Sameera's POV:
The next morning felt strangely different. Not lighter exactly, but clearer—like something inside me had settled after the chaos of last night. I stood in front of the mirror, slowly tying my hair, my mind replaying everything in fragments. The dance. The way Saharsh had walked in like he owned the moment. The way he had held me. The way he had almost kissed me… and then stopped.
My fingers paused mid-motion as that memory hit again. For a second, I just stared at my reflection, searching my own eyes as if they would tell me what had changed.
And then came the staircase. His anger. His words.
Don't show me this face of yours again.
I should have been hurt. I was hurt. But beneath that, there was something else now—something stronger.
Clarity.
"So…" Rishi's voice cut through my thoughts as she casually walked into the room, holding her coffee mug and leaning against the doorframe like she had been waiting for this moment all morning. "Did the black dress work its magic on Mr. Wankhade?"
I exhaled softly, picking up my watch from the table and slipping it on. "Yeah," I said, trying to sound normal, though I knew I wasn't doing a great job. "It did."
Her reaction was immediate. She straightened up, eyes widening with excitement. "Oh ho. This sounds interesting. Tell me everything."
I glanced at her through the mirror. "He reacted."
She tilted her head, curious now. "How?"
I turned around, picking up my bag. "He didn't like it."
A slow, knowing smile spread across her face. "Didn't like what exactly?"
I gave her a look. "Me dancing with Kartik."
She blinked.
"Wait, who's Kartik?"
I just stared at her for a second, completely unimpressed. "Rishi. I'm telling you about Saharsh and this is your question?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh yeah, sorry, sorry. Focus. Saharsh. Continue."
I shook my head, but I couldn't stop the small smile forming on my lips. "He was affected," I admitted, a little softer now. "I could see it. And later…" I hesitated for a moment, remembering his grip on my shoulders, the anger in his voice. "He's still angry. About everything. He told me not to show him my face again."
Rishi straightened slightly, her expression shifting from playful to curious. "And what are you going to do?" she asked, folding her arms. "Listen to him and disappear again?"
I picked up my phone, slipping it into my bag before looking up at her. A slow smile spread across my face. "Oh, definitely not." Her eyebrows shot up. "I'm going to show him my face," I said calmly, "all the time."
Rishi blinked twice, completely thrown off. She set her mug down like she needed both hands free to process this.
"Wait… what?"
I stepped closer, my voice steady, my decision finally feeling real as I said it out loud. "Whatever happened yesterday made one thing very clear." I paused, holding her gaze. "He's not over me." Something changed in her expression. The teasing softened into something more genuine. "And this time," I continued, "I'm not running away from that."
She broke into a grin, wide and proud. "Excuse me… who are you and what have you done with Sameera?"
I laughed. "This is Sameera."
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder, feeling something shift inside me—something stronger, braver. "The same Sameera who still loves Saharsh Wankhade," I said, the words coming out quieter but more certain than ever. "And this time… I'm going after him."
Rishi's face lit up instantly. "FINALLY!" she clapped once, practically jumping in excitement. "That's my girl!"
I smiled, but then my eyes flicked toward the clock and the smile dropped immediately.
"Oh shit."
"What happened?" she asked.
"I'm late."
Chaos followed instantly. I rushed around the room, grabbing my things, stuffing random items into my bag, trying to function on half a brain while time slipped away.
"I seriously don't understand," I muttered dramatically while pulling on my shoes, "why people throw parties on weekends and then expect us to show up fresh and alive the next morning."
"Because you chose dancing over sleeping," Rishi said, clearly enjoying my panic.
"Not helping!" I snapped, though I was laughing under my breath. Grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen counter, taking a bite as I rushed toward the door. "Okay, I'm leaving!"
"Wait!" Rishi called out suddenly.
I paused, one hand on the door handle. "What now?"
She leaned forward slightly, eyes shining with mischief. "One important question."
I narrowed my eyes. "Rishi…"
"Was that Kartik guy hot?"
I stared at her for a full second. Then shook my head, opened the door—
and walked out.
Her laughter echoed behind me as I disappeared down the hallway.
---
Somehow managed to reach the office on time, while I had successfully convinced myself that I was calm, composed, and completely unaffected by last night. That illusion lasted exactly three minutes. I had barely settled into my chair, opened my laptop, and taken one deep breath—when Neha appeared out of nowhere and leaned against my desk like a detective who had finally found her suspect.
"So…" she began slowly, dragging the word with unnecessary drama, "where did you disappear yesterday after dancing with the two hottest guys from AetherEdge?"
