Next day Sidharth reached her cabin and saw her passing here and there.

"Good Morning" he greet her normally.

"Good morning tune kuch idea socha?"  She asked him getting desperate.

He nodded and make her sit on the sofa.

"Tune fake dating ke baare me suna hai?" He asked her.

She nodded and signal him to talk more.

"Hum fake dating karenge"

"WHAT? Sidharth, yeh kya bakwas hai?"

"Bakwas nahi, smart plan hai" Sidharth said, crossing his arms confidently. "Dekh, agar Varun ko lagta hai ki tu already kisi ke saath hai, toh woh tujhe notice karega. Kiuki yeh toh basic human psychology hai, log hamesha woh chahte hain jo unke paas nahi hai"

She bite her lip and think about it deeply.

"So tu keh raha hu agar mujhe Varna ki attention grab karni hai to uske liye ek fake relationship me jaana hoga aur tujhe lagta hai Varun ke upar ye kaam karega?"

"Of course gadhi jealousy har kisi ki kamzori hoti hai tu hi bata tujhe jealousy feel nahi hoti jab koi ladki usse baat karti hai"

She think about it have she ever jealousy the answer is no maybe she never fall into this solution.

"Chhord na ye sab let's try it itna kuch kara hai ye bhi sahi" she shrugged off her shoulders.

"So Mr. Shukla would you like to be my fake boyfriend?" She asked him with a smile and forward her hand.

How much he wish that she asked him for this in real life but his bad luck.

"Yes Ms.Gill" he hold her hand.

"Let's announced it" she stood up to went outside.

"Abhi nahi" he pulled her toward himself.

"Kiu? Varun ko pata kese chalega"

"Let him notice us aese batayenge to sabko pata chal jayega aur maybe usko shaq ho jaaye hamare upar"

"You're smart mereko laga nahi tha tu itna smart hai"

"Gadhi" he murmured and notice her expressions. strange mixture of excitement and nervousness hung in the air.

For Sidharth, this fake dating plan was more than just a scheme to help Shehnaaz, it was a chance to stay close to her, to be the one who made her laugh and blush, even if it was only pretend.

For Shehnaaz, it was an opportunity to get closer to Varun, but little did she know, she was stepping into something much deeper than just a jealousy game.

"Aage kya karna hoga jisse sabko lage him relationship me hai?" She asked him.

"Usually jo couple's karte hai like hugs, stealing glance, loved filled eyes, kisses and care for eachother"

She rised her eyebrows. "Tujhe bada pata hai"

He smirks thinking that how he know about it. Millions of times he create this type of scenario in his mind with her.

"Chal bahar chalein mujhe bhook lagi hai subha tension ke chakkar me kuch khaya bhi nahi" she pout sadly. He chuckle and nodded.

She was about to move when he hold her hand pulled her towards himself. Her head collaid with his chest, her eyes got widened when all of sudden he kissed her forhead. Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, she pushed him slightly.

"Kya kar raha hai tu?" She asked him about the kiss.

"Tujhe prepare kar raha hu jese abhi react kara aese bahar mat kariyo warna sabko shaq ho jayega remember hume normal couple jese rehna hai"

She nodded and look down feeling something in her heart.

"To tu aese hamesha karega?"

He smile "Zarurat padhi to haan" he said looking at her with love filled eyes. He knew this was all fake but for once he want her to be his just his.

"Chal ab" he wrap his hand around her neck and went outside.

Shehnaaz and Sidharth had spent the weekend meticulously planning their fake love story. They went over every detail where they "met" how they "fell in love", and even a couple of cute, made-up memories to make their act convincing. On Monday morning, they stepped into the office, ready to execute their plan.

Shehnaaz adjusted her blazer, glancing nervously at Sidharth. "Sid, remember. No overacting, aur koi random dialogue mat maarna, samjhe?"

Sidharth smirked, tugging at his cufflinks. "Relax, main professional hoon. Tu dekhna, pura office hum par believe karega."

They walked in together, deliberately closer than usual, with Sidharth casually placing his hand on Shehnaaz's lower back as they entered the main floor. It was not long before people began to notice. Whispers spread like wildfire, and within minutes, everyone seemed to be sneaking glances at them.

Including Varun.

But her confidence shattered when another member of the team, a new hire named Riya, decided to insert herself into the narrative.

Riya was strikingly pretty and had been eyeing Sidharth since the moment he walked into the office. Halfway through the meeting, she leaned toward him with a bright smile.

"Sidharth Sir" she began, her tone overly sweet, "I've been following your agency's campaigns for years. You're brilliant! How do you come up with such creative ideas?"

Sidharth, ever the charmer, gave her a polite smile. "Well, it's all about understanding the client's vision and… intuition, I guess."

Riya giggled, twirling a strand of her hair. "Wow, intuition. That's so impressive. I'd love to learn from you sometime"

Sana's jaw tightened as she watched the exchange. Her fingers curled into fists under the table. Riya's fluttering lashes and shameless compliments were grating on her nerves in a way she had not anticipated.

