Should I return the good pen I drew from our terrible stationