It was during Covid when 20% of staff was allowed to travel and sit in the office but sometimes the staff strength would dwindle down to very few people. On a similar day when the number of staff in the office was around 20, in this big 10,000 sqft. office, it felt as if they were the only one there.
Post lunch, employees began to consolidate in group mostly in the north wing, leaving only Mrs. Bhatnagar & Yohaan alone in the south wing. These two only knew each other among the regular office comers. Mrs. Bhatnagar is the HR Head and Yohaan is working in the legal department. This wasn't the first time that the staff strength was so low. Rather this was the usual Friday for the past two months. See, employees preferred to work from home on Fridays so that they could begin their weekend early or could leave for a fun weekend as soon as the laptops were shut.
Mrs. Bhatnagar was feeling bored and didn't want to work anymore. But the clock said, there were still 5 more hours to end her shift as she had checked in late today. She took her laptop, bag and some important notes and headed to the legal cabin. What she was looking for in the cabin was some company with Yohaan and had never anticipated that she would be naked in front of Yohaan soon in this very cabin.
They sat next to each other and began working on their laptops while casually chatting without looking at each other. These two weren't strangers but wouldn't be called friends. Ice between these two was broken when Yohaan flirted a bit with her in his interview for a better salary.
'So, we don't see you at the HR side anymore, what's wrong?' asked Mrs. Bhatnagar to start a conversation with Yohaan.
'I was a very good friend to your assistant and then she left the enterprise and now it feels as if she never existed. She never stays in touch or answer the calls or anything,' said Yohaan with a serious and straight face.
'Oh! I didn't know you two were so close.'
'Yeah, I mean one moment you are sharing each other your life's secretsls and then, everything disappears as if we were good friends only in my head.'
'You two were more than friends? She said carefully and then tried to cover it up in case, she had overstepped her boundaries, 'I mean I know it's not my place to ask but you can share if you want to, else I'll understand if you don't want to.'
'Nah., I have a girlfriend! I guess. But she was a very good friend, that's it.' A worry could be seen on his face while he mentioned about his gf.
'Okay.' Bhatnagar couldn't understand whether she should focus on the gf part so she continued, 'You know other people in our department and not just her.'
'See, I've been burnt in keeping friendship with colleagues so many times that somewhere I've begun to lose my trust and only talk to certain people here.'
'That's very sad.' Bhatnagar was beginning to open up remembering her ordeal with her assistant.
'We don't know each other much personally but you wouldn't find me as a stranger during our conversation,' said Yohaan looking at Bhatnagar and finally opening up to her.
'True'
'Thats because, I crave human connection. I love making friends and everything. But for many people here, everyone is just another traveler they met on their journey in the office. Wait for them to get a better offer.'
Bhatnagar was feeling empathy for him, 'actually, I'd also bonded with her, and we would talk for long at times and then she vanished as if it meant nothing. I know what you felt coz I've too felt it.'
'Oh!'
'Yeah, but don't worry if you open up to me, I will honor the smallest connection we make in case,' said Bhatnagar trying to cheer up the mood of the room.
Yohaan was back to his screen while Bhatnagar was looking everywhere except her screen.
'Thanks. But these things just happen, and you really have no control over it.'
'True. So, what was the first thing that you bonded over?'
Yohaan denied as if he didn't remember anything but how many times could he deny a super excited, not to mention cute and hot person who wouldn't give up asking. Plus, a senior management person. So, he admitted, 'You remember the increment you gave her last summer.'
'Yes.'
'Actually, I was sharing how Mr. Ranganathan called me a month before that increment for a critical case around 11.30pm and it got very bad for me. Spoilt the night for me and all.'
Now, Yohaan had Bhatnagar's full attention while he was still focused on the screen and sharing the story.
He continued, 'She told me how my experience was still better compared to hers and then we began comparing other bad office experiences and actually she was again and again circling back to your late-night call. She would go to another topic and then circle back to it and then again move to another bad experience.'
'Then?' Bhatnagar was super excited now.
Yohaan was now looking at her and with a grin and blush, he said 'so, I shared that during my late-night call, I was in bed with my girl when Ranganathan sir called and then we had to stop and restart all over again but couldn't match the previous energy.'
'You mean. Like just. You know. Kisses and all. Or...' said Bhatnagar struggling with right words for her colleague.
'Much far in the final deal.'
Bhatnagar was fully surprised. 'Oh! Fuck!' trying to control her laugh, 'so, what did she say? And first thing, why did you pick Ranganathan's call?'
'I picked his third call which came back-to-back. And then she shared that your timing was similar to Ranganathan sir.'
'What the fuck! Just to clarify, you mean sex both the times.'
'Yes, I had been going on for almost 10 minutes and in her case, she too was too about to end it soon.'
'Fuck! What else?'
'Shouldn't you share now?'
'Okay. My life is pretty non-exotic but yeah yesterday, I did something.'
'What?'
'Pls, don't make me regret sharing this, Yohaan.'
'Trust me, this is a safe zone'
'I roamed the entire office and worked my full shift without bra or panties and with my somethings poking out the top all the time. No one was there so no one knew.'
'Okay!! I might notice it now onwards involuntary, coz now that it's there in my brain.'
'We'll see. And it's very good with so few people in the office. We woman don't have to be uptight and all.'
'I know. Post five pm, you can watch porn in full audio, and no one will know.'
'Have you done that in this cabin? And please don't tell me you've used this chair.'
'No. I scroll Instagram a lot during that time, but I was just saying that you could stretch it till that extent.'
'Okay. So, whose turn, is it?'