Saraswati was staring at Radhika and Krish.
More specifically, at Krish.
She had never seen him before. He was a complete stranger to her, but unfortunately, he was also a very handsome one.
His sharp features, effortless confidence, and annoyingly perfect hair had captured her attention before she even realized she was staring.
"Who is that?" she whispered.
Dev, standing beside her, glanced at Krish.
"That's not the topic right now. My shirt..."
"That is not a name."
"Then ask him."
Saraswati continued admiring Krish without shame.
"Look at his face."
Dev's jaw tightened.
"I am looking at your coffee on my SHIRT."
"His shoulders are so broad."
"Your coffee stain is also broad on MY SHIRT.."
"And his hair—"
"Sharas... I mean Shirt , My Shirt."
"What?"
"Stop staring there and look what you've done."
She finally looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because something important is to be settled, this shirt was expensive and you ruined it..."
Saraswati, not at all listening to him, her attention was only on the person standing beside Radhika looking extremely handsome.
Dev followed her gaze.
Dev's expression darkened.
"I don't see what's so special about him."
Saraswati looked at him for once and then turned back toward Krish.
"Then your eyesight needs help."
Dev looked away, refusing to admit that her admiring Krish has irritated him more than the coffee stain on his shirt.
Saraswati, meanwhile, had completely forgotten about Dev's growing annoyance.
She was still staring at Krish.
More specifically, at the way Krish had caught Radhika.
Radhika had stumbled backward, and Krish had grabbed her before she hit the floor. One of his arms was wrapped securely around her waist, while the other steadied her shoulder.
It was an entirely innocent moment.
Saraswati knew that.
Probably.
But her brain had stopped processing the scene somewhere between Radhika's startled expression and Krish's hand resting against her back.
She was still holding the coffee cup, and had already made 20 chapters of romantic novel and the main leads were ofcourse none other than Radhika and Krish. Her imagination was too much to handle.
Dev, however, was not looking at Radhika and Krish.
He was looking down at his shirt.
His white shirt was covered in coffee. The same shirt he had been showing off since morning and wanted to wear it in today's meeting with Queens.
He looked like a man silently calculating the cost of his ruined shirt while questioning every decision that had led him to stand near Saraswati.
Saraswati finally noticed him.
Then she noticed his shirt.
Then she looked back at Radhika and Krish.
Dev's jaw tightened.
"Hey,"
She didn't respond,lost in imagination, thinking the background music which suits the situation.
"Hey, "
Nothing, but inside her mind she was planning to do the same with Jai. She was smiling stupidly thinking about the scenario when she is in Jai's arms and he asks are you okay?,she just smiles back and was about to say something then the dream broke....
Dev's anger was raising every passing second..
"Hey, get the hell out of your day dream and stop smiling stupidly."
She blinked.
"What?"
Dev pointed at his shirt.
"Are you planning to keep staring at them while my shirt dies?"
Her eyes remained fixed on Krish and Radhika.
"Why is he holding her?"
Dev looked over his shoulder. Completely forgetting he was supposed to talk about something important "The Shirt".
"Because she almost fell?"
"She almost fell?"
"That is generally when people catch each other."
Saraswati frowned.
"But why was she falling?"
"That sounds like a question for her."
"And why was he standing so close?"
Dev looked at her.
"You're asking a lot of questions for someone who just spilled coffee all over me."
"I didn't spill coffee on you."
He slowly looked down at his shirt.
Then back at her.
"Really?"
Saraswati glanced at the stain.
"It was an accident."
"An accident that happened while you were staring at them."
"I was assessing the situation."
"From across the corridor?"
"Yes."
"With your mouth slightly open?"
Saraswati immediately closed it.
Dev's eyes dropped to the empty cup in her hand.
"Careful."
She followed his gaze.
"What?"
"The cup."
"There is no coffee left."
"Exactly. Because it is on my shirt."
She looked down at his shirt again.
For a second, neither of them moved.
The corridor went quiet.
Dev's white shirt was ruined.
Not destroyed beyond repair, perhaps, but ruined enough that the stain across the front was impossible to ignore. The expensive Italian fabric had been perfectly white a few minutes ago.
Now it looked as though coffee had declared war on it.
Dev hadn't moved.
That was probably the most dangerous part.
He simply stood there, looking at the stain with the expression of someone mentally calculating how much this disaster was going to cost him.
Dev waited.
Maybe she'd apologize.
Maybe she'd finally say something.
Nothing.
She glanced at the shirt once more.
"It was Italian, wasn't it?"
Dev's eyes lifted to hers.
"Yes."
Saraswati pressed her lips together.
She really tried.
She lasted three seconds.
Then she nodded solemnly.
