Chapter 4: The Feeling

**Chapter 4: The Feeling**

Days passed after the dinner, and Meera couldn’t shake the feeling of that brief encounter with Aarav. At first, she had tried to convince herself that it was just a fleeting moment—a random interaction that meant nothing. After all, they were two strangers who had exchanged nothing more than a few polite words. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it had affected her more than she cared to admit.

It wasn’t just the way he looked at her, cold yet intense, as if she was some puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. It was the way he carried himself—always composed, always in control. Meera had met plenty of powerful and influential people in her life, but none had exuded the same air of mystery and authority as Aarav. It was like he was a man who had everything but nothing at all, his emotions carefully locked away behind walls of ice.

She had tried to move on with her days, focusing on her work as the head designer at the company. But Aarav’s presence lingered in her thoughts, haunting her during moments of silence. It wasn’t that she was in love with him—not yet, anyway—but there was something about him that drew her in, something that made her want to understand him, to know what made him tick.

A few days after the dinner, Meera found herself back at work, sitting at her desk, surrounded by the usual chaos of design plans, client calls, and deadlines. The office was buzzing with energy, but her mind kept drifting back to Aarav. What was he really like? What made him the way he was? And, more importantly, why did she care?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Rhea, her best friend and confidante, walked into her office. Rhea had always been able to read her like a book, and it was obvious from the moment she stepped inside that something was on Meera’s mind.

“Alright, spill,” Rhea said, leaning against the doorframe. “You’ve been in that zone for days. What’s going on?”

Meera looked up, startled out of her thoughts. She gave Rhea a sheepish smile. “I’m fine, really. Just... a little distracted.”

Rhea raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Distracted by who?”

Meera hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should even mention Aarav’s name. After all, she didn’t want to seem like she was obsessing over him. But something inside her urged her to talk, to share what had been bothering her.

“It’s... it’s Aarav Kapoor,” Meera finally admitted, her voice quiet.

Rhea’s eyes widened in surprise. “Aarav Kapoor? The billionaire?”

Meera nodded. “Yeah. I know it sounds ridiculous, but there’s just something about him. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Rhea smiled knowingly. “Ah, the mystery man. I get it now. He’s definitely not your typical ‘nice guy,’ right?”

Meera chuckled nervously. “Definitely not. He’s... cold. Distant. I don’t even know if he’s capable of warmth.”

Rhea crossed her arms and tilted her head thoughtfully. “Well, maybe that’s the appeal. You like the challenge. You like trying to figure him out.”

Meera couldn’t deny it. She had always been someone who liked to take on challenges, whether it was a difficult project at work or an emotional puzzle that needed solving. And Aarav, with his reserved demeanor and distant nature, was the ultimate challenge.

“I don’t know what it is,” Meera said, running a hand through her hair. “It’s like... I can’t get him out of my head. And it’s not just because he’s attractive or powerful. There’s something deeper there. Something... sad, maybe? I don’t know.”

Rhea nodded slowly. “I get it. But listen, Meera, don’t let yourself get caught up in him. He might be a mystery, but that doesn’t mean you have to solve it. Not everyone is worth the effort, especially someone like him.”

Meera smiled, grateful for Rhea’s support, but deep down, she couldn’t help the feeling that Rhea was wrong. Something about Aarav kept pulling her back, and she couldn’t explain why. It was more than just curiosity—it was a desire to know him, to understand why he was the way he was. And even if it was hopeless, she didn’t know how to walk away from that feeling.

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The next few days went by in a blur. Meera tried her best to focus on her work, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Aarav’s face. The way his eyes had studied her at the dinner, the cool indifference he carried with him. She couldn’t forget how his presence had filled the room, how everyone around him seemed to hang on his every word, as if he were the center of the universe.

One afternoon, as she was wrapping up a presentation for a new client, her phone buzzed with a message notification. She glanced at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat. It was from Aarav.

**Aarav Kapoor**: *“We need to discuss the upcoming project. Meet me in the conference room at 3.”*

It was a simple message, but to Meera, it felt like a bombshell. Aarav wanted to meet her? It didn’t make sense. Why would he ask to meet with her, of all people?

Her mind raced as she quickly gathered her things and headed toward the conference room. A million thoughts ran through her head, each one more confusing than the last. Was this a professional meeting, or was there something more to it?

When she arrived at the conference room, Aarav was already there, sitting at the head of the table, his usual impassive expression in place. He didn’t look up as she entered, but she could feel his gaze on her as she approached.

“Meera,” he said without preamble, his voice as cool as ever. “We need to finalize the design plans for the boutique project. Your team has made some great progress, but there are a few things that need to be changed.”

Meera nodded, trying to hide the nervousness creeping into her chest. She sat down across from him, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. As much as she wanted to focus on the work at hand, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else going on.

Aarav paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. For a brief second, she saw something flicker in his gaze—something like... uncertainty? But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by his usual, unapproachable demeanor.

“Let’s get to work,” he said, turning his attention to the documents in front of him.

Meera nodded, doing her best to focus on the task at hand. But deep inside, the questions remained. Why had he asked to meet with her? And what did this mean for the future?

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**Author's Note**:

In this chapter, we begin to see the first cracks in the walls between Meera and Aarav. While Aarav continues to maintain his cold and distant persona, Meera’s curiosity grows, and she starts to question what lies beneath his stoic exterior. Their professional interactions are beginning to feel more loaded than before, but the real question remains: Will they remain strangers, or will they start to uncover something deeper? Stay tuned as we dive further into their journey.

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