Tides of Destiny

Two

Navya's P.O.V

After the meeting, as I returned to my desk, a mischievous glint danced in the eyes of my friends. They had gathered around, like vultures circling their prey, ready to pounce.

"So, Navya, fashionably late as always," teased Aarav, his smirk evident even from across the room.

"Got stuck in traffic jam again, Navya?" chimed in Priya, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that my excuses were as transparent as glass to them. "You know how it is," I replied with a sheepish grin, hoping to deflect their teasing.

But they weren't about to let me off that easily. Anushka, always the instigator, leaned in with a knowing look. "Overslept, didn't you? Caught up binge-watching your latest obsession?"

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I attempted to feign innocence. "Who, me? Never!"

Making the others chuckle at my white lie when Joy, our office gossiper, sauntered over with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Oh, you won't believe the latest gossip I found," she exclaimed, her voice dripping with intrigue.

We all leaned in, eager for the juicy details that Joy always seemed to have at her fingertips. "Spill it, Joy," Aarav urged, his curiosity piqued.

Joy lowered her voice conspiratorially, as if sharing classified information. "You know those researchers Dr. Singh mentioned? The ones joining us for the Dwarka project?" she began, a sly smile playing at her lips.

We nodded eagerly, hanging onto her every word. Joy was the office oracle when it came to gossip, and we knew that whatever she had to say would be worth listening to.

"Well," she continued, drawing out the suspense, "word on the grapevine is that one of them is none other than Professor Arjun Khanna."

Gasps of surprise rippled through our group as Joy dropped the bombshell. Arjun Khanna was a legend in the field of archaeology, renowned for his groundbreaking research and controversial theories. His presence on the Dwarka project would undoubtedly elevate its profile to unprecedented heights.

"Professor Arjun Khanna? Here?" Priya exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Joy nodded triumphantly, relishing the impact of her revelation. "That's not all," she added, her voice lowering to a dramatic whisper. "I heard he's been working on a top-secret project involving ancient artifacts. Rumor has it he's on the verge of a major discovery."

I leaned in closer, my curiosity piqued by Joy's tantalizing revelation. "How do you always manage to find out things like this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, mirroring her dramatic tone.

Joy grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh, you know me," she replied with a wink. "I have my sources."

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Your sources, huh? Care to share your secrets?" I teased, knowing full well that Joy had a knack for uncovering the juiciest gossip, no matter how well-hidden.

Joy laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "A magician never reveals her secrets," she declared with a dramatic flourish.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her theatrics when Vanshika, known for her unabashed admiration of attractive men, couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh my god, Professor Khanna? He's like, ridiculously hot," she gushed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

I couldn't help but chuckle at Vanshika's enthusiastic response. It was no secret that she had a weakness for handsome men, and Professor Khanna seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

"He's definitely easy on the eyes," Priya agreed with a knowing smile, her tone teasing.

"But have you heard? He's apparently single," Vanshika continued, her voice tinged with excitement.

I raised an eyebrow in amusement, not entirely surprised by Vanshika's fascination with Professor Khanna's relationship status. "Well, that's certainly interesting," I remarked dryly, unable to resist a small smirk.

Vanshika nodded emphatically, her mind clearly already drifting off into daydreams of whirlwind romances with the dashing archaeologist. "Can you imagine? Working closely with him on the Dwarka project, uncovering ancient artifacts by day and sharing meaningful glances by night," she mused dreamily, a faraway look in her eyes.

I couldn't help but laugh at Vanshika's romantic musings, her imagination running wild with the possibilities. "Let's try to keep our focus on the task at hand, shall we?" I teased gently, though I couldn't deny the allure of Vanshika's fantasies.

Just as we started talking about our upcoming project, our senior, Sushant Rathore, strolled over with a grin on his face. Sushant was known for his laid-back demeanor and easygoing nature, a welcome contrast to the intensity of our work environment. "Having a gossip session, are we?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

We chuckled at his remark, grateful for the brief respite from our work. Sushant was the kind of senior who made even the most mundane tasks seem enjoyable, his infectious energy lifting our spirits whenever he was around.

But as much as we enjoyed his company, we knew better than to take his easygoing nature for granted. When it came to work, Sushant was fiercely dedicated and incredibly meticulous, demanding nothing but the best from himself and those around him.

As Sushant joined our conversation, I couldn't help but steal glances at him when he wasn't looking. With his easy smile and casual charm, it was easy to see why he was so well-liked among our team. And though I tried to play it cool, I couldn't deny the flutter of excitement that stirred in my chest whenever he was near.

But my attempts to keep my feelings under wraps didn't go unnoticed by my friends, who exchanged knowing looks and teasing smiles. Priya nudged me playfully, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, while Vanshika barely contained her giggles behind her hand.

I flushed with embarrassment, knowing all too well what they were thinking. My crush on Sushant was hardly a secret, despite my best efforts to keep it hidden. And with my friends around, there was no chance of escaping their playful teasing.

Just then, Sushant's expression shifted, his easy smile giving way to a more serious demeanor. "As much as I hate to break up the party, we do have work to do," he said, his tone gentle but firm.

Reluctantly, we bid farewell to our gossip session and returned to our respective tasks, the playful banter giving way to focused concentration. Sushant may have been laid-back outside of work, but when it came to our responsibilities, he was all business.

As I settled back into my work, I couldn't help but steal one last glance at Sushant, my heart fluttering at the sight of him. Despite the teasing looks from my friends, I couldn't deny the thrill of being near him, even if it was just for a fleeting moment and then immersed myself in my work.