The yearly office party was one of those events where people let their guards down, traded in their usual professional facades for a night of laughter, networking, and a little too much alcohol. Invitations had already gone out, and as expected, Arin received his. He wasn’t particularly interested in parties, but he knew it was an important occasion for the team.
Before leaving for the night, he made one last attempt to convince Astha.
“You should come to the party,” Arin said, leaning against her desk as she shut down her computer.
Astha didn’t even look up. “No.”
Arin smiled. “That was fast.”
“I don’t like parties,” she stated simply, gathering her things. “Loud music, forced socializing, and a bunch of drunk people making fools of themselves? Not my scene.”
Arin chuckled. “You make it sound so tragic. It’s just a party, Mehra. It won’t kill you to have a little fun.”
“I am having fun.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and gave him a pointed look. “At home. With a book. And silence.”
Arin sighed dramatically. “So that’s it? No convincing you?”
Astha gave him a flat look. “Don’t ask me again.”
Arin raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Enjoy your thrilling evening of solitude.”
With that, she walked off, leaving him shaking his head.
At the party, the energy was high. The office had gone all out—decorations, catering, music, and an open bar. People were laughing, clinking glasses, and letting loose. A couple of women approached Arin, trying to strike up a flirtatious conversation, but he politely deflected. His mind was elsewhere.
He was sipping his drink, scanning the room absently, when he caught an overheard conversation that made him pause.
Anil, one of the sales guys, was speaking in a hushed tone to his colleague Nikhil, both of them leaning near the bar.
“Astha Mehra looks good, no doubt,” Anil said with a smirk. “But she’s a total cougar ice queen.”
Nikhil laughed. “Yeah, man. No one’s cracked her yet. That’s why we started a bet.”
Arin’s grip tightened on his glass.
Anil smiled. “Ten thousand bucks to whoever thaws the ice queen first. Shubham even offered her some money, but she refused.”
Nikhil let out a low whistle. “Damn. She’s a tough nut to crack.”
Arin had heard enough.
He turned toward them, his usual calm replaced by a simmering coldness. “You two must really enjoy degrading women in your free time.”
Anil and Nikhil stiffened at the unexpected confrontation. “Relax, Verma,” Anil said with an awkward chuckle. “It’s just a harmless bet.”
“Harmless?” Arin’s voice was low, controlled, but laced with steel. “You’re putting a price on a woman’s dignity and calling it harmless?”
Nikhil scoffed. “You don’t have to be so serious about it. It’s just a game.”
Arin’s expression darkened. “A game where you treat a colleague like a conquest? A bet where a woman’s self-respect is just a joke to you?” He stepped closer, his tone like quiet thunder. “You think a woman rejecting you makes her an ice queen? Or does it just bruise your ego?”
Neither man had an answer.
“I suggest you rethink the way you speak about people—especially about women who have done nothing to deserve this kind of nonsense.” Arin’s voice was deadly calm, but his eyes held a quiet warning. “And if I hear either of you discussing anything like this again, I’ll make sure HR knows exactly what kind of ‘harmless fun’ you’ve been up to.”
The men exchanged nervous glances before mumbling something and walking away, their bravado deflated.
Arin exhaled slowly, shaking his head. He had come here out of obligation, but now he understood why Astha never attended these events.
This wasn’t her world.
And as he thought about her sitting peacefully on her balcony, lost in her own world of books and silence, something shifted inside him. He felt protective of her, in a way he hadn’t expected.
Setting his drink down, Arin left the room without a word. He had better places to be.
When Arin returned home, he stepped out onto his balcony, hoping the cool air would clear his thoughts. Across from him, Astha and Shanaya were gathered around a small barbecue, the warm glow flickering between them as they laughed.
They spotted him, and Shanaya waved excitedly. “Arin! Come try our amazing barbecue.”
He hesitated before walking over. Astha handed him a paneer skewer. “Veg barbecue,” she declared proudly.
Arin took a bite, nodding. “It’s good.”
Astha smiled, turning to Shanaya. “See? People like my veg barbecue.”
Shanaya rolled her eyes. “There is no such thing as a veg barbecue, Mom.”
Astha placed her hands on her hips. “I won’t allow non-veg in my house.”
Shanaya sighed dramatically, turning to Arin. “Can you believe this? She’s the only vegetarian in the house, yet she makes all the rules.”
Astha crossed her arms. “My house, my rules.”
Shanaya grinned. “Wait till Grandpa comes over. He and I are going to have a real barbecue right here.”
They kept bantering, throwing playful jabs at each other, and Arin found himself chuckling. The warmth, the teasing, the sheer comfort of the moment—it was a stark contrast to the forced pleasantries of the party.
He realized, right then, that he enjoyed this much more than any loud, crowded gathering. Watching Astha and Shanaya laugh, feeling the easy camaraderie, he understood something important.
This was the world he wanted to be a part of.
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