"So it died with honour."
Dev was stunned, this is what she had to say after totally ruining my shirt.
A strange choking sound came from behind them.
(Author : Shiva is representing me..)
Shiva had turned his face away, one hand covering his mouth.
Dev's eyes moved toward him.
Shiva immediately became very interested in the book he was holding.
Saraswati's shoulders shook.
Dev looked back at her.
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
Her expression was perfectly innocent.
"My shirt is covered in coffee."
"I noticed. You've said this about 98th time since we met."
"You noticed?"
"It is rather difficult not to."
Dev looked down at himself.
"Then perhaps you can explain how it happened."
Saraswati considered that.
"I was carrying coffee", she exclaimed raising her cup.
"I can see that.", he replied crossing his arms but coffee didn't help so he just left his hand at the same position like before.
"I was walking."she continued.
"I noticed that too.",he nodded.
"I was looking at Radhika."
"Yes."
"And then you appeared."
Dev stared at her.
"I guess you missed something."
"What?"She asked like she doesn't know.
"The landing of the coffee from your mouth to my italian shirt."
(Author : I'm dying of laughter, hats off to Shiva for controlling his laughter.)
Saraswati trying hard not to laugh," In my defense the scene was too much for my coffee and me. You shouldn't have appeared infront of our way."
"I appeared?" Dev didn't even knew how to respond to a thing like that.
Shiva was trying hard not to laugh but it was already too much his laughing sounds were low but enough to be heard by Dev.
Dev turned and gave him a look like seriously bro.
Shiva said almost like a whisper," If I didn't laugh I'll die."
Dev replied," and if you laugh I'll kill you myself."
Shiva turned his face and Dev was back to the battle.
"So, It's your mistake," Saraswati said.
"I've been standing here."
"Exactly."
"How does that make me responsible?"
Saraswati lifted one shoulder.
"You were standing in the wrong place."
Dev actually looked behind himself.
Then toward the corridor.
Then back at her.
"This is a corridor."
"Correct."
"People stand in corridors."
"Very observant."
"People also walk in corridors."
"Also true."
"Then why am I the one being blamed?"
She smiled.
"Because you're the one with the Italian shirt."
For the first time, Dev looked genuinely speechless.
Behind them, another muffled cough escaped Shiva.
Dev's eyes narrowed.
Saraswati caught it.
"He's laughing."
"He isn't."
"He definitely is."
Shiva lowered his book slightly.
His expression was suspiciously calm.
Dev looked at him.
"Don't."
Shiva immediately raised the book again.
Saraswati laughed.
And somehow, that seemed to irritate Dev more than the coffee itself.
He looked down at his shirt again. He had already decided that by any mistake if this alliance is formed he will have to go through a lot.
He was cursing under his breath already thinking about what if this alliance worked and he has to deal with her everyday... Just then.
Saraswati leaned closer. Dev's breath hitched, his body completely stiffened, like all the system of his brain collapsed all black and the only thing he could hear was fast beating of his heart.
Shiva coughed, bringing Dev back to his senses.
Dev's eyebrows lifted.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking the damage."
"You can see the damage."
"Not properly. Since you've said the word Shirt 100 times I was just checking if it really is worth this much attention."
She leaned in farther, examining the fabric with exaggerated seriousness.
Dev went completely still.
Saraswati studied the stain, then lightly pinched the edge of the shirt between two fingers.
"This really is expensive."
"More than you think."
"I thought you were being dramatic."
"I don't usually exaggerate about my clothes."
"That is somehow worse."
She tilted her head, inspecting the material.
"How expensive?"
Dev looked down at her.
"Why? You'll pay?"
"I'm trying to decide whether I should feel guilty."
"You should."
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether it was worth ruining."
Dev stared at her.
"You spilled coffee on it."
"Yes."
"How could that possibly be worth it?"
Saraswati finally looked up at him.
"Because now I know what expensive fabric feels like."
His expression went blank.
She released the shirt.
"Very soft."
Dev looked at the place where her fingers had been.
Then at her.
"You leaned in to inspect my shirt."
"I was investigating."
"You touched it."
"Scientific research."
"You just called my shirt soft."
"That was an observation."
"You're unbelievable."
"And you're very sensitive about your clothes."
"You're very careless with other people's clothes."
"Your shirt was standing where my coffee wanted to go."
"That isn't how accidents work."
"It is today."
A few employees passing through the corridor slowed down.
They tried not to look.
They failed.
One of them whispered, "Is that the new guy?"
Another glanced at Dev's shirt.
"Which new guy?"
"The one arguing with Saraswati."
"Who is Saraswati arguing with?"
"The expensive-shirt man."
"Expensive shirt??"
