Junoon E tishnagi

Chapter 12: *Lingering Tensions*

It had been a few weeks since the moment between *Ansh* and *Aarohi* in his cabin, but neither of them had forgotten. Though they hadn't spoken much since then, there was a subtle tension that seemed to hang in the air whenever they were near each other. Aarohi avoided crossing paths with Ansh, but every once in a while, their eyes would meet across the office—both of them lingering a bit too long before looking away.

The unspoken feelings made everything more complicated. Aarohi wasn't sure how to deal with it. One part of her was still annoyed at how Ansh always got under her skin, but another part—one she wasn't willing to admit—was intrigued by him. His presence made her pulse quicken, and it was driving her crazy.

On the other hand, *Ansh* was equally frustrated. He couldn't stop thinking about Aarohi and that moment they had shared. But every time he saw her smiling at someone else, especially that *male colleague* of hers, it stirred something in him—something close to jealousy. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but it gnawed at him every time he saw her laugh with someone who wasn't him.

It was one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong for Ansh. He was trying to focus on work, but his eyes kept wandering to Aarohi's desk. She was sitting with *Rahul*, a colleague from the fashion department, and they seemed to be deep in conversation, laughing together. Rahul leaned in close, showing Aarohi something on his tablet, and her laughter echoed softly across the room.

Ansh's jaw tightened as he watched them, his fingers tapping impatiently against his desk.

**Ansh (thinking, frustrated):**
"Kya kar raha hai yeh? Aur yeh Aarohi itni kyun hans rahi hai? Sabko smile de sakti hai, aur mere saamne toh bas attitude hi dikhati hai—jaise main uska boss nahi, balki woh meri boss ho."

Unable to control his irritation, Ansh stood up and walked straight toward where Aarohi and Rahul were sitting.

**Ansh (coldly, with a sarcastic edge):**
"Aap log office mein yeh sab karne aate ho kya? I hope so humari company apko iss cheez ke paise nahin de rahi hai."

Both Aarohi and Rahul looked up, startled by Ansh's sudden intrusion. Aarohi rolled her eyes discreetly and murmured under her breath.

**Aarohi (muttering):**
"Haan, is khadus ko pehle pata chal jaata hai, aur isko toh khushi bilkul pasand nahi."

Ansh caught her words instantly and, raising an eyebrow, asked with mock politeness.

**Ansh (firmly):**
"Kuch kaha aapne, Miss Aarohi?"

Aarohi's cheeks flushed slightly as she stammered in response, trying to avoid his piercing gaze.

**Aarohi (quickly):**
"N-no sir. Kuch nahi."

Ansh's lips curled into a smirk. He enjoyed seeing her squirm under his scrutiny.

**Ansh (coldly):**
"Move then."

Rahul, sensing the tension, quickly gathered his things and left, leaving Aarohi alone to face Ansh's icy demeanor. As Ansh turned to walk back to his cabin, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

**Ansh (thinking smugly):**
"Miss Aarohi ki shakal dekhne layak hoti hai jab main usse tang karta hoon."

The office was abuzz with activity as everyone prepared for a major event that was happening in two days. Aarohi, as the lead fashion designer for the project, had poured her heart into the designs, and the results were nothing short of extraordinary. Even *Pranali Singhania* herself had personally appreciated Aarohi's work, which was a huge achievement in Aarohi's career.

But as the event drew nearer, it became clear that there was a lot of coordination needed between the different teams. Ansh was handling the management side and coordinating with the models, while Aarohi managed the fashion side. Since the shoot was scheduled to take place out of the city, there were multiple logistics to figure out, and both Aarohi and Ansh had to work together closely—whether they liked it or not.