I was sitting in my office, half-listening to the meeting in front of me, when suddenly I got an idea to tease my baby.

And honestly? The moment the thought entered my head, I already knew I was going to do it.

Well… I’m very comfortable calling her baccha now. At first I used it just to annoy her, but then I noticed the way her cheeks turned pink every single time. The way she tried to hide her smile while pretending to be irritated.

Yeah.

Now I do it on purpose.

And she falls for it every damn time.

A smile automatically appeared on my face as I leaned back against my chair, twirling the pen between my fingers.

Today she was going out with her friend Eesha and my friend Vardhaan. Apparently those two idiots were dating now.

Dono pagal hai.

I still remember the amount of drama they created before finally admitting they liked each other. Half the time they fought like enemies, and the other half they acted like lovesick teenagers.

And somehow… my baby had agreed to go with them.

Third wheeling.

Willingly.

I frowned at the thought.

I mean, yeah, obviously it was her choice. She could go wherever she wanted. But still… why would she voluntarily sit between two people who would most probably forget the world existed after ten minutes?

Hypothetically speaking, if Vardhaan and Eesha got busy staring into each other’s eyes like Bollywood side characters, then my baccha would definitely feel left out.

And obviously she would need company.

My company.

Which made complete sense.

At least to me.

I tapped my fingers on the desk thoughtfully.

But if I went there unannounced, it would look intentional. Like I purposely followed her there.

Which… technically I would be doing.

But that’s not the point.

I’m not a creep.

I’m a concerned person.

Very different things.

I sighed dramatically and looked at my phone again. Her chat was still open.

Baccha: Going now :)

The tiny smiley face made me grin like an idiot.

God.

This girl had ruined me.

A few months ago, I used to ignore texts for hours. Now I stared at one message from her like it was some life-changing poetry.

Pathetic.

I opened her profile picture and zoomed in unconsciously.

Cute. Very cute.

Dangerously cute.

My eyes narrowed suddenly as another thought hit me.

What if some random guy tried talking to her there?

Absolutely not.

Rejected.

Denied.

Cancelled.

“Arhaan, where is your mind? Focus on the meeting.”

Bhai’s low voice pulled me out of my thoughts instantly.

I blinked once before straightening in my chair.

Right.

Meeting.

Office.

People.

Numbers.

Not my baccha.

I cleared my throat and adjusted the file in front of me, forcing my expression back into something professional. The playful grin that was on my face a second ago disappeared immediately.

Business mode activated.

The projector screen in front of us displayed quarterly reports while one of the clients continued explaining something about investments and expansion plans. A few minutes ago I was physically present but mentally busy imagining my baby sitting awkwardly while Eesha and Vardhaan acted like a married couple.

Now?

Now I looked like a man who had his entire life sorted out.

Years of practice.

Bhai gave me one last suspicious glance before continuing the meeting.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on the table as I finally focused on the discussion.

“The Singapore deal won’t work unless we reduce the shipping cost by at least eight percent,” I said calmly, flipping through the documents. “Otherwise the profit margin becomes useless within six months.”

The room fell silent for a second before everyone nodded.

One of the investors quickly added, “That’s exactly what we were trying to explain.”

I gave a small nod.

Professional.

Composed.

Cold.

No one here would believe that five minutes ago I was internally debating whether secretly showing up at a café for a girl counted as creepy behavior or romantic concern.

Bhai smirked slightly beside me, probably realizing I was finally paying attention.

The meeting continued smoothly after that. I handled the presentation, answered questions, shut down two terrible suggestions politely, and finalized the numbers for next month.

But every few minutes…

My eyes unconsciously drifted towards my phone lying face down beside me.

Annoying.

Very annoying.

I hated distractions.

And somehow this girl had become my favorite one.

As if sensing my impatience, my phone buzzed suddenly.

My heart reacted before my brain did.

Pathetic.

I casually picked it up under the table.

Baccha: Eesha and Vardhaan literally forgot I exist.

I bit back a smile instantly.

See?

SEE.

I WAS RIGHT.

I looked down to hide the satisfaction on my face while Bhai continued speaking.

Another message came.

Baccha: Third wheeling should be declared illegal.

God.

She was so cute.

A small laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

Unfortunately, the room went silent at the exact same moment.

Every single person looked at me.

Bhai slowly turned his head towards me with narrowed eyes.

I cleared my throat immediately and locked my phone.

“…Continue,” I said professionally, as if I wasn’t smiling at texts two seconds ago.

Bhai stared at me for a moment longer before muttering under his breath—

“Gone. My brother is completely gone.”

“Same like you,” I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for Bhai to hear. “Like you’re gone for Alaya bhabhi.”

His head snapped toward me immediately.

I almost smirked at the expression on his face.

Caught.

For once.

“Careful,” he said calmly, but I could see the warning hidden behind that fake corporate smile of his.

I leaned back in my chair innocently. “What? I’m just observing things.”

The investor sitting across from us continued talking, completely unaware of the silent sibling war happening in the middle of the boardroom.

Bhai adjusted his watch before speaking without looking at me.

“At least I can survive one meeting without smiling at my phone like an idiot.”

I clicked my tongue. “At least my girl replies fast.”

That finally made him look at me properly.

Oh, I hit a nerve.

Interesting.

“You want to die today?” he asked pleasantly.

I gave him a polite smile in return. “Not during office hours.”

