Hearts Crossed

9

The house help had given her their clothes to wear, which, just her luck, happened to be a sari. She was putting it back up her shoulder for the millionth time when she walked back into Mr. Bajaj's room. He was sitting up against his headboard, reading through some files.

"Itni jaldi thik ho gaye aap?" Prerna commented as she approached him.

Rishabh looked up from the papers and stared for a minute before he shook his head. "Huh?"

"You're working," Prerna nodded to the documents in his lap.

Rishabh picked them up. "Mere thik hone se mere work ka koi relation nahi hai."

"Aap ko goli lagi hai," she sat beside him again. She fisted her skirt, remembering she was the reason why.

"Bullet koi aise jagah toh nahi lagi jis se mera kaam krna difficult ho jae," he raised his coffee mug at her and took a sip.

"Aap ne breakfast kiya hai?" Prerna asked.

"Time nahi hai, I have to look through and approve these files," Rishabh sighed as he put back his mug.

Prerna patted her legs. "Boss honge aap office mein. Jabh tak main kitchen mein hoon, tabh tak aap kaam karlein. Main koi naa nahi sunne vaali."

She got up and turned too quickly. Her sari didn't turn with her and she was falling forward with her next step. Rishabh quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her back at the expense of his stitches.

"Aap har waqt girti rehti hain?" Rishabh asked her once she was back on her feet.

Prerna fixed her pallu and laughed. "Nahi, doh din se heavy clothes pehne hain, jo main regularly nahi pehenti. Uski wajah se."

"Aap breakfast kar ke shopping jaein. Jo bhi chahiye aapko woh le deinge. You'll never go back to that house again."

Prerna stood staring at him, then cleared her throat. "Main breakfast laati hoon."

Nisha was out shopping with her friends on one of her days off.

"Yeh kaisi shirt hai, Nish?" Her friend asked.

"Thik hai, lekin thordi yahan se yeh dekho," she held the shirt out so the friend could see.

"Hmm, chalo I think they have more inside," her friend took her inside the shop. They spent fifteen minutes in the shop buying clothes.

"Nice clothes, hmm?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to go home and..." Nisha shrieked and jumped, placing her hand next to her head in a salute.

"Tu thik hai na? Aise kyun khadi hui hai?"

A man laughed. The friend turned to see a good looking man coming their way.

"I think mere liye hai. Waise, aap meri junior nahi hain, but salute karte hue cute lagti hain," Ritwik teased her.

"Who is this handsome?!" Her friend leaned in to whisper.

Nisha propped up to tease right back. "Yeh Rick hain. Right, Rick?"

"Rick" laughed, holding his hands behind his back. "So, off day for you ladies?"

"Hmm. Aap ke liye toh har din busy hota hoga. Crime never sleeps, you know?"

"True," Ritwik nodded. "Lekin ittefaq se aaj meri bhi chutti hai."

"Chutti ya... boss ne nikaal diya?"

"Boss ne chutti de di. Anyway, main free hoon, you guys are free also, why not do something together?"