One Shift Too Far - Chapter Six

If you haven't read the fifth chapter, check it out here.

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As the laughter died down, Anirudh went away to the furthest slides he could find, and enjoyed himself for some time. Occasionally, he saw Sanvi trying another slide or entering the lazy river.

At long last, it was time for lunch. The managers, with Mr. Verma, assigned people their seats. To nobody’s surprise, Anirudh found himself seated between Ajay and Sanvi!

"Alright, settle down!" Mr. Verma clapped his hands as they had their lunch. "Next up — the blindfold obstacle course!"

Mr. Verma grinned like a man who had found the perfect excuse for workplace meddling. "Teams have been randomly assigned according to your seating arrangements! Pranaya and Ajay! Sanvi and Anirudh!!"

"Of course," Sanvi murmured under her breath, as Mr. Verma continued reading the list.

"For team-building purposes!" Ms. Ashwini, another manager, declared triumphantly.

A few employees kept sniggering at their phones and talking in hushed whispers. Anirudh knew this involved the photos of him and Sanvi in the waterpark earlier that day.

He even heard one of them distinctly say, “This isn’t the first time. Remember that temple incident on Yugadi? The priest blessed them!”

He sighed, returning to his food.

The blindfold game was predictably disastrous. With Sanvi blindfolded and Anirudh guiding her, they stumbled through ropes, nearly tripped over cones, and accidentally ended up in a bush.

"Left! Left! No, to your left!" Anirudh shouted, suppressing laughter.

"That was my left!" Sanvi exclaimed. "Are you trying to sabotage us?"

"Absolutely not!" He grinned. "But I have to say, you’re incredibly talented at crashing into shrubbery."

They finally crossed the finish line, breathless and laughing. Mr. Verma unnaturally cheered.

"Excellent teamwork, you two!" he announced. "Unspoken chemistry. Very impressive."

Anirudh and Sanvi exchanged a glance, their cheeks flushed.

“A walk?” Anirudh offered.

Sanvi raised an eyebrow.

Anirudh cleared his throat and held his arm. Grinning, Sanvi entwined her hand with his arm.

"This was surprisingly fun," Sanvi admitted, her eyes sparkling.

"Maybe we underestimated Mr. Verma isn’t entirely evil," Anirudh mused.

They both laughed.

“If Mr. Verma had his way, we’d be the official poster children for corporate bonding,” Sanvi said, against his shoulder.

“And if Ajay had his way, Cameroon would hire us as the next Jack and Rose,” Anirudh mused.

They could hear their coworkers shouting, running, playing, and laughing loudly behind them. The resort was filled with people enjoying a much-needed break from monotonous routines Nobody paid them any attention anymore, and Anirudh preferred it this way.

“Did you have any best friends, Ani?” Sanvi asked.

Anirudh’s heart skipped a beat. Ajay had been the only person in their office who had, so far, addressed him like that.

“Before Ajay? No, Sanvi. I was the loathed teacher’s pet. Because I followed rules, you see? And I was boring!” Anirudh mused.

Sanvi lifted her head from Anirudh’s shoulder, “You’re not boring. You are fun to hang out with! Those idiots don’t define your worth! Never degrade yourself just because someone else once did, Ani!”

Anirudh stared at her in awe, “That… is incredibly kind of you!”

Sanvi shook her head, bringing it back to his shoulder, “It is the reality! Those who see your value will find you eventually. Didn’t Ajay?”

“And you!” Anirudh smiled, kissing the crown of her head.

“Told you! It was Anvi, Tanvi, and I! Since childhood!” Sanvi said, misinterpreting him. “For as far as I can remember in childhood. We were inseparable. By the age of thirteen, we would even go on one-day trips independently during holidays! We have celebrated birthdays and festivals together! We have even visited each other's grandparents at their villages! We have played games together, had multiple sleepovers, and participated in school functions together! But then school ended and we parted ways for college. Even then, we kept in touch. That is, until Anvi was married off. Between Tanvi and me, she got to study abroad. Just like that, it was just me!” A tear rolled down her cheek.

Anirudh lifted her chin and wiped away her cheeks.

Clearing her throat, Sanvi giggled, “Shall we try that ride next?”

As the day wound down and the sky turned a shade of gold, Anirudh and Sanvi were back with the team, which had gathered around a bonfire.

They were sitting adjacent to a field where inflated balloons were scattered across the grass. Mr. Verma announced the rules - burst as many balloons as possible in two minutes using only your backs.

“Ajay, how about you and Anirudh go first?” Mr. Verma asked.

“Sir, not me, please. Can Sanvi go, instead?” Ajay said, clutching his chest.

