Hey my lovely readers.

How are you all?

Are you all enjoying the book so far?

Let's begin with the chapter now.

This chapter will be in Author's and Sid's POV because...well just check it out and also, a very lengthy chapter ahead.

Author's POV

The client was supposed to visit next week but everyone was going through their own inner turmoil.

Akash was going through the turmoil of finally facing the client face to face. No doubt he's born in a business class family but handling something for the first time on his own was making him nervous.

Although Siya was keeping him motivated but feeling nervous is natural.

Sid, no doubt was confident enough that he could handle the client but his thoughts were right now roaming only around Kriti. The kiss and lovely moments they shared, it wasn't leaving his mind. 

Kriti was in her dilemma of her feelings for Sid. She somewhere knew, from a very long time that her yearning for Sid wasn't just as a friend, it was something more than that but unlike Sid, she was afraid to admit it.

What if it's just an infatuation and not love?

What if she misunderstands her infatuation as love and later realizes that she doesn't love Sid, it would break Sid's heart and she would never do that to him, heck, she couldn't even think of hurting him in her dreams.

No matter how angry she's at him, she can't break anybody's heart, be it for any reason.

Siya's words were constantly ringing in her ears 'If you ever feel that you don't have the same feelings as Sid has for you, please don't lead him on, he would be heartbroken'

'How would I know if it's just infatuation or love' was the only question she had been asking herself since their kiss, at least her first kiss.

Siya, on the other hand has been avoiding her parents, especially her mother's calls for a long time now.

Although her relation with her mother has almost fallen apart since the time she physically abused and tortured her for being in a relationship with Akash, who, actually is the best man for her, she possibly can never break her ties with her. She's her mother after all.

This is something that she hasn't even shared with Akash, probably because she doesn't want him to know how dysfunctional her family is, unlike his family, who are the sweetest people in the world she has ever met with in spite of the fact that they belong to a billionaire family.

She occasionally talks to her father, almost every alternate day but she has avoided talking to her mother since the day she came to this city.

The only relief was her mother wasn't creating any problems for her, at least as of now though what future beholds, she wasn't aware of it.

It was like everyone wanted to be in their little bubble but...they need to face reality as life isn't a fairy tale.

"So as you all know, we've a client visit next week, you all're expected to be on your best behavior" Sid's voice boomed through the mike, snapping Kriti and Siya out of their thinking reverie.

"Yes sir" all the trainees said in unison.

"Good, now coming back to the point, we're going to have a party as part of the deal which is included in the cost of this project. The client have decided that they would like all of you to join it" Akash said with a small smile and everybody got stunned listening to this news.

There was loud cheering after few seconds which brought a smile to Sid's face but when he looked at Kriti, she was looking at him without blinking.

Sid gestured her to smile through her eyes and she did, a real, full blown beautiful smile which reached her eyes.

"Okay, okay, enough now. Since It's already lunch time, why don't you all go for lunch?" Akash said and they all starting walking out of the training hall.

"But sir, where will the party be?" one of the girls asked.

"Oh, the details will be sent to you all on email once we discuss it with client" he said.

The girl nodded and they all went out of the hall one by one.

Kriti and Siya were still seated on their chairs.

"Don't you both want to go for lunch?" Akash asked.

"Yes, we'll go" they said and proceeded to the cafeteria, Sid and Akash following them shortly after.

"Hey, we were supposed to have lunch together right?" Sanchit asked from behind the girls.

He looked at Kriti hopefully and she was about to ask him to join them but one glare from Sid and she gulped hard.

Though they weren't committed yet but even she doesn't know why she doesn't want him to get upset over any act of hers.

It's like the only thing in her mind is to not offend him in anyway.

Sighing, she stepped to Sanchit and said "I..I am sorry but we all decided to have lunch together today." 

When she looked at the hurt in his eyes, she immediately added "we can go tomorrow if you want" she added and instantly there was smile on his lips.

Nodding, he went away.

"Why did you ask him to come tomorrow?" Sid asked, glaring at Kriti.

