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Maya took Akshvi along to her apartment. She pulled the keys out of her purse and unlocked the door. Inside, it was completely dark. Turning on the light from the switchboard, Maya said, "Come on in, Akshvi!"

Akshvi stepped inside and took in the entire apartment. It was extremely cozy and charming. She said, "Maya! Your home is so beautiful. I really like it."

"Thank you so much," Maya said as she slipped off her heels.

Akshvi was very impressed with the interior design of the flat, so she placed everything she was holding onto the sofa and started admiring Maya's house. Maya, noticing this, smiled. At that moment, she could see the same dreams in Akshvi's eyes that she once had, dreams that she had fulfilled. Maya saw a reflection of her younger self in Akshvi, which is what had drawn her so close to Akshvi in such a short time.

Maya got up from the sofa and said, "Akshvi! Let me get the guest room bed ready for you. In the meantime, feel free to explore the house."

"Okay," Akshvi smiled.

With that, Maya headed towards one of the rooms. About fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the room and said, "Akshvi, your bed is ready. You must be tired. You can take a shower; I've turned on the geyser."

Akshvi was looking at some photographs on the wall, her attention caught by one of them. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Maya's voice. Seeing Akshvi standing still for quite some time, Maya approached her and asked, "Akshvi, what has you so captivated that you didn't even hear me?"

But as soon as Maya reached her, her own steps halted. Akshvi snapped out of her thoughts and, pointing to a photograph, asked, "This... photograph... in it..."

"It's... it's nothing special," Maya quickly said, flipping the photo frame on the side table.

Akshvi looked at Maya's face, noticing a sudden change in her behavior. Maya's eyes had gone completely blank, and her face was expressionless. Akshvi grabbed Maya by the shoulders, turning her toward her and said, "Maya! You can tell me. What is the meaning of this photograph? That's Raumik in the picture, right? You both look pretty close. Then why are you acting so strange? I noticed in the elevator today that something's off between you and Romi. What happened, Maya? If you consider me a friend, please share it with me."

Maya looked at Akshvi, tears welling up in her eyes, though they stayed trapped on her eyelids. In a choked voice, she said, "Raumik... Raumik is my ex."

"What?" Akshvi asked in shock.

Maya replied, "We broke up. It's been six months since we parted ways."

Akshvi was stunned to hear this, but she asked, "You... still love Raumik, don't you?"

"No," Maya immediately responded, as if reminding herself of it.

Akshvi gave a faint smile and said, "You do, Maya! Otherwise, this photograph wouldn't still be hanging in your house."

Maya pulled herself out of Akshvi's grip and said, "I don't love him. He was a mistake. He was my past. I have nothing to do with him anymore. He means nothing to me. Nothing at all."

Without listening to another word, Maya retreated to her room and shut the door behind her. Seeing this, Akshvi felt terrible for Maya. Maya was such a confident, independent, and smart woman, and it hurt to see her reacting this way. Akshvi took a deep breath and muttered to herself, "What have you done to Maya, Romi? Your habit of breaking hearts still hasn't changed, it seems. Well, whatever you've done, I'll figure it out. And if you've wronged Maya, I'll make sure you pay for it, Romi."

Saying this, Akshvi also headed towards the guest room, which Maya had just prepared for her. When she entered, she noticed how thoughtfully Maya had arranged everything. She went into the washroom, took a warm shower, and then changed into a night suit, likely Maya's. After checking a few important emails, she went to bed.

✦✦✦

The next morning, when Akshvi stepped out of her room, she saw that Maya was already up and preparing breakfast. Akshvi walked into the kitchen and smiled as she said, "Good morning, Maya! I hope you're feeling better now."

"Good morning," Maya replied with a smile. "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine. Please don't worry about me, Akshvi!"

"Do you need my help with anything?" Akshvi asked.

Maya said, "No. Breakfast is ready. Let's head to the dining area."

"Okay," Akshvi agreed.

They both set the table together and started their breakfast. Maya apologized, saying, "I'm really sorry, Akshvi! I reacted so badly last night. It was your first time at my place, and I didn't take good care of you. Please forgive me."

