“Aiyoo,” escaped Kritika’s lips for the nth time. She shifted her shopping bags from one hand to another. Ansh standing in the queue before her turned and rolled up his eyes. The glint in his dark brown eyes caused a flutter in her heart. But the same flutter turned to ire when his gaze lingered around her overflowing shopping bags.

“Women and their shopping!” Ansh shrugged his shoulders.

“I have not used your credit card for my shopping,” she muttered as if reading his mind.

 He had recently shifted to Thane and was amazed at the hustle and bustle of the city.

The autos were trickling in like water leaking from a tap.

1, 2,3…. she counted, another twenty to go. “Aiyoo! Why isn’t the queue moving?”

She inched forward to recheck and accidentally brushed against Ansh. His thick brows furrowed. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

Her narrowing and widening expressive eyes caught his attention.

Kritika glanced at her watch. “Aiyoo! It’s getting late.” She pushed her curly hair backward and, in the melee, her elbow nudged Ansh’s taut triceps.

Kritika noticed his jaws clench as he moved out of the queue to give her more space.

Finally, the serpentine queue moved forward, and Ansh was next in line. As he stood sideways, her gaze traversed his tall and well-built body.

As an auto came to a halt, she hopped into it. “It’s my turn,” he growled. “You are not in the queue,” she answered cheekily. An argument ensued.

“Where do you both want to go?” the driver asked. “Gawandbagh!” They barked in unison.

Kritika had no other option but to travel with him. “Aiyoo!” She uttered scrolling her mobile, juggling the bags between her hands. “Let me hold a few of them.” He offered to help noticing her predicament.

They paid for the auto and Kritika ran into the nearest shop. After buying a few groceries, she rushed out almost bumping into Ansh. “Aiyoo,” she yelped. This time she didn’t stop to say sorry.  

She felt the angry young man trailing behind her.

 “Why are you following me?” she hollered staring into his dark brown eyes. Instead of anger this time, they twinkled with mischief.

Looking deep into those big expressive eyes, and the curly black hair that refused to be bound by the hair band, Ansh smiled. The cleft on his chin deepened as Kritika's nostrils flared up in anger.

Taking a step forward, he raised her shopping bags. “Aiyoo! I forgot, sorry.” Kritika slapped her forehead.

“My name is Ansh Nair. I am soon going to join TCS,” he introduced himself.

She bit her tongue in exasperation. “What! The team leader, Ansh Nair? How will I face him in the office on Monday?” Her face went beetroot red. “I am Kritika Iyer,” she gasped before hurrying away.

Ansh stared at the petite retreating figure. Closing his eyes, he shook his head from left to right. Miss Aiyoo and her antics had succeeded in tugging at his heartstrings.