabin." He said to her.
She went out calmly without saying anything and walked towards stairs. She sighed leaning on to the wall and tears dwelled in her eyes but she soon controlled herself and climbed the stairs.
Shweta looked at her concerned as Anu was walking like a corpse numbly.
" Ananya sit here for sometime." Shweta said to her.
" No I need to check on the work." Anu said walking.
" No, you rest here, I will go and check on behalf of you." Shweta insisted.
" Thank you but you have enough work for yourself, I don't want to bother you." Anu said smiling slightly.
" Listen Ananya..... I don't understand why he is making you do this work." Shweta said frowning.
" What do you mean?" Anu asked her.
" As I am already on this floor on the desk, it's my duty to check upon the work and report to the boss from time to time. When I am doing my work then why he is giving the same work to you that too these many times since morning?" Shweta spoke out wondering.
Anu bit her lip to control herself from crying but tears spill out from her eyes.
He hates me so much.
And You deserve it.
" Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry.....I am sorry." Shweta panicked.
" No! It's not your fault." Anu said smiling wiping her tears.
She stood up and did her work. She obeyed all his orders and had done all the work without saying anything.
After finishing the work, she reached her friends at the parking lot and went home silently with them feeling numbness in her whole body.
.
.
.
.
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To be Continued..........
What Siddharth had done is right?
Does she deserve to be treated like that for a mistake in her past?
Stay tuned.........