When We Met

Chori Chori, Chupke Chupke

As Ruhaan sat at his desk, the documents before him blurred into meaningless lines and numbers. No matter how hard he tried, his focus kept slipping, giving way to thoughts of her. His mind wandered back to their date, replaying each moment like a scene from a film. He found himself reaching for his phone, already knowing what he needed to see.

Miraya's photos lit up his screen, and his heart beat a little faster. There she was, captured in candid moments—smiling, looking away, her hair dancing in the breeze, a warmth in her eyes that felt like it was meant just for him. He let out a soft sigh, his thumb hovering over her image as if a touch could bring her closer.

His quiet reverie was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open. His brothers strolled into his office, grinning like they'd uncovered some grand secret. Their expressions were lit with the kind of mischievous glee that only meant one thing—trouble.

"Oh, look at bhai", Luv said, feigning surprise as he noticed the dreamy expression on his face.

"Can you believe this? Our workaholic brother, sitting here daydreaming!", Kush added with a dramatic expression, his opening wide open.

Ruhaan scrambled to lock his phone, but it was too late. They'd already seen the photos on his screen, and their laughter filled the room. "Is this the reason you've been hiding out in the office all day?", Dev teased, nudging him. "Couldn't stop thinking about Bhabhi, could you?"

"Is this the guy who once told us he's too focused for love? Look at him now, gazing at her pictures like a lovesick puppy!", they circled him like sharks sensing blood in the water, their faces filled with mischief.

"Shut up", Ruhaan muttered, though the slight blush on his cheeks exposed him. They didn't let up, though—if anything, his embarrassment only fueled their amusement.

"We can't blame bhai though!", Luv said, leaning over his desk to give him a playful pat on the shoulder. "She's definitely worth losing focus over."

"Ah, look at him", Kush joined in with a mock sigh. He tapped on Ruhaan's cheek as he announced loud enough for the whole office to hear, "He's blushing so hard. Your cheeks are red, bhai!"

"Fine, fine", Ruhaan said, laughing and raising his hands in surrender. "I admit it, okay? I....I just miss her. You happy now?"

The room went silent for a beat, his brothers looking at him with wide eyes before breaking out into a chorus of dramatic "Awwws!" They piled on with over-the-top swooning gestures, clutching their hearts, and pretending to dab fake tears away.

"Stop it, already!", Ruhaan laughed, shaking his head, though his heart warmed at their teasing. "It's not that dramatic. I just—"

"Oh, it's that dramatic", Kush interrupted with a smirk. "Bhai you're looking a lover guy in a Bollywood movie. Next thing you know, he'll be staring out the window, singing sad songs."

Amidst the laughter and relentless teasing, Ruhaan decided to pull out his phone, shooting his brothers a smirk as he typed out a quick message to her - "Miss you so much that my brothers just caught me daydreaming about you in my office. Now they're all over me, going full Bollywood with 'Awwws' and fake tears."

He hit send, and almost instantly, she replied - "Caught in the act, huh? I can just imagine their faces! And yours!"

He chuckled, glancing up at his brothers, who were now watching him with smug expressions, clearly guessing he was messaging her. "What's she saying?", Luv asked, leaning in closer.

Ruhaan rolled his eyes but decided to read the next message aloud:" Don't worry, I'm sending you virtual hugs. And you do make a pretty cute lovesick puppy"