I looked up at her, completely unimpressed. "What two hot guys?"
She gasped. "Don't play innocent with me."
"I went home," I said casually, typing something random just to look busy. "You know parties aren't my thing."
"What do you mean what do you mean?" she said, pulling the chair next to me and sitting down like she had all the time in the world. "Kartik—who was practically orbiting around you—and then him."
I didn't look up. "Him who?"
"Mr. Saharsh Wankhade," she said dramatically, placing a hand on her heart. "The man every girl in that room was ready to run away with. And he asked you for a dance."
I stopped typing. Just for a second.
"I wish," she continued, sighing dramatically, "I was the one he asked."
"Sadly," I said dryly, "you weren't the project coordinator."
She glared at me. "Life is unfair."
Before I could reply, the office atmosphere shifted slightly. I didn't even need to look up to know why.
Saharsh had entered. He walked in with a group of people from his company— Kartik was there too, talking about something animatedly, but my attention… wasn't on him.
It was on Saharsh.
Neha, beside me, had stopped breathing.
"I mean… look at him," she whispered, not even trying to hide it. "He is so hot."
"Neha," I muttered without looking at her, "stop it. It's getting obvious."
"Let it be obvious," she said, still staring shamelessly as he passed by. "If appreciating beauty is a crime, I plead guilty."
I rolled my eyes, but my gaze betrayed me. It followed him but he didn't look my way. Not even once. Of course he didn't.
Neha suddenly turned back to me, her curiosity reigniting like a fire. "Anyway, leave him. Tell me about you and Kartik."
I blinked. "What about me and Kartik?"
She leaned closer, lowering her voice like we were discussing something scandalous. "Like… did anything happen?"
I stared at her. "Neha, we danced."
"And?" she pressed.
"And nothing."
She frowned. "See, you haven't dated since your last relationship. I think it's time."
I sighed. "He's not my type."
She paused, thinking. "Yeah… okay, fair," she admitted. "Personality-wise, he's… average."
Before I could respond, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me up from my chair.
"Wait—what are you doing?" I stumbled after her.
"I think," she said with unnecessary excitement, "you deserve someone better."
She dragged me toward the glass wall of the meeting room where Saharsh and the senior team were settling in. "Like him," she whispered dramatically, pointing inside.
I immediately pulled her hand down. "Neha!" But it was too late. Because at that exact moment— Saharsh looked up, directly at us. My brain stopped working. In pure survival instinct, I grabbed Neha and pulled her down behind the nearest desk like we were hiding from a sniper.
"What are we doing?" she whispered, half-laughing.
"Stop it!" I hissed. "He'll see us!"
"I want him to see me," she whispered back. "I look cute when I'm mysterious."
"This is not mysterious," I muttered. "This is embarrassing."
She suddenly paused mid-whisper.
"Wait…" she said slowly, turning toward me. "Why are you reacting like this?"
I closed my eyes for one second then opened them. "He's my ex."
Silence. Neha blinked. Once. Twice. Then her eyes widened so much I thought they might actually fall out.
"MR. WANKHADE… is your EX?!"
I winced. "Keep your voice down!"
"ITNA HOT BANDA KYU CHHODA?" she whisper-yelled, clutching my arm dramatically.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could— A voice cut through.
"What are you two doing?"
We both froze, looked up very slowly. Kartik stood there, confused.
And right behind him— Saharsh. My brain chose that exact moment to stop functioning completely. I stood up too quickly— And immediately bumped straight into him.
"Oh—"
My foot slipped slightly, balance completely gone. For a split second, I thought I was going to fall flat in front of half the office. But then— His hand caught me. Around my arm pulling me back. My breath hitched. His grip tightened just enough to steady me—but not enough to let go immediately.
Neha, behind me, whispered under her breath— "Oh my god."
"Careful." His voice was low. Controlled. As if nothing has happened between us last night. As if he hadn't almost kissed me… and then told me to disappear from his life.
I straightened immediately, pulling myself out of his hold a second too quickly. "I'm fine," I said, forcing a neutral tone. Behind me, Neha was practically vibrating. I didn't even need to look at her to know.
Kartik, completely unaware of the emotional chaos unfolding, looked between us with mild curiosity. "You, okay?" he asked.
"Perfect," I replied quickly, brushing my sleeve as if something had happened to it.
"Gravity and I just had a minor disagreement."
Neha snorted loudly, I elbowed her without turning. But Saharsh didn't react. Of course he didn't. His hand had already dropped away, his posture shifting back into that composed, unreadable version of himself. When his gaze passed over me, it didn't stay. Not even for a second.