“Ajay, come on, man!” Mr. Verma said disapprovingly. “Okay, Sanvi, you go in place of Ajay.”

“You okay?” Anirudh whispered to Ajay, who winked at him, “Have fun with her!”

“You rogue!” Anirudh chuckled. “Thanks, man!”

Ajay waved him away and sat by the tents.

Heat crept up Anirudh’s neck as Sanvi smirked at him, as if challenging him. The soft press of Sanvi against Anirudh was far more distracting than it should have been as they stood back to back. The countdown began.

“Three… two… one… GO!”

The crowd roared. Anirudh and Sanvi lunged backward, slamming into a balloon with a satisfying pop.

“Another!” Sanvi laughed, twisting slightly as we shuffled to the next. It wasn’t the best coordination. They kept tripping over each other.

“You call this teamwork?” Anirudh grumbled through a grin.

“Blame your APAC coordination,” Sanvi shot back. “We in the Europe shift are clearly superior.”

“Oh, we’ll see about that.” Anirudh snapped.

Time blurred as they kept popping balloons.

The laughter grew louder, especially when one of their coworker’s booming commentary echoed through the night:

“And there they go! APAC and Europe, proving that corporate synergy is a lie!”

They ignored him. Anirudh didn’t care for the challenge or the crowd - just Sanvi’s infectious laughter and the way Sanvi’s head tilted back with pure joy.

By the end, Anirudh and Sanvi were breathless, grinning like idiots. Balloons lay shredded across the field as Mr. Verma stepped forward to call the next pair.

As the applause faded and they caught their breath, Anirudh looked at Sanvi. Looking back, Anirudh would neither remember the final score nor what happened next. Because all he could think of was the sound of her laughter.

Anirudh did not notice anything about the passage of time until…

“Alright, people!” Mr. Verma clapped dramatically, standing like some unhinged game show host. “Enough gossiping! It’s time for the real fun. I present to you —” He paused for effect.

Anirudh looked around him. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint smell of burning wood. A circle of mismatched lawn chairs surrounded the crackling bonfire, illuminating tired faces that had already endured a day of fun corporate bonding activities.

“Truth or Dare!” Mr. Verma declared.

The crowd gave a collective groan, followed by scattered laughter.

Mr. Verma lounged like a king, one foot propped up, a suspiciously smug grin plastered across his face. His energy levels were dangerously high, like a man who had been waiting all day for this moment.

Not even Ajay could match his energy.

The Europe and APAC teams mingled, scattered around the fire. And right across from Anirudh stodd Sanvi.

“Well,” she mouthed, sitting down with exaggerated grace, “looks like fate’s working overtime.”

“Alright, alright!” Mr. Verma clapped his hands dramatically, silencing the chatter. “Corporate warriors, it’s time. Let’s expose some secrets or force some questionable decisions. No weaklings allowed.”

The circle erupted in cheers and groans.

“Let’s start with...” Mr. Verma’s eyes scanned the crowd, far too slowly for Anirudh’s comfort..

“Ajay! Truth or dare?”

“Uh, dare!” Ajay declared.

“Perform a dramatic rendition of a song by the pool. Bonus points for air guitar solos!” Mr. Verma said.

Anirudh groaned. He knew exactly what was on Ajay’s mind.

Ajay strode up to the pool and turned, all eyes upon him in the late evening air.

“WE WERE JUST KIIIDS WHEN WE FEEEEELLLLLLL IN LOOOOOVEEE! NOT KNOWING WHHAAAAAATTT IS WHAT!” Ajay began singing.

Everybody hooted and cheered loudly. Anirudh could have sworn that everybody took turns thumping him on the back. It seemed like everyone knew who Ajay was imitating via this song.

“Why’d you do that?” Anirudh hissed at Ajay, rubbing his back. Ajay smirked, “Because Jack needs his little build up!”

“But that’s not Jack!” Anirudh hissed.

“And that’s not the point!” Ajay winked.

Before Anirudh could retaliate, Mr. Verma called the next player, “Perform a British accent for two minutes straight!”

Pranaya cleared her throat and tried impersonating Emma Watson, “I am Hermione Granger! And you are?”

“RON WEASLEY!” The crowd roared in delight.

Someone even audaciously shouted, “HARRY POTTER!” into the chaos!

At long last, it was Sanvi’s turn.

“Sanvi! Truth or dare?”

She smiled, tilting her head. “Dare.”

Of course, she chose 'dare'. This woman practically radiated chaos.

“Perfect. I dare you to...” He paused, relishing the suspense. “Go up to a random colleague and dramatically confess your undying love — bonus points if you quote Shakespeare.”

The crowd whooped. But Sanvi? She didn’t even flinch.

