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Although I go to the office every day and have attended countless meetings for work, today felt different.
I kissed Aarushi's forehead, reassuring her, but deep down, I wasn't sure if I could live up to her trust.
Rohit and Rohan were with me, following in the second car, but I knew that if anything went wrong, it could lead to disastrous consequences.
"Sir, we've arrived," the driver announced.
Lost in a web of thoughts, I hadn't even realized we had reached the meeting spot.
I stepped out of the car and walked inside.
"Good morning, Rudra." Kiran's voice welcomed me the moment I entered.
I clenched my teeth, forcing a smile, and replied with a half-hearted "Good morning."
"Are the files ready?" I asked as I moved forward.
"Yes, here they are," she responded.
We both proceeded to the meeting room. Since the client was running late, I took the opportunity to double-check everything once again. Kiran, equally focused, joined me in going over the final details.
"Everything's okay, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's perfect," I said, flipping to the last pages of the file.
"Rudra!"
Once she starts saying my name, will she keep repeating it all day? Thank God the microphone isn't on today, or Aarushi would have drained her blood by now.*
"Yes? What is it?" I replied without even looking at her.
"I'm asking about your life. Is everything okay?"
"Yes," I answered with a face devoid of any emotion.
"Don't lie, please," she said softly, taking my hand in hers.
I glanced at her. *Ugh, what kind of woman is she? My wife would break her hands if she saw this.*
"Uh... actually, I was wondering, are you free after the meeting?"
"For you? Always," she replied with a sly smile.
"Ha, you sly fox," I repeated in my mind.
Just then, Shiv, my P.A., knocked on the door to inform us that the client had arrived.
I didn't put on the microphone today for a reason-she'd get anxious, overthink everything, and jealous? Oh, she'd burn with it, no doubt about that. But I made sure to tell Rohan to handle things. If she calls, he knows to reassure her that everything's fine.
After the meeting, we successfully secured the deal, and now it was time to switch gears to the more personal matters.
Once we escorted the client to his car, Kiran and I found ourselves alone.