“If you’re not here to mock me then you can stay. I do feel alone.” With a pouty face she muttered slowly.

Even though he had a great urge of teasing her he controlled and stood beside her, leaning on the railing. 

After a moment Ted tried to break the ice between them.

“By the way. what those people were saying was true. Really Ms. Muskan is like that?”

“ Don't believe them! Muskan  mam is not like that at all. It's true that she can get strict when it comes to her  job but she is a very kind hearted soul. She is very dedicated and maybe doesn't know how to express her feelings. That's why these people have not seen her smiling and that's the reason maybe these people concluded that she is rude and mean…”

Riya got no brakes while speaking. She continuously praised her superior as she’s some heroine. She idolized Muskan and this was easily understood to him with the way and enthusiasm she was describing her.  While doing so, Ted listened to her without any interruption. His eyes were fixed on hers.

At Jay’s office, he was busy opening the lunch boxes in a hurry. He was nervous about having lunch with Muskan after a decade. If he wished he could have taken her to some expensive restaurant and give best to her, as now he could afford it. 

He had always wanted to treat her with the best things he had received since childhood, but Muskan would always avoid the topic by saying that she will enjoy the luxuries when Jay will give it to her with his own hard-earned money and not his dad’s money.

Now after 10 years, he can afford it all but he knew Muskan being the proud person she is, the chance he has now is the rarest opportunity he should grab on.

Muskan was sitting there waiting for him to get over with whatever he was doing. She was getting annoyed at the sight of Jay messing up the minimal task of opening the readymade lunch boxes. 

After she couldn’t hold on to him wasting time unnecessarily and him struggling, she took the charge.

“I’ll do it. Give it to me. You sit back.” She ordered him and started arranging the boxes of main and side dishes accordingly.

Within a few minutes all the boxes were arranged perfectly with the lids stacked at one side and the food kept in front of each person. 

“You can start now.”

“Woah! You’ve done it so neatly. Just like our school days. You always make things easy for me, Muskan.” 

Muskan ignored his comment which he passed with the intention of burning the old fire between them again. And picked her cutlery and began eating. 

“Just like you said, we can discuss the things for which you had called me while eating. So can we focus on that?” She said in an emotionless tone as always.