“Piya, I am sick of that dunderhead”, Neha whined while talking to her sister. It was Wednesday and she was sitting in her cabin during the lunch hour, playing with the food for her appetite was long forgotten. Amidst the piles of files, it was really hard for her to concentrate because all her attention was at foolish Arjun. Only she knew how much she regretting lying about Vimal.

“Neha, you have hurt him so just apologize”, Piya suggested, feeding her eight month old son, Aditya. She was finally happy for her sister who had decided to give Arjun a chance. Piya pitied her mother, Anju for not loving her own daughters. She was proud of herself that she was a good mother to Navya, her six year old daughter. She was grateful to Arjun’s mother for giving the much-needed motherly affection to Neha. All she wished was, karma to hit back at her mother real soon!

Piya was happy for her sister because finally she had found a family that deserved her by all means. Piya was happy that Mrinalini could add joy and satisfaction to her sister’s life, giving her courage to accept Arjun for once. She had a gut feeling that Arjun was the one for Neha and she was ready to fight with her parents for the sake of her sister.

“I tried to talk to him, Piya, but he is avoiding me like plaque”, Neha whined. Her voice had turned hoarse as tears brimmed in her eyes. She had never been so desperate. She wanted to tell Arjun that she was ready, she was ready to date him, to give him a chance. All she needed was, some love from Mrinalini, some joy of being loved in a family!

Neha was being greedy but she wanted more of Mrinalini in her life. She did not know about her future. She did not know how her parents would react but somewhere, she knew Mrinalini would be by her side if her own parents would disown her. She did not know from where she had got the courage to live selfishly, for her own happiness but perhaps, love was giving her the much-needed strength.

Neha was getting irritated with Piya who was simply laughing at her. “That idiot told me to send the files via peon. It was so disrespectful. He doesn’t even look at my face. Piya, please make him talk to me once.” She pleaded.

“Neha, listen, just text him that you want to talk to him in the evening”, Piya suggested. She knew her timid sister would never take a chance so, she coaxed her, “Please do, Neha”.

Neha nodded, disconnecting the phone, determined to talk to Arjun. On his WhatsApp number, she texted, ‘I need to meet you at ten minutes past five in Rosé café’.

Arjun, on the other hand, had decided to remain indifferent to Neha. Like an efficient General Manager of the Forex Department, Arjun behaved like a good colleague however, his heart reminded him of the pain she had inflicted upon him. He knew he was acting irrational by avoiding her but he could not fall for a girl who was getting married to someone else.

Arjun’s heart pained on realizing that his Sneha was not his anymore. She was ready to be someone else’s wife. She was ready to spend her life with some Vimal who was perhaps, not as old as him.

Arjun was disappointed in himself for not being able to move on. He had lost his appetite and even his sleep. He had dark circles under his eyes like a zombie because he stared at the ceiling every night, missing Neha in his life.

After the lunch with his parents, Arjun remembered Neha coming to his cabin on Monday with an idea to ‘thank’ him for lunch. Only he knew, how much he had refrained to yell at her. Politely nodding, he had merely told her that he was busy asking her to leave.

Yesterday, Neha had come to his cabin with a bunch of files about the annual report on FFMCs. She had been fidgeting, trying to speak something when Arjun had told her to send files through the peon from the next time. He was merely protecting himself from getting hurt.

Sitting in his cabin, he was trying to review some confidential documents when his phone pinged with Neha’s message. It had been four days since the lunch but his parents had not stopped gushing over Neha. Only he knew, how much he was refraining himself from asking them to leave.

His heart mumbled, “Listen what she has to say, at least once.”

However, his brain was not ready to face another heartbreak. “Stop searching reasons to make her happy. You are not some tissue to be used and thrown. You will not meet her.” His brain yelled, strengthening his resolve to remain indifferent towards her.

With a stoic face, he replied, ‘What is it?’

‘It’s urgent’ Neha replied joyously with immense hope in her eyes. She was glad that he was at least talking to her.

Arjun was frustrated. He was tired of the turbulences going inside him. On the one hand, he wanted to talk to her while on the other hand, he wanted to avoid her. He was really regretting his decision of joining Federal Bank of India.

‘Is it your invitation of engagement or wedding?’ Arjun taunted in the text and fresh stream of tears trickled down Neha’s eyes. For the first time, she could feel his pain. She realized how it felt upon getting rejected. She wanted to apologize and tell him that her family would never agree to her idea of dating but she was ready to go against them and experience ‘dating him’.

She was getting tired from everything. Arjun had become her habit. Her morning walks seemed incomplete without greeting him and hugging Bruno. She felt lonely in the premises of Federal Bank of India when he avoided her. Her coffee felt tasteless as the aroma of his masala chai used to hit her imagination. Her smile always faltered when she saw him devoid of his dazzling smile. She was tired of missing Arjun.

