Chapter 5

Her teeth pulled her lower lip in and bit down without asking her…

“Ouch!” moaned Shehnaaz in pain, jolting Sidharth back to his senses.

Sidharth immediately looked away, cursing himself for getting lost in her like that.

Shehnaaz closed her eyes tightly, hoping she was dreaming. “Wahe Guru ji… jab aankhein kholoongi toh sapna door kar dena,” Shehnaaz pleaded, hoping her babaji would listen to her.

Sidharth, trying to calm his racing heart, suddenly realized something. “What the hell is she doing in my office?” he thought in shock.

Shehnaaz opened her eyes to find him standing there, now looking at her with anger. Then, a thought struck her too. “What the hell is he doing in my office?” she wondered, fuming. She marched toward him, her eyes blazing. “Aap yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

Sidharth, incredulous and growing red with anger, retorted, “Me? You are asking me this? Do you…”

She cut him off, placing her hands on her hips. “Haan, main aap se puchh rahi hoon. How dare you come in my office?”

“Your office?” Sidharth seethed, ready to explode. “Do you…”

She interrupted him again. “Yes, my office. Aap ko kya laga, aap yahan aake dadagiri karoge, aur main chup chap bardasht karungi? Galat fehmi hai aapki.”

Sidharth closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. “Sidharth, relax… everything is okay. You can deal with this… she is mentally challenged…”

“Ohh hello!” Shehnaaz said, trying to get his attention again. “Yeh sab mere office mein nahin chalega… samjhe aap? Us din jhagda khatam ho gaya na? Fir bhi aa gaye yahan… bachon ki tarah…”

“Bachha? Listen, you… I am…”

“I am least bothered to know who you are,” Shehnaaz cut him off again, making him curse her mentally.

“Can I speak one complete sentence?” Sidharth almost begged. She wasn’t letting him get a word in.

“No. Kyu sunoon main aapki baat? Aap ho kaun?” Shehnaaz then looked at her boss’s cabin, wondering if he had arrived. Sidharth followed her gaze, equally confused.

Shehnaaz looked at him with a warning in her eyes. “Mere boss bahut khatarnak hai, main bol de rahi hoon… agar unhone tumhe yahan dekh liya na, toh tum toh gaye,” she finished with a proud look, which Sidharth found idiotic.

“And who is your boss?” He managed to get out a complete sentence, surprising himself. “Ohh shut up, Sid. Stop acting like a kid,” he thought.

“Sidharth Shergill,” Shehnaaz announced proudly, making Sidharth burst into laughter.

Shehnaaz was mesmerized by his laughter. The smile on his face was so natural and adorable. She couldn’t help but smile back. Her stranger was extremely handsome, she just realized.

Anu, who had come to check whether Shehnaaz had arrived, walked in without knocking and stood rooted at the door in shock. Her brother was laughing. Something she had not seen in so many years. The natural joy on his face brought tears to her eyes as she realized how much he had suffered.

Sidharth stopped laughing abruptly as he noticed Anu at the door.

Anu walked in. “Shehnaaz, did you greet your boss?”

“Nahin na… pata nahi kahan chale gaye hain… dekh, cabin mein bhi nahi hain,” Shehnaaz said, pointing at Sidharth’s cabin with a baby face.

Anu looked at Shehnaaz as if she had lost her mind.

Anu then looked at Sidharth, who rolled his eyes as if asking what he was supposed to do. He realized that this girl was probably his new secretary, and there was no way she was working for him. Nope, she would drive him mad.

Anu tried to sound professional. “Shehnaaz, tum ye kya bol rahi ho? Ye hai mera bhai aur tumhare boss, Sidharth Shergill,” Anu pointed at Sidharth, who folded his hands and looked at Shehnaaz, daring her to speak now.

Shehnaaz looked at Anu, thinking she was joking, and started laughing, but Anu’s serious face made her realize that she wasn’t joking.

Realization dawned on her as she understood the blunder she had made. She continued to laugh, but it almost looked like she was about to cry now.

She glanced at Sidharth from the corner of her eyes, who smirked at her. She looked so cute with those expressions that he couldn’t help but lose himself in her. He hated himself for admiring her and noticed that the purple color suited her a lot. “Freak, Sidharth, what is wrong with you?” he cursed himself mentally.

The blunder was made, and Shehnaaz wondered if he would let her work in his office. She couldn’t believe he was Sidharth Shergill.

She looked up, complaining, “Hey Wahe Guru ji, puri duniya mein aapko inhe hi mera boss banana tha… not done.”

Sidharth and Anu also looked up, wondering who she was talking to.

Clearing her throat, Shehnaaz smiled at Sidharth. “I am sorry, sir.”

Sidharth picked up the file that he had come for. “Follow me,” he said, heading to his cabin.

