13.

After their first unpleasant meeting, Ryan and Aaruhi didn't talk to each other. Ryan gets comfortable in the new environment and gets busy with his studies.

They ignore each other like a plague. It's not like they are enemies or something but they are just not interested in talking with each other.

Ryan - 11 years old

Aaruhi- 10 years old

Aaruhi is glaring at Ryan who just rolls his eyes at her. Aaruhi becomes more irritated and she shifts towards the middle of the bench. Ryan frowned at her while shifting a little towards the end of the bench.

“Why are you shifting so much? I will fall," he told her as now he was little at the end of the bench.

Aaruhi ignored him as pretended to read her book.

Ryan looked at her, feeling irritated with her.

“Why does the teacher have to make me sit with this stupid out of all the students?" He murmured to himself but Aaruhi heard him.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“What are you saying, huh? Even I am not so interested in sitting with a monkey like you,"

"Aaruhi and Ryan! Be quiet!” Suddenly the teacher said loudly, making them look down with a small apology.

"Whom are you saying monkey to?” Ryan asked her after a while, feeling angry.

“You!!" She told him with a tight smile.

Ryan grits his teeth and on the top, her smile makes his anger worse.

Suddenly he pushed her a little, taking more than half of the bench. Aaruhi grasps at the sudden push while hanging at the end of the bench and fists her palm tightly.

“You monkey, donkey…" she muttered under her breath and pushed him harder making Ryan fall from the floor with a scream.

The whole class turned to look at them and soon the whole class burst into laughter seeing Ryan sitting on the floor.

Aaruhi also giggles to tease him. Ryan looked around and seeing everyone laughing at him, he felt embarrassed and sad.

Tears slowly formed in his eyes. He looked down and stood up holding the bench.

“Keep quiet, class!!” Suddenly the teacher shouted at everyone, making everyone shut their mouths instantly.

“Ryan Aaruhi, what was happening there?" Aaruhi gulped in fear as she looked at the teacher's angry face.

"Miss..wo–"  she stammered in fear.

“Ryan, how did you fall??" Aaruhi timidly looked at him.

"She pushed me, Miss,” Aaruhi gulped as Ryan told the teacher pointing at her.

"Aaruhi, what is this behavior??” The teacher scolded her, making her look down.

“But Miss he called me stupid," She told her teacher.

"Because you were pushing me,” Ryan instantly injected, glaring at her.

"I was no-”

"Shut your mouth, both of you!!” The teacher scolds them again hearing their childish argument.

"And stand outside the class both of you,"

This makes them look up at her innocently but seeing her stern face. Aaruhi and Ryan silently walk out of the class.

As they come out of the class, they stand against the wall of their classroom. Ryan looks down at his shoes while Aaruhi plays with her tie nervously.

“I am sorry…" Ryan heard a meek voice from his left side but didn't look up.

Aaruhi slowly looked at him with a guilty look. She bit her lips nervously seeing him so silent and not reacting to her apology.

“I shouldn't push on the floor and then laugh at you, I am really sorry…" She softly but when Ryan still didn't look at her she pouted.

"Are you crying???” as she asked this, Ryan instantly looked at her with a frowning face.

"No!!” Ryan exclaimed.

Aaruhi grins seeing him, giving her a look.

“Oh…I thought you were crying," she teased him but Ryan scoffed at her and looked away from her.

They went silently. Aaruhi looked here and there when suddenly her eyes fell on Ryan's hand. It was bleeding.

She looked at his face to see him looking down at his hand.

“You got hurt!!" She gasps in panic.

Ryan glanced at her and then looked at his hand.

“It will be fine,"

“It is because of me. You got it when you fell, right?” She asked, feeling bad and guilty for her action.

Ryan just looked at her and saw her sad and guilty look.

“I am really sorry. I shouldn't push you… " Ryan smiled slightly, hearing her.

"You can call me stupid. I won't mind. Promise," As she said this innocently, Ryan let out a giggle.

Aaruhi frowned, seeing him laughing at her. And stare at him with her lips slightly pouting.

“Why are you laughing??"

Ryan smiled slightly and said,

"You are very silly…”

Now Aaruhi also grins sheepishly.

They share a smile.

“You look cute when you smile," Aaruhi suddenly burst out. Her eyes went wide in surprise at what she just said.

Ryan looks at her and blinks his eyes, suddenly feeling his ears burning and turning red at her comment.

At the same time, the bell rings making Aaruhi sigh and she instantly runs away from there.

