"What's up with you this morning? Why are you so chirpy?" Samir asked, eyeing Swapnil with suspicion.
"Just because I have a smile on my face, you think I'm chirping like a bird? I'm human too, Samir. I have the right to be happy sometimes," Swapnil replied, a rare softness in his voice.
Just then, a knock interrupted their conversation.
"Coming," Swapnil called out.
A junior staff member stepped in with a file. "Sir, this is the file you asked for. I've updated all the details about the trip and included everything else you mentioned."
Swapnil nodded in approval.
She smiled at Samir politely and wished him a good morning before walking out of the room.
"Ohhh, so that's the secret behind your morning glow!" Samir grinned knowingly. "And here I thought you were finally getting in touch with your emotions."
"Emotions have always been there," Swapnil replied coolly. "You just never noticed them. As for the smile, it's what naturally follows when something I've worked on gets completed."
Samir chuckled. "Maybe I'll have to marry you someday just to witness this human side of yours more often."
Swapnil shot him a look and tossed a file toward him, which Samir caught effortlessly.
"If you're here just to talk nonsense, then leave. I'm in a good mood, and I'd rather not have it ruined."
"I came just to check on you, man," Samir said, dropping the teasing for a moment. "I thought you'd be drowning in your sorrows by now. But turns out, you don't need me anymore. Someone else has taken my place in your life."
Swapnil looked at him - his jaw clenched slightly. Samir and Meera, both had a special knack for testing his patience. And yet, he needed Samir's help right now, and diplomacy was more practical than argument.
He got up and walked a few steps toward him.
"No one can ever take your place in my life, Samir," he said with as much warmth as he could muster.
Samir raised an eyebrow and stepped back a little. "Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend? You're way too nice today. Are you his doppelganger or did you murder him and take over his life?"
That was it. Swapnil's patience snapped.
"You both hate it when I talk nicely to you, don't you?" Swapnil's voice had hardened now. "Every time I try to do something good for either of you, or even talk to you like a normal person, you push me back into the box you've built around me. Fine then! If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. I need a favor from you, and you're going to do it whether you like it or not. Because I said so. And this time, I'm not taking no for an answer."
Samir laughed out loud. "There it is! Now that's the Swapnil I know!" He pointed at his friend and laughed again.
---
Later that day, Meera and Samir were sitting in the office canteen.
"Why are we here, sir?" Meera asked, still a bit hesitant.
"What do you mean why?" Samir responded as he placed their order. "You've come to office after so many days. Can't I at least treat you to lunch?"
"No, no… that's not what I meant," Meera replied quickly, flustered. Her thoughts were all over the place - torn between a father she no longer wanted to confront, and a boss who always made her feel safe.
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly go quiet?" Samir asked, looking at her curiously.
"I just meant... I'd be happy to come anytime for lunch with you, sir. Truly," Meera smiled softly.
Samir leaned forward with a teasing look. "Alright, tell me one thing. I still don't get how you managed to convince your father - without Swapnil's help."
Meera looked at him carefully, her gaze suddenly more serious. "Why would I need Swapnil sir's help to deal with my own father?"
"Excuse me! I asked the question first," Samir pointed out with mock indignation.
"But my question is more relevant," she shot back.
"Look Meera, I'm not Swapnil. I'm Samir. Samir Sir," he said, dramatically pointing at himself. "We're a team, not separate entities. You don't get to play word games with me."
His tone lightened the tension, and Meera smiled again. "I'm his only daughter. I know exactly what buttons to push. A little silence, a bit of emotional blackmail, and a hunger strike… that did the trick."
"That's all?" Samir asked, clearly not buying the simplicity of her answer.
"That's all," she repeated.
"But still… all this for a job? You went against your father, staged a hunger strike, all this drama... Just for one job? Or… is it because someone here has caught your fancy?" Samir leaned in, his tone casual but his eyes observant.
Meera's eyes darted around quickly. "No. There's no one," she said without a moment's pause.
That quick response was enough for Samir to believe her. Years of experience told him she wasn't lying. The way she answered, the speed, the lack of hesitation - it all pointed to honesty.
Which only left him more confused.
If it wasn't love, what was it?
He watched her silently, then leaned back and smiled slyly.
"I think I get it now," he said with a glint of mischief in his eyes.