"I heard the word shirt 40 times in past two minutes."
"Got it."
"Does anyone know who he is?"
"No."
"Then why is she fighting with him?"
"Maybe the shirt started it."
The first employee covered a laugh.
Another employee joined the group chat.
Employee 1: Who spilled coffee on the white shirt?
Employee 2: Saraswati.
Employee 3 : Are they literally fighting over a shirt?
Employee 1: No idea. She looks like she's winning.
Employee 4: How can someone win a shirt argument?
Employee 2: You haven't seen Saraswati argue.
Employee 3: Does anyone know the man's name?
Employee 1: No.
Employee 4: Then he is officially Italian Shirt until further notice.
Employee 4 : He's cute though.
Dev's eyes shifted toward the employees.
They immediately pretended to be busy.
Saraswati noticed.
"Don't glare at them."
"I'm not glaring."
"You are."
"I'm looking."
"With hostility."
"They're discussing my shirt."
"They're discussing your personality."
"That too."
She smiled.
"At least they're observant."
Dev looked back at her.
"You know, most people would be more concerned about the person they were staring at before spilling coffee."
Saraswati's expression changed.
Her eyes moved toward Radhika and Krish again.
They were no longer in each other's arms.
Radhika had stepped away, her face still slightly flushed. Krish was saying something to her, and she was glaring at him in response.
Saraswati narrowed her eyes.
"Something is happening."
Dev followed her gaze.
"Something is always happening around your friend."
"Why was she in his arms?"
"Again, I believe she almost fell."
"She didn't tell me she was going to fall."
"People rarely announce it."
"Who is he?"
Dev looked at her.
"You don't know?"
"No."
"He's with her."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"His name is Krish."
Saraswati looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"I heard someone say it."
"Who?"
"Someone who wasn't staring at them."
She gave him a sharp look.
"Don't start."
"I haven't started anything."
"You've been irritating me since you appeared."
"I was standing here."
"Exactly."
Dev glanced at the stain.
"And you've been attacking me since you appeared."
"I didn't attack you."
"You assaulted my shirt."
"Your shirt survived."
"That remains to be seen."
Saraswati looked at the fabric again.
"Actually, it might."
Dev's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"It means the material is good."
"Thank you."
"Don't sound so proud. It still lost to coffee."
A few more employees had gathered near the corridor entrance.
Their phones remained hidden at their sides, but their attention was obvious.
Employee 5: Update: Italian Shirt is still alive.
Employee 2: Is Saraswati apologizing?
Employee 1: No.
Employee 3: Is he angry?
Employee 4: He looks like he wants to be.
Employee 5: But he keeps talking to her.
Employee 2: Maybe he likes arguing.
Employee 1: Maybe he likes her.
Employee 3: They don't even know each other.
Employee 4: That has never stopped anyone here.
One employee looked between Dev and Saraswati.
"Should we tell them the race track is open this evening?"
Another employee shook his head.
"Why?"
"Because they look like they need somewhere else to fight."
The message appeared in the group chat.
Employee 6: Someone tell them about the race.
Employee 2: Why?
Employee 6: Because this corridor is too small for their egos.
Saraswati caught the whispering.
She turned toward the employees.
"Do you all have something to say?"
The group instantly scattered.
"No," one of them said.
"Nothing," said another.
"We were discussing work."
"Very loudly," Saraswati replied.
Dev looked amused.
She turned back to him.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
"You have strong instincts."
"I'm a racer."
"That explains everything."
She looked at his shirt.
"Still angry?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because I haven't finished annoying you yet."
Dev looked at her.
"That sounds like a threat."
"It is."
She smiled.
"Get used to it."
One of the employees, now safely several feet away, called out, "If you're both racers, settle it on the track!"
The corridor went silent.
Saraswati turned.
Dev turned too.
The employee immediately looked terrified.
"I mean—only if you want to."
Saraswati looked at Dev.
Dev looked at Saraswati.
The challenge appeared between them before either of them spoke.
"Do you race?" Dev asked.
"Huh? Are you serious? I just said I am a racer ."
"That wasn't my question."
"Yes."
"Then prove it."
Her eyebrows rose.
"You want to race me?"
"I want to know whether you drive as confidently as you argue."
"I drive better."
"That's a bold claim."
"It's an accurate one."
Dev glanced at the employees.
"Do you always make claims without evidence?"
Saraswati stepped closer.
"Do you always need evidence before admitting someone might beat you?"
His expression sharpened.
"Beat me?"
"That's what I said."
"You don't even know who I am."
"I don't need to know your name to pass you."
A murmur moved through the employees.
Employee 1: She challenged him.
Employee 2: No, he challenged her first.