"It's okay, Maya! Sometimes letting out emotions is necessary. And you took great care of me. I wasn't uncomfortable at all," Akshvi reassured her.

Maya smiled at her words. Akshvi continued, "Maya, if you ever need a friend or want to share anything, you can always talk to me. I'll never judge you, and your secret will be safe with me. I promise."

Hearing this, Maya felt comforted. She had never made friends in this city. Her family lived far away, and she never burdened them with her problems, so she had to face everything alone. Every situation, she had dealt with by herself. Akshvi's words gave her a sense of relief. Smiling, Maya said, "I know."

Akshvi smiled back and resumed eating her breakfast. A little while later, her phone chimed with a notification. She opened it and saw a message from 'Hot Chocolate.' Opening the chat, the message read, "Hello Buttercup! Good morning. You seem to have forgotten me completely."

Seeing this message, a smile spread across Akshvi's lips, and her face began to blush. She typed, "Good morning! I haven't forgotten you; I've just been a bit busy. Well, you reminded me by messaging."

"Oh really? I reminded you? Anyway, leave it. How are you?" Hot Chocolate replied.

Akshvi typed back, "I'm good. You?"

"I'm good too. Just missing you," came the reply from Hot Chocolate.

Meanwhile, Maya had been observing Akshvi. Noticing her smiling so much, Maya teased her, "Oh... Akshvi madam has a boyfriend, too. Tell me, who's the lucky guy?"

Hearing this, Akshvi immediately put her phone aside and said, "No, no. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Really? Then why were you smiling so much while reading those messages?" Maya continued teasing her.

Akshvi replied, "He's not my boyfriend. You could say he's a friend."

"You could say? What do you mean by that?" Maya asked.

Akshvi glanced at the wall clock, her eyes widening, and exclaimed, "Maya!!! We'll discuss this later. We need to rush. It's almost nine, and I'm not even ready yet!"

Maya said, "Relax, Akshvi! We still have an hour."

"But I have no idea what I'm going to wear today!" Akshvi said, sounding stressed.

Maya replied, "Let me help you. Come on, I'll get you ready today."

"Really?" A little tension lifted from Akshvi's face.

"Really," Maya said, leading her to the room.

✦✦✦

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Vedang was sitting in his cabin, and Raumik was seated in the chair opposite him. They were probably in the middle of a meeting, discussing several matters. After a lengthy discussion, Vedang said, "Alright, Mr. Prakash, you may proceed with the site inspection."

"Thank you, boss! I actually wanted to personally visit the site to do some analysis," Raumik said.

"Hmm, I think that's a good idea. It will make it easier for you to prepare the report," Vedang agreed.

Raumik said, "Boss, I have a request. Can I take Maya with me for the site inspection? I could use some help, and she's perfect for this."

Raumik needed to talk to Maya, but she wasn't giving him a chance. Not at the office, not at home. She had completely isolated herself. If Vedang allowed him to take Maya along, she would have no choice but to go with him, and there, he could talk to her at ease. That's why Raumik made this request to Vedang.

Vedang thought for a moment and then said, "Um... I'm really sorry, but Maya isn't available in the company right now. Actually, I had a small meeting to attend, but I couldn't go, so Maya had to represent me."

Hearing this, Raumik's hope shattered, and disappointment was clearly visible on his face. He sighed and said, "Oh. It's okay, boss. No problem. I'll manage by myself. Thank you."

Seeing Raumik leave, Vedang said, "Wait, Raumik! I'll send someone to help you."

"No, boss! That's not necessary. I'll manage," Raumik replied.

Vedang insisted, "No, you mentioned you needed help. And if there's a problem with your work, it means the report might also be flawed. I can't take that risk."

Then he made a call. After a couple of rings, the call was answered, and Arnav's voice came through, "Yes, big bro! What happened?"

"Send Ms. Sinha to my cabin. Quickly," Vedang said, hanging up the call.

