As soon as Pratibha saw me, she lit up—
"Wow! You look absolutely stunning today!"
I smiled uneasily and replied,
"Thanks, It's all Varsha's magic. She won't do this every day, so forgive me if I look like a witch next time!"
Pratibha burst out laughing—
"From now on, she's getting me ready for every party too. Just tell her that."
I was unsure—
"You have her number. Talk to her directly. Don't take my name. She's moody. What if she says no?"
Pratibha winked—
"I know how to handle her."
After showing thumbs up, I asked curiously—
"Rajeev said he's got the 'name'—did he tell you?"
She got annoyed—
"No! I've asked him so many times, but he won't spill a thing. He's so secretive, like he works for the CBI!"
Outside the car, Rajeev was on the phone, and our office WhatsApp group was blowing up. Someone was running late, someone else was still on the way, someone was looking for coworkers nearby to share an Uber with, and someone was already there waiting outside… it was a full circus.
Inside the car, we were being attacked by mosquitoes while Rajeev was busy on a call like he was attending some UN summit.
I nudged Pratibha with my elbow—
"Did you know—he's got his eyes on someone, but the girl isn't interested."
Pratibha looked shocked—
"Who? Shikha?"
I laughed—
"Shikha thinks he's more than poisonous a snake. But maybe it'll turn into one of those enemies-to-lovers stories—totally filmy!"
Pratibha laughed—
"Girl, the kind of chemistry they have, that could blow up a gas cylinder!"
We both cracked up.
Rajeev returned, rolled up the car windows, switched on the AC, and instead of sitting inside, stepped back out to take another call.
After waiting for a while, we got out too—photoshoot time! We took a selfie, and Rajeev was in the background on his phone. Just then, he appeared behind us—
"Sorry for the delay. Let's go."
We nodded and headed toward the car.
I was feeling terribly uncomfortable in the gown. My palms were sweaty, and there was this strange uneasiness in my heart—as if something big was about to happen. Something was not right—I cleared my throat and was about to say something when—
Rajeev, almost reading my mind, said—
"I'll tell you the name after the party. Not now."
And I turned my face away, irritated. As always, he chuckled.
The car stopped in front of a stunning lawn. A glowing building, festive lights, a long line of cars and autos, a buzzing crowd. Rajeev spoke to someone, handed over the car keys, and the three of us walked in.
"What are you thinking about?" Pratibha asked.
"That I should've just worn jeans and a shirt—this gown feels like I'm about to be buried alive."
Rajeev teased—
"Too late now," and held out his hand.
I intentionally ignored it and placed my hand on Pratibha's shoulder instead as we walked ahead.
Inside, it was the whole office—but in a totally different avatar. Everyone was colorful, ultra-fashionable, laughing, chatting—it was hard to believe these were the same cranky, grumpy coworkers from our usual afternoons.
Why aren't people like this every day? So warm, so friendly?
Sure, offices have rules and the pressure to meet targets. There's a constant competition to get ahead. But don't we just make it worse by treating each other like enemies?
Still, even here, there were little groups chatting with other groups.
Shikha, Rajat, and Sanket Sir were sitting in a corner—running their own "elite" club.
We three formed our own trio. People were surprised to see me at the party. Almost everyone came over and looked at me like I was a new exhibit at the zoo. Just needed a ticket!
Rajeev brought juice for all three of us and sat beside me, glued to his phone.
Pratibha insisted on taking pictures. We were clicking hers one by one when I noticed Rajeev stealing glances at me. It looked like he wanted to say something… but stayed quiet.
What I saw in his eyes wasn't mischief. It was something heavier. Ominous. Something I wanted to know—and didn't want to know.
Suddenly, Shikha walked toward us. Rajeev spread his legs a bit, like he wanted to block her path. But he forgot this was Shikha—she stepped right over and stood before me.
"Hi. You look good. You don't drink?"
Rajeev—"She doesn't."
Shikha completely ignored his existence—
"Come on, dance. Have fun."
Rajeev—"We don't feel like dancing."
Shikha ignored him again—
"Come, Avni, let's dance."
Rajeev—"You dance, we'll watch."
It was obvious from her face—Shikha was losing her cool. If Rajeev didn't stop, even God wouldn't be able to save him.
I was surprised by this sudden change in his behavior. To break the tension, I nudged him to keep quiet—
"Shikha, I'll grab a bite first, then I'll come dance."
Trying and failing to stay calm, she said—
"That's okay. Just dance a little with me, then sit."
I knew once she said something, she wouldn't back down. Otherwise, she'd ruin the whole vibe. So, I got up.
Rajeev and Pratibha joined me on the dance floor.
Shikha clearly wasn't pleased—her face said it all.
She left us dancing and returned to her elite club—glaring at Rajeev.
Rajeev was in full form now, syncing with the music, giving us a run for our money.
We danced like crazy, ate everything, drank what we liked—totally got our thousand bucks' worth.
We gossiped about everyone, made fun of everyone's dancing—even though we weren't that great ourselves.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind and tried to pull me into a dance. Before I could even turn to see who it was—Rajeev's fist flew past me and landed squarely on the guy's face.
