CHAPTER NINE : FROM PROFESSIONAL TO PERSONAL
“What the hell is this? I’m 100% sure that I entered it by myself.” His voice burst out with shock. Priya forced a sigh, tilting her head slightly as if annoyed. Her voice was calm, almost dismissive, when she said, “But I already told you that there is nothing here.”
Karan stepped back, scratching his head, utterly baffled. For once, his confidence wavered. Then, as though brushing off the problem, he turned toward Aryan. “Never mind. Leader, just call your dad, he probably has Mr. Oberoi’s contact number.”
Aryan sat in silence for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he processed Karan’s words. Finally, with a small nod, he admitted, “Yaa, I think you are right.”
Aryan took out his phone, about to call Mr. Khanna, when suddenly his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and frowned slightly. “Albert? Why is he calling me?” he muttered, his voice carrying a hint of surprise mixed with reluctance.
He answered the call. “Hello!” Aryan said, his tone polite but reserved.
“Mr. Aryan?” Albert’s deep, confident voice came through.
“Yes, it’s me. How can I help you?” Aryan replied, leaning back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as if trying to predict the reason behind this unexpected call.
“Can we meet if you’re free? I’m starting a new project, and I had to discuss something with you about it.”
Aryan paused for a brief second, thinking quickly. His voice softened with professional calmness. “Sure… let’s meet tomorrow.”
“At your place?” Albert asked directly.
“Okay,” Aryan agreed, though his jaw tightened.
“Then see you.”
Aryan exhaled, placing his phone on the table with a thoughtful look. “I was thinking about a new project, and I wanted to do it with Mr. Oberoi… But now that Albert’s call has come from the front, how can I let this opportunity pass by?” His voice carried both practicality and hesitation.
In truth, Albert was the biggest businessman after Aryan himself. Aryan knew very well that getting investment from him would be easy. Yet, he had always chosen Mr. Oberoi, who was far less accessible, simply because he disliked Albert’s arrogant behavior. But now that Albert had reached out first with a proposal, Aryan felt—just this once—he should take the chance.
“Okay,” Karan said with a shrug, before quietly leaving the cabin.
Aryan turned his gaze to Priya, his expression firm but calm. “Riya, I’m telling you about my project, and you have to make a presentation on it.”
Priya, who was busy arranging some papers, looked up at him. “And present?” she asked cautiously, her tone soft, as if testing his reaction.
Aryan gave a small smile but shook his head. “I’ll do that. You just make it.”
“Okay,” she nodded obediently. He began explaining the project to her in detail. Priya listened carefully, jotting down notes. After a while, she looked up with a spark of confidence in her eyes. “It’s so simple for me. I’ll make it easily.”
For the first time in the conversation, Aryan’s stern expression softened into approval. “Good.”
But before starting her work, Priya hesitated. She bit her lip, then spoke gently. “But there is one problem.”
Aryan raised an eyebrow. “And what is it?” he asked, his tone serious but curious.
“How can you explain my presentation?” she asked, almost playfully, her eyes testing if he would soften again.
Aryan leaned forward, his voice turning sharp. “It’s all my headache. You just remember you’re not allowed there.” His warning was clear, his tone suddenly colder.
Priya blinked at his sudden change of mood. “Why?” she asked quietly, a mix of curiosity and hurt in her tone.
Aryan fixed her with a piercing stare. “Do you want to argue with me?” he asked, his face hardening into a serious expression.
Startled, Priya immediately shook her head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then just go and do your work.” His voice was final, leaving no room for discussion.
“Okay,” she replied in a low, almost defeated voice, before sitting back at her desk.
As she bent her head toward her notes, her thoughts screamed louder than her words.
‘Is this the same person who was behaving so well with me days ago? Now he’s too rude…’ she thought, sneaking a glance at him.
Aryan, catching her gaze, looked up from his laptop. “What are you looking at?” he asked, his voice calm but suspicious.
“N-Nothing,” she stammered quickly, her cheeks flushing as she turned back to her work, pretending to be absorbed in her writing.
“It’s done,” Priya said softly, her tone carrying both relief and pride.
“Let me see it,” Aryan replied, standing from his chair and walking toward her desk. His expression was calm, but his curiosity showed in the way his steps quickened.
Just as he reached her desk, his leg twisted slightly, and he lost his balance. In an instant, he stumbled and fell onto her chair. His face was so close to hers that she could feel the faint warmth of his halted breath brushing against her lips. For a moment, time itself seemed to pause.
It wasn’t as if they had never looked at each other before, but this—this closeness—was entirely new. Priya’s heart skipped a beat. Earlier, she had been admiring his veiny hands while he cooked; today, her gaze moved to his face. His eyes were so deep, like an ocean that could drown anyone who dared to look too long.
