Preeta's POV

Was he really here? Karan. I was seeing him in front of me. Something inside me wanted to go and hug him while a part of me wanted to run away from him. The only hook up of my life had landed me in such a big trouble

"Hii",he gave me a small smile.

"Hello sir",I smiled back. We were ought to keep it professional in every single way. I sat in front of him.

"So you are my personal secretary and you work is to...", he started explaining me my work while I was just sitting there cherishing his presence, memories of that night flashing my mind.

"Anything else u want to say or ask Preeta?", I came back to senses and signed no.

"Then start working", I stood up nodding.

"Thank u sir", I turned to leave. He didn't try to make it awkward for me. He almost behaved as if he forgot that night. Did he really forget everything?

"Preeta",I turned hear him saying my name.

"Yes sir",I gave him a questioning look.

"Nothing..You can leave",he smiled lightly. I turned a bit confused and moved out towards my desk.

The rest of day I tried figuring out the company rules and my job requirements. We didn't interact much. It was the time to leave. Everyone around was welcoming and left waving at me.

I saw Karan still working in his cabin. He should go home. I bothered to gave a knock on his cabin's door. He asked me to leave without even looking up.

"Karan",I opened the door of his cabin.

"Oh sorry Preeta..I thought it was guard..What happened?",he asked calmly.

"Its not late..You should go home",I suggested him.

"No I'll just complete it and go..U can go..Text me once you reach..Its late or should I send driver with you",I smiled at his concern.

"Its fine..I'll go..Take care of yourself",I closed the door. He resumed working while I kept my bag on the desk and moved to cafeteria. I made a coffee for him and went to his cabin again.

"You didn't leave?",he asked as I opened the door.

"Just going..Coffee for you",I placed the coffee mug in front of me and turned to leave.

"Thank you", he smiled. I smiled back and left taking the taxi.

I texted him reaching my apartment and slept tired.

Karan's POV

The coffee was perfect as she was. I completed my work and went back home.

It had been one month since she joined.  We both did manage to stay within our professional boundaries. Her prsence was more than enough for me but still issues never end. Ahana did see both of us together when she mistakenly tripped and I held her through waist. Obviously, I won't let her fall ever. Ahana misinterpreted the situation and the entire office gossiped about her but we didn't care. As long as we're right, nothing can go wrong. After that, I purposely used to maintain a distance from her and she did the same. She used to come with my schedule, coffee and accompanied me to meetings and that was enough for me to know she was there around me.

"Sir the files..",I came back to senses as she passed me some files.

I took the files and my hand brushed against hers. She looked at me and turned away.

"Preeta..",she stopped and turned.

"Are you comfortable here?",if she wanted, she could leave. If my presence or those rumours were troubling her, I would recruit her to some other branch.

"Its fine sir", she smiled lightly. I smiled.

I switched off all the lights. I was again late. Taking my coat and car keys, I was about to leave when I saw her stuff still on her desk. I called guard.

"Ramesh.. Has everyone left?",I asked her trying to figure out if she just forgot her stuff there.

"No sir...Except you..Preeta Mam's sign is not here", she was still in the office.

"Okay",I hanged up the call and looked around for her.

"Preeta", no reply. I went to the terrace in search of her because that was the only place left I didn't check.

I opened the door of terrace and saw her sitting on the edge. I was confused.

"Preeta", she turned and looked at me.

"Yes sir", she smiled at me.

"Why are you still here? And that too on terrace..Come down..Its not safe where you are sitting", what was wrong with this girl?

"Can I sit here for sometime,please?", I was confused at her request.

I nodded. She turned and continued her stargazing. I kept my coat and sat besides her.

"Sir", she looked at me.

"Office hours are over and you can call me Karan..Now tell me what happened", I wanted to know what was troubling her.

"Nothing..", she looked away.

"Eyes don't lie..And your eyes are against you babydoll", something was definitely wrong.

"Don't call me that", she smiled with a shade of pain in her eyes and took a sip from the bottle of wine I didn't realise she was holding.

"Preeta..What's wrong?", I snatched the bottle from her.

"I am wrong..", she didn't look at me.

"Babydoll",I tried to calm her.

"No Karan don't...don't call me that..That makes me remember..",she paused but we both knew the answer.

There was a deep silence for some moments until I noticed tears rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them off.

"Would you please tell me what happened? Because for god's sake, I can't see you crying", her tears somehow angered me.

"Nothing...I am resigning and that's final", she stood up.

