Chapter 2

"What the...??"

I stumble backwards, falling to the ground with a loud thud. I can hear startled voices and some giggles. I feel my face flush with embarrassment and wish the floor would swallow me.

When did a wall come up at the entrance? "What the hell ...??" I start in anger and embarrassment.

"I am so sorry, are you alright?" a concerned voice asks me. A deep, rich, velvety male voice, the sound of which sends a tingle up my spine and stops my tirade mid-sentence.

I grab the hand stuck out at me to help me stand up. It is firm and I am hauled to my feet in one smooth, swift movement. Those who stopped to look, move on, seeing that no more drama is likely to happen.

As I regain my composure, I look up to see the velvet voiced imbecile who would stand in the middle of the entrance during office opening time when everyone is rushing inside to clock in before grace time ends.

I take a sharp breath as I look at him. He is tall, at least 6 feet, maybe more, towering over my 5'5" frame. Looking at his chiseled features he seems to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

Light brown eyes like honey or molten caramel with a dark chocolate center, framed by black rectangular nerdy spectacles, looking at me with concern.

"Yeah, I am fine. It's okay!" I manage to blurt, as I start walking down the corridor, hurrying to get to my workstation and away from Caramel Eyes.

"Uh, excuse me? Could you direct me to Nivedita Shoora's office please?" Mr. Caramel Eyes interrupts my onward march.

I stop in my tracks and turn around, eyebrows raised questioningly. Liquid caramel eyes, now looking at me with uncertainty and intrigue. I give him the once over, taking in his appearance.

He is dressed in a casual attire a plain grey shirt, fitting pretty snugly on his broad shoulders tucked into worn jeans. His thick, dark brown hair is parted at the side and combed down with what seems to be copious amounts of hair oil or gel, his face hidden behind an overgrown stubble.

His caramel eyes are still looking at me with eagerness, waiting for my reply.

Nivedita never meets anyone this early morning, all her appointments are scheduled after lunch. I should know, I manage appointments for her majesty.

"Do you have an appointment with Ms. Shoora?" I ask lifting one brow with an air of haughtiness, trying to brush him off, "Ms. Shoora does not meet anyone without prior appointment, you know?" I glare down, I mean, up at him, trying to intimidate him to leave.

Nivedita absolutely hates having to meet anyone who is not important, rich or famous and god forbid if it is without prior appointment, then all hell breaks loose, on the poor soul who attempted to meet her.

Caramel Eyes smirks, bringing out a heart stopping dimple in his right cheek. For a split second his eyes glimmered with a hint of arrogance, so brief that I am sure it was my imagination, before it is replaced with a blank expression.

"Yes! As a matter of fact, I do. My appointment with her is at 9 a.m.," he glances at his watch, what looks like one of those super expensive fancy watches, but probably a cheap knockoff bought from a vendor sitting outside any train station.

I sneak a peek at his hands, a strong wrist clearly leading to muscular arms and toned body, which were obviously obtained through a lot of hard work. I wonder how it would feel to touch.

I shake my head to clear my wayward thoughts. Like seriously? I am fantasizing about the body of a man I met mere seconds ago.

"Is there any confusion?" Caramel Eyes asks, seeing me shaking my head.

"Yes, I mean, no.. I mean, I don't know," I stammer. Great! I sound like a teenager talking to her long-time crush instead of a behaving like a professional.

I mentally calm myself, "What I mean is, I am not aware of any meeting Ms. Shoora has fixed today at this time, so please wait in the reception, while I confirm with her," I point him towards the waiting area and turn towards the lifts lobby.

"So, you work with Nivedita Shoora?" I spin around to look at Caramel Eyes, who is smirking at me, his dimple dancing in his cheek, refusing to hide even under the stubble. I nod in affirmation and quickly dash to a waiting lift and head off to my office to call Nivedita.

"Take deep breaths Tarana, deep breaths!" I chant to myself as I dial my boss' number.

"Hi Nivedita, good morning," I try to keep my voice cheerful while mentally bracing myself to listen to the string of expletives and curses that are about to be unleashed at me, for disturbing her highness from her pilates or power yoga session or whatever is on her agenda this morning.

"Hi Tarana, I was just about to call you," she greets me instead. I look out the window to see if the sun has risen from the right direction this morning.

"I am expecting a visitor, he should be coming any time now," she breathes heavily into the phone, like she is panting from strenuous running.

"Um, yeah, that's what I called to tell you. There is someone here who says he has an appointment with you at nine." Dammit, I forgot to ask his name.. I can't call him Caramel Eyes.

"Yes! Right, I am in the parking lot.. I'll be there in 5 minutes." Nivedita Shoora who doesn't enter the office before 11:00 a.m. is in office at 9:00 and that too for someone who does not seem to be rich, powerful and famous. There's definitely something intriguing about Mr. Caramel Eyes, that made lady tiger change her stripes.

I look around our PR & Communications department. Khushboo the department secretary is busy arranging Nivedita's desk. I hurry up to her, "Nivedita is on the way up," I whisper. Khushboo looks up at me with panic in her eyes, rushing to finish her tasks, before our boss can enter her office.

Rohit, the other PR executive is busy on the phone with the printing press, pushing them to finish printing our monthly in-house magazine today, in time for distribution tomorrow, the first of the month.

The issue is distributed to over thirty thousand employees working at DeGobal Corporation worldwide.

Clip, clop, clip, clop, clip, clop.

The sound of Nivedita's trademark stilettos reaches our ears, walking from the elevator before she even enters our department.

Her expensive perfume wafting in, signals her arrival as she breezes into the office, her shoulder length, blonde from a bottle hair framing her face like a lion's mane.

As she walks quickly into the office, her pointed heels making even greater noise, I look up to see Mr. Caramel Eyes matching her steps as he follows into her office, smiling at something she said, which brings out his dimples – oh! he has one in each cheek. *Sigh*! If they were filled with water, I would probably drown in those deep indents.

Nivedita catwalks into her office and quickly closes the door behind Caramel Eyes. Khushboo looks at me with a weird look, "What?" she asks.

"What, what?" I throw back.

"Why are you smiling??"

Wait! What?? I realize I have a stupid smile plastered on my face. My smile quickly disappears, replaced by a frown.

"It's nothing," I mumble averting her eyes and staring at my computer screen.

"Do you know him?" Khushboo presses on.

"Not really, I just met him downstairs in the lobby asking for Nivedita, that's all." That seemed to satisfy her curiosity for the time being, as she made her way back to her desk.

Five minutes later, Nivedita's office doors open and she sticks her head out, "Tarana, could you come in for a minute?"

Now what?

I take the chair next to Caramel Eyes, nodding a brief acknowledgement, waiting for Nivedita's instructions.

"Tarana, let me introduce you to Jeet." OK, so his name is Jeet. My inner snarky voice raises her head, 'Well did you think his parents named him Caramel Eyes?' I turn towards Jeet and give him a curt smile. He smiles stiffly in response and a brief nod. Sad, no dimples on show this time. His eyes however are gleaming, like in anticipation. Of what, I wonder?

"Jeet will be joining our department from tomorrow as a management trainee." 'Isn't he a bit old to be a management trainee?' inner snarky voice wakes up again. Nivedita's tone is impatient, as if she wants to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Since I am travelling and busy with other things, I want you to train Jeet these next few days and bring him up to speed about our department and its working".

My eyes flew to Nivedita and then to Caram.. I mean to Jeet. He had a satisfied smirk playing on his lips again.

"What the.. ??"