But she wasn’t the only one. Aryan, too, found himself caught in her beauty. Her diamond-shaped face, glowing fair skin, and those hazel-brown doe eyes—so innocent, yet so magnetic. For the first time, his controlled self-faltered.
Priya blinked, breaking the trance, and Aryan immediately snapped back to reality. He quickly stood up, adjusting his shirt as if to erase the moment.
“I… I’m… s-sorry… my leg bent,” he said hurriedly, his voice unusually shaky. His tone was hyper, almost embarrassed. Priya, still blushing, gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay,” she replied gently, moving slightly aside to give him space.
Grateful for the escape, Aryan turned his attention to the laptop screen. He scrolled through her presentation with focused eyes. After a pause, he nodded. “Hmm… it’s impressive,” he said, his voice calm again but laced with genuine appreciation.
Priya lowered her gaze shyly, hiding her smile. “Thank you,” she whispered, her cheeks glowing.
Aryan looked at her again, his lips tugging into the faintest smirk. “I didn’t expect that you could make such a good presentation so quickly,” he teased, his tone light, playful.
Priya looked up with a spark of confidence in her eyes and smirked back. “Maybe you just forgot whose daughter I am,” she said, her voice holding a hint of pride.
Aryan’s brow furrowed slightly, his curiosity piqued. “Who’s?” he asked, his tone more serious now, wanting to know more.
Realizing her slip, Priya quickly tried to cover it up. “Umm… Just forget it,” she said nervously, forcing a smile. Inwardly, she scolded herself.
‘This tongue of mine will surely make me die someday,’ she thought, chewing her lip.
Aryan studied her for a moment, noticing her discomfort but choosing not to press further. “Might be you’re not ready yet to tell me about it. It’s okay,” he said calmly, offering her an easy way out.
Relieved, Priya smiled back.
After a brief silence, Aryan glanced at the clock and then at her. “It’s too late now. You should go home,” he said, his tone firm but gentle—like a command wrapped in care.
Priya nodded obediently. A little while later, she packed her things and left.
Priya lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was anything but calm. Hugging her pillow, she whispered to herself:
“Ahh… Aryan, why are you so attractive? I’m not able to forget the view I’ve been seeing these past few days… I’m just thinking, if your hands, your face are so beautiful, then… Ahhh… no, no, no… I can’t think like this… Priya, control… control yourself… he’s just your boss, nothing else…”
Her cheeks turned crimson even though no one was there to hear her thoughts. She buried her face into her pillow, groaning softly at her own restless heart.
Aryan was sitting at his work desk late at night. His laptop screen glowed in the dimly lit room, but his eyes weren’t fully on the numbers and charts in front of him. Instead, his thoughts kept drifting back to Priya.
‘She’s really so beautiful,’ he thought absentmindedly, leaning back in his chair. ‘Especially her eyes… they have something in them, that innocent spark. That’s what makes her look so cute most of the time. But maybe… she’s a little silly too… silly, yet hardworking.’
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he remembered her expressions from the day. For a few seconds, he was lost in his thoughts, but suddenly his phone rang, breaking his silent reverie.
He frowned slightly. “Now who is it at this late hour?” he muttered under his breath, glancing at the screen. But the moment he saw the caller ID, his irritation melted into a fond smile. “Oh, it’s Mom.”
He quickly picked up the call.
“Hello, Mom,” Aryan said warmly, his tone softening.
“How are you, my boy?” Mrs. Khanna’s gentle voice came through, full of motherly affection.
Aryan leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes briefly. “I’m good… and you?”
“How can I be good without you?” she sighed, her voice carrying a little heaviness of longing.
Aryan’s brows furrowed slightly; he loved her dearly but didn’t want her to drown in emotions. “Mom, please don’t be emotional now,” he said, his tone a mix of affection and playful complaint.
Mrs. Khanna chuckled lightly, deciding not to push her feelings too much. “Okay… okay… you tell me, did you get my parcel?”
Aryan smiled knowingly. “Hmm… thank you, Mom, for sending me my favorite Maggi.”
Her voice brightened instantly. “Did you enjoy it?”
Aryan smirked to himself, remembering the unexpected moment. “Hmm… But, not all of it.”
Mrs. Khanna’s tone changed to disbelief. “Why?”
Aryan hesitated for a split second but decided to answer honestly. “I shared it with someone.”
There was silence for a brief second on the other side, and then Mrs. Khanna’s amused shock came out. “No way… you’re kidding with me, right?” Her voice had a playful disbelief, because she knew her son too well. Aryan could do anything, but share his favorite Maggi? Impossible.