Employee 3: Does anyone know if he can actually drive?
Employee 4: He has an expensive shirt. Maybe he has an expensive car.
Employee 5: That is not how racing works.
Employee 4: It might be how rich people work.
Employee 2: Wait, are they both rich?
Employee 1: Nobody knows anything.
Employee 3: This is the best meeting we've had all week.
Dev folded his arms.
"You're very confident for someone who just lost a fight with a coffee cup."
Saraswati glanced at his shirt.
"Your shirt lost that fight."
"You're avoiding the challenge."
"I'm accepting it."
"Good."
"Good."
"Tonight."
"Fine."
"At the track."
"Obviously."
"Try not to spill anything on my car."
"Try not to park where my coffee wants to go."
A few employees burst out laughing.
Dev's mouth twitched.
Saraswati noticed.
"You smiled."
"I did not."
"You did."
"You're imagining things."
"I'm a racer. I notice movement."
"Then notice this."
He stepped slightly closer.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you."
Saraswati held his gaze.
"I'd be disappointed if you did."
The employees' group chat exploded.
Employee 6: Race confirmed.
Employee 2: Tonight?
Employee 1: Tonight.
Employee 3: Who are we supporting?
Employee 4: Saraswati.
Employee 5: Why?
Employee 4: She has better insults.
Employee 1: I'm supporting Italian Shirt.
Employee 2: You don't even know his name.
Employee 1: Exactly. Mystery advantage.
Employee 3: Does anyone know if they are connected to the Kings?
Employee 5: Kings who?
Employee 2: No idea.
Employee 4: Stop inventing titles for strangers.
Employee 1: Too late. Italian Shirt is now a title.
Saraswati glanced toward Radhika again.
Krish was still standing beside her.
Radhika had crossed her arms, clearly arguing with him about something. Krish looked far too entertained.
Saraswati's attention lingered.
Dev noticed.
"You're really curious."
"I am not."
"You've looked at them six times."
"Seven."
He looked at her.
She realized what she'd said.
Dev smiled.
Saraswati pointed at him.
"Don't."
"You counted."
"I was correcting you."
"Of course."
She looked back at Radhika and Krish.
"I don't know what is going on."
"Then ask her."
"I will."
"Eventually?"
"When she stops looking like she wants to throw that laptop at him."
Dev glanced toward Krish.
"She looks like she wants to throw it at him now."
"Exactly."
"Your friend is dangerous."
"You noticed."
Dev's eyebrow rose.
"Interesting."
"Don't start."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
"You've got very strong instincts."
"I'm a racer."
Those words came from Saraswati's mouth and the word racer made Dev exhale sharply cause he's going to work with her in future.
"That explains everything."
She looked at his shirt.
"Still angry?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because I haven't finished annoying you yet."
Dev looked at her.
"That sounds like a threat."
"It is."
She smiled.
"Get used to it."
Saraswati turned away, but her eyes drifted back to Radhika and Krish once more.
She still didn't understand what she had seen.
She didn't know why Krish had caught Radhika.
She didn't know why Radhika looked flustered.
And she definitely didn't know why Dev seemed to find all of it amusing.
But one thing was clear.
The corridor had become far more interesting than it had been five minutes ago.
And the race tonight was going to be even more interesting.
The employees continued whispering around them.
Employee 2: Do you think they will actually race?
Employee 3: They already challenged each other.
Employee 1: Do you think they will crash?
Employee 4: Don't say that.
Employee 5: Do you think they will stop arguing before then?
Employee 6: Absolutely not.
Saraswati took one step forward,
"Race me if you dare."
Dev looked at Saraswati with a smirk on his face.
"Ready to lose? Little queen."
She turned toward him.
"Ready to ruin another shirt? Mr Italian shirt?"
His eyes dropped briefly to the stain.
Then returned to hers.
"You're going to regret this."
"Maybe."
She smiled.
"But not before you do."
He exclaimed.
"Well, a race without a price means nothing?"
Saraswati nodded .
"So, what are the conditions?"
Both of them stepped closure to each other.
"There will be 3 things you have to agree to do what winner asks you to do no matter what?"
"Agreed", she replied.
And somewhere between the coffee stain, the unanswered questions, and the employees' growing excitement,the race became inevitable.
The strangers had spent enough time together to discover one thing.
They were not going to get along.
And somehow, that was exactly what made everyone want to see what happened next.
Radhika finally turned toward Krish, her eyes flashing.
"Stop smiling."
"Make me."
Her expression hardened.
"Gladly."
Krish's smile widened.
Radhika stepped closer, and the air between them tightened.
Their fight was about to begin.
And everyone nearby suddenly wanted to know what would happen next.