Always & Forever (Billionaire Love- Virat Kohli)

|06| Not Grey But Transparent.

Anushka was in a state of slumber when she heard her phone ringing. Giya had gone out with Hridaan to do the grocery shopping. Originally, Anushka was supposed to accompany Giya, but their plans had changed when Virat arranged her appointment with the publishing house.

It was 3 p.m., giving Anushka an hour to get ready. An hour was more than enough for her, as she wasn't someone who took long to prepare.

With her eyes still half-closed, she fumbled around to pick up her phone. Seeing Virat's name on the display, she swiped right to answer the call.

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," Virat greeted her, clearly eager to hear her voice.

Anushka blushed at the nickname. She quickly got up and glanced at herself in the mirror. Indeed, she was blushing, which was unusual for her. The last time she checked, she wasn’t someone easily affected by a guy.

"MISS SWATI SHARMA, don’t tell me you were sleeping again," Virat said loudly.

Anushka had to pull the phone away from her ear to save herself from the sudden loud noise.

"No, Mr. Magician. And one more thing—my ears are sensitive. They’re not used to such loud noises. Please be careful," Anushka replied, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Oops! Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so loud," Virat apologized.

Anushka’s heart melted at his apology.

"Swatieeee, are you even listening?" Virat’s voice brought her back to the present.

Anushka hesitated, feeling a sudden urge to reveal her true identity—she was Anushka, not Swati. But she knew it wasn’t the right time. She barely knew Virat. All she knew was that he was Virat Kohli, an editor at a publishing house, and he was helping her get a job there. But there was more to her feelings—something about the way he held her hand or the way his voice affected her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Virat’s voice again. Anushka mentally scolded herself for zoning out.

"I—I’m here, Vir-Virat," she stammered.

Virat noticed her stuttering and realized she was lying. However, he chose to ignore it to avoid making her uncomfortable.

"Okay, I believe you. Go and get ready. We don’t have much time now," Virat instructed.

Anushka quickly ended the call, got ready, and was prepared in no time.

Virat arrived at her apartment within ten minutes. He waited downstairs while Anushka locked up her place. Giya had a spare set of keys, so there was no concern about locking up.

"See, I got ready on time," Anushka winked as she came down.

"But I had to wait for five minutes," Virat smirked.

"That’s because I was locking up the doors. Duh!" Anushka retorted.

"Okay, chill! I was kidding," Virat said, lifting his hands in defense to placate her. He didn’t want Anushka to stay angry.

Anushka smiled, relieved. "I know."

Virat got out of the car and opened the door for her.

"You know I can open the door myself," Anushka said.

"Well, I like doing that for beautiful girls like you," Virat joked.

Anushka shook her head, realizing there was no point in trying to change his mind. "You win, Mr. Gentleman."

"Not just a Magician?" Virat teased.

"Both, actually." Anushka stuck out her tongue at him playfully.

Virat laughed heartily at her childish behavior.

"If you’re done laughing, can we go now?" Anushka asked, feigning annoyance.

"As you say, madam," Virat replied, bowing slightly as he went to his side of the car.

Once inside, Virat fastened his seatbelt and started the engine with a roar. Anushka gave him a nervous smile.

"Nervous?" Virat inquired.

"Yes," Anushka admitted, her voice tinged with apprehension.

"About the job?" Virat asked again.

Anushka bit her lower lip, nodding.

Virat closed his eyes for a moment. He was struggling with his feelings; her nervous gesture made him want to kiss her senseless, but he knew that would be inappropriate since they barely knew each other and were not in love.

As Virat felt a poke on his left arm, he opened his eyes to find Anushka staring at him suspiciously. Her forehead was creased, and her eyes narrowed.

Virat cleared his throat nervously, wondering if she had heard his thoughts. But how could she?

"What were you thinking?" Anushka asked softly.

"Nothing important," Virat replied dismissively.

Anushka shrugged and looked away, not wanting to come off as pushy.

Virat drove off, and soon they were on their way to the publishing house. The silence in the car was uncomfortable for Anushka, so she tried to start a conversation.

"Virat?" Anushka called out.

Virat looked at her with a smile.

"Swati," he said.

Anushka cringed inwardly at her new name, which she didn’t like. She had lied about her identity initially but now felt stuck with it.

"Do you think your boss will give me the job?" she asked.

Virat chuckled softly. The poor girl didn’t know that he was the boss. Why wouldn’t he give her the job if he could?

Virat quickly stopped his thoughts, reminding himself not to think about anything beyond what was necessary.

"He will. You have a genuine interest in the job. Not many people enjoy editing. Even I—"

Virat abruptly stopped himself before he could reveal too much. He had narrowly avoided exposing his true feelings.

Anushka’s inquisitive gaze was fixed on him, puzzled.

"Don’t you like your job as an editor?" Anushka asked.

"Not exactly," Virat replied.

"Not exactly? What do you mean?"

"I do like it, but it can get hectic and tiring at times," Virat explained with a sigh. He was constantly juggling lies to cover one truth.

"Oh, don’t worry. If I get the job, I’ll help you with your problems," Anushka offered, unaware of his evasions.

"Do you think I’m like Mr. Grey?" Virat asked suddenly.

"Mr. Grey?" Anushka asked, confused.

"Christian Grey. The character from the Fifty Shades Trilogy. Do you think I’m mysterious like him?" Virat clarified.

Anushka shook her head. "You’re not Grey but Transparent."

Virat smiled at her response, and Anushka returned the smile. Their smiles were genuine and spoke volumes about their growing fondness for each other.

As they approached the publishing house, Anushka could feel her nervousness melting away in the presence of Virat’s reassuring demeanor. The day’s events were unfolding in a way she hadn’t anticipated, and she was curious to see where this new connection with Virat would lead.