Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh

Chapter 77: Trip

The office was alive with the sounds of productivity, the hum of printers, the clicking of keyboards, and the murmur of voices blending into a symphony of work. Manvi was deeply engrossed in her tasks, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she typed. The efficiency with which she worked was second nature to her, the result of years of experience.

Beside her, Arjun was having a more challenging time. His brows furrowed as he stared at the screen, clearly struggling with something in the document before him. After a few moments of internal debate, he leaned over and handed Manvi a file.

 "Manvi please help yaar! yeh nahi kiya toh sir job se nikal denge" he pleaded, his voice laced with desperation.

Manvi glanced at him, her lips curving into a reassuring smile. She took the file and quickly scanned through its contents. Her trained eyes immediately spotted the errors and inconsistencies that Arjun had missed. With a few precise strokes of her highlighter, she marked the key points that needed attention and handed the file back to him.

Arjun's face lit up with relief and gratitude."thanks yaar.. aaj lunch treat meri taraf se" he said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Manvi laughed lightly, "thik hai waise bhi aaj main lunch leke nahi aayi thi" 

"kyun?" Arjun asked, his curiosity piqued.

"are aaj late ho gaya tha.. subah had to rush" she explained, her tone casual and unbothered by the morning's chaos.

However, the seemingly innocent exchange did not go unnoticed. Aarav, from his glass-walled chamber, had a clear view of the office floor. His eyes narrowed as he observed the easy rapport between Manvi and Arjun. The sight of their interaction—a smile here, a laugh there—triggered something sharp and unwelcome in him. He watched them intently as they gathered their things and headed toward the office café together, an unfamiliar irritation gnawing at him, intensifying with each passing second.

Just then, Gautam, Aarav's ever-efficient assistant, entered the cabin with his usual professional demeanor. "Sir, the meeting with Mr. Kapoor has been fixed," he informed, his voice steady and clear.

Aarav, however, was in no mood for work talk. His eyes shifted from the retreating figures of Manvi and Arjun to Gautam, and he snapped, "Toh kya karun main?"

Gautam was taken aback by the uncharacteristic harshness in Aarav's tone. "Sir, aapne hi kaha na turant karne ko," he replied, trying to understand the sudden shift in Aarav's mood.

Aarav, now visibly irritated, responded, "Insaan sirf meeting karta rahega kya? Lunch karlun?"

Gautam nodded, understanding that something else was bothering his boss. Without another word, Aarav pushed past him and exited the cabin, his stride purposeful as he made his way to the café.

As Aarav entered the café, his gaze immediately fell on Manvi and Arjun, who were seated at a table near the large windows. The afternoon sunlight streamed in, casting a warm glow over them as they chatted animatedly. Arjun said something that made Manvi laugh, the sound of her laughter carrying across the café and piercing through the barrier Aarav had tried to build around himself.

The sight of them together, so comfortable and carefree, only fueled the irritation simmering within him. He stood there for a moment, his fists clenching at his sides as he wrestled with the unfamiliar emotion that threatened to spill over.

Manvi's laughter rang out across the café as she leaned back in her chair, amused by Arjun's story. "Stop it Arjun! yeh joke  bahut hi funny tha" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with genuine amusement.

Arjun grinned, shaking his head. "are yeh joke nahi incident tha mere saath" he said, his tone light but insistent.

Manvi, still smiling, glanced around the café and caught sight of Aarav standing at the entrance. Their eyes met, and she noticed the stormy expression on his face. The intensity of his gaze was unmistakable a deadly glare that spoke volumes. But rather than feeling intimidated, Manvi felt a flicker of mischief. She decided to tease him a little, knowing full well what she was doing.