Mantra was working diligently, while Divyanshi sat nearby, appearing to be engaged with her own tasks. However, her phone kept buzzing repeatedly with messages, and she was constantly replying to them. This frequent distraction kept pulling Mantra’s attention toward her. Gradually, he stopped working, resting his chin on his hand, and began observing Divyanshi closely. The subtle expressions on her face, the faint smile she was trying hard to suppress, caught his attention, and strangely enough, didn’t sit well with him today.

“Is anything important…?”

He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. Divyanshi instantly turned to look at him, a little startled, though his gaze remained fixed on her. She was slightly taken aback by the suddenness of his question but quickly composed herself. Placing her phone aside, she replied calmly,

“Nothing much. Just chatting with some girls… Actually, we’re planning a small get-together again.”

Mantra’s eyes were still on her, unwavering and sharp. She, on the other hand, avoided his gaze and continued speaking with a forced lightness. It was clear to Mantra that she was hiding something. She wasn’t being honest, and although he had been ignoring this behavior for a while, it was getting harder to overlook now.

When Divyanshi noticed that he didn’t respond to her explanation, she slowly turned to look at him. But he had already shifted his focus back to his work, deliberately ignoring her. Unable to bear the sudden emotional distance, Divyanshi moved her chair closer to him and softly requested,

“Mantra… I need to leave for about two hours. Please… just make up some excuse and get me out of here. You know Dev won't let me go so easily.”

Mantra clenched his fists tightly under the table. He knew she was lying. She was clearly using him as a shield to escape Devraj’s watchful eyes, and today, this very fact was infuriating him. What bothered him more was not knowing how long the affair had been going on. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also couldn’t tolerate such behavior anymore. Taking a deep breath, he responded firmly,

“Even if I wanted to, Divyanshi, I can’t lie to Devraj today and take you anywhere. You should know that from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, both of us are completely occupied. All the meetings related to the recent deals are lined up today, tomorrow, and the day after. You’ve been working in this office too, haven’t you?… So don’t pretend like you don’t know what’s going on.”

Divyanshi stared at him in disbelief. Mantra had never spoken to her in such a stern tone before. The unfamiliarity of his voice, the firmness in his words, it all felt too strange, too unexpected. Feeling somewhat shaken, she asked gently,

“What happened, Mantra? You’ve never spoken to me like this before. Why are you talking this way now? Is something bothering you?”

Mantra was fuming inside. The mere thought of what Divyanshi might be doing and how she was trying to manipulate the situation filled him with intense rage. Yet, he was trying diligently not to lose control. But it was getting harder with each second. He replied in a strained voice,

“Divyanshi, it’s a very logical thing, you can’t expect a person to be in the same mood all the time. I’m human too. I get tired, I get frustrated, and I face difficulties. Just because I’ve always been calm and polite with you doesn’t mean I never feel hurt or angry. You always say you want to learn and grow professionally. But for a while now, I’ve noticed that you’re constantly finding excuses to leave. And after that, I’m left outside for hours with you, pretending that we’re together, just so Devraj doesn’t get suspicious. But do you even realize how much this is affecting us, our work, our schedule?”

He paused for a moment, then continued more sternly,

“So, decide exactly what you want, Divyanshi. Do you want to focus on your work or on whatever else it is that you’re doing? And if you do just want to meet your friends, then have the courage to tell Devraj openly. Talk to him. If your family thinks everything’s fine with what you’re doing, then there’s no problem. But stop using me as your escape plan.”

His voice had risen slightly, and that intensity frightened Divyanshi. As soon as he finished speaking, she quietly stood up, visibly hurt by his tone and words. Mantra felt a flicker of regret rise inside him for speaking so harshly, but he didn’t try to stop her. He simply looked at her with unreadable eyes as she walked away, her eyes brimming with a silent, wounded expression.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, Mantra felt a surge of anger toward himself. Without thinking, he slammed his hand forcefully against the wall.

“Damn it…” he cursed under his breath.

A sharp pain shot through his hand as a deep cut formed and blood started to drip. But even that physical pain felt insignificant compared to the emotional storm raging inside him. For the past three days, he had been constantly disturbed, trying to figure out who Divyanshi was meeting and what she was hiding. But a part of him, perhaps the part that loved her, was scared of uncovering the truth. That inner conflict was now exploding in the form of uncontrollable rage.

His eyes moved toward the door she had just exited through, and with quiet but unshakable determination, he whispered to himself,

