Tamanna was at her terrace after dinner. She couldn't get him out of her mind. Seems like she did develop a crush on him. Maybe something even stronger.

She heard some shuffling behind her and saw Anubhav enter the terrace.

He saw her and stopped short before walking towards her again.

"You don't usually come here at this time."

It was a statement. She raised her eyebrow at his confident tone.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I usually do and you're never here."

She nodded in understanding and they got silent again. It wasn't awkward. A comfortable silence.

"Thank you."

Anubhav heard her whisper after some time.

"For what?"

"For -umm-what you did today."

She said tucking her hair behind her ear. It took him a minute to understand what she was talking about and he nodded nonchalantly.

"Our hatred for each other is not bigger than your safety and dignity."

She chuckled at his words and said.

"You mean your hatred towards me?"

He frowned and turned his body towards her, facing her completely.

"I don't hate you Anubhav. I never hated you. I just dislike how you make everything about competition between us. It's you who hate me."

Anubhav was surprised at the confession that she didn't hate him. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. She shook her head and said.

"Mujhe aaj tak ye samajh nhi aaya ki aisa hua kya? When I got to know that someone else had joined on the same day as me, mai aayi thi tumse baat krne. Because I felt like being new joinees hum ek dusre ko better samajh paayenge. But then you said all that rubbish that you did. About us being competitors for life."

She said the last part in a mocking tone trying to mimic his deep voice. He chuckled and then said.

"You came much later. Mai first day hi aaya tha tumhare paas. To talk to you because just like you I felt like we'd understand each other better."

He said surprising her.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I saw how you were ordering people around already. You're too bossy Tamanna. Atleast that's what I thought. But working with you all these months, I've realised ki shayad maine bhut jyada aur bhut jaldi judge kr lia."

She took a minute to process what he had said.

"You judged me for my job?"

She asked and he frowned.

"Just like your role in the company is handling clients and representing the company in meetings. My role is to manage the internal working. Mai orders de rhi thi because it's my job. Not because I'm bossy. You judged me for my job."

She accused him and he felt ashamed.

"I know. And I realised it much later. I'm sorry."

He did seem and sound genuinely apologetic but she didn't say anything. She thought that maybe the conversation was over and just as she turned to leave, he spoke.

"I-there's a reason I judged you so quick. Not that it's an excuse but-"

He stopped and looked at her. She raised her eyebrow in question prompting him to speak.

"I was bullied in school. Since a very young age. My family financial background wasn't that strong and I was always the lonely weird nerd kid. Easily scared and easily manipulated. I was a puppet to those rich kids. They would give ne orders and odd things to do. Unka homework and projects mai krta tha. I was threatened that if I tell my parents about it they'd get them fired from their jobs and mai darr jaata tha because they were from influencial families."

He gulped and Tamanna looked at him wide eyed. People considered bullying as something very common and ok while it was not. It was not ok. It tampers and disrupts someone's mental peace.

"And not just that, they would do things to hurt me. Physically hurt me. I was terrified of spiders and they got to know it somehow. They sneaked a spider in school and set it free on me. And what did the teacher do? She warned them. As if wo sunne walo mai se the. It continued for 5 good years. I finally told my parents about it jab I was in 10th. Hum school ke aage apni apni vans ke paas the when they instigated a street dog and set it behind me. I could have died that day if not for the school guards."

Tamanna didn't know how to react.

"I told my parents about everything and they changed my school. What I meant was, I didn't have an easy childhood and I still get nightmares at times. I know it's funny and-"

"It's not! Bullying is not funny. Making fun of someone to an extent ki usse nightmares aane lage is not funny."

She said and he smiled. That's what he liked about her. How she understood everyone's plight.

"I hate people who order others to do their work and isliye when I saw you that day, it triggered my memories and I didn't use my brain. I'm sorry."

He whispered earnestly and she smiled.

"It's ok. Maine bura nhi mana. Moreover, I always took it as healthy competition. You did get on my nerves sometimes but it's fine."

He chuckled and looked into her eyes. She felt a shift in his gaze and looked away only for her eyes to snap back to his when he uttered his next words.

"If we're being honest today, toh I have a confession to make. I-actually had a crush on you."

She looked at him wide eyed.

"I saw you on the day of our interview. Humara waiting room same tha. You might not remember lekin mai bhul nhi paaya. The aura and the confidence that you carried. I-I couldn't stop looking at you. But I knew that we'd never meet again. Lekin phir I saw you on our first day of joining and got to know that we're going to work in the same office. I was so happy and excited to talk to you. Get to know you more. Lekin jab mai aaya tum-tum kaam kr rhi thi and I misjudged."

It had started drizzling. Tamanna knew it wad going to rain soon. But she couldn't move. Not after what she just heard. He had a crush on her?

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