Meera looked at Sameer and Swapnil.
There was utter silence in the room - only the sound of shallow breathing could be heard. And then Meera shook her head and softly said, "No."
In that moment, it felt like both of their hearts had stopped beating.
"You told me to go home early that day. And you always read every document before signing, so I trusted that you had read them. I was running late, so I signed in a hurry and left," Meera said apologetically.
"But… surely you checked the papers before posting them?" Swapnil asked, trying to keep calm.
"They were supposed to be sent that day itself, so I dropped them at the mailing counter. Informed the boy to paste our pictures in boxes near signature and one of the boys there said he would arrange everything and send them. All the papers already had addresses on them," Meera explained.
Both Sameer and Swapnil were left stunned. Swapnil sank heavily into his chair, his face red with rage. Sensing the boiling tension, Sameer gently gestured to Meera to leave the cabin.
"This girl has no fault in this." Sameer tried to reason with him. "So, calm down."
"Oh, so now it's all my fault?" Swapnil snapped. "I didn't read the papers, and she didn't feel the need to read them either. I was just sick for one day and second day I am a married man. Can't you see the chaos that's happened! Ever since that girl joined this office, drama after drama has been unfolding - and this one tops them all."
"What could she have done? She thought you had read the papers, and you assumed she would double-check. Honestly, I think it's both your faults. You're equally responsible for this blunder," Sameer said, nodding seriously.
"You're right." Swapnil said after a long pause. "But actually, no. This isn't our mistake. This is my mistake. And the biggest one."
Sameer looked at him with surprise. He knew Swapnil well. He never accepted fault so easily. He stared at his friend, trying to understand what was going on.
"My biggest mistake was trusting you." Swapnil said, his eyes fixed on Sameer. "If I had known this was going to happen, I swear, I would've strangled you when we were kids."
Sameer stepped back in shock. "What the hell are you saying? What did I do?"
"If not you, then who?" Swapnil said, mocking him. "'Let's go to the office. We'll fill out the form there,' you said. You didn't even remember your own meeting and sent him to me. And as always, Meera - bless her clumsiness - dropped all the papers. That marriage form got mixed in. And when I signed them, I thought they were just regular office documents. Imagine if even one of those had leaked. Can you even think what kind of confidential information might have gone out from my office?"
"Okay, okay. Calm down," Sameer said, trying to de-escalate. "Yes, I asked him help, but technically the mistake was Rajesh's. Why was he carrying his marriage form and giving it to Meera to handle? That's how it all started. I'll talk to him later. But right now, we need to figure out what to do next."
They both sat, lost in thought, trying to find a way out of this mess. And then, Sameer suddenly stood up, his eyes lit with an idea.
"I've got it! Come with me," he said urgently.
"Where to now?" Swapnil asked. "To get married in the temple, officially this time?"
"Can you stop with the sarcasm?" Sameer shot back. "This is for your good."
"You're doing no favor. This entire mess is because of you!" Swapnil growled.
"Fine! My fault. But let me fix it too. Now move!" Sameer said, dragging him toward the parking lot.
Meera watched the two of them from the corridor. She had never seen them fight like this. Swapnil looked absolutely furious - his anger seemed to touch the sky. Something big had definitely happened. Normally, she wouldn't care, but today, her curiosity was piqued.
She called her friend Ajay.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hey, did something happen in your department today?" Meera asked in a hushed tone.
"Even if it did, why would I tell you? Do I look like the office gossip channel to you?" Ajay snapped.
"Swapnil sir and Sameer sir were fighting in the cabin. Loud enough that you could hear them from outside." she informed him.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from those two? They're close friends and can handle themselves." Ajay said sternly.
"I'm not interfering in their fight. I just want to know what's going on." Meera replied.
"And that is interfering. Now hang up. I've got work." Ajay said and disconnected the call.
He couldn't understand why Meera was so interested in their business. Swapnil's shouting on the phone had been loud enough for the entire meeting room to hear. But no one dared to bring it up. Everyone knew that if either Swapnil or Sameer caught anyone discussing their matters, the consequences would be harsh.