"Come on Sid, we're trainees and you're our boss. Obviously everybody would think why do we always go to have lunch together when we should actually be with other trainees. Nobody except Sanchit from our batch knows that we know each other from before. So, it's obvious that we shouldn't have lunch together" Kriti explained.

"Go with whoever you want, I don't have any problem, except that...that Sanchit" Sid said, scrunching his nose in disgust.

"Really?" Then how about I go with...Varun?" she said.

"Who Varun?" he asked.

"The one who reports to Akash bhaiya" she said and Sid turned to him.

"Yeah, he reports to me" Akash said and Sid closed his eyes in frustration.

"I mean to say you can go with any girl. You can't go with any boy" Sid said and Kriti glared at him.

"You know what, there's no use discussing anything with you. No matter what I do, you'll always be grumpy grandpa" she teased him.

"Moreover, just to add to it, such a hypocrite you're" she said.

"Me, hypocrite? How?" he asked, looking at her.

"That's because there was a time when you used to spend your time with that bitch Sakshi and you even had the audacity to tag us along even though you knew she would always be back bitching about us" Kriti said and Sid was silent.

"What? No retort?" she said, scoffing.

"Sakshi and Sanchit are different" he said.

"Really Sid. That's all you got to defend yourself?" she asked in complete disbelief.

"Of course they're different because unlike Sakshi, Sanchit does know how to behave and also has his mouth in check when he speaks anything" she said and stormed off.

"Sid, why do you always have to offend her with your nonsense?" Akash asked him once Kriti was out of sight.

"What can I do? I can't tolerate any boy around her" he said, huffing.

"Sid, you remember the long lecture I gave you about self realization?" Akash asked and Sid nodded.

"What lecture are you talking about?" Siya asked and Akash bit his lip because, this was supposed to be 'boys talk' which he accidentally spilled in front of her.

"Nothing Siya, just some casual talks, nothing serious" Akash said and Siya pouted.

"Even I want to know" she said, linking her arms with him.

Sid gave him a smirk as he knew his best friend has no escape now.

"Nothing baby" he tried to coax her but she was adamant.

"Baby you understand what boys talk is right?" he asked and she nodded.

"You told me back in college that 'boys talk' is some secret talk between them which isn't supposed to be known by girls" she said innocently and Sid laughed.

"Is this what he told you boys talk is?" Sid asked, between his laughs.

"Yes. Is it not right Akash?" she asked, looking at him confusedly.

Akash just smiled and hugged her.

"Oh my naive Siya. What should I do with you" he said, kissing the top of her head.

"But...but this is what you told me in college when I asked you about it" she said, protesting.

"Of course baby, what you said is completely right" he said, gesturing Sid to be quite.

Shaking his head, he proceeded to the cafeteria while Akash and Siya followed him.

When they all looked for Kriti, she was talking to Sanchit.

"Why does he always roam around her like a love sick puppy" Sid muttered under his breath but both Siya and Akash laughed hard.

"If you're so jealous then why don't you propose to her?" Siya said.

"I will Siya, but now's not the right time" he said, looking in the direction where Kriti and Sanchit were.

"Sweep her off her feet before somebody else does" Akash said and grinned. 

"I'll, very soon but just keep them both away from each other, for my sanity" Sid said and the other two laughed.

When they approached them, they all saw Sanchit was dragging Kriti somewhere.

"Where is he taking her?" Sid asked and without listening to their answer, he followed Sanchit.

Taking her to a secluded area, he made her sit on the bench and kneeled down in front of her.

Sid hid behind a nearby wall to listen to what he was about to say to her. When he looked around, Siya and Akash were nowhere in sight. Probably they didn't want to disturb Sid and Kriti.

"What do you want to say Sanchit, now tell me" she said.

"Kriti, whatever it is, first you need to promise me that nothing between us will change, okay?" he said, making Sid and Kriti confused.

"What is it Sanchit, you're scaring me" she said and taking a deep breath and blowing little air from his mouth to decrease the restlessness he was feeling, he said "I...I think that I love you."

Listening to him confessing his feelings for her, Sid was shocked and so was Kriti.

