Not Around The Corner

Finally

“It's like I'm thirteen again and he's my crush. All I'm aware of in this entire roomful of people is him. Where he is, what he's doing, who he's talking to.” ~ Sophie Kinsella

Anushka made me get back to work. This was so embarrassing. I got into the office. The second part of the meeting was already underway. I was anxious to get in the meeting so late. It would look so unprofessional.

As I was about to knock I heard somebody clear their throat behind me. I turned around to see Akash smiling his gorgeous smile at me. I smiled back.

“They have asked everybody to sit out for an hour. They will call you in when needed,” he informed.

“Thank God for your perfect timing,” I replied with a sigh. “Gaurav would have been livid if I would have knocked!”

He kept looking at me. I was getting a bit nervous. I had butterflies in my stomach. He bought out the anxious me, always.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing. It’s just nice to see you again after such a long time,” he said.

“You too,” I said sincerely. “Let’s sit in Gaurav’s office,” I offered. He nodded and asked me to lead the way.

As we sat down on the plush sofa in Gaurav’s office, I was speechless. I didn’t know how to approach a topic with him. I hardly knew him. We sat there silently for a while before he cleared his throat.

“So you have a Masters from London Univ, right?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” I replied. “What about you?” I counter asked.

“Mechanical Engineer first and then I got my MBA from here only,” he said.

“Then why were you in London that fateful day?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He grinned. “Work,” he replied still smiling.

“I am still very sorry about what happened,” I said.

“Come on, you didn’t know I would show up there too,” he said teasing me.

I smiled. Talking with him was so easy. “I wish I knew,” I said.

“Why?” he asked curiously.

I could feel my cheeks go red. “So that I wouldn’t have done what I did,” I said as normally as I could. I had it seriously for this guy. He was my rain dude.

“Oh,” he said with disappointment.

“How was your meeting that day?” I asked cautiously.

“I was late,” he said and looked at my face to see all the guilt I had been feeling since that day,” got a new coat on the way though so,” he tried to make me feel better.

“I owe you,” I said.

Just then Gaurav entered the room. “What do you owe him?” he asked inquisitively.

“Nothing,” Akash and I both said at the same time. Gaurav gave us a puzzled look. But since he was already busy he didn’t have time to pay attention to us.

“We are stopping for today,” Gaurav said. “Rhea, get all the papers signed from these gentlemen here, and then you can leave,” he said. “I have to leave right now,” he said.

“I’ll take care of those documents,” I said. Taking those documents from Gaurav, I got to work. Gaurav left immediately. I asked Akash to sign the documents. After signing every document he was giving me a smile.

I whispered softly, “You have to stop doing that.”

“Stop what?” he asked innocently.

“Smiling,” I said giving him an incredulous look.

“Can’t. It’s an involuntary reaction when I see you,” he said softly.

I blushed a darker shade. I stopped looking at him. After the papers were done, his boss left. I thought that he left too. I was packing up. I left my desk to see Akash waiting outside in the lobby for me.

“You waited?” I asked.

 “Had to ask you a couple of questions,” he said.

“You should ask whatever doubts you have related to the documents to Gaurav tomorrow. He will be able to clarify them for you,” I said with all seriousness. He gave me a bemused look.

“I have to ask ‘you’ a couple of questions,” he said stressing on the ‘you’ this time.

Feeling foolish, I said,” Go ahead.”

“Can I have your number for starters?” he asked casually.

I nodded and gave him my number. I had a feeling that I knew where this conversation was heading. He was continuously smiling at me and my heart was doing flip flops looking at that smile.

“Secondly, if hypothetically I ask you out, does it affect our work relationship?” he asked. I stumbled a bit and he caught me by my hand. I was taken aback. He was having all the worst kinds of effects on me at the moment. Who asks something like that? He totally surprised me. Don’t act as if you didn’t want him too, my heart scolded me.

Trying to find the correct words to answer his questions, I said,” I guess it shouldn’t be a problem but I think you should run it by your boss,” I replied. And I will ask Gaurav, I said silently to myself.

He grinned. We had come to the parking now. He dropped me till the car and said,” I will get back to you soon.”

I smiled now. I didn’t know what to say. I got into the car and took a few deep breaths. Anushka did help. Now it was time to come clean with Gaurav. As I reversed my car, I caught a last sight of Akash driving by, with a radiant face. He made my day too.