Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 22

Nandini

"This is just too delicious, Nandini. It's good that you don't cook every day. Otherwise, I would have gotten fat already," Dad says, putting another crepe on his plate.

"You are right, Siddharth. Whenever Nandini cooks, I need to give an extra thirty minutes to the gym to burn the calories after eating so much," Mom adds before putting another morsel in her mouth.

I smile at them, glad they liked the masala crepe and coconut chutney I made for breakfast today.

Vikrant is also at the table, eating his second crepe, but as always, he doesn't say anything about liking or not liking the food.

Not that I care about his opinion, but he can at least give one word of appreciation to the person who made him breakfast.

Shaking my head at his attitude, I stand up, about to walk to the kitchen to wash my plate, when Vikrant stops me.

"Umm, the crepe was delicious. Thank you," he says, surprising me.

Are my ears ringing? Or did he really thank me?

My expression must have given away my thoughts because an amused smile curves his lips.

He steps closer to me. "You heard it right. I did thank you. And it was not only for today but for all the times you cooked in this house. Anything you make is always delectable."

I continue staring at him as he walks away.

"Nandini, aren't you getting late for the office?" Dad asks me, and I jolt out of my stunned stupor.

"Umm, yes. I'll go and wash this plate first," I reply and walk to the kitchen.

*****

"Good morning, Sir," I greet Samrat as he passes by me, about to enter Vikrant's cabin.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Nandini? You can call me Samrat inside the office, too. No need to be so formal with me." He winks at me, and I shake my head at him.

I have made two good friends in this office in the last three weeks. One is Riya, and the other is Samrat.

Both of them helped me understand how everything worked in the office.

For the first week, it was Riya, but when she got sick and had to take a few days off, Samrat helped me when he saw me scrambling to finish the work alone without Riya.

We also meet outside office hours. Sometimes, we go for coffee, and sometimes, Samrat takes me and Riya out for lunch.

I call him by his name outside the office, but I'm uncomfortable doing so inside. After all, he is my boss here.

"You know why—" I begin to reply, but he interrupts me.

"I know the reason, Nandini. But you don't need to feel uncomfortable. Even Riya calls me by my name," he says.

Just then, Vikrant exits his office. "What are you doing here?" he asks Samrat, and I frown at his harsh tone.

What's his problem?

"In case you have forgotten, this is my company too, Vikrant, and I come here daily," Samrat replies.

"Exactly my point. This is our company. You ought to be in your office, working there, not in front of my assistant's desk, wasting her and your time," Vikrant says to Samrat.

It's not his problem. It's his nature. Always rude and uptight. I realize, inwardly sighing.

"I'm not wasting my time. In fact, I was about to come to your office. I need to talk about some arrangements for our upcoming party. Only three weeks are left now, and we need to finalize some important details," Samrat tells Vikrant and turns to me.