"I....I" Kriti was stuttering while Sid had his hands balled in a fist.

He felt like kicking the daylight out of him.

How dare he propose his girl?

"I know it's sudden but I've been noticing you since the first day this training started. I always wanted to approach you but couldn't muster enough courage. I used to see you, always hanging out with Siya, Akash and Sid and I thought you wouldn't like me. So, I didn't think of approaching you" Sanchit said and looked at Kriti whose eyes were still wide.

"Initially, I thought that you're just an infatuation for me but then you went missing for about a week. You remember right when you were on leave for a week?" he asked, holding her hands.

She meekly nodded, remembering Mohit and Samaira's wedding for which she and Siya took leave.

Seeing her nodding, he continued "I...I was restless because I didn't see you for the whole week and then I realized something. The feelings that I've for you...it isn't just infatuation, may be it's more than that."

"I used to wait for you everyday but then you didn't turn up which was making me worried for you. On the same weekend, I decided that I would approach you as soon as you come back" Sanchit said.

"Meanwhile, I tried to dig all information about you. That's when I came to know that you're the heiress of Singh Empire and when I dug out some more information about you, I came to know about Mohit Singh, your brother but what surprised me was the fact that he was married the same week when you were on leave. Then I came to know about your family background, though your pictures were never in media" he said and sat beside her, her hands still in his.

"Then finally the day came when you came back and I, for the very first time, approached you" he said with a smile on his face as if remembering the memory.

"I was glad when you didn't push me away but then my happiness was short lived when Sid was still behind you, following you everywhere. Initially I though that you both were committed, owing to the closeness and the friendly bond that you share but you cleared all my doubts when you said that you both weren't dating" he said.

Sid's blood boiled listening to his confession but he waited for him to complete so that he could punch him in the jaw later, though his hands were itching to break his bones for approaching someone that's his, he only settled for breaking his jaw and letting it go.

"Then I noticed many a times you defending me from him and I knew that I hold a special place in your life, otherwise why would you stand up for me in front of our manager" he said with a smile.

The only thought Kriti had while hearing his confession was that her friendly gesture towards him led him on to a stage that he's confessing his love to her now.

If only she would've been a little more careful, but as far as she remembers, she never did or say anything that would lead him on. Although, she stood up for him many a times in front of Sid but that was just what any other colleague would have done had they been in her place because somewhere she knew, Sid used to treat Sanchit that way only because of her. Right?

"Sanchit...I...I" Kriti was at loss of words, she didn't know how to handle this situation.

"Shhh....please let me complete" he said, keeping her fingers on her lips and this act of his, made Sid's blood boil.

"I just want to say that...I really love you Kriti. If you don't love me now, that's fine I'll wait for you" he said, smiling.

Taking a deep breath and taking her hands from him, she said "I...I don't know what to say."

This made both Sid and Sanchit frown.

On the other hand, Sid was thinking why didn't she deny him straight away but how could he understand a girl's heart, which is so soft for a boy, whose heart she doesn't want to break because rejection, that too in love is something that can shatter someone's heart to a point that in some cases it doesn't mend up again ever in future.

But there was no use giving false hopes for something which will never happen.

Taking a deep breath, she said "I...I've never thought of you that way Sanchit" making Sid sigh in relief but it was breaking Sanchit's heart.

"I...I am sorry if I ever acted in a way that led you on but...I...I can never reciprocate the same feelings that you've for me" Kriti said.

"But...you...you can at least think about it" he said but she shook her head.

"I can't Sanchit. I...I've feelings for someone else" she said and looked down.

Scoffing, he said "it's Sid isn't it?"

She neither denied nor accepted it which hurt Sid a little but he at least heaved a sigh of relief thinking that she's denying Sanchit's proposal.

"You...you love him, right?" he asked again but she didn't reply and looked away from him.

"So it's true, ha?" he said and Kriti got confused.

"What others say about you. You're indeed a gold digger" he said and Kriti's head snapped towards him.

"What the heck are you talking about?" she asked.

Scoffing, he said "as if you don't know."