Once he left, Anu looked at Shehnaaz for an explanation, while Shehnaaz gave her a baby face. “Siyappa ho gaya hai… baad mein batati hoon.”

She immediately went to Sidharth’s cabin and knocked on the door.

She walked in and stood in front of his desk. The moment Sidharth looked at her, he found her looking back at him with those almond eyes. He hated losing his senses when he looked at her. He hated losing control over himself.

Looking back at his laptop, he asked, “So, you are the new secretary?”

“Yes, sir,” her voice had softened.

“The way you spoke to me a few minutes ago… why should I give you this job?” he asked, making her feet go jelly.

“Sir, whatever I said… woh maine apne boss ko nahi bola… it was to that person whom I had met that morning. I am still sorry,” she tried to give her most logical answer.

Sidharth remained unmoved. “Still, the question remains the same.”

Shehnaaz looked down, knowing she had lost the job. “Sir, agar aap mujhe isliye job se nikalenge because we had a personal fight… it will make you an unprofessional person. As a boss, you have the right to terminate me, but that should be based on my work,” she said, her eyes tearing up.

She turned around. “It was nice meeting you…”

“Wait,” Sidharth said, not knowing why he stopped her. He knew she had challenged his ego to save her job, but the way her voice cracked at the end moved him. When she turned around, he felt a sense of loss.

Getting up from his seat, he came to stand behind her. He was thinking of how to put his words without sounding biased or rude.

She felt him standing behind her and turned, but she didn’t realize he was too close.

As she turned, her shoulder brushed against his chest, sending a shock of sensation through her. She lost her balance, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to stop her from falling.

She felt his arm on her waist. The skin-on-skin contact was intoxicating. Her breaths fell on his chest as she continued to look down.

She had never felt this way for anybody. She never allowed any man to be close to her. What was it about this man that brought her back into his arms?

When his arms wrapped around her, it felt like she belonged to him. Her almond eyes were closed as her face rested against his chest. He loved the feeling and hated himself for loving it.

He didn’t want to let her fall. He would never let her get hurt.

He made her stand back but couldn’t take his arm off her waist, nor did she complain. It was happening so naturally, as if from the first contact, they belonged to each other. He was hers, and she was his, and they didn’t even realize it.

“Are you okay?” he breathed on her face intensely as she continued to look down and nodded her head in agreement. She was so cute with her little things. He wanted to know if her lips hurt, which she had bitten earlier. How could he not notice?

He wanted her to look up at him.

His phone rang, bringing them both back to reality. They snapped away from each other in shock.

“What the hell… what on earth am I doing?” Sidharth cursed himself mentally. Irritated, he didn’t dare to look at her and went to his desk to take the call.

Shehnaaz was blushing deeply, if that was even possible.

What was wrong with her? Why did she lose herself in him? She needed to stay away from him. It wasn’t good for either of them.

She waited patiently as he finished his call.

He didn’t turn this time. ‘If you prove yourself to be an efficient employee, I am unprofessional enough to take away your job because of personal issues… good luck.’

A smile appeared on Sana’s face as she sighed in relief.

‘Thank you, sir…’ she said, about to leave, when she heard him continue, ‘Go through all the files of the ongoing project. I don’t accept a lack of project knowledge.’

‘Yes, sir…’ she replied softly and left.

The moment she was gone, he turned around, upset with himself.

“Wrong decision, Sidharth…”

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Sidharth closed his laptop and settled into his seat, letting out a deep sigh. He leaned back, resting his head on the soft cushion of the chair, and closed his eyes. The events of the day replayed in his mind like scenes from a movie. He saw her again, Shehnaaz, meeting him that day, their encounter at the office today, her rude words, and his decision to forgive her and let her keep her job. Why was he doing this? She was no one to him and would never be anyone significant. It had taken him years to rebuild his life and his empire. He had hurt his beloved mother in the process and had promised himself never to fall into such traps again.

This girl was a trap, he realized. Somehow, she had managed to catch his attention, but he couldn’t understand how. What was it about her that made him feel so vulnerable? He hated feeling this way. Whoever she was, whatever her motives were, he would not let her ruin his life. He needed to maintain his distance and make sure this job became tough for her, so she would reveal her true colors.

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As Shehnaaz exited Sidharth’s cabin, Anu grabbed her hand and pulled her into her own cabin, making sure no one was watching. “Ab tu mujhe bataye ge hua kya… tension se BP high ho raha hai mera,” Anu said, looking at her friend with concern. Shehnaaz started giggling like an idiot, making Anu wonder if she was unwell. She checked Shehnaaz’s temperature by touching her forehead.

Shehnaaz stopped giggling and cleared her throat. “Promise kar, maregi nahi,” she said.

Anu, curious, replied, “Depends on what siyappa you have done.”

