The final presentation day arrived faster than any of them expected.
For weeks, their lives had revolved around the project—late nights, meetings, arguments, coffee, laughter, tension, deadlines.
And now—
it was over.
The conference room looked unusually formal that morning. Files were arranged neatly across the table, laptops open, projector running softly in the background.
Aakrati stood near the screen, adjusting the final slides while trying to ignore the strange heaviness sitting in her chest.
This project had been exhausting.
Chaotic.
Complicated.
But somewhere along the way—
it had also become their space.
And now it was ending.
—
"You nervous?" Siddharth asked casually, walking over with two coffees.
"A little," Aakrati admitted.
"You'll do fine," he said. "You always do."
Shrisha joined them a second later. "If anyone messes up, we'll blame Sid."
"Excuse me?" Siddharth gasped dramatically. "I carried this project emotionally."
"You carried nothing except flirting," she shot back.
He grinned. "And yet you enjoyed every second."
Shrisha rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face betrayed her instantly.
—
Across the room—
Krish stood discussing something with the clients, calm and professional as always.
Meanwhile, Arsh leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, eyes already fixed on Aakrati.
Like always.
And somehow—
that still affected her.
Even now.
—
The presentation began.
And for the next two hours, everything else disappeared.
No jealousy.
No tension.
No games.
Just work.
They moved together effortlessly, almost instinctively at this point.
Krish handled strategy and client interaction smoothly.
Aakrati explained concepts with confidence.
Arsh took over technical sections flawlessly.
Siddharth somehow kept the atmosphere light even during stressful moments.
Shrisha managed every detail before anyone even asked.
They worked like a real team.
And maybe that was the problem.
Because somewhere in the middle of the presentation, Aakrati realized—
she was going to miss this.
Miss them.
Even the chaos.
—
By the time the clients finally stood up smiling and shaking hands—
it was done.
"Excellent work," one of them said. "Honestly one of the strongest teams we've worked with."
Siddharth immediately whispered, "I carried."
Shrisha elbowed him hard enough to make him wince.
Everyone laughed.
Even Arsh.
Even Krish.
And for one brief moment—
everything felt normal again.
—
Later that evening, the office floor was almost empty.
Decorations from the small celebration still sat scattered around—empty coffee cups, cake boxes, balloons someone had jokingly brought.
The five of them sat together quietly now, exhaustion finally settling in.
"No meetings tomorrow," Shrisha sighed happily.
"No deadlines," Siddharth added.
"No Sid talking nonstop," Arsh muttered.
"Impossible," Siddharth replied instantly.
Aakrati smiled faintly, resting her chin against her hand.
Then—
silence settled.
Not awkward.
Just… thoughtful.
Because they all knew.
Tomorrow things would change.
This project had kept them together every single day.
Now there was no reason left.
No excuse.
No structure forcing them into each other's lives.
And suddenly—
that realization felt heavier than expected.
—
Siddharth looked around dramatically. "This feels emotional. I don't like it."
"You started it," Shrisha replied softly.
Krish glanced toward Aakrati.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Before she could answer—
Arsh spoke.
"So this is it?"
Everyone looked at him.
He gave a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Project's over."
Aakrati looked down at the table.
Something about hearing it out loud made it real.
Krish leaned back slightly. "Doesn't mean we disappear."
Siddharth immediately pointed. "Exactly. I still plan on annoying all of you."
"Especially Shrisha," Arsh added dryly.
"She secretly likes me," Siddharth declared proudly.
"In your dreams," Shrisha replied automatically.
But this time—
her voice sounded softer.
—
Aakrati looked around at all of them.
At how strange this entire journey had been.
How unexpectedly attached they had all become.
And how none of them were really the same anymore.
Especially her.
Because before this project—
her life had been simple.
Predictable.
Now—
everything felt tangled.
Krish's quiet care.
Arsh's intensity.
The engagement.
The confusion she still hadn't fully faced.
All of it started here.
At this table.
With these people.
—
Siddharth suddenly stood up. "No sad endings. Absolutely not."
He grabbed one of the leftover cake boxes and opened it dramatically.
"Celebration final round."
Shrisha laughed immediately. "There's barely any cake left."
"Symbolism," he replied seriously.
Krish shook his head, smiling.
Arsh looked at Aakrati again.
And this time—
she looked back.
Not avoiding.
Not running.
Just looking.
For a second too long.
Enough for Krish to notice.
Enough for Arsh to understand.
And enough for Aakrati herself to realize—
The project might be ending.
But whatever had started between all of them—
was nowhere close to over.
The idea started, as usual, with Siddharth.
"One successful project," he announced proudly while spinning his chair around, "deserves one victory trip."
Shrisha looked up immediately. "Trip where?"
"Somewhere with mountains, bad network, and emotional damage."
"Why emotional damage specifically?" Aakrati asked.
"Because all memorable trips require it."
Krish chuckled softly while closing his laptop. "Ignore him."
"I'm serious," Siddharth continued dramatically. "We've survived deadlines, presentations, stress, and each other. We deserve one last adventure."
"One last?" Shrisha repeated suspiciously.
He looked at her innocently. "For now."
Arsh leaned back lazily. "Fine by me."
Then his eyes shifted toward Aakrati.
"As long as everyone's coming."
Aakrati instantly understood the hidden meaning behind that sentence.
Krish did too.
And somehow—
despite all the tension between them—
the trip was planned by midnight.
—
The next morning arrived colder than expected.