Right. Back to ignoring me.
"What were you two doing?" Kartik asked again, now more curious.
Neha opened her mouth, ready to speak, but I cut in instantly. "Nothing."
She turned to me, offended. "Excuse me, I had a whole explanation ready."
"It's unnecessary."
Kartik laughed. "Now I really want to hear it."
"No, you don't," I said firmly.
Saharsh finally spoke, his tone clipped and disinterested. "Meeting starts in two minutes." He turned slightly, already done with the conversation. Done with me.
And that annoyed me.
I crossed my arms. "You could at least make a sound before appearing behind people like that."
Neha slowly turned her head toward me like she was watching a disaster unfold in real time.
Saharsh paused then looked back at me. "Or," he said calmly, "you could avoid crouching behind office furniture during working hours."
Kartik coughed to hide a laugh. Neha didn't even try.
I narrowed my eyes. "We were discussing something important."
"Oh?" His brow lifted slightly. "From the floor?"
I opened my mouth—and then closed it, because I had absolutely no comeback for that.
Neha, the traitor, leaned toward Kartik and whispered, "She does her best thinking under tables."
"Neha," I muttered under my breath.
Kartik laughed again. "Noted."
I shot both of them a glare. Meanwhile, Saharsh had already started walking back toward the meeting room, clearly done with us. But just before stepping inside, he paused. Turned slightly. "Miss Sameera." My breath caught at the formality. "Try to be on time."
Excuse me?
"I am on time," I shot back immediately.
His gaze flicked briefly to my empty hands, then toward my desk behind me. "No file," he said. Then, "Laptop still logged out." A small pause followed before he added, "You're welcome."
Neha gasped like she had just witnessed something historic. I clenched my jaw, forcing a polite smile. "Thank you, Mr. Wankhade." His eyes held mine for a second longer. Then he turned and walked inside, the door closing behind him.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Neha grabbed my arm and shook it dramatically. "WHAT. WAS. THAT."
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair. "That," I said quietly, "is exactly what I'm going to fix."
Kartik leaned casually against the desk beside us, watching me with interest. "Fix?"
I picked up my laptop, straightened my shoulders, and looked toward the meeting room door.
"Yes," I said, determination settling in.
"Fix."
---
The final meeting with AetherEdge finally came to an end after what felt like hours of endless discussions, signatures, and formal smiles. People around the conference room started relaxing almost instantly. Chairs moved back. Files closed. Someone cracked a joke about surviving Mr. Wankhade's deadlines. Laughter followed.
But I barely heard any of it. Because one thought had been sitting heavily inside my chest the entire meeting. This was it. The last time I would see him in this office. After today, there would be no project updates, no unnecessary meetings, no excuses to walk into his office, no accidental glances across conference tables. And through the entire meeting— he hadn't looked at me once.
Saharsh was standing near the far end of the room now, speaking to one of the board members. I hated how good he looked while ruining my peace of mind. Before I could overthink it, I walked toward him. He noticed me immediately. Of course he did. Saharsh had always noticed me before anyone else. But his expression didn't change.
"Mr. Wankhade," I said professionally, even though the title tasted wrong in my mouth. "It was really nice working with you and your company."
For half a second, his eyes met mine, then he gave a small nod. "That's good to hear." And just like that— he looked away again. Completely dismissing me. I stared at him in disbelief before turning around sharply. Only to find Neha standing a few feet away trying very hard not to laugh.
"Well," she said dramatically, "that was really rude of your ex."
I shot her a glare. "Please don't start."
"Oh, I am absolutely starting."
Before I could stop her, Kartik appeared beside us with his usual easy grin. "Congratulations," he announced, looking at me. "You're finally free from my boss's torture."
I crossed my arms instantly. "I deserve compensation actually."
Neha burst out laughing while Kartik placed a hand over his chest. "No, you deserve a good meal."
He pointed toward me. "Lunch. My treat."
Neha gasped loudly. "Look at him. Still trying."
"Obviously." Kartik leaned slightly toward me and lowered his voice near my ear. "I don't give up easily."
I rolled my eyes automatically, but then my gaze lifted past him. Straight toward Saharsh. And there it was. That flicker, gone almost immediately, but not before I caught it. Kartik and Neha followed my gaze.
"Oops," Kartik muttered. "I think my boss hates me."
I immediately looked away. "You're imagining things."
"Nope," Kartik said confidently. "Definitely hates me."
"Agreed," Neha added dramatically. "Look at him. That stare might actually burn a hole through your back."
