The worst part about last night’s chai stall incident?

Mehul probably didn’t even think about it.

Meanwhile, I’d spent the entire night staring at my ceiling, replaying the moment like some kind of deranged idiot.

He finished my chai.
Like it was normal.
Like it wasn’t a thing.

It was a thing.

And now, I had to see him at work like nothing happened.

I walked into the office, determined to act like a functioning human being.

I was fine. Everything was fine.

And then I saw Mehul.

Sitting at his desk, focused as always, completely unaware that I was spiraling.

I exhaled. Be normal.

I walked up to him casually, stopping at his desk. “Morning.”

Mehul glanced up. “Morning.”

I waited.

…That was it?

No mention of last night? No acknowledgment?

I cleared my throat. “So. Good chai yesterday, huh?”

Mehul gave me a slow look. “It was fine.”

That exact same answer. Again.

I narrowed my eyes. “Right. Totally normal chai. Nothing unusual about it.”

Mehul blinked once. Then went back to his work.

I stared at him.

He knew.

I didn’t know how, but he definitely knew I was losing my mind over this. And he was choosing not to react.

I dragged a hand down my face. “You’re impossible.”

Mehul didn’t even look up. “And yet, you’re still here.”

I opened my mouth. Closed it.

…Okay. Maybe I deserved that one.

By lunchtime, I had successfully not brought up the chai incident again.

Progress.

Except now, I had a new problem.

I sat at my desk, scrolling through a report, when something weird hit me.

I was waiting for Mehul to go to the lounge.

Not because I was planning to follow him. (Obviously.)
Not because I cared about his routine. (Debatable.)

Just… because.

I glanced at the clock.

Mehul usually left around now.

I kept my eyes on my screen, pretending I wasn’t paying attention.

A minute passed.

Then another.

Then—movement.

I heard his chair push back, his footsteps heading toward the door.

Without thinking, I grabbed my food tray and got up too.

And that’s when I froze.

Because Arjun and Riya were already looking at me.

With matching smirks.

Riya took a slow sip of her coffee. “Go on.”

Arjun waved me off. “Don’t let us stop you.”

I groaned. I hated them.

But also… I needed to move.

So I did what any normal person in this situation would do.

I pretended they didn’t exist and followed Mehul anyway.