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Top - Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Bottom - Dinesh Karthik
Request - aalina4734 _goldenNarrative
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Target - 50 votes

Mahi sat alone in his office, holding a bouquet of burning red roses. The flames flickered with the rhythm of his thoughts. The scent of burning petals filled the air but his mind was elsewhere, consumed with memories and calculations.

He stared at the flowers, feeling their heat radiating in his hands. He thought to himself how red as a colour was too loud and didn't suit people as it failed to show the depth of the love.

He absentmindedly flicked the bouquet aside, the flames dying down to embers. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he gazed out of the window. He knew it was a new day and the chaos would begin any second.

Outside, Dinesh Karthik—his loyal secretary—was making his way to his desk. He had come in early, as usual, his gaze flicked toward Mahi's cabin. The light was on, which meant his boss was already up, something that never failed to intrigue him. It was odd for Mahi to be in so early. He shook his head curiously as he reached his desk.

His fingers traced the surface, searching for the reports Mahi had asked for. As he sifted through the papers, something caught his eye: a single yellow rose, lying delicately on his desk. His heart skipped a beat as he picked it up. The pale yellow petals looked delicate, almost fragile, yet there was something about them which attracted him. But his thoughts quickly darkened as he remembered the person who had often sent him roses like this.

Adil.

His boyfriend, Adil, had been distant lately. They had fought over something trivial, but days had passed with no word from him. Normally, Adil would send him a flowers or a gift as an apology but there had been nothing.

Dk's mind raced. Did he break up with me?

Adil had always hated yellow. He would never send a yellow rose, and yet here it was, sitting on his desk. A sense of dread filled Dk's chest as he carefully placed the rose aside, pushing away his emotions as he walked toward Mahi's cabin.

He knocked gently on the door, hearing Mahi's deep voice beckon him in. As Dk stepped into the room, he saw Mahi quickly tossing something to the side, trying to hide it before Dk could see.

Mahi looked up, his expression neutral but his eyes soft. "Dinesh, you're early today," he said, his voice smooth.

"Just making sure I don't miss anything," Dk replied with a smile, trying to shake off the heavy thoughts about Adil.

Mahi nodded and gestured to the reports. "Let's go through this, shall we?"

As they discussed the details, Dk couldn't help but notice how different Mahi seemed compared to what people said about him. Cold. Distant. Unapproachable. To Dk, Mahi was warm — always polite, always present. A different kind of warmth than he was used to, but warmth nonetheless.

They discussed the figures in the report with Mahi offering insights and suggestions. Dk felt the usual sense of admiration for his boss, for the way Mahi could so effortlessly balance work and charisma. It was an art, really. But as they dove deeper into the details, Mahi excused himself to use the washroom.

Dk sat alone in the office, his mind wandering. He absentmindedly glanced at Mahi's phone on the desk, which lit up with an incoming call. The screen displayed the name Mr. Sourav Ganguly.

Dk raised an eyebrow. He had heard of Sourav Ganguly, the man behind a significant portion of Mahi's company investments. The call had to be important.

"Dinesh, can you answer that for me?" Mahi called out from the washroom.

Dk hesitated but picked up the phone. As soon as he answered, an angry voice screamed at him.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni! I will not leave you! I will destroy you, you hear me? You're going to pay for what you did to my daughter!"

Dk's blood ran cold. The voice was filled with such venom that he quickly hung up while his heart raced. He rushed to the washroom, to see Mahi stepping out.

Mahi looked up at Dk's panicked entrance, his expression unreadable. "What happened?" Mahi asked calmly.

"Sir, I just spoke to Mr. Ganguly. He... he's threatening you," Dk stammered.

Mahi's expression shifted to something more somber as he turned to face Dk. "As you know Mr. Sourav Ganguly controls a significant part of this company."

Dk listened intently, the weight of Mahi's words settling over him.

"His daughter had a huge crush on me," Mahi explained. "When she asked me out, I had to reject her. I told her I was not interested. She went back to her father and told him I had dumped her, that I was rude to her and... worse. He's been threatening me ever since. He wants to replace me with someone he can control. He's furious, and now, he's threatening to ruin me."

Dk's heart sank. "That's horrible," he said softly, his mind racing.

Mahi sighed. "It's a mess. The only way I can save my reputation is by proving I'm the gentleman he thinks I'm not. I need to show him that I'm capable of love, kindness, and care. That I could never hurt anyone." He paused, looking at Dk. "I need to fake date someone. Someone who can help me convince him that I'm the person he wants me to be."

Dk thought for a moment. His gaze lingered on Mahi, who looked vulnerable for the first time.

"Do you know anyone who would help?" Mahi asked, his voice soft yet sincere.

