A Bargain Made with Frosting

Flour, Fury, and a Fumbled First Meeting

The weight of the day pressed down on Shivay even after he'd escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the family breakfast. He'd thrown himself into work, the familiar rhythm of deal negotiations and board meetings a temporary balm to the disquiet gnawing at him. Lunch was a forgotten casualty, sacrificed on the altar of productivity.

By late evening, the city lights blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors as Shivay's car sped back from a client meeting. His stomach, long ignored, finally decided to stage a full-blown protest, a series of insistent growls echoing in the plush confines of the car. He instructed his driver to find the nearest decent restaurant, a request that proved surprisingly difficult. Most establishments had rolled down their shutters for the night, and those that remained open were inconveniently far.

Hunger gnawing at him with increasing urgency, Shivay finally relented. "Pull over at any store, even a convenience store," he sighed, his voice hoarse from disuse.

The car glided to a stop moments later, the harsh glare of the store's fluorescent lights momentarily blinding Shivay as he stepped out. Inside, Annika was diligently restocking shelves, her shift nearing its end. Her employer, convinced there wouldn't be any late-night customers, had tasked her with sorting through the near-expiry and expired products. A towering stack of rejected items, precariously balanced in her arms, obscured her vision.

Tilting her head slightly to see where she was going, Annika entered the narrow aisle leading to the back storage room. Unfortunately, the path ahead was obscured by a tall figure, deeply engrossed in the bewildering array of packaged snacks on the shelf. Lost in her own world, Annika never saw him coming. With a sickening thud, the stack of items collided with the unsuspecting figure, showering him with a chaotic avalanche

Shivay, lost in a battle between instant noodles and baked beans, was completely oblivious to the approaching avalanche. One moment he was contemplating carb intake, the next, he felt a sickening thud, followed by a cascade of products raining down on him. He stood there, blinking in disbelief, a motley assortment of chips, cookies, and even a rogue can of baked beans clinging to his expensive suit.

Shivay roared, a sound that startled even himself. The indignity of being showered with grocery items by a clumsy store employee sent a surge of fury through him. "What the hell were you doing?" he bellowed, his voice echoing in the small store.

Annika, on her knees amidst the scattered products, looked up at him with wide, apologetic eyes. She surveyed the scene - the fallen tower, the bewildered businessman plastered with snacks - and a giggle escaped her lips.

Shivay's scowl deepened. Giggling? Was she seriously laughing at his predicament?

"Look, I apologize," Annika straightening to her full height, finally started, wiping a tear of amusement from her eye. "But seriously, were you contemplating a midnight feast of instant noodles and baked beans? Your taste buds must be on strike."

Shivay, accustomed to immediate obedience and unquestioning respect, was taken aback by her defiance. Shivay stared at her, momentarily speechless. This woman, covered in dust and surrounded by fallen goods, had the audacity to critique his food choices? "I was browsing the shelves," he stated curtly, his voice laced with irritation.

"Browsing?" Annika raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in her eyes. "You looked about as decisive as a toddler in a candy store. Trust me, I wouldn't have plowed into you if you hadn't been standing there frozen like a statue."

Shivay's jaw clenched. He'd never been described as indecisive, let alone compared to a toddler. The audacity of this woman!

"Look, lady," he began icily, "I don't have time for this. Get me another suit and clean up this mess."

Annika stared at him, her gaze unwavering. "Another suit?" she echoed. "This kind of service doesn't come with a convenience store purchase, mister. Besides, these clothes don't look that bad. A little flour adds character, wouldn't you say?"

Shivay sputtered, his carefully constructed facade of control beginning to crack. "This is outrageous! Do you know who I am?"

Annika shrugged, a nonchalant movement that further irritated him. "Honestly? Not a clue. But considering the state of your wardrobe, I'm guessing you're not royalty. Maybe a failed magician with a disappearing act gone wrong?

That did it. Shivay, a man who held absolute power in his professional life, found himself utterly disarmed by this fiery baker with a sharp tongue and a complete lack of reverence for his position.

He opened his mouth to retort, a scathing put-down ready to roll off his tongue, but the words wouldn't come. He was speechless, a first in recent memory.

Annika, witnessing his stunned silence, offered a wry smile. "Here, let me get you something to eat for your troubles."

Before he could protest, she was rummaging through the shelves, reappearing moments later with a protein bar.

"It's not gourmet," she admitted, "but it should hold you over until you get home."

Shivay stared at the bar in her hand, then back at her. This woman, this whirlwind of chaos and confidence, had completely disarmed him. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had dared to talk to him like that, let alone after causing him such a mess.

He sighed, a sound surprisingly devoid of irritation. "Fine," accepting the bar.

Annika's smile was genuine this time, warm and inviting. "No problem," she said.

And with that final parting shot, a mischievous glint in her eyes, she turned and disappeared into the back of the store. Shivay stood there, a bewildered witness to his own sudden vulnerability. He, the ever-controlling Shivay Singh Oberoi, had just been outsmarted and silenced by a woman covered in flour.

This unexpected encounter, this chaotic collision in the middle of a convenience store, had left him shaken, his carefully constructed world feeling a little less secure. And for the first time in a long time, a strange sensation bubbled in his chest - a feeling that was a far cry from anger or annoyance. It was a feeling he couldn't quite name, but it was undeniably... interesting.

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