Aryan chuckled softly. “No, Mom, I’m serious,” he insisted, his tone convincing but also slightly nervous, as if he knew what was coming next.
Mrs. Khanna’s lips curved into a knowing smile even though he couldn’t see it. “Then tell me, who is she?”
Aryan raised his eyebrows. “How do you know that its a girl, not a boy?” he asked, trying to deflect, though a faint smile touched his lips.
Mrs. Khanna laughed softly, her tone filled with confidence. “Because I am your mom, my son. Now tell me, who is she?”
For a moment, Aryan went quiet, his heartbeat quickening. Finally, he answered in a steady voice, “My new assistant.”
But before his mother could respond, his father’s voice came from the background, filled with teasing authority. “For how long will you fool us in the name of your assistant? You can tell us if there’s a girl you like.”
Aryan groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Oh please, Dad,” he replied, half laughing, half frustrated.
Mr. Khanna wasn’t about to let him go that easily. “Okay, if it is not so, tomorrow I will send you photos of some girls, and you have to pick one of them.” His voice was serious, but Aryan could hear the teasing smirk behind it.
Aryan threw his head back and sighed in defeat. “Okay… okay… fine, Dad… now good night.” His tone was exasperated but affectionate, like a son who had no choice but to surrender.
After ending the call, Aryan placed his phone on the desk and leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. His parents had always been like this—teasing, pushing him toward marriage, trying to read between the lines of his every word. But tonight, their guess wasn’t completely wrong.
He tapped his fingers on the armrest, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Why did I even tell Mom that I shared my Maggi…?” he thought, almost regretting it. “I could have just said nothing. But… no… I wanted to tell her. Somewhere deep down, I wanted them to know that there’s someone in my life who’s starting to matter.”
He closed his eyes, and Priya’s face instantly appeared in his mind—the way she had smiled shyly earlier in the day, the way her eyes sparkled when she was focused on work, the way her soft voice echoed in his head even now.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
“She really doesn’t know what effect she’s leaving on me. Her silly talks, her little mistakes, even her stubbornness—it all feels… different. I don’t even know when I started noticing these things about her.”
But then his expression shifted, and he shook his head firmly, almost scolding himself.
“No, Aryan. She’s just your assistant. Nothing else. Don’t let Mom and Dad’s words get into your head. Don’t let your own thoughts misguide you.”
Still, his chest tightened slightly, and the faint smile returned despite his denial. He ran a hand across his face, half-frustrated, half-amused.
“But why do I feel this restlessness whenever I think of her? Why does every little thing about her stay in my mind? Damn it, Aryan, you’ve never been this distracted before.”
The room grew silent again, only the soft hum of his laptop breaking the stillness. He looked at the screen, but all he could see was Priya’s reflection in his mind—her doe-like hazel eyes, her soft smile, her innocent voice saying “It’s okay” when he had apologized earlier.
He exhaled deeply and finally muttered to himself in a low voice, almost as if admitting a secret he wasn’t ready to face yet.
“Mom was right… it was she.”
Aryan was sitting in his cabin, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen, when suddenly his phone rang. He picked it up.
“Mr. Albert has arrived here, you too come to the meeting room,” Karan said.
“Okay,” Aryan replied shortly and ended the call.
He immediately stood up, straightening his coat as he rushed toward the meeting room. His footsteps were quick, his mind already preparing for the conversation ahead. In his hurry, he pushed open the door without paying attention to who might be standing there.
And then—it happened.
The sudden motion brought him face-to-face with Priya, and before either of them could react, his lips brushed against hers. The world seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. Her eyes widened in shock, and his breath hitched. For a second, time refused to move forward, holding them both in that unplanned closeness.
Realizing what just happened, Aryan immediately stepped back, his face tense, his words stumbling out awkwardly.
“Actually… I… was… in a hurry…” he said, his tone uneven, betraying his nervousness.
Priya, still startled, blinked a few times, her cheeks turning red. She managed to ask softly, almost to steady herself, “Where are you going in a hurry?”
“In the meeting room,” he replied quickly, avoiding her gaze, and without waiting for another word, he turned and walked away. His hurried steps echoed in the corridor, but his mind wasn’t as steady as his pace—his thoughts were a storm.
Meanwhile, Priya slowly touched her lips with her fingertips, her heart racing. A faint, shy smile spread across her face as she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with the sweetness of a secret,
“Can I say that this was my first kiss? Because for the first time my lips have touched someone’s lips like this… and this feeling is just…”
Her words faded, but her smile lingered, her mind replaying that single fleeting moment again and again. It was accidental, sudden, unexpected—but to her, it was unforgettable.
❁𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑❁
❀𝕴𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙!❀
♡ 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 ♡
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