I tried not to smile. "Umm…" I adjusted the file in my hands awkwardly. "Kartik, I don't want to give you any false hope about lunch. I think I'll take a rain check."
He laughed instantly. "Girl, relax. After all my terrible failed attempts at hitting on you, I already know you're not interested in me."
Neha looked offended. "Wow. Self-awareness."
Kartik ignored her completely. "I'm inviting you guys for lunch. You guys. Not just you."
Then he pointed at both of us dramatically. "So gather yourselves and let's go eat before I die of starvation."
Neha immediately clapped. "Oh, please yes. After this boring meeting I need something to survive the rest of the day."
I laughed softly despite myself. "You guys go ahead. I'll just grab my things and join you."
They finally left the room still arguing over restaurants while I walked back toward my desk. The office floor had gone strangely quiet now that most people had moved toward the cafeteria downstairs. I picked up my bag, laptop, charger— and froze. Because there was a file missing from my desk.
"You forgot this."
His voice came from dangerously close behind me. My heartbeat stumbled instantly. I turned slowly. Saharsh stood there holding my project file in one hand. Close enough that I could smell his cologne. I exhaled softly before taking the file from him. "Nice working with you too, Mr. Wankhade."
A sigh left him. "You do this on purpose, don't you?"
I looked up at him slowly. "Do what? Ignore? That's what you are good at sir."
"No. Talk like this."
I let out a small laugh. "You're the one who told me not to show you my face anymore. Not me." I tilted my head slightly. "So, deal with it."
A humorless smile touched his lips for half a second. "Maybe you enjoy testing my patience."
The air between us shifted instantly. My pulse started climbing embarrassingly fast. And of course he noticed. Saharsh had always been terrifyingly good at reading me. "You flirt with Kartik just to get a reaction out of me?" he asked quietly.
I crossed my arms defensively even though my heartbeat was betraying me completely. "Maybe he's just fun to talk to."
His jaw tightened. "That idiot doesn't know boundaries."
"And you do? You're the one pretending nothing affects you. So how does it matter who I flirt with or talk to?"
That landed. His eyes darkened immediately. One more step. That was all it took before my back lightly brushed against the edge of the desk behind me. He was standing too close that one more inch would completely erase the space between us.
"Who said nothing affects me?" His jaw tightened slightly at that. Neither of us spoke, we just stood there, too close for professionalism, too stubborn to step back. I could feel the warmth coming off him. Enough for my breathing to turn uneven.
"You should stop looking at me like that," he said quietly.
I swallowed. "Like what?"
"Like you know exactly what you're doing to me."
"And what am I doing to you?" I whispered.
His eyes dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes again. That one look nearly ruined me.
"You really want me to answer that here?" The roughness in his voice sent heat rushing through me instantly. I hated how much effect he still had on me. Hated it even more because I loved it. I should have stepped away. Instead, I stayed exactly where I was. His hand moved beside me onto the desk, trapping me between his arms without fully touching me. Not yet. Then his fingers brushed my wrist lightly before pulling me in holding my waist.
"Saharsh…" his name escaped my lips softer than intended. And something in his expression changed immediately.
"Don't," he interrupted softly. "Say my name like that if you don't want consequences."
My breath caught but I almost smiled. "Is that a threat, Mr. Wankhade?"
"No," he said quietly. "That's self-control." The tension snapped. He leaned in, his forehead almost touched mine now. Our noses brushing, his hand tightened slightly on my waist. "Tell me to stop," he said roughly. But the way his eyes burned into mine said he didn't want me to. His gaze dropped briefly to my lips.
I couldn't think or do anything except stare at him. At the frustration and restraint fighting inside his eyes.
And then—
Both our phones rang at the exact same time. The sound shattered everything instantly. We both froze. Reality crashing back far too quickly. He stepped away first, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration while I tried to steady my breathing. My cheeks were burning. My heartbeat was completely out of control.
His phone screen lit up. Daksh Calling.
Mine vibrated again immediately after. Janhvi Calling.
We exchanged one brief look before answering. He turned slightly away, running a hand over his face before picking up. I pressed my phone to my ear, still trying to recover.
"Hello?"
"Sameera."
Janhvi's voice sounded breathless. Excited. Almost emotional.
"What happened?" I asked immediately.
There was a pause. Then— "Daksh proposed."
I blinked.
"What?"
"And…" she practically squealed now, "we're getting married."
Everything inside me stopped. My eyes lifted toward Saharsh instinctively. And at the exact same moment— he looked toward me too. Phone still pressed against his ear. Expression stunned in the exact same way mine probably was. Because Daksh had clearly just told him the same thing.