Monday morning, and the office was already buzzing with activity. Sita, having just arrived, unlocked her office and set her laptop on the desk. As she logged into her computer, the familiar sounds of the workplace filled her ears—the chatter of coworkers, the clicking of keyboards, and the constant low hum of the printer.
As the workday continued, Liam and Sita found themselves chatting more and more.
"Hey, Sita," Liam said, leaning over the cubicle wall with a cup of coffee in his hand. "What's the latest gossip around here? Any juicy office romances I should know about?"
Sita laughed, shaking her head.
found themselves chatting more and more.
"Hey, Sita," Liam said, leaning over the cubicle wall with a cup of coffee in his hand. "What's the latest gossip around here? Any juicy office romances I should know about?"
"Liam, my friend," Sita said with a playful eye roll, "please, just let me be." She pressed her hand to her chest, feigning a hurt expression. "Don't you know gossiping is bad for the soul?"
Liam chuckled, sipping his coffee. "You're no fun," he teased, shaking his head. "You're a real stick in the mud, you know that?"
Sita laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, like you'
"Oh, like you're any better," Sita shot back, a grin on her face. "You're the one who's always stirring up trouble around here. If it's not gossip, it's some prank or another. You're like the class clown of the office."
Liam laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. You got me there." He winked, his expression turning mischievous.
"But hey," Liam continued, his grin widening, "you've gotta admit, it keeps things interesting around here." He waggled his eyebrows at Sita. "Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll find some juicy gossip that even you won't be able to resist."
Sita laughed, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Oh Liam, you are a troublemaker, aren't you?" She shook her finger at him, smiling.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approaching interrupted their conversation. Sita and Liam both turned to see their boss, Ms. Wong, making her way towards them with a determined expression on her face.
Liam, eyes widening in realization, quickly downed the last of his coffee, his smile turning sheepish. "Uh oh," he whispered, quickly pushing off the cubicle wall and heading back to his desk.
Sita, biting her lip to hide a smile, straightened in her chair, her expression turning professional.
Ms. Wong stopped in front of Sita's desk, a stack of papers in her hand. "Sita, I need you to look over these reports and get them to me by the end of the day," she said, her tone serious.
Sita nodded, quickly taking the papers from Ms. Wong's hand. "Absolutely, Ms. Wong. I'll have them ready for you as soon as possible."
Ms. Wong gave a curt nod, her expression still businesslike. "Good. And Sita," she added, her voice dropping slightly, "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time chatting with Mr. Tarken lately." She raised an eyebrow, her gaze piercing. "Remember, I expect my employees to focus on their work, not socialize during work hours".
Sita, her face reddening slightly, quickly nodded. "Yes, Ms. Wong. I understand.
Ms. Wong, seemingly satisfied with Sita's response, turned to leave. But just before she was out of earshot, she added, "Oh, and Sita? Do try to be more discrete in the future. It's unprofessional to be so…loud."
Sita, her cheeks now burning, swallowed thickly. "Yes, Ms. Wong. I apologize." She waited until Ms. Wong had turned the corner and was out of sight before letting out a long, heavy sigh.
Just then, Liam said to sita, Hey sweetie can I help you with those stack of papers? Make him say it
Liam, his mischievous grin back in place, sauntered over to Sita's desk, leaning against it with his arms crossed. "Hey there, sweetie," he said with a smirk, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Looks like Ms. Wong was laying down the law, huh?" He winked at Sita, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. "So, can I help you with those stack of papers?"
"Thanks, Liam," Sita said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "But I've got this." She gestured to the papers in front of her, attempting to regain her composure. "It's part of the job." She shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips despite her discomfort. "No need to worry."
"Suit yourself," Liam replied with a shrug, pushing himself off Sita's desk. "But if you need help, don't hesitate to ask." He winked at her again, his tone a mix of teasing and sincerity. "I'm always here to lend a hand, in more ways than one."
Sita rolled her eyes, her smile widening. "Oh, you're such a charmer, Liam." She feigned a swoon, giggling as she returned to her work.
Sita, her head down, was busy typing away at her keyboard, her brow furrowed in concentration. The hours ticked by, the only sounds in the office being the soft tapping of keys and the occasional rustling of paper.
At long last, Sita let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back in her chair, her eyes tired but satisfied. "Done!" she announced, holding up the finished stack of papers triumphantly.
Liam, who had been quietly working at his own desk, looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "You rock, Sita!
"Thanks, Liam," Sita said, returning his grin. With the papers in hand, she made her way towards Ms. Wong's office, her heart beating a little faster with anticipation.
She knocked gently on the door, waiting for the familiar "Come in." With a deep breath, she entered, careful to maintain her professional demeanor. "Ms. Wong," she greeted, laying the papers on the desk. "I finished the reports."
Ms. Wong, eyes scanning the papers, nodded curtly. "Good," she said, her voice even. She glanced up, her gaze fixing on Sita's. "Did you double check the figures?" she asked, her tone implying that anything less would be unacceptable.
"Yes, Ms. Wong," Sita replied, her voice steady. "I've gone through them several times to ensure they're accurate."
Ms. Wong, her expression still stern, gave a sharp nod. "Very well.
"You can go," Ms. Wong said, the word almost sounding like a dismissal of her employee as well as her presence.
Sita, suppressing a sigh of relief, quietly turned and left the office, the door clicking shut behind her. As she made her way back to her own desk, she let out a long, slow breath. Liam, catching her eye, gave her a sympathetic smile and a small thumbs up.
"You survived," he whispered, his grin widening.
Sita, exhaling deeply, nodded in agreement. "I think I'll take my lunch break now," she said, giving Liam a grateful smile. She gathered her things and headed towards the break room.
As she entered the lunch room, she was greeted by the chatter of her coworkers, all taking their own breaks and enjoying a bite to eat. She found a seat at an empty table, pulling out her sandwich and a bottle of water.
Sinking into the chair, she allowed herself to relax, her body sinking into the soft padding.
Sita, her mouth full of sandwich, pulled out her phone, smiling at the message from her mother.
"Sita dear, how are you? hope you are fine, hoping to see you this weekend".
"I'm doing fine, Ma," she typed, a small grin on her face. "Looking forward to seeing you this weekend."
"Finally home," Sita muttered, sinking down onto her couch and kicking her feet up on the coffee table. The day's events swirled around in her head, and she let out a long, slow breath, trying to let the tension seep out of her body.
Sita's eyes drifted closed, the soft sounds of the TV a soothing backdrop to her quiet meditation. A sense of calm began to wash over her, as she slowly let go of the stress and worries that had plagued throughout her day.
As Sita settled into her couch, the stress of the day slowly ebbed away, replaced by the soothing sounds of her TV and the familiar comforts of home.
After a few minutes of quiet relaxation, Sita roused herself, glancing around her apartment. She stood up and began to putter around, tidying up and preparing a simple dinner for herself.
Her mind, free of the pressures of work, began to wander, as she thought about the events of the day and the people in her life.
As Sita sat down to enjoy her home-cooked meal, the warm aroma of spices and comfort food filling her apartment, she reached for her phone. She tapped in Vanessa's number, a smile on her face as she heard the ringing on the other end.
"Hello?" Vanessa's voice sounded through the receiver, her tone cheerful and upbeat.
"Hey Van!" Sita responded, her own mood lifting at the sound of her friend's voice. "How's it going?"
"It's going great," Vanessa replied, her voice full of energy. "I've had a super busy day, but I'm finally getting a chance to relax. How about you?"
"Oh, you know, the usual," Sita said with a slight chuckle, leaning back in her chair. "Just enjoying a quiet evening at home." She paused for a moment, then added, "How's the dating scene treating you? Any luck with that coffee date guy?"
Vanessa let out a light sigh, her tone turning wistful. "Well, the date was nice, I guess," she said, her voice thoughtful. "We had a good conversation, but I don't know if there was really any chemistry." She paused, then added, "But you know, that's just how it goes sometimes."
Sita's voice was sympathetic, her own experiences with dating coloring her tone. "Yeah, you never know how things are going to work out," she said.
"But that's okay," Vanessa continued, her mood lifting once more. "I mean, dating is all about trying new things, right? You never know when you're going to meet the right person." She paused for a moment, before adding with a laugh, "Or maybe I'll just become a crazy cat lady. That could be fun, too."
Sita laughed as well, her mood lightening in response to her friend's humor.
The conversation between the friends continued for a few more minutes, their laughter and stories filling the air with warmth and familiarity. Eventually, the time came for the call to end, and the two friends bid each other a good bye.
As Sita hung up the phone, she smiled to herself, feeling grateful for the friendship and support she shared with Vanessa. She finished her dinner, content to enjoy the peace and quiet as she retire for the night