I had officially run out of excuses.
For days, I had convinced myself that Mehul's actions were just casual, meaningless, coincidences.
But now?
Now, I knew better.
Because no one does this for a coworker.
And today, he took it even further.
It started with a small moment.
Something insignificant.
Something that shouldn't have wrecked me.
We were reviewing a report, sitting side by side at my desk, when Mehul leaned forward, reaching for my pen.
And in the process—his arm brushed against mine.
Just for a second.
Barely even noticeable.
But he didn't move away.
Not immediately.
And that was the problem.
Because now, I was hyper-aware of everything.
The warmth of his skin.
The faint scent of his cologne.
The way his fingers curled around my pen, holding it way too casually.
I cleared my throat, shifting slightly. "You, uh… you could've asked for that."
Mehul didn't even look up. "You always leave your pen on the edge."
I froze.
Because—what?
How the hell did he know that?
I opened my mouth, then immediately closed it.
Because if I asked, he'd just give me some calm, logical answer.
And I wasn't ready to hear it.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was a wreck.
And unfortunately, Arjun and Riya were waiting.
The moment I sat down, Riya smirked. "So. How's your boyfriend?"
I choked. "Excuse me?"
Arjun leaned in. "Dude. At this point, it's embarrassing how obvious this is."
I scowled. "Nothing is happening."
Riya gasped dramatically. "Oh my god. He's still in denial."
Arjun shook his head. "Vihaan. Buddy. Listen to me."
He pointed at me. "If Mehul does one more suspiciously soft thing, you have to accept it."
I crossed my arms. "And if he doesn't?"
Riya grinned. "Then we'll shut up."
I raised an eyebrow. "For how long?"
She pretended to think. "Hmm. Maybe a day."
I sighed. Whatever.
I could handle this. It was just lunch.
How bad could it get?
Turns out—very bad.
Because not even five minutes later—
Mehul set a water bottle in front of me.
I stared at it. Then at him.
"…What's this?"
Mehul took a sip of his chai. "You forgot yours."
I blinked. I what?
I looked down at the empty spot where my usual bottle should've been.
And sure enough—it wasn't there.
Riya gasped. Arjun grinned.
I, meanwhile, was having a full-blown crisis.
Because how did Mehul notice something like that before I did?
And why did that feel so much worse than the chai?
Mehul, of course, was completely unbothered.
He just went back to his food, like he hadn't just completely destroyed me.
Riya turned to me, eyes gleaming.
Arjun smirked. "Soooo."
I groaned. "Shut up."
Riya gasped. "You lost the bet!"
Arjun shook his head dramatically. "A tragic downfall."
I sighed, dragging a hand down my face. "I need new friends."
Riya grinned. "No, you need a boyfriend."
I wanted to die.
And the worst part?
I wasn't even mad that I lost.
Because now, I had to face the truth.
Mehul was not subtle.
And I was not imagining this.