The music stopped. Everyone froze. People surrounded the man who was now on the floor.
And when I saw who it was—I was stunned.
It was Sanket Sir.
I couldn't believe it. Now, I was scared not just for myself, but for Rajeev's job too. Pratibha looked terrified, and yet Rajeev the thick head stood there, fist still raised.
We somehow pulled him away. Took him outside to the lawn.
Pratibha offered water, worried—
"Rajeev, have some water."
He refused.
Trying to keep calm, I said—
"Are you insane? If they wanted to dance, we could've just joined them. What's the big deal?"
Rajeev, incredulous—
"Wow! Why don't you go dance with him then? You see this, Pratibha? Say something to this dimwit. That guy wouldn't have stopped at dancing. He wanted something more."
I was annoyed—
"Don't talk rubbish."
Interrupting—
"I'm talking rubbish?"
Pratibha quickly jumped in—
"Avni, calm down. Just hear him out. Don't fight, you two. I left my bag inside in a hurry—I'll go get it."
Her words terrified me. I didn't wanted to be alone with Rajeev for even a second. He was giving vibes of a stranger.
Trying to slip away— I shifted slightly towards Pratibha—
"I'll come with you."
Rajeev, surprised—
"See? She'd rather be clawed at by vultures than sit here with me. You can dance with that creep but can't sit with me? Fine. Don't expect me to save you next time."
Pratibha—"He's right, Avni. Stay here. It's better not to go inside right now. I had to go because I left my purse behind."
And she hurried back inside.
With no choice, I sat on the bench farthest from Rajeev.
He walked over and gave me his coat—
"Here, wear this. Looks like you're about to cry and I don't have a tissue. Wipe your tears with this. Just make sure to dry-clean and return it tomorrow."
I turned away, pretending I hadn't even seen him.
He stood there for a second then Sighing deeply, he sat down beside me.
"Do you even know what these people have done to you?"
"What? He just wanted to dance and you created this whole drama."
Rajeev grunted softly—
"Hmm...So if…I say I want to….kiss you, would you let me? What would you lose in—"
Before he could finish—
SLAP.
"Don't you dare come near me again."
As I turned to leave, Rajeev grabbed my arm and pulled me into his lap.
I was shocked and utterly ashamed. Tried to get up, fought with all my might—useless.
When I saw I am not gonna win this battle-
"Pratibha will come back soon, please—"
Rajeev whispered, low and heavy—
"Please what?"
Tears streamed down my face—
"I always saw you as a friend… a brother. Never thought you'd stab me in the back like this. Let me go."
Tightening his grip, still calm—
"When did I say I was your brother? Do we have blood ties? Did you ever tie a rakhi on me? No? Then how am I your brother? What if I say — I love you, I liked you, I love watching you making stupid decisions and then suffer like an idiot and still remain calm and sane. I wanted to say it since so long but you never gave me chance."
His abrupt and untimely confession was a shock for me and I was not ready for it, Sobbing harder—
"You're drunk. Not in your senses. Let's talk tomorrow."
Softer now—
"Even sober, I'd say the same. I see you as more than a friend. I want to spend my life with you. Why are you crying now? You were ready to dance with Sanket just a while ago."
Desperately, I said—
"I didn't want you to lose your job because of me. That's why I didn't want a scene. But you came tonight looking for a scene, didn't you?"
He spoke in a silky, dangerous tone—
"Do you know what they've done? Those three have been using other employees' IDs to make fake bookings, charge the company's cards, and refund the money to their own accounts. Everyone whose ID was used is under investigation. And if found guilty, they could go to jail."
He paused for a few seconds…unwillingly—
"And you're on that list too."
A shiver ran through my body, and my tense frame suddenly went limp — he noticed it immediately. He draped his coat over me. Once he realized I wasn't going to resist or try to run, he lifted me from his lap and seated me beside him.
By now, I had calmed down:
"How do you know all this?"
Rajeev hesitated — "While trying to find out the real culprit, this came up. I have a friend in Accounts who told me."
Me: "Liar. No one in Accounts would have access to such a big piece of information. Only the Fraud Department would know this much."
I turned and looked at him suspiciously. He stayed silent.
Pratibha had come outside by now. We both sat there like disaster victims — quietly. My hair was messy, clothes disheveled, Rajeev's shirt collar was open, tie loose, and his coat was on me. For the first time, we couldn't meet Pratibha's eyes.
I couldn't make sense of what had just happened. I didn't know whether to cry over losing a friend or over the thought of going to jail for something I didn't even do.
Sensing the heaviness in the air, Pratibha said, "Let's go."
I didn't want to go with Rajeev.
— "You two go, I'll take an Uber home."
Pratibha: "Why are you so angry? Don't go alone this late at night. Come with us."
I didn't budge an inch.
Rajeev: "You two go ahead in an Uber, I have to go somewhere else."
I held his coat out toward him — "Take your coat back."
He looked at me and took it silently.
Pratibha and I walked away from there.
On the way, Pratibha said, "Avni, the three of us should start looking for jobs elsewhere. When I went back inside, the atmosphere didn't feel right."
All I could say in response was a faint "hmm."