Next morning
The city was just beginning to stir, the sky still painted in a sleepy lavender-blue as Saikiran's car pulled up outside Ishani's apartment. She stepped in without a word, sliding into the passenger seat with a half-smile playing on her lips.
"Morning," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear, eyes glinting.
"Morning," he replied, trying—failing—to sound unaffected.
The silence that followed was not awkward. It was full of charged glances and unspoken things. He reached for the gear, and their fingers brushed. She didn't move hers right away.
"You look different today," he said after a beat.
She arched an eyebrow. "Different how?"
He glanced at her, then back at the road, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Less hostile. Almost… fond."
"I'll push you out of the car," she said, but her tone was light.
"I dare you," he said, mock serious. "That's attempted murder, ma'am."
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling now. She fiddled with the hem of her kurta, something she did only when nervous or bashful.
"Stop doing that," he murmured.
"What?"
"That thing. Where you pretend last night didn't happen."
She went quiet.
"I'm not pretending," she said, softer now, "Koyel's already suspicious"
"Well, we were subtle," he said dramatically. "Except for the dancing. And the part where I almost killed Dhiraj with my eyes."
She snorted.
"I should've known that kiss would turn you cocky," she muttered.
He grinned, still watching the road. "So you admit it was a kiss."
She gasped. "I never said—"
"Oh, Ishani," he drawled. "We both know that wasn't a CPR mishap."
She threw her notebook at him. He caught it mid-air, laughing, his eyes finally softening.
And for a second, she let herself smile—just for him.
As the car slowed at a red light, he reached out and gently tugged a strand of her hair.
"What are you doing?" she asked, heart skipping.
"Just checking if this is real," he whispered.
She shook her head, trying not to smile too wide. "Drive, Saikiran."
And he did—with the quiet, thrilled knowledge that this morning was the beginning of something neither of them could undo.
Office Parking Lot – Morning
Saikiran pulled into the company parking space, slowing to a crawl as Ishani slouched lower into her seat.
"Are you hiding?" he asked, amused.
"No. Yes. Maybe," she muttered. "Koyel's scooter is already here. She'll kill me if she sees us together."
"You mean she'll kill me," he said, putting the car in park. "You? She'll just shame you with affection."
Ishani rolled her eyes and unbuckled quickly. "We go in separately. I'll give you a two-minute head start."
"Two minutes?" Saikiran raised an eyebrow. "Why not twenty? Why not sneak in through the vents like Mission Impossible?"
"Shut up," she hissed, already grabbing her bag and cracking open the door like she was making a prison escape.
As she was about to get out, he leaned in and whispered, "Don't forget to fix your lipstick. You kind of… wore it off last night."
Her eyes widened. "Saikiran!"
He winked and casually slid his sunglasses on. "One minute and forty-five seconds to go, Miss Secretive."
In the office lobby
"Did you apply extra makeup today?" Koyel asked, leaning casually near the elevator as Ishani walked in through the glass doors.
Ishani frowned, digging out her phone to check her reflection. "No. Why?"
"You're glowing like a newly engaged bride," Koyel smirked. "Suspiciously extra."
Just then, the elevator doors slid open with a chime.
Inside, packed with a few early-bird employees, stood Saikiran—cool as ever, scrolling through his phone until he looked up and saw them. His gaze lingered a second longer on Ishani than it should have before he offered a polite nod.
Koyel leaned toward Ishani and murmured, "Your PS5 boy is here."
Ishani shot her a glare, cheeks betraying her with a faint flush. "Shut up," she whispered as they stepped into the elevator.
Koyel grinned, absolutely enjoying herself.
As the doors closed and silence settled, Saikiran glanced sideways at Ishani and said in a low voice, "Nice glow. Must be the chai from last night."
Koyel blinked. Ishani coughed.
Saikiran kept a straight face, but the mischievous glint in his eyes gave him away.
Atul summoned Ishani into his cabin.
"Morning Ishani", he gave a smile
"Morning", Ishani smiled back.
"So today the new joinees are coming. They will have a week of training sessions. I want you and Koyel to take care of it. Incase of you both are unavailable Saikiran can take over", Atul said
Ishani obediently listened to it, "Sure Atul"
Atul handed her a folder. "This has the list of new joinees. Profiles, brief backgrounds, the schedule. You'll find a few eager minds in there."
Ishani took it with a nod. "Thanks. I'll go over it with Koyel."
"Oh, and one more thing," Atul added, his eyes twinkling slightly. "There's one girl—Ananya Roy. A fresher. You might need a little extra patience with her. She's bright, just... a little intense."
Ishani raised an eyebrow but smiled. "Duly noted."
As she walked back to her desk flipping through the profiles, she spotted Ananya's picture. Round glasses, wide eyes, and a serious expression that screamed I ask follow-up questions.
She chuckled.
"Koyel is going to love this," she muttered.