When Vedang's call came in, asking Arnav to urgently send Akshvi to his cabin, Arnav found it quite strange. What could Vedang possibly need from Akshvi at this time, and so urgently? Well, he didn't dwell on it for too long. After all, his entertainment was bound to come from their clash. And if they didn't meet, how would it be fun? Without over thinking, Arnav called Akshvi. After a couple of rings, she picked up the phone from her desk and answered, "Hello!"

Arnav said, "Akshvi! It's Arnav."

Hearing Arnav's name, Akshvi quickly replied, "Yes, sir? Do you need anything? I'll be there in two minutes."

"Umm... no, no, Akshvi," Arnav corrected her misunderstanding, "I don't need anything right now. But yes, someone else does."

"Who? Who could need me besides you?" Akshvi asked, puzzled by his words.

With a smirk, Arnav responded, "Ved bhai."

"What?" At the mention of Vedang's name, Akshvi couldn't help but react.

Hearing her change in tone, Arnav thought to himself, "Why does she panic so much at Ved bhai's name? But whatever it is, it's cute."

Then he switched to a slightly serious tone, so she would take him seriously, "What happened? Do you have a problem with him?"

Noticing the sudden change in his tone, Akshvi replied, "N... n... no, sir! Why would I have a problem with him?"

"Then go to his cabin right away. He needs you urgently," Arnav said.

Akshvi couldn't refuse Arnav's orders. That was her job-to assist her boss and follow his instructions. So, she knew she had to go to Vedang's cabin. "Okay, sir," she said.

Then Arnav hung up the call. Feeling irritated, Akshvi muttered to herself, "What could this nightmare possibly need from me? He already has such a talented assistant like Maya. Why does he need me? Ugh... The more I try to stay away from this nightmare, the more he pulls me toward him."

With that, she got up from her desk and headed towards Vedang's cabin.

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Meanwhile, in Vedang's cabin, Raumik said, "Boss! Why don't you come with me to the site? If you visit yourself, you'll get an idea of what the final output is going to be."

"Umm... I'll visit the site sometime. For now, you go ahead," Vedang said, dismissing Raumik's suggestion.

Just then, there was a knock at the cabin door. Vedang said, "Come in."

As soon as he gave permission, the door opened, and Akshvi entered the cabin. "Good morning, sir! You called for me?" she said upon entering.

Her gaze then fell on Raumik, who was sitting in front of Vedang, and she smiled, "Romi, you?"

"Yeah, good morning, Akshu!" Raumik responded with a smile.

"Good morning," Akshvi replied.

Vedang, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at her. Akshvi was wearing a dark green oversized satin shirt paired with brown pants. The sleeves of her shirt were folded up to her elbows, and she was wearing a watch on her wrist. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her face had a light touch of makeup with nude-shaded lipstick. She was also wearing heels, which made her look even more elegant and beautiful.

Vedang listened to Raumik and Akshvi casually chatting and, for some reason, he didn't like it. He asked, "Do you two know each other?"

Raumik replied, "Yes, boss! We're school friends. I just met Akshvi at the office yesterday. I was really surprised to see her here."

Akshvi didn't say anything, just gave a small smile. Vedang, sounding slightly rude, said, "Okay, that's great. But keep your friendship outside of the office. The office is for work, not for friendships."

Hearing this, both Akshvi and Raumik's expressions fell. Raumik said, "Okay, boss! We'll keep that in mind."

Akshvi felt a surge of anger towards Vedang. Sure, the office is a place for work, but how can you work together without forming friendships with colleagues? But what could she say to the boss? So, suppressing her anger, she asked, "Why did you call me here?"

"Oh, yeah, Ms. Sinha! I want you to go with Mr. Prakash to the site inspection and assist him. Maya was supposed to go with him, but she isn't in the office right now," Vedang said.

Akshvi heard this and took a moment to think about it. If she went with Raumik, she'd get some alone time with him. This meant she could ask Raumik about Maya and his relationship with her. Maybe she could even help them. So, she said, "Okay, sir!"

Raumik added, "Okay, boss! We'll head out now; otherwise, we'll be late in the evening. I'll drop Akshvi home too."

