Dually Devoted ✓

Chapter 12

Arpita was getting calls after calls from Addy. She knew he wanted to convince her to ask for a half day today. She rolled her eyes. "He just doesn't understand," she mumbled to herself, ignoring the rings.

It was her birthday today.
Addison and Violet had taken her to a movie yesterday, right after work, and they had celebrated her birthday with cake, gifts, games, hugs and laughter, till midnight.

Before they left for work today, Violet had asked her to request her boss for a half-day leave. She had firmly refused and somehow convinced Vi, even though she had insisted he wouldn't refuse her for she had been working for him for almost a year now and had never even taken a sick leave. Arpita knew that even if she had, her boss wouldn't have refused her a leave. Instead, she wondered how surprised he'd have been.

Over the months, they had gotten closer. So much that she had even begun to have her lunch with him often. Lee and Mehul had wondered if she was being overworked. She had assured them it wasn't so. She simply didn't like the idea of Siddharth having his lunch, alone, in his office. She enjoyed their conversations and felt at ease beside him. She had come to believe that working with him was a blessing. Now, she was going to stay rooted to this job for years to come. She could see that happening quite clearly, surely.

Her phone chimed with a new message from Aad, and she shook her head. When she tried to convince him that they had already celebrated her birthday enough, 'I'm going to haunt you, Harps. You better make time for us!' he had said, just because he was going to get busy for the next few weeks.

Forget a half-day, she didn't even want to go home today. All night, after the party, she hadn't got a wink of sleep. Though their way of celebrating had exhausted her to bits, her birthday was the hardest day of the year for her. She tried to hide it, but the truth was she felt like it was just yesterday that she hadn't had a birthday to begin with! And how Arnav had acted like it's nothing abnormal when she had pouted at the fact.

'What is your problem? That you don't have a birthday? Take mine. I don't care.' He had shrugged.

She grinned at the memory, her heart swelling, as if it was happening right in front of her. He had always been like that. Acting like he's just annoyed at her, but always, always caring for her, protecting her from every tear. She recalled laughing at his words, with Addison.

'Who says 'take mine. I don't care.' Addy had mimicked. 'Say, I'll share my birthday with you, Arpi, because I can't see you cry,' he had teased, making Arnav shoot him a glare.

'Shut up, Aad!'

That had been the most shocking and the cutest first gift she could have got- a birthday in itself. "Happy birthday, Arnav," she muttered into thin air, sitting down on her chair; her vision almost blurring.

"Arpi!" Arpita jumped slightly at the unexpected interference, her head perking up at the voice, to find Leela standing across her desk.

"Happy birthday to you," Lee whisper-sang, grinning.

Arpita got up and rounded the desk to hug her, "Thank you, Lee." She pulled away. "But how come you came here? Had any work?" She was surprised.

"As if I would," she pouted. "I don't think I'll ever get a chance to talk to the hot boss." Arpita chuckled, as Lee leaned closer to speak softly. "I heard the boss hadn't arrived yet, so I thought let me wish you as soon as I can."

"Thanks. He's actually gone to meet a client."

"Oh! Doesn't he take you with him for client meetings? I've seen you accompanying him before."