Aurous Charms

24| Not Forever

Published on 27th October 2024
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Hello beautiful people!
Another chapter is here.

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Have a happy read!

♡ Iss dil ki aadat yahi hai
Girr kar sambhalta nahi hai
Zaalim samajhta nahi hai
Ye koi zubaan ♡

– A K R I T I –

It was 10 pm... late— again.

The night had become our silent companion as we worked into the early hours, the hum of the office quieting down as the rest of the world faded into sleep.

But for us, sleep was a distant thought. The final pitch for Oberoi's hotel project was just hours away, and the pressure was suffocating.

I sat hunched over my laptop, going over the final visuals of the lobby design for what felt like the hundredth time. My fingers trembled slightly, whether from exhaustion or nerves, I couldn't tell.

Across the room, Shlok paced back and forth, his mind visibly racing with last-minute details. It was unlike him to be this anxious; he was usually the picture of calm under pressure.

But tonight, everything was different.

"We've gone over this so many times." I murmured, half to myself, though the thought was loud enough for Shlok to catch.

He paused mid-stride, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I know, but it still doesn't feel perfect."

"Nothing ever feels perfect right before a pitch," I said, giving him a half-smile. "You're just psyching yourself out."

He glanced over at me, his dark eyes softening. "You're right, but this one... it's huge. Oberoi's project is everything right now. If we screw this up—"

"We won't." I cut him off, standing up and stretching my sore muscles. "We've worked too hard for it to fall apart now."

I could see the tension in his posture, the way his shoulders were stiff with the weight of tomorrow's meeting. It was contagious. Despite my attempts at optimism, the thought of the pitch not going well made my stomach churn. I needed to shake it off, or I'd fall into the same trap of overthinking.

I walked over to the coffee machine in the corner and poured two cups. Shlok was still standing near the window, gazing out into the night, lost in his thoughts. I handed him a mug without saying a word, and for a moment, we stood in silence, sipping the bitter liquid.

"I don't think I've ever been this nervous before a presentation." He admitted after a beat, his voice low.

"You? Nervous?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, it happens. Rarely, but it happens."

I leaned against the table, watching him as he took another sip of coffee. Shlok wasn't the type to let his guard down, but over the past few weeks, we had spent so much time together that I had started to see cracks in his usually impenetrable armor.

Tonight, he seemed almost vulnerable, and it was unnerving.

"You know," I began, choosing my words carefully, "Whatever happens tomorrow, we've done our best. This project— it's good. More than good, actually. It's something to be proud of."