“Perhaps, being loved is not in your destiny. You do not deserve a motherly love. You do not deserve a beautiful family like Arjun’s. You deserve someone worse than Rahul, Neha.” Her brain taunted, shattering her heart into a million of pieces.

‘Arjun, it’s urgent’, she pleaded once more. Her vision had turned hazy with tears as she had typed this message. She had never been this desperate but for the first time in her life, she was ready to keep her self-respect aside  however, Arjun was pissed off. His heart told him to type an ‘okay’ and listen to her one last time but his brain was not ready at all.

‘It’s Mr. Verma or Sir for you’. Arjun texted and blocked her. As much as his heart pained, he knew it was necessary. He knew he had to move on from Neha so that ge could live peacefully accepting that finally Neha was getting married to some Vimal guy chosen by her parents, rejecting him forever.

Neha was shattered, on the other hand. Arjun had taken things too far. She had expected him to maybe, yell at her but she had not expected him to block her up. She wanted to storm in his cabin and tell him that it was him who emphasized her to get on first-name basis with him while she always had preferred ‘Sir’. She was shattered because of the disrespect and humiliation, she had faced right now.

She was done with Arjun and his so-called feelings. She was hurt beyond anything. She needed someone like Mrinalini in her life, but not at the cost of her self-esteem. Her posting to Delhi had surely made her world tumble upside down.

She had always loved Delhi, the capital of India. She had loved the self-centered fast-paced life with trendiest fashion sense.  She had admired the career growth, she had received in Delhi. An year ago, when she had got posted to Delhi, she had decided to purchase her own house and one of the beautiful cities of the country where she was currently staying. However, dil walo ki dilli had broken her heart. She could not blame though. A Mumbaikar had arrived in her life to give her regrets forever!

Quite impulsively, contrary to her personality traits, Neha decided to apply for a transfer. She could not stay in the city she loved, not anymore. She could not face Arjun, not anymore. She knew this impromptu transfer would affect her career growth negatively, delaying her promotion for another three years instead of two but she could not let Arjun disrupt her mental peace anymore.

She regretting going on the dinner and getting infatuated to Arjun. She knew it was much more than infatuation and she was merely regretting everything. With tears in her pitch black eyes, she applied for the transfer by filling the application form and forwarding it to the headquarters.

She stared at the computer screen with a stoic face when an acknowledgement email popped up.

Dear applicant

Your transfer application from Delhi to Chennai on grounds of personal reasons is accepted. Your transfer is subjected to approval and recommendation from the senior manager of your branch. Kindly quote the your Application No. A51S2404/5678/009 in further correspondence.

Regards
Human Resource Management Cell
Federal Bank of India

Fresh tears trickled down her eyes as her heart felt miserable. She was ready to leave joy of living behind. Mentally praying for the approval of her transfer request, she decided to concentrate on her work. She decided to accept the proposal from the next prospective guy her parents would ask her to meet, no matter how he would be. She decided to hide everything from Piya for the time-being and drowned herself into work.

It was five in the evening. For the first time, Arjun was waiting past his working hours. He wished for Neha to come and at least confront him for blocking her number. He was curious to know her urgency. He was pissed off but still he could not think of anything else except her. He wanted her to be happy. He was sure he would rip off Vimal’s head if that guy would make his Sneha, correction, Neha cry. However, what he did not know was, he was the reason of Neha’s tears today.

The slightest hope of reconciliation shattered inside him as he saw everyone, including Neha, leaving. Why she is always so gloomy? His heart wondered when his brain reprimanded, “She is someone else’s”.

Before switching of his computer, he was shocked to read the mail that popped up on his screen.

Dear Sir

Please consider the transfer request, A51S2404/5678/009 made by Ms. Neha Gupta, Assistant Manager at Forex Department. The transfer is subjected to your approval and recommendation. You are expected to submit her performance review by the end of this week.

Regards
Human Resource Management Cell
Federal Bank of India

“So this silly girl is ready to take a transfer and delay her promotions? Has she lost it?” He mumbled to himself as he got up, annoyed. He wanted to know what Vimal did and who he was! He wanted to know why his colleague who was so passionate about her job was ready to take transfer for a guy especially when, she was not married yet.

“How can she spoil her career?” He mumbled to himself, as he dialed her number but his call went unanswered. He knew where to find her!

••••••••••••♥️••••••••••••

Hello everyone

So, first of all, I am really sorry for having not updated on Tuesday. I had been occupied into something really important and I had no spare chapter 😅

Next update shall be on Saturday because I am sure, you will be excited to know what happens further 😅

You know, I can imagine Arjun singing the song I have added 🤣

Both of my leads are stupid and impulsive, maybe, like me 😅😅😅😅😅

Anyway, I am waiting for their confrontation 🙈🙈🙈🙈

See you on Saturday and in the meanwhile, do share your views on the story ♥️

P.S follow me on my insta handle @humblewinner_writes for I will be posting some memes about my stories. 😅

With immense love, I sign off only to be back soon 💜