"No, I don't know, what is it that you're talking about?" she asked and even Sid was confused.

"All the trainees here know that you're trying to lure Sid to get promoted" he said and Sid's jaws clenched in anger.

"You..how dare you ha? Just few minutes back you were confessing your love to me and now you're spitting venom on me? Why? Just because I rejected you?" she shouted, grabbing his collar.

"Come on Kriti, everyone here knows about you" he said making Kriti's eyes bulge out of sockets.

"What do you mean? And who's spreading these rumors? Moreover, how come I don't know anything about it?" she asked.

"If you stop fucking follow Sid everywhere like a lost puppy and keep your ears open, you'd come to know what's going around you" he said, holding her hand.

"I can't believe you Sanchit, I thought we were friends and these rumors, they are all false" she said, unable to control her tears now.

"I knew you would be tough nut to crack Kriti but I never knew you'd reject me for that manager of ours. What does he have that I don't ha? Why can't you accept me?" he said, grabbing her arms in a tight grip.

Some people can't accept rejection and that's what was making Sanchit mad.

"Stop please...you're hurting me" she said, wiggling in his hold, trying to make herself free from his strong arms.

Sid was now fuming like a mad bull. How could he see his love getting assaulted by someone as maniac as Sanchit, who couldn't handle rejection.

"Leave her this instant" Sid said, coming out of his hiding place.

"Here comes the savior" Sanchit said, rolling his eyes.

"Look dude, there's nothing between you and me, I want to discuss something with Kriti" he said and Sid proceeded to him.

"I said, leave her, now" he shouted on his face and took her out of his grip, hiding her behind him.

"How dare you keep your filthy hands on her" he said, grabbing his collar.

"The world doesn't revolve around you. I know she likes me but just because of you she's confused" Sanchit said and Kriti looked at him as if he has grown two heads.

"Even if she's confused, you don't have the right to degrade her character. If you really loved her, you'd never do her any harm" Sid said.

Ignoring him, he said "Kriti, come to me" and stretched his hands towards her.

"No...no Sanchit I don't want to go with you" Kriti said, shaking in fear.

"Just leave her alone" Sid said and Kriti hid behind him, clutching his shoulders tightly and he was protecting her like a shield. 

"Kriti, he'll brainwash you like he has always done. Come to me" he said, sounding like a maniac.

"No" she said, shaking her head like a child.

"Don't be stubborn Kriti, come to me" he said and reached out for her but before that, Sid turned him around and twisted his hand, behind his back, making him wince in pain.

Whispering in his ears, he said "stay the fuck away from her or you won't look good without limbs" and then jerked him forward.

Turning to him, Sanchit said "this isn't over yet" and giving a hard glare in Kriti's direction, he walked away.

"Hey...hey, are you fine" Sid asked as he felt Kriti tightly clutching his shirt like her life depends on it.

"Please...can we..can we go home?" she whispered, still clutching his shirt and he could hear her broken voice making him aware that she was in so much pain. 

"Of course, princess" he said, turning to her and kissed her forehead.

"Please don't tell anything about all these to Siya and Akash. They would be worried. They've just been together after such a long time and with so much difficulty. I don't want them to worry about me" Kriti said.

"But Kriti.." Sid said but he cut him off "please promise me. Please Sid."

Looking at her pleading eyes, he couldn't say no. So he just nodded.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulder, when they both turned back, they saw Akash and Siya standing there.

"Kriti" Siya said and immediately rushed towards her and hugged her tightly.

Kriti broke down in the hug and Siya was patting her back to calm her down.

"Shhh...shhh don't cry. What happened to her Sid? Why is she crying" Siya asked, looking at Sid.

When he looked at Kriti, she just shook his head, indicating him not tell them both anything.

"Nothing, she's missing her family" Sid said, looking at Kriti.

Siya seemed unconvinced but then she didn't pester her more because she was already a crying mess.

They both finally went home when Sid turned to Akash and through gritted teeth asked "did you hear what happened here?"

"No we just came here. We didn't hear anything" Akash said.

"Was she really