I grinned and turned towards Yudi who was laughing openly by now and he looked back at me, eyes twinkling. ‘Thanks for the mood booster,’ he said leaning towards me, ‘I owe you one.’

‘You’re welcome, Yudhishtir,’ I smiled back. ‘Think nothing of it. I have survived many a dull meeting thanks to Puru and his spectacular performances. You should see how he can transform the most mind-numbing sales forecast meeting singlehandedly. Just him and one plate of Marie biscuits.’

‘Well, you certainly transformed my mood, all right,’ Yudi smiled warmly and I felt a little tingle run up my spine. ‘I’m feeling a whole lot better.’

‘Thank God! I was worried about you, you know. You were seriously crazy to take off on the jet ski like that especially when that lady told you it wasn’t safe to do so.’ The words just tumbled out of my mouth.

Yudi’s eyes flickered as he looked at me and something in his look brought me back to the ground with a thud. Why on earth had I just said that?

‘Umm, I mean we have a meeting post-dinner, you know, I was worried you wouldn’t make it,’ I blurted out unthinkingly, realizing only too well how stupid I sounded as the last of my words trailed off.

Yudi was smiling by now, that sardonic smile, as he leaned towards me, his eyes full of amusement. ‘Really, Megha? Were you worried about me?’

‘No!’ I said forcefully, willing myself to look away from his gorgeous, mocking brown eyes. ‘I mean, yeah, I want you to be there for the meeting later today and…’

‘Megha,’ Yudi said urgently, his eyes suddenly serious, the mocking smile replaced by an earnest, almost vulnerable look on his face. ‘Were you really worried about me?’ He leaned closer towards me and placed his hand over mine, causing my heart to start thumping wildly like a bongo drum and my brain to go into immediate switch-off mode.

‘Of course not, Yudi!’ I said with a breezy laugh as I pulled my hand away. ‘God, you’re so corny! Why would I worry about you? I just wanted your mood to be okay, so that we have a productive meeting later tonight. God knows we need your inputs and the last thing I need is another showdown between you and Suketu!’

Yudi leaned back in his chair and for a split second I thought I glimpsed a hurt look on his face, but it was gone all too soon and the familiar sardonic smile flashed back at me, his eyes glinting like hard steel. ‘Really?’ he drawled slowly, his eyes continuing to bore into mine. ‘Well, I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you, Megha. For one, I never intended to be a part of your little tête-à-tête tonight and for another I am done with all this rubbish on Bright Biscuits. From now on, I’m going to be around only for select meetings where, hopefully, Shiv and Varun will also be present to rein in your creative ambitions and knock some sense into that thick head of yours.’