Sidharth rushed to meet Akhil, who worked in the same building but on a different floor. It was tea break, and as expected, Akhil was at their usual tea spot, a small café on the third floor. The place had a cozy charm, with the scent of freshly brewed chai and the soft hum of conversations filling the air. Sidharth spotted Akhil leaning against the counter, stirring his tea lazily.
Without preamble, Sidharth walked up and asked, "Akhil, why are you even my friend?"
Akhil arched an eyebrow, took a slow sip of his tea, and smirked. "Ah, finally, you realized you don't deserve me?"
Sidharth sighed dramatically. "No, I'm serious. How did I end up with you? What cruel joke did fate play on me?"
Akhil laughed. "Oh, come on, yaar. Just because you're losing your mind over a girl you saw at Marine Drive, doesn't mean you get to question our sacred friendship."
Sidharth groaned, rubbing his temples. "Not this again."
Akhil clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, yes, this again! You, my dear friend, are the talk of my entertainment section. I mean, Sidharth? The Sidharth? The most composed, practical, 'I'm-too-busy-for-romance' guy is now walking around like a lost puppy over a girl whose name he doesn't even know! This is the biggest plot twist of the year."
Sidharth rolled his eyes, but before he could retort, another voice interrupted them.
"What's the biggest plot twist of the year?" Unnati asked, joining them at the counter.
Sidharth internally groaned. Great. More people to tease him.
Akhil turned to Unnati with a mischievous grin. "Oh, you'll love this. Our dear Sidharth has fallen head over heels for a mystery girl."
Unnati's eyes widened. "Wait. Sidharth? As in this Sidharth?" She pointed at him in disbelief.
"Yes!" Akhil said dramatically. "This very one."
Unnati shook her head, crossing her arms. "No way. Sidharth is not the type. He's way too practical for something like this."
"I thought so too," Akhil said, enjoying himself. "But I saw it with my own eyes. Marine Drive, one girl, and boom—our guy here was a goner."
Unnati studied Sidharth with curiosity. "Is this true?"
Sidharth groaned. "I hate you both."
"That means it's true," Unnati concluded, smirking. "So, tell me, what's she like?"
Before Sidharth could answer, another person joined them. The atmosphere tensed instantly as Ajay walked over, his usual smirk in place.
"What's the hot topic?" Ajay asked, looking between them.
Sidharth and Akhil exchanged a glance, instantly shifting their expressions. They didn't want Ajay involved in anything personal.
"Oh, just talking about work," Sidharth replied quickly.
Ajay leaned in, clearly not convinced. "You sure? It sounded way more interesting than that."
Unnati, catching onto the tension, smoothly changed the topic. "Speaking of work, how's that article coming along, Ajay? You know, the one you took full credit for?"
Ajay chuckled, as if amused by the accusation. "Oh, that? Well, I did put in a lot of effort."
Sidharth clenched his jaw. Ajay had a history of using other people's work to his advantage. He had once taken an entire report Sidharth had researched and passed it off as his own, conveniently forgetting to mention Sidharth's contributions.
Akhil, never one to let things slide, leaned in. "You mean the one Sid spent nights working on? The one you conveniently 'polished' and submitted as your own?"
Ajay waved a dismissive hand. "Details, details. The important thing is that it got published, right?"
Sidharth exhaled sharply. "Yeah. And the byline conveniently had only your name on it."
Ajay shrugged. "It's all about presentation, Sid. You do the groundwork, and I make sure it shines. Teamwork."
Sidharth was about to retort, but Unnati cut in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Right. And by 'teamwork,' you mean taking credit for others' work and calling it yours."
Ajay shot her a look but didn't argue. He simply smirked, as if he had won some invisible battle, and walked away.
The three of them watched him leave before Akhil muttered, "One day, he's going to push his luck too far."
"He already has," Sidharth said, shaking his head.
Unnati sighed. "Why don't you do something about it? File a complaint."
Sidharth ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple, Unnati. He knows how to play the game. He's careful."
Akhil scoffed. "Careful, my foot. He's just lucky so far."
They let the topic drop, returning to their tea. After a moment, Unnati turned back to Akhil.
"So," she began. "Tell me more about this girl."
"So, Sid," Akhil smirked, stirring his tea slowly. "Back to the important matter at hand. The mysterious beauty who has stolen your heart."
Sidharth sighed, taking a sip of his tea. "I don't even know her name, Akhil. I don't know if I'll ever see her again."
Unnati, who had been listening intently, raised an eyebrow. "Wait. Let me get this straight. You, Sidharth Shankar Menon, the most logical and no-nonsense person I've ever met, are obsessed with a random girl you saw for a few minutes?"
Akhil laughed. "See? Even Unnati finds it hard to believe!"