Mist curled around the hills as their cars climbed the narrow mountain roads. The air smelled fresh, sharp, untouched.
For the first time in weeks, there were no office clothes, no formal conversations, no deadlines hanging over their heads.
Just the five of them.
Free.
Siddharth stepped out first the moment they arrived. "YES. This is what life should look like."
Shrisha laughed while adjusting her jacket. "You say that until the actual trekking starts."
"I'm athletic."
"You got tired climbing office stairs yesterday."
"That was emotional exhaustion."
Aakrati couldn't stop herself from laughing.
And Krish—
who had been watching her quietly—
smiled too.
—
The trail started easy.
Tall trees surrounded them, sunlight slipping through leaves in soft golden streaks. Somewhere nearby, water rushed faintly through rocks.
Shrisha walked ahead with Siddharth, arguing over directions every five minutes.
"You're going the wrong way."
"I literally checked the map."
"You're holding it upside down."
"That's perspective."
Meanwhile—
Krish walked beside Aakrati steadily.
Close enough to guide her around rough stones.
Close enough to place his hand lightly at her back whenever the path became uneven.
Natural.
Protective.
Possessive in the softest possible way.
At one point, when she nearly slipped on loose gravel, his hand instantly caught hers.
"Careful," he murmured.
Aakrati looked up at him, slightly breathless.
"I'm fine."
"I know," he said calmly, still not letting go immediately. "Still."
Something about the way he said it made butterflies rise unexpectedly in her stomach.
Behind them—
Arsh watched everything silently.
Every touch.
Every smile.
Every moment.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes grew darker each time Krish instinctively pulled Aakrati closer.
—
By afternoon, the trek became steeper.
Everyone was exhausted.
Especially Siddharth.
"I think," he announced dramatically while breathing heavily, "nature is against me personally."
Shrisha laughed so hard she nearly lost balance herself.
"Stop laughing and help me."
"You said you were athletic."
"I lied."
Arsh smirked faintly. "Obviously."
Even Aakrati was laughing freely now.
And for a moment—
everything actually felt peaceful.
No tension.
No complicated emotions.
Just warmth.
Just them.
—
They finally reached the viewpoint near sunset.
The sky stretched in shades of orange and pink, mountains fading softly into the distance.
For a second—
everyone fell silent.
"Okay," Shrisha whispered softly. "This is beautiful."
Siddharth looked at her instead of the view.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
She didn't notice.
But Aakrati did.
—
They stayed there longer than planned, taking pictures, teasing each other, sitting on rocks while the cold evening wind grew stronger.
Aakrati stood near the edge, looking at the mountains.
Krish walked up beside her.
"Tired?" he asked.
"A little."
He removed his jacket without another word and placed it around her shoulders.
"You'll get cold."
Aakrati looked at him in surprise. "What about you?"
"I'm fine."
And before she could argue—
Arsh appeared beside them.
"You always act like she'll disappear if you stop taking care of her for five minutes."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Krish's expression remained calm. "Maybe because I actually care."
Arsh laughed softly, though there was no humor in it. "Or maybe because you want everyone to know she's yours."
Aakrati sighed internally.
"Can both of you not start here?"
Krish looked at her immediately. "We're not starting anything."
Arsh's gaze stayed fixed on him. "Sure."
The tension lingered—
but before it could grow worse—
Siddharth suddenly shouted from behind.
"EVERYONE COME HERE RIGHT NOW."
Shrisha frowned. "What did you do?"
"JUST COME."
—
Near the camping area below, fairy lights suddenly flickered on.
Shrisha froze.
"What…"
A small setup stood there near the trees—soft lights hanging around, flowers scattered across the wooden railing, music quietly playing from Siddharth's speaker.
And in the middle—
a bouquet.
Huge.
Ridiculously dramatic.
Exactly like Siddharth.
Everyone turned toward him.
He straightened proudly. "I have been waiting ALL DAY for this moment."
Shrisha stared at him in complete shock. "You did all this?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Talent."
Arsh muttered, "He disappeared for forty minutes earlier."
"Preparation," Siddharth corrected.
Then—
for the first time since they met—
he looked nervous.
Actually nervous.
He walked toward Shrisha slowly, bouquet in hand.
The teasing smile faded into something softer.
More real.
"Shrisha," he said quietly, "you're annoying, rude, impossible to argue with, and you insult me at least ten times a day."
Everyone laughed softly.
Even she did.
But her eyes never left his.
"And somehow…" he continued, smiling nervously now, "you became my favorite part of every day."
The wind seemed to still around them.
"I didn't plan this," he admitted. "You just happened."
Shrisha's expression softened completely.
Siddharth took a breath.
Then finally—
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Silence.
Beautiful.
Breathless silence.
Shrisha looked at him for what felt like forever.
Then suddenly—
she laughed through tears.
"You are SO dramatic."
Siddharth panicked instantly. "That's not a yes—"
Before he could finish—
Shrisha threw her arms around him.
"Yes, idiot."
Siddharth froze for half a second.
Then hugged her back tightly, laughing in disbelief.
"I WIN," he shouted immediately after.
Shrisha hit his shoulder. "Shut up."
Everyone laughed.
Even Krish.
Even Arsh.
And as the fairy lights glowed softly around them, with mountains behind and cold wind brushing past—
Aakrati stood there smiling at her two friends.
But deep inside—
she could still feel it.
The quiet war beside her hadn't ended.
Because when she glanced sideways—
Krish was looking at her gently.
And Arsh—
was already looking at her like he refused to lose.