Vedang was sending Akshvi with Raumik, but for some reason, he wasn't comfortable with the idea of her going with him alone. He didn't like how friendly Akshvi was with Raumik, and now, the thought of them going to the site together bothered him even more. And he didn't know why. When he saw that Raumik and Akshvi were about to leave the cabin, he said, "Mr. Prakash! Actually... I think you were right. I should go with you myself. Wait for five minutes, I'll meet you in the parking."

"Okay, boss! As you wish. We'll be in the parking," Raumik said as he and Akshvi exited Vedang's cabin.

As soon as they left, Vedang angrily threw the paperweight on his table to the floor and said, "Why did I do that? Why do I need to go with them? Whether she goes alone or with someone else, why is this bothering me? On top of that, I was the one who called her so I could send her with Raumik. Then why am I feeling all this? And what happened to me when I saw that girl? I'm losing control of myself, and that's not good for me. I need to do something soon."

He then made a call. After a couple of rings, the call was answered, and a voice said, "Yes, boss!"

"Cancel all my meetings for today. I'm going for a site visit," Vedang said in a flat tone.

The voice on the other end replied, "Okay, boss."

Back outside the cabin, as soon as they exited, Akshvi made a face and mimicked Vedang in a funny way, saying, "Keep your friendship outside the office. The office is for work, not for friendships."

Seeing her mimicry in such a humorous way, Raumik laughed and said, "What are you doing?"

"Huh! Who does he think he is? Does he plan to control everyone's lives? Not everyone is like him-grumpy and unfriendly!" Akshvi said in an irritated tone.

Raumik, trying to calm her down, said, "Calm down, gada-dhari Bheem! This is the office, and that man is our boss. It's his company, and things will go his way."

"Huh! One day, I'll become a successful author and leave this company with a kick," Akshvi declared.

"Absolutely, madam! But for now, let's head to the parking area?" Raumik suggested.

"Hmm," Akshvi replied as she walked towards the lift with Raumik.

✦✦✦

About ten minutes later, Vedang got into his car. Raumik and Akshvi were in Raumik's car, and both cars left the company. Vedang's car was in front, with Raumik's right behind it.

In the car, Akshvi said, "Raumik, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm," Raumik replied while driving.

Akshvi hesitated, "Umm... it's a bit personal."

"Go ahead and ask," Raumik said.

After a bit of hesitation, Akshvi asked, "Umm... I wanted to know... what's your relationship with Maya?"

The moment Raumik heard this question, all the charm disappeared from his face in an instant. His expression became completely dull. He replied, "What... what do you mean?"

Akshvi explained, "Raumik, I know that you and Maya were in a relationship. And you two broke up. But I want to know the reason. Will you tell me what exactly happened between the two of you?"

Raumik's jawline tightened. He asked, "Who told you... all this? Was it Maya?"

Akshvi replied, "No. Yesterday, Maya and I went shopping together. It got pretty late at night, so... I couldn't get into the hostel, so Maya took me to her home. There, I saw your and Maya's photographs. When I asked her about it, she only told me that you and she were in a relationship and that you two broke up six months ago. And that you're her past."

Akshvi paused for a few seconds and then said, "She may have said that you're a part of her past, but you're still very much in her present. I saw it in her eyes. And yesterday, in the lift, I saw the way you were looking at Maya. There was so much in your eyes. Tell me, what really happened that made you both drift apart? I want to help you both."

"Akshu, you should stay away from all this. Otherwise... you'll get dragged into it with me," Raumik sighed deeply, speaking in a heavy tone.

Akshvi immediately responded, "Raumik! We've been friends for a long time. Yes, we didn't communicate for a few years, but that doesn't mean our friendship ended. And Maya... she's my only close friend in this unfamiliar city. She's always stood by me, helped me, and been there for me during my worst times. Please... I can't just sit and watch you two like this. Please... tell me. Let me help you this time, Raumik! Please."

After listening to her, Raumik said, "I cheated on her."

"What?" Akshvi asked, shocked.

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