Sidharth leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "I know how ridiculous it sounds, alright? But it's not just that I saw her, Unnati. It felt… different. As if—" He hesitated, searching for the right words. "As if I've known her before."
Unnati scoffed. "Sounds like a Bollywood movie plot to me."
Akhil chuckled. "Exactly! That's what I told him! But look at him, all dreamy-eyed. He's gone, Unnati. Our dear friend has fallen."
Sidharth shot Akhil a glare, but Unnati leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "Okay, describe her to me."
Sidharth hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "She had the kind of presence that made everything else blur in the background. Her eyes—" he paused, exhaling deeply, "—were the kind you don't forget. They had depth, as if they held stories untold. She was sitting there alone, staring at the sea like she belonged to another world."
Unnati folded her arms, trying to mask the small pang of jealousy that settled in her chest. "Sounds poetic."
Akhil grinned. "More like tragic. My man here got enchanted, and before he could talk to her—poof! She disappeared."
Sidharth rolled his eyes. "I don't need you making this sound like some fantasy novel, Akhil."
Unnati tilted her head, watching Sidharth carefully. She had always known him to be grounded, someone who believed in facts, logic, and evidence. Seeing him like this—uncertain, lost in thought—was strange.
"You know what's actually weird?" Unnati said, tapping her fingers on the table. "You. This isn't like you, Sid."
Akhil leaned in, resting his chin on his palm. "Exactly what I told him! The guy who wouldn't even let me copy his notes back in college is now losing sleep over a stranger. It's poetic justice, if you ask me."
Sidharth shook his head, sighing. "You two aren't helping."
Unnati smirked. "Oh, I'm definitely not trying to help. This is the most entertainment I've had in weeks."
Akhil burst into laughter. "See, Sid? Everyone's enjoying your misery."
Sidharth exhaled sharply, but he knew he couldn't really be mad at them. If anyone had the right to tease him, it was these two.
Unnati took another sip of her tea, her gaze softening as she looked at Sidharth. "You know, you've always been the kind of person who keeps things in control. Maybe this is good for you. Maybe it's time you experience something out of your hands."
Sidharth gave her a sideways glance. "You really think that?"
Unnati shrugged. "I think… you should at least try to find her. If she's meant to be in your life, she will be."
Akhil leaned back, smirking. "Wow. Deep words, Unnati. Are you reading self-help books now?"
Unnati kicked his shin under the table. "Shut up, Akhil."
Sidharth chuckled at their banter, feeling a little more at ease. He then turned to Unnati, something suddenly clicking in his mind. "You're being unusually supportive."
Unnati blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You usually call me out when I do something dumb," Sidharth said. "But here you are, encouraging me to chase after a girl I've never even spoken to."
Unnati's fingers tightened around her cup for a second before she forced a casual shrug. "Well, maybe I just want to see what happens. Maybe I want to see you trip and fall flat on your face."
Akhil snorted. "You and I both."
Sidharth gave them both a look but then turned serious. "Unnati, you've always been honest with me. If you think this is a bad idea, tell me."
Unnati hesitated, biting her lip. "I don't think it's a bad idea, Sid. I just…" She exhaled. "I don't want you to get hurt. You've never been the type to chase after something without knowing where it's leading. And this… this is dangerous territory."
Sidharth looked at her, appreciating her concern. "I know."
Akhil cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Okay, enough serious talk. Let's get back to the real issue here."
Sidharth frowned. "Which is?"
Akhil smirked. "When are you going back to Marine Drive?"
Sidharth groaned, rubbing his face. "You two are impossible."
Unnati grinned. "No, seriously, when?"
Sidharth shook his head, finishing his tea. "Tomorrow. After work."
Akhil clapped his hands. "That's the spirit! Operation 'Find the Mysterious Girl' begins!"
Unnati sighed, but there was a small smile on her lips. "Well, I hope you find her, Sid. And if you do…"
Sidharth looked at her. "Yeah?"
Unnati's expression was unreadable. "Just don't forget the people who are already in your life."
There was a brief moment of silence before Akhil, oblivious as always, stretched his arms. "Alright, I think we've bullied Sid enough for one day. Time to get back to work."
As they all stood up, Sidharth glanced at Unnati. There was something in her tone, something unspoken. But before he could dwell on it, she had already turned away, walking ahead with her usual confident stride.
Akhil nudged him. "You really don't see it, do you?"
Sidharth frowned. "See what?"
Akhil just shook his head, chuckling. "Never mind."
As they walked back to their respective offices, Sidharth's mind drifted back to Marine Drive, to the girl, to the feeling that had taken root inside him. And somewhere, in the background, was the quiet presence of Unnati, lingering just out of reach.