"I need reason", I made her look at me and pulled her through her arm.

"Because if I stay...", she smiled in tears.

"Don't worry..I won't fall in love with you", if this was making her leave then it was not going to happen.

"No..If I stay..I will fall in love with you", that painful smile etched on her lips with tears in her eyes.

"Then fall in love with me", I pulled her enough close to feel her every breath on my face.

"You got your reason Karan", she smiled.

"No babydoll..I didn't..Since that night..Since past one year there has been only one question...that haunts me, follows me and never ever leaves me no matter where I go..Why can't you love me? Why? If I wasn't that special to you..you should be different by now but no..We both are still on the same page and I need answers",I finally burst out on her.

"Do u remember that night Karan?", she asked. How stupid? I remember every fraction of second I spent with her.

"I want answer, not another question", I needed answers and if not now,never.

"Don't you dare fall in love with me Karan", she held me closer.

"You can't control what I feel..You don't have any right to", a tear finally escaped my eye. She can't do this to me.

"I don't want to lose you Karan...Please", she joined her forehead with mine.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why did you do this to me? One year babydoll..One year babydoll..Tell me why can't you love me..Tell me why did that touch, that night was just not a hook up, a random one night stand for me...Tell me why can't you love me and tell me why can't I love u..Because babydoll I really love...", she covered my mouth with her hand stopping me.

"Please don't Karan..Please don't say that", she signed no.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I love her , since the time I saw her, since the time she touched me, I am hers and here is my life saying that to me,"Don't you dare fall in love with me".

"Karan I don't want to lose you..Because loving means leaving..you love me and I'll lose u..You'll love me and I don't know I'll be able to love you or not..I am broken Karan and my pieces can never love you enough..I'll hurt you even though I don't want to..and you'll leave...everyone who loves me leaves me...And I can't see u leaving...Don't expect anything from me Karan..Don't love me..Just stay there..Anywhere..I'll feel u but I can't love you...Please don't love me",she burst out in tears.

My heart broke seeing her. I removed her hand gently.

"I won't leave babydoll..I promise", I tilted her chin up towards me.

"Promises are meant to be broken..and so am I Karan..I don't want love Karan..We will stay the way we are..That night..You didn't expect me to love you..I didn't expect you to love me..Expectations hurt Karan..And love makes u expect, care, break and eventually I will lose you..I don't want to lose u..I don't..", her tears were unstoppable and pain was unbearable.

"I don't expect anything from you babydoll..Just let me love you..I am not asking for your love but please give me mine", I hugged her.

"No Karan..I can't..Everything will fall apart..", she wiped her tears.

"Babydoll..Let it fall apart..Let us get destroyed but at least be with me in that destruction, be with me in at pain..It hurts babydoll...I never believed in love..I don't want to...But u make me want you..You make me feel love and thats all I know for the rest of my life..I don't want to touch you..have you..,I want you to feel loved..I want myself to feel loved..We all are broken babydoll..May be I am more than you..And there's nobody who even tried to heal me..Heal me with your scars..And I'll be fine..I love you and even if everything falls apart, I'll hold your hand and say'Lets start all over again'..And Miss Preeta Arora..I never wanted you on my bed..I want you in my home,my garden,my office,my heart,everywhere and as my wife because I fell in love with you at the very first sight", I said it while looking into her eyes. Each word as honest as my love was.

"Don't say that Karan..You will leave and this time I won't break..I will end..Don't love me..Please don't", she tried to get out of my grip.

"Is this your final decision?",I looked at her teary eyed.

"Kiss me like there's no tomorrow Karan", she pulled me closer.

"Because tomorrow I won't be there and...don't you dare fall in love with me", she smashed her lips on mine. The kiss was more of pain than of desire or passion. She was my broken charm, a charm to broken to believe in love and I was someone who never believed in love but believed in her.

I pulled her down with me still kissing. Her hands ruffled my hair as I pulled her closer through waist. She broke and smiled at me.

"I hope u fall in love with someone who never leave", she kissed my forehead.

"Then don't leave and be that one..the only one", I held her hand.

"I may look like a charm to you Karan..But I'm broken..Broken to believe that there's someone who won't ever leave me, who will love me..Don't let me charm you Karan..Sometimes leaving is difficult but necessary", she stood up and moved towards the door.

I was still sitting there in tears. I looked at her going hoping she would turn, hoping she would stay but she didn't.

"If you have been the charm of my life, I wouldn't have been this broken"

...Doraemon

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