"Mr. Shukla agar aapki mentor ship classes khatam ho gai ho to can we start the meeting?" Shehnaaz said gritted her teeths.

Sidharth, sensing the shift in Shehnaaz's mood, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was staring daggers at Riya, her usual composure cracking.

When the meeting ended, Riya lingered, chatting animatedly with Sidharth about a non-existent "mentorship opportunity". Sidharth played along, clearly amused, but his attention kept flicking toward Shehnaaz, who stood near the door, seething quietly.

Finally, he excused himself and walked over to her. "Tu itni gusse me kyun lag rahi hai?" he asked, suppressing a smirk.

Shehnaaz crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "Main gusse me nahi hoon. Main to bass teri so call mentorship class dekh rhi thi."

Sidharth raised an eyebrow. "Are main to bass usko guide kar raha tha."

"Guide? Wo Riya toh tere upar girne wali thi!" Shehnaaz snapped, then immediately bit her tongue, realizing how possessive she sounded.

Sidharth grinned, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Tu jealousy hai?"

"Jealous?" Shehnaaz scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Bilkul nahi."

"Really?" he teased, stepping closer. "Phir jalne ki bu kiu aa rahi hai?"

Shehnaaz looked away, her cheeks burning. "Tere dimag ki flight zyada high ud rahi hai. Main bas… irritated thi"

Sidharth chuckled, leaning down slightly so that their faces were closer. "To irritated ya jealous?"

Shehnaaz glared at him, but her silence gave her away.

Sidharth straightened, his smirk softening into a gentle smile. "Don’t worry. Tere fake boyfriend ka dil sirf tere liye hai."

"Fake boyfriend hi toh hai" Shehnaaz muttered, brushing past him.

But as she walked away, her heart was pounding, and she couldn not shake the strange, unfamiliar feeling that had taken root in her chest.

Later that evening, as she sat in her cabin reviewing reports, her thoughts kept drifting back to Sidharth and Riya. She hated the way Riya had looked at him, hated the idea that Sidharth might actually enjoy it.

"Yeh kya ho raha hai mujhe?" she murmured to herself. "Fake dating ka matlab fake feelings hoti hain… right?"

Meanwhile, in his own office, Sidharth leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had noticed the jealousy in Shehnaaz's eyes and, for the first time, allowed himself a sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this fake dating plan was revealing more than either of them had anticipated.

Throughout the day, Sidharth made sure their 'relationship' was the talk of the office.

During a coffee break, he casually leaned against her desk while she typed, his hand resting lightly on her chair. "Sana pata hai? Tere bina toh meri coffee ka taste bhi incomplete lagta hai" he said loudly enough for those nearby to overhear.

Shehnaaz shot him a glare, her cheeks reddening. "Sid, itni cheesy lines maine tujh se expect nahi ki thi."

He grinned, leaning closer. "Kya karu? Tere aas paas hu toh automatically romantic ho jata hu"

Unbeknownst to them, Varun stood by the pantry, his eyes narrowing as he watched the exchange.

Later, during a team discussion in the conference room, Sidharth sat beside Shehnaaz, his presence magnetic. At one point, he casually reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear while she spoke. She froze mid sentence, her heart racing as the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

"Continue" Sidharth said smoothly, his voice warm.

Varun's expression tightened, and Shehnaaz noticed. She felt a flicker of triumph but it was short-lived as she realized how real Sidharth's touch had felt.

By lunchtime, the plan was working. Varun seemed visibly affected, his usual indifference replaced by subtle but noticeable tension.

But Shehnaaz could not shake the fluttering in her chest. It was not Varun's jealousy that made her feel this way, it was Sidharth's constant attention.

"Sana", Sidharth called out, snapping her out of her thoughts. He was standing by her cabin door, holding two lunch boxes. "Aaj lunch saath karte hain?"

She nodded, following him to the office terrace.

As they sat down, Sidharth opened the box and handed her a spoon. "Tere liye yeh special daal banayi. Mom ke haath ki recipe"

"Really to de na i miss her food" she snatch the box. She take a bite and moan. "Iska taste to almost same hai"

"Tere fake boyfriend ke duties hain. Main sirf apna role nibha raha hoon" he teased, but his eyes lingered on her a moment too long.

Shehnaaz felt her heart skip a beat, and she quickly looked away. "Fake boyfriend ki baat karo ya asli ki, tu filmy harkate bohot karta hai"

"Filmy toh tere expressions hain" he shot back, grinning. "Jab bhi Varun hume dekhta hai, teri aankhon mein ek alag si chamak aa jati hai."

Shehnaaz's smile faltered, and she pushed her food around on her plate. "Woh chamak uske liye nahi hoti shyd" she muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Sidharth's hand froze mid-air, and he looked at her, his teasing demeanor slipping. "Tune kuch kaha?"

"Nahi" she said quickly, standing up. "Mujhe meeting ke liye jaana hai. Thanks for lunch."

She walked away, leaving Sidharth staring after her, a mix of confusion and hope in his eyes.

____________________________

That is it for today.

Hope you all like it.

Thanks for reading.