Dinesh froze for a moment, trying to process everything. He didn't know who could be the right person for such a task—especially in an office where no one seemed to like Mahi. And then it clicked. "I'll do it, Mahi. I'll fake date you."

Mahi's eyes widened for a second, and then a soft smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Dinesh. I really appreciate it."

The first date felt like a strange experiment to Dinesh. Mahi opened the car door for him, it was a simple gesture yet it caught Dk off guard. It wasn't just a politeness; it was done with care. It wasn't grand, but it felt intimate in a way Dinesh wasn't prepared for.

At dinner, Mahi always made sure Dinesh was comfortable. If the air conditioning was too cold, he would subtly adjust it. If the music was too loud, he would lean in closer, his voice soft and considerate as he spoke to Dk. He asked about his preferences—what type of cuisine Dk liked, how spicy he wanted his food, if he was feeling tired after a long day at work. These questions were more than just about food; they spoke to a level of attentiveness Dinesh had never experienced before.

As the dates continued, Dinesh found himself looking forward to them more and more. At first, it was simply a job—he was helping his boss, Mahi, in a situation that had nothing to do with his personal feelings. But with each passing moment, the boundary between fake and real began to blur.

And then there were the small, quiet moments that made Dk's heart race. The way Mahi would occasionally brush his hand against Dk's when handing him something. It wasn't an accident; it felt intentional. It was a small thing, but it made Dk's pulse spike every time.

Mahi would often look at him in a way that made Dk feel seen—like he was the only person in the room, even when they were surrounded by people. The way his eyes would linger just a second longer, as if Mahi was waiting for Dk to notice the unspoken connection between them.

On one particular evening, Mahi reached across the table to adjust Dinesh's collar, a simple act, but so gentle and personal that Dk felt a warmth bloom in his chest.

Mahi, despite being the boss, was always respectful, warm, and considerate. He didn't treat him like a secretary. He treated him like a partner, like someone he cared about.

When Dk found himself talking about something small—his childhood, a favorite memory—Mahi listened intently, never interrupting, his eyes always fixed on Dk's, nodding as if every word mattered.

That was when Dinesh knew. He wasn't just helping his boss anymore. He was falling for him, completely, deeply. His heart would race whenever Mahi looked at him or smiled.

The warmth Mahi exuded wasn't just the kind of warmth Dk admired from a distance; it was the warmth he felt deep inside, every time Mahi smiled at him or asked how his day went.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he thought. "I can't fall for my boss."

But that's exactly what happened. His feelings deepened, and he became increasingly disturbed by them. It was against Dinesh's ethics, against everything he stood for, to fall for his boss. The lines between their professional relationship and something deeper were blurring, and Dinesh knew he couldn't let it go on. He had to stop.

Dk made his decision quickly. He would resign. He would leave before he could hurt either of them.

So, the next day, as he stood before Mahi, his hands trembling, he handed in his resignation. "Mahi, I... I have to resign," he said, his voice tight.

Mahi's eyes widened in surprise. "Dinesh, what's going on? Why are you resigning?"

"I've... I've fallen for you," Dinesh admitted, his voice low, barely a whisper. "And I can't work for you anymore. It's against everything I believe in."

Mahi's expression softened, and for a moment, it seemed like time stood still. He took Dk's hands in his. "I feel the same way," Mahi whispered, his voice low and sincere.

Without another word, Mahi gently cupped Dk's face and kissed him. The kiss was slow, tentative at first, but then it deepened, a shared acknowledgment of the feelings they had both been hiding.

---

A few weeks later, as they sat in the office, enjoying an office dinner date, Dk felt a sense of peace. He leaned back on the couch, exhausted but happy and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.

Mahi's phone rang again. The name Mr. Sourav Ganguly flashed across the screen. Mahi picked it up and answered with an affectionate tone.

"Dada," he said, his voice warm.

On the other end, Sourav's voice was filled with affection. "Did you get what you wanted, Mahi?"

Mahi glanced at Dinesh, who was still asleep on the couch, a content smile on his face. Mahi's lips curled into a subtle smile as his hand gently brushed Dinesh's hair out of his face.

"Yes, I did," Mahi replied, his voice filled with satisfaction.

He then reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a single yellow rose. He placed it gently on Dinesh's ear, whispering softly, "Yellow suited you always. You never looked good in red."

Mahi had orchestrated the whole thing from the beginning—not just the fake dates, but the rose, the plans, everything. It was all designed to make Dinesh fall in love with him.

And now, as Dinesh slept peacefully, Mahi knew his plan had worked. They were no longer pretending. Dinesh was exactly where he was meant to be, in his arms.

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