For a second his serious expression cracked and he shook his head slightly, muttering something about me being insufferable.

I grinned victoriously.

Childish?

Maybe.

Worth it?

Absolutely.

The meeting resumed again, but now Bhai looked equally distracted. Every few minutes his own phone screen lit up beside him, and though his face remained calm, I noticed the way his eyes flickered toward it instantly.

Hypocrite.

I almost laughed.

A notification buzzed on my phone again.

Baccha: I swear they’re feeding each other fries.

My jaw dropped.

Animals.

Absolute animals.

I typed back quickly beneath the table.

Me: This is emotional torture.

Her reply came within seconds.

Baccha: And now they’re sharing one cold coffee.

I physically closed my eyes for a moment.

Disgusting.

I could literally imagine Vardhaan acting dramatic while Eesha rolled her eyes pretending she didn’t enjoy it.

Idiots.

Another text popped up.

Baccha: I should’ve stayed home.

The tiny pout emoji after that sentence did something dangerous to my sanity.

Before I could stop myself, I picked up my phone and typed—

Me: Who told you to third wheel those clowns?

She replied instantly.

Baccha:Didn’t know they’d forget I exist

:(

The sad face made my expression soften automatically.

Cute.

Too cute.

Without thinking much, I grabbed my car keys from the table.

Bhai noticed immediately.

“Where are you going?”

I stood up calmly and fixed my blazer.

“Important work.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What work?”

I slipped my phone into my pocket before grabbing my keys.

“Important work.”

Bhai looked unconvinced. “What important work?”

I tried not to smile.

“My girl is bored. I’m fixing that.”

Bhai stared at me for a whole second before leaning back in his chair slowly.

“Unbelievable.”

I shrugged casually. “Priorities.”

“You were the same man who once said relationships are distracting.”

“They are,” I replied calmly while adjusting my watch. “This one is just… manageable.”

That earned me a dry look.

I ignored it completely.

One of the clients looked between us in confusion, clearly trying to understand what conversation was happening in the middle of a business meeting.

Bhai cleared his throat immediately and switched back to professional mode. “We’ll continue the remaining discussion tomorrow.”

The meeting wrapped up soon after that, and the moment everyone started leaving, Bhai looked at me again.

“You’re actually going there?”

I picked up my helmet from the chair beside me. “Maybe.”

“Arhaan.”

“Hm?”

“She’s there with her friends. Don’t behave weirdly.”

I looked offended instantly. “I always behave normally.”

Bhai laughed.

Actually laughed.

“Your definition of normal is concerning.”

I ignored him and walked out of the conference room.

The moment I reached the basement parking, I pulled out my phone again while walking toward my bike.

Me: Still alive?

Her reply came immediately.

Baccha: Barely.

A smile appeared on my face automatically.

Me: What are those idiots doing now?

She sent a picture of Eesha feeding Vardhaan fries while he looked ridiculously proud of himself.

I physically recoiled.

Me: Disgusting.

Baccha: THANK YOU.

Chuckling softly, I unlocked my bike and wore my helmet.

Me: Should’ve gone out with me instead.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Cute.

Finally her message came.

Baccha: You would’ve irritated me too.

I started my bike, a grin spreading across my face.

Me: Yeah. But at least you would’ve had only one problem to deal with instead of two.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and pulled the visor down before starting the engine properly.

The familiar roar of the bike echoed through the parking basement.

For some reason, my mood had become suspiciously good.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

I drove out of the office building, weaving smoothly through the evening traffic while her messages kept replaying in my head.

You would’ve irritated me too.

The thing was— she never told me to stop irritating her.

That had to mean something.

Right?

The signal turned red and I stopped the bike, tapping my fingers against the handle absentmindedly.

A few college students standing nearby kept glancing at my bike before whispering something to each other. Normally I wouldn’t even notice.

Today?

I was too busy thinking about how my baccha would react after seeing me there.

Would she get surprised?

Happy?

Annoyed?

Actually… probably all three together.

A small smile crept onto my face again.

God.

I really was gone.

The signal turned green.

Within fifteen minutes, I finally reached the café.

I parked my bike outside and removed my helmet, running a hand through my hair quickly before looking through the glass walls of the café.

And there they were.

Exactly as expected.

Eesha and Vardhaan sat on one side of the booth together while my baccha sat opposite them looking deeply unimpressed with life.

Vardhaan was saying something dramatically while Eesha laughed, and meanwhile my baby was stirring her drink with the expression of a kidnapped hostage.

Poor thing.

I almost laughed.

She looked up suddenly— probably sensing movement near the glass.

And froze.

Her eyes widened instantly the moment she saw me standing there.

For one second she genuinely looked shocked.

Then—

A smile appeared on her face.

A real one.

Not the small polite kind.

The kind she tried hiding immediately after realizing she was smiling too much.

Yeah.

Worth it.

Completely worth it.

I pushed the café door open casually.

The little bell above the door rang softly.

Vardhaan looked up first and nearly choked on his drink.

“What the hell?”

Eesha turned around in confusion before her eyes widened too.

“Arhaan?”

I ignored both of them completely.

My eyes stayed on my baccha as I walked toward the table slowly.

She was still staring at me.

Trying very hard not to smile.

Failing miserably.

I stopped beside the booth and looked at her calmly.

“You looked bored,” I said simply. “So I had to come.”

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