The training room
The small conference room buzzed with the low chatter of fresh faces, nervously adjusting their ID cards and flipping through orientation packets. Koyel stood near the whiteboard, arms crossed, while Ishani set up the projector.
"Ok guys, lets settle down", her voice smooth but assertive.
Just as the group quieted, the glass door opened with a loud thunk. A girl entered in a hurry—tiny frame, oversized tote bag, earbuds still half in, cheeks slightly flushed from rushing.
"Sorry! I got confused with the elevators. And then I ended up on the wrong floor. Twice."
Koyel raised an amused eyebrow. Ishani blinked.
"You must be Ananya," she said.
"Yes, yes, Ananya Roy, new joinee.", she gestured around, slightly breathless.
"I am Ishani and she is my colleague, Koyel. "We'll be your primary Points of Contact for the onboarding and training. If we're ever unavailable, you can reach out to Mr. Saikiran or Mr. Sudhir—your team leads." Ishani explained.
Ananya nodded quickly, already taking out a notebook.
"We work as a team here," Ishani continued. "Collaboration matters more than competition. Be helpful, be open, and don't hesitate to ask questions when needed—within reason."
"Ma'am, till what time can we contact you?" Ananya asked, pen poised.
Koyel bit her lip to suppress a grin.
"Our working hours are 9 to 6," Ishani said, professionally. "If it's urgent, you can ping us on Teams, otherwise, we'll get back during business hours."
Ananya nodded again, scribbling it down like gospel.
Koyel leaned toward Ishani and whispered, "She's going to be fun."
Before Ananya could ask another question, the door opened again—quieter this time.
Saikiran stepped in, hands casually in his pockets. His gaze flicked to Ishani, a flash of something soft passing between them before he addressed the room.
"Hey," he nodded at Ishani and Koyel. "Atul asked me to drop in and run through the workflow basics. Mind if I jump in?"
"Of course," Ishani said, stepping aside. "Everyone, this is Saikiran—your team lead on the development side."
"Oh, you're Mr. Saikiran?" she asked, eyes wide. "I've read your code snippets on the company repo. They're... like... clean."
Saikiran gave a modest smile. "Thanks. Hope the training helps you settle in."
Ananya nodded furiously, her eyes still a little too wide.
Ishani caught Koyel's sideways glance and gave her a subtle glare.
Koyel leaned in and whispered, "PS5 boy has a fan already."
Ishani rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched.
Saikiran sat near the table and opened his laptop and Ananya adjusted her seat too to face him.
Another girl at the back nudged her new friend, "He is cool, isn't he?"
Her new friend scrunched her nose and nodded in agreement.
Cafeteria – Lunch Break
The cafeteria was buzzing, trays clinking, conversations overlapping in a soft corporate chaos. Ishani had barely set down her tray when Koyel plopped into the seat across from her, already smirking.
"So, do you want me to save the wedding date now or… should we wait for Ananya to make her move first?"
Ishani narrowed her eyes. "Koyel, I swear—"
Koyel leaned forward, dramatic whisper mode. "'They're... like… clean.'" she mimicked Ananya's awestruck tone with exaggerated hand gestures. "Girl looked like she'd seen BTS live."
"Oh my God, please stop." Ishani stuffed a bite of salad into her mouth to muffle her laugh.
"She literally moved her chair closer to him. Next thing we know she'll be bringing him coded love letters."
"Are you going to tease me every single time he enters a room?"
"Only when you look like a textbook case of 'trying to act normal around your secret relationship.'"
Ishani rolled her eyes, but a small blush gave her away. "It's not like that. Nothing as such happened."
Koyel leaned back, sipping her juice. "Sure, it isn't. I never said anything happened. That's why you both had matching 'trying-not-to-smile' faces this morning in the elevator."
Just then, a shadow loomed over the table.
Saikiran.
"Hey," he said casually, looking at Ishani with a flicker of something softer. "Mind if I sit?"
Koyel made a show of checking her watch. "Actually, I was just about to leave. You kids enjoy."
"Koyel—" Ishani hissed, but Koyel was already gone, grinning like a cat who'd knocked over a vase.
Saikiran slid into the now-empty seat, picking at his sandwich wrapper. "Was she bullying you again?"
"Define bullying."
"You blushing counts."
She shot him a glare, but her lips twitched upward. "You're getting bold, huh?"
"I was bold last night," he said under his breath, eyes locked on hers.
A beat passed. The cafeteria noise faded for a moment.
Ishani stirred her fork through her salad. "Don't think I've forgotten you were an emotional mess."
"I prefer the term 'romantic disaster,' thank you." He leaned in slightly. "You didn't seem to mind last night."
She looked at him, caught somewhere between amused and annoyed. "Sai, we're in office."
"I know," he said. "Which is why I'm just going to sit here and pretend this is a very serious work lunch."
"You're a menace."
He grinned. "Your menace."
She couldn't help it—she smiled.
And for a while, they just ate, quietly, side by side. No declarations, no drama.
Just the comfort of something quietly beginning.