“Well…” Shehnaaz said, looking away from Anu, and began to tell her everything, starting from their first meeting near the Gurudwara. She skipped the part where he saved her from falling and her strange feelings for him.

By the time Shehnaaz finished, Anu was about to faint. Scared, Shehnaaz held her immediately, but Anu slapped her hands away, being dramatic and not really fainting.

“Shehnaaz, tu kya cheez hai yaar,” Anu said, getting angry. “Aise koi car ke aage bhagta hai kya? Tujhe lag jaati toh?”

Shehnaaz sighed. “Aur bache ko lag jaati toh…”

Anu smiled and hugged her tightly. “Humesha aisi pagal rehna tu… sudharna nahi.”

Shehnaaz giggled. “Koi chance hi nahi hai.”

All Anu could remember was her brother’s laughing face, and a smile instantly touched her cheeks. Wanting to share her happiness, she called her mother. “Maa… meri sweetu mumma…”

Anu’s kiddish voice made Rita ji giggle. “Kya baat hai, Ms. Anishka? Bohat happy mood mein hai?”

Anu rolled her eyes at her mother using her full name, which was rare. “Well… pata hai aaj kya hua?”

Anu was about to tell her when she thought of something. “No… you tell me first. Bhai last time kab hase the… like proper one?”

Confused, Rita ji tried to remember but couldn’t recall a single instance in years. Sadness gripped her. “Sach mein, Anu… ab toh yaad bhi nahi aata mera Sid last kab dil se muskuraya tha.”

Anu made a face at her mother’s sad voice. “Offo… upset na ho maa, please. Well, you won’t believe…” With that, Anu told her how Sidharth was laughing in Shehnaaz’s cabin when she had entered and the reason behind it, as told by Shehnaaz.

Rita ji’s eyes widened in shock and surprise. At the same time, she wanted to hug Shehnaaz dearly for making her son laugh. She was truly a God’s child.

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Uncle Manish walked into Vikrant’s cabin, knowing Sidharth was on an important phone call with a client and wouldn’t be finished anytime soon. Vikrant was surprised to see Manish and greeted him with a respectful, “Yes sir, how may I help you?”

“Well, I need the details of the person who filed the legal complaint against us a few days back regarding the property in XYZ location,” Manish requested calmly.

Nodding, Vikrant reached for the respective file and handed it over to Manish, who accepted it with a nod and walked out, leaving Vikrant puzzled about why he needed it. Feeling the need to update someone, Vikrant called Karan, remembering Sidharth’s clear instruction that all decisions would be taken by Karan in his absence.

Meanwhile, Sidharth was in his cabin, speaking with the client for over 45 minutes. His irritation was evident, and Shehnaaz, sitting in her cabin, felt self-conscious. She knew he could see her through the glass, and so could she.

Shehnaaz didn’t dare look directly at him, but her eyes gave her away. She noticed him rubbing his forehead, sensing his bad mood. As Sidharth finally took a seat on the sofa, he heard a knock and noticed Shehnaaz walking into his cabin with a cup in her hand.

Continuing his call, his eyes followed her as she approached. She never looked at him directly, instead standing in front of him and handing him the cup. “Coffee,” she whispered softly, not wanting to disturb his call. He took the cup and nodded, a silent thank you. She immediately turned around and left, not wanting to provoke him.

The moment he took the first sip, he knew she had made it herself. He could just tell.

As the day ended, Shehnaaz waited patiently for Sidharth to leave so she could too. Anu had informed her of an important rule: never leave before your boss unless it’s too late. It was indeed late, and the entire office was empty. She decided to leave, assuming Sidharth had already gone, although she couldn’t recall noticing him leave. Finding herself alone on the floor, a sudden fear gripped her.

She packed her things quickly, sent a quick prayer to Waheguru ji, and stepped out of her cabin. The office was dimly lit and eerily quiet. As she walked through the corridor towards the lift, she heard a voice behind her, “Who is it?”

Shehnaaz was so scared that she lost all ability to think logically and started walking faster. “Stop!” the voice commanded, louder this time. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she ran towards the lift.

“Bhooooooootttttt!” she screamed in terror.

Sidharth had gone to the restroom after his long call with the client. By the time he returned, the office was empty, and he decided to call it a night. As he walked through the corridor, he saw someone ahead but couldn’t make out who it was due to the dim lights. He called out, but the person started to move away from him. Concerned, he tried to stop the person, who then began to run. Running faster, he caught the person’s hand tightly. Shehnaaz shrieked in fear as her hand was held tightly and she was pulled harshly.

Next, she found herself in the embrace of two broad arms as she lost her balance. She kept her eyes closed as tears continued to fall, making no movement to escape those protective arms. Sidharth stared at her serene face in the dim light, mesmerized by her beauty. His eyes burned with intensity as he observed her closely, not blinking.

His one hand continued to hold her wrist while the other moved around her waist instinctively. Her other hand gripped his shirt tightly in fear. He was burning inside with anger and something more that he didn’t want to acknowledge. He studied every corner of her face, taking his time. The tears smudged at the corner of her eyes affected him deeply.

His hand left hers as his fingers slowly reached for her cheeks and wiped away the tears one by one. His fingers felt rough against her soft skin. His eyes were so intense. She never opened her eyes, nor did he ask.

“It’s dark…” he breathed with an impatient groan.

Those arms, that warmth, that deep voice… relief took her as she realized who it was. Her fingers gripped his shirt more tightly as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him.

And she stood there frozen, lost in those intense eyes.

What was this feeling that captured her when she was near him? It was something out of control. She hated the way he controlled her senses. She didn’t realize when her lower lip was taken between her teeth as she bit onto it softly, making his eyes move passionately from her eyes to her lips. They were red.

“Stop biting your lips…” he groaned in his deep voice as his eyes continued to stare at her lips.

His words made her feet go jelly. Her heartbeats were so loud that she was afraid he might hear them.

“Let me go…” Shehnaaz said softly as she felt powerless in front of him.

Those words and his fingers dug into her waist, making her move closer to him if that was possible.

“Why were you running?” he ignored her request as his fingers touched below her eyelid to wipe away the smudged kohl. His movements were so authoritative, so dominating, but she never complained.

“Woh… main… dar gayi thi,” she accepted, looking down at her hands that were on his chest.

He didn’t like that. He didn’t like her breaking the eye contact. His palm reached for her chin and pulled it up to make her look back at him. Her lips pouted with a frown at his sudden movement.

Sidharth couldn’t help but groan, and he never realized as his face moved closer, trying to decrease the distance between them that irritated him. She was…

“Madam ji!” a loud voice came, making them snap away from each other in shock.

The security uncle came running, “Sana madam ji, maaf karna, hume laga sab chale gaye. Maaf karna bitiya, awaaz sunate hi hum daude chale aaye,” the security uncle continued to apologize as he escorted her out of the building, and Sidharth stood rooted in his place. The security guy didn’t even notice him. What…

Holy shit, thought Sidharth in shock. What was he just going to do? How could he get carried away like that? For God’s sake, he doesn’t even know her. What is wrong with him?

Shehnaaz had her heartbeat caught in her throat as she realized what was about to happen. She felt so guilty. Is this why her parents had sent her here? She was breaking their trust. Her focus should be on her work and growth.

Upset, she thanked the guard for his care and left abrupty leaving a boiling Sidharth behind.

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When Shehnaaz reached home in the office car, she straight away left to her room without having dinner. Zoya followed her, worried, “Hey, kya hua baby? Boss ne kuch bola kya?”

Shehnaaz shook her head in denial as she sat on the bed. Zoya handed her a glass of water, “Boss ka nature hai thoda gusse wala, but he is a nice person. Relax kar.”

Shehnaaz smiled at the concerned Zoya. “Tune khana khaya?”

Zoya made a guilty face. “Sorry yaar, bohat hungry thi… and you are also so late.”

Shehnaaz smiled. “Arre chill, tu jaake so ja, main fresh hoke kha lungi.”

Zoya left, wishing her good night as she found Shehnaaz relaxed. Once Zoya left, Shehnaaz hid her face into her pillow as she cried silently.

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Rita ji was trying to call Sidharth for a long time, but he wasn’t picking up. He finally sent her a text saying he was reaching home shortly. She sensed something was wrong and waited patiently. Sidharth walked in like a storm, startling her. As he started walking upstairs, he said, “Maa, aap please dinner kar lijiye. I need some time alone.”

With that, he left for his room. Rita ji didn’t say anything. She knew he needed time. His face said it all, and she was just worried he might hurt himself in anger. She had her dinner, not wanting to anger him more, and decided to speak with Anu. However, Anu was already off to bed when she went to her room. Sighing, Rita ji went to her own room, wondering what to do.

Sidharth didn’t bother to freshen up. He was boiling with anger. He hated feeling vulnerable, hated that he was being affected by someone. Wanting to vent his stress, he went straight to the gym and started working out vigorously, hurting himself several times in the process.

Shehnaaz was turning restlessly in bed, her tears refusing to stop. Rita ji couldn’t help but go to Sidharth’s room, and what she saw shocked her…

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Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed the unfolding dynamics between Sidharth and Shehnaaz as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the story. Your comments help me grow as a writer and ensure that the story resonates with you. Whether it’s about the characters, the plot, or the emotions conveyed, every piece of feedback is valuable.

Looking forward to your responses!

Also, stay tuned for “Baarish,”  along with the rest of the stories. There’s so much more in store, and I can’t wait for you to dive into these new adventures.

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With love and gratitude,

Shalaka