“Stupid, stupid Aaru…" she murmured to herself while walking away from Ryan.

Present time

Looking around the elegant and luxurious hall, Trisha licks her lips nervously. She shifted slightly in her seat and looked around the silent hall with only a furiously typing sound coming from the reception table of this floor.

Trisha fists her palm to calm herself when suddenly the phone on the reception rang.

She looked at the beautiful lady in her early thirties and picked up the call. She hung up after replying, okay sir.

Trisha turned to look away from her when she called her,

“Miss Trisha, you can inside now," Trisha stood up giving her a small polite smile.

Trisha walked to the end of the hall and knocked on the door.

“Please come in," she heard a deep yet polite voice from inside.

She slowly opens the black opaque glass door and steps inside the huge room, controlling her anxiety.

“Good morning, Miss Trisha," she heard a voice and turned her gaze to her right, finding a young man looking at her.

She frowned and took a look around the room before turning to the man.

“Please take a seat, Miss. I will be taking your interview," He informed, seeing her confused expression.

Suddenly her mood went off hearing him but still she nodded at him and sat on the couch beside his chair.

“Actually sir got a sudden conference meeting so he is unable to take your interview…I am his PA, Gaurav Singh," She gave a forceful polite smile.

"Good morning sir, I am Trisha Kaushik,” she introduced herself.

"Shall we start…” She nodded again.

After 30 minutes of questions and answers, Gaurav smiled at her.

"It's nice meeting you, Miss Trisha. We will let you know about the result after discussing it with Ryan sir," He told her, sliding back her file.

Trisha took her file and looked at him with a small smile,

“Thank you ..”

“Have a good day," Gaurav said with a polite nod.

Trisha stood up and started walking outside the office.

As she opens the door, she comes face to face with Ryan.

She stops right there, staring at him.

"Trisha?” Ryan asked with a frown unsure of her name.

Trisha smiled and nodded at him to which he smiled back at her.

"Please have a seat, Miss Trisha. Ma told me about you…” He said again, asking her to take a chair.

They entered the office. His PA also stood up.

Ryan sat on his chair behind a large black table.

“Sir, I took her interview as you told me," Ryan nodded at his PA.

Then Gaurav informed him of the details of her interview while Trisha sat on the couch far from them. She couldn’t hear them.

“Thanks, Gaurav. You can go now. And also please ask someone to send some refreshments here,"

"Yes, sir,..” Gaurav walked out of the office leaving Ryan and Trisha in the office.

“Miss Trisha…"

"Please call me Trisha only,” she said. Ryan nodded at her.

Their attention turned to the door as a man entered inside with two coffee cups and some snacks in a tray. He set the tray on the table in front of Trisha after Ryan signed him.

“Please have something.." Ryan

“Actually we are looking for a receptionist for this floor as Mrs. Gupta, who is currently working as a receptionist, is pregnant and soon going on maternity leave. If you don't have any problem, then you join from next week, " he said in his firm and professional tone.

Trisha smiled and nodded,

"Thank you so much," he nodded at her.

“If you have any problem or query, you can contact my PA," he told her.

Trisha smile feeling happy.

Suddenly, Ryan's phone rang making her look at him.

“Yes doll…" he said with a big smile on his face as he picked up his sister's call.

Trisha's smile fell on hearing him and she clenched her fist tightly.

“Sorry, I won't be able to join you, doll. I have my very important client coming tomorrow. You decide whatever you want for me….I am really sorry, Jaan…okay promise…bye, love you,"

Trisha felt sudden fear and anger inside her, seeing the smile on Ryan's face and the love and adoration in his eyes.

Ryan turns to her after placing his phone back on the table.

“You wanted you ask anything, Trisha?" Trisha looked at him and shook her head giving a forceful smile hiding her sadness and anger.

"No, thank you for your help. I should leave now,” she said as she stood up.

Ryan gave her nodded with a calm and soft look on his face.

Trisha walked out of his office, tightly clutching her file in her hand. Her eyes turn red and teary thinking about Ryan's call conversation.

His eyes, his smile, and sweet endearment while talking to an unknown girl make something prick her heart. A sudden bitter emotion arises inside her for that unknown girl.

She gritted her teeth to control herself from cursing out loud the girl who got Ryan all smiling and so happy.

“Who was she?? Is she his..no he can't, right??" She murmurs to herself trying to assure herself while walking out of the through the hall.

“I need to talk to him…tell him about me," she said then nodded to herself.