“Divyanshi, no matter what happens… I won’t let you belong to someone else. I’ve loved you with every piece of my soul… And I won’t let you walk out of my life, not now, not ever.”

~~~~~

Mishti quietly entered the building. She had gone out with her friends after a long time for a casual outing. Among them, several were couples, who soon got busy with each other, leaving her feeling a little out of place. Wanting to give them space, she decided to visit her brother’s office instead.

As she walked toward her brother’s cabin, she found it empty. She was already aware that Mantra frequently resided in Devraj's cabin, as it housed numerous important files. She stood still for a moment. She really didn’t want to enter Devraj’s cabin. For days now, she had been avoiding even the thought of him, let alone coming near his workspace.

But lately, whenever her brother mentioned him, something inside her stirred, something she couldn’t quite name. Brushing those thoughts aside, she walked in and sat on her brother’s chair. To pass the time, she pulled out her phone and started playing a game.

Just then, the door opened.

“Hey, sweetie… When did you get here?”

Mantra smiled as he entered. Mishti looked up at her brother with a warm smile, but her gaze instantly shifted to the figure standing behind him, Devraj. He was staring directly at her. Before she could react, Divyanshi came rushing in and hugged her tightly. Mishti hugged her back and softly asked.

“I’m seeing you after so many days. You’ve been really busy lately, haven’t you?”

“Yeah… I wasn’t taking work seriously for a long time. But lately, I’ve started giving it my full attention. So for the last ten days, it’s been pretty hectic.”

Divyanshi replied with a sheepish grin. Meanwhile, Mantra and Devraj walked in fully, and while the men discussed some work-related matters, Mishti and Divyanshi started chatting. Devraj, however, kept stealing glances at Mishti. He kept silently scolding himself in his head for looking at her and letting his attention stray toward her… But it was as if his eyes no longer obeyed him. Despite his best efforts to ignore her, she consistently drew his gaze. In the middle of their conversation, Mantra looked at Divyanshi and said,

“Divyanshi, this is your first solo project, the one I managed to convince Devraj to let you handle. And for this, we’re leaving for Pune today itself. I hope you’re fully prepared for the presentation.”

Divyanshi looked at Mantra. He had been unusually formal with her lately. She didn’t know the exact reason, but after he had scolded her about not taking work seriously, she’d started to realize her mistake. Since then, she had been putting genuine effort into her job, especially this project. She glanced nervously at Devraj, who noticed her hesitation and turned toward Mantra.

“You’re the one who insisted she should handle a project herself. You said she wouldn’t learn unless she actually did something. And now that she’s doing it, why are you scaring her?”

The way Devraj rebuked Mantra made Divyanshi laugh softly. Seeing Mantra chuckle at Devraj’s scolding also made her smile. With a playful grin, she walked over to Devraj and tugged at his cheek.

“Aww… Sometimes you’re just too cute for a big brother.”

Mishti, who had just taken a sip of water, began coughing violently upon hearing that. Mantra immediately rushed to her side and started rubbing her back, while Divyanshi gently helped her drink some water. Devraj, meanwhile, sat silently, simply watching her. Once Mishti began to feel better, the first thing she noticed was that Devraj was still looking at her. Embarrassed, she quickly turned away and said to Divyanshi with a small smile,

“All the best.”

Divyanshi smiled back, trying to gather a little more confidence from the gesture. Right then, Mishti turned toward her brother and said,

“Bhai, since you’re going to Pune for five days, my friends are planning a trip to Kullu… Should I go with them?”

Mantra was about to say yes instinctively but stopped himself. After a brief pause, he replied seriously,

“You know I never stop you from anything. But to be honest, I was going to talk to you about something today. I’d prefer if you came with us to Pune instead. Try to observe how we work, see how things are handled in real time. You know, sooner or later, you’ll have to either join Dad’s business or do something of your own. If you get some experience now, it’ll help you in the long run.”

Mishti found the suggestion a bit unexpected. It felt strange to be invited into her brother’s work world. But because it came from him, she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Divyanshi and said,

“Alright, in that case, I need to head home and pack. Will you come with me?”

Divyanshi looked at Devraj, seeking his approval. He gave her a slight nod, but her eyes lingered briefly on him, sensing the formality still hadn't faded. She then looked at Mishti with a small smile, and the two girls left together. As they walked away, Devraj came and stood beside Mantra.

“What’s going on? You’ve never stopped your sister from doing anything. And now suddenly you’re taking her with you, as if you want to keep an eye on her?”

Mantra didn’t react right away. After a moment, he said quietly,

“That’s exactly what it is. For the past two days, she’s been out with her friends. From what I’ve observed, I’m pretty sure a lot of drinking was involved, and honestly, I don’t feel right about it. I need to talk to her. But the truth is… I don’t even know how to talk to her. I’ve always been more like a friend to her. I’ve never stopped her from anything. And now, if I suddenly do, how will she react? Until I figure that out… I’d rather keep her close, keep an eye on her. If she comes to Pune with us, at least I’ll feel at ease. And being around us will teach her something valuable.”

Devraj simply nodded, understanding the concern behind the words. Without another word, he turned and walked toward his cabin.

Once inside, Devraj shut the door behind him and leaned both hands against it, taking a deep breath.

He had seen Mishti after what felt like an eternity… And yet, the moment their eyes met, all those feelings he had fought so hard to suppress began creeping back. Feelings he thought he had buried, locked away for good. He whispered to himself with frustration,

“How can everything change because of just one small touch? Why do I feel so strange around this girl now?”

Clenching his fists, he pressed one hand hard against his groin, which was all of a sudden very painful for him. A grimace of pain passed over his face.

“Devraj… You’re seriously losing it. She’s going with you now, and you’re going to live in this constant confusion? Is this how you’re going to handle the situation?”

Questioning himself aloud, desperate for clarity, he walked quickly to the washroom, hoping the cold water and solitude might wash away some of the storm brewing inside him.