“Oh, that’s easy,” she said, already turning her gaze.

“EXCEPT ANIRUDH!” The same voice that had yelled “Harry Potter” earlier.

Sanvi’s eyes gleamed with mischief as the crowd roared with laughter. She slowly stood up, brushing imaginary dust from her dress like a queen preparing for a grand proclamation.

“Ah, but soft! What light through yonder lobby breaks?” She threw her arms wide, her voice echoing dramatically.

Everyone erupted into laughter, but Anirudh shifted nervously. He was already regretting every decision that had led him to this moment.

Sanvi paced like a Shakespearean heroine possessed, addressing the entire group.

“Oh, to feel the torment of a thousand unspoken words!” She clasped her hands to her chest. “To gaze upon him, the one who knows not how he haunts my thoughts!”

Ajay gave Anirudh a solid thump on the back, stifling his laughter. “Ani, she’s talking about you.”

“No kidding,” Anirudh muttered.

But Sanvi wasn’t done. She spun dramatically, pointing to the heavens.

“Oh, corporate destiny, why dost thou mock me so? Must I endure endless status reports and budget meetings, while my heart longs for... a coffee break shared with thee?” She sighed, as if the mere thought pained her.

The group howled. Mr. Verma clutched his sides, laughing hard.

“Yet I dare not name thee, for thou art a star among us! A dazzling beacon of... questionable Excel skills and a suspicious number of typos in emails!”

The laughter intensified. Even Anirudh couldn’t stop the grin from creeping across his face.

“Oh, would that I could declare my adoration to thy very face!” Sanvi took a step forward, gazing deeply into the air as though she were in a tragic romance. “But no, fate hath decreed that I remain but a humble admirer. For thou, oh thou… IT department troubleshooter extraordinaire!”

The entire group roared, clapping and cheering. Anirudh buried his face in his hands.

“That was… impressive,” Mr. Verma wheezed between breaths. “Bonus points awarded for the Excel insult.”

Sanvi took a grand bow, blowing kisses to her adoring audience. Then, as she straightened, she shot Anirudh a smug glance.

“You think you alone were a teacher’s pet?” she whispered.

Anirudh shook his head, smiling despite himself. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” she said with a playful shrug, “you’re still here.”

“Sanvi, did you make up these lines?” Mr. Verma asked.

“Oh, no, sir. This is from ‘Romeo and Juliet’.” Sanvi said.

“We are sure your Romeo heard you, Juliet!” Mr. Verma gave a bark-like laugh.

Sanvi smiled. Anirudh blushed. The entire group exchanged high-fives and laughed.

The rest of the games merged into the background as Anirudh looked at Sanvi. She was the life of the party - laughing with everyone, talking animatedly, and enthusiastically joining in for the ‘musical chairs’ contest and even winning it!

The crowd around them thinned as the night progressed, but Anirudh did not feel sleepy at all. Many people had staggered back to their tents, including Ajay and Mr. Verma. Even Pranaya made her way into her tent.

The bonfire had long since burned down to glowing embers. The distant hum of the forest filled the silence. A few stray lanterns flickered near the camp’s edge, casting faint halos of light. The air was cool, the sky an endless spread of stars. And right there, by the dying fire, Sanvi sat, beckoning to him.

“You’re still awake,” she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

“So are you,” Anirudh whispered back.

Anirudh hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sank onto the wooden log beside her. The warmth of the fading embers brushed against them, the night air wrapping around the edges.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Anirudh asked.

She smiled faintly. “Didn’t want to.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching the sparks rise and fade. There was no rush to fill the quiet. And yet, somehow, it didn’t feel empty.

“You were good today,” she said eventually, her voice gentle. “You reminded me of who I once was. Before Anvi and Tanvi left.”

Anirudh swallowed, not knowing how to respond.

Her face glowed with the dim embers of the fire. Several strands of hair had left the bun and settled on her face. Her eyes were glassy, and a faint smile lingered on her lips.

Then, she suddenly looked up. It was like an electric current passing through them.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them crackled with unspoken words. Anirudh's gaze traced the curve of her face, the warmth in her eyes. She didn’t look away. The stars above seemed to wink at them.

And then, she leaned in, the mischief in her eyes softening. Anirudh chuckled softly, eyes widening.

Their lips met, soft and uncertain, a question and an answer all at once. The world around them faded, the embers glowing brighter for just a moment. Her hand brushed against his cheek, fingers trembling slightly. He responded by leaning in, his heart pounding. She leaned further in, her arms around his neck. One arm around her back, his other arm went to the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair.

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Footnotes:

Chapter Five.

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To Be Continued in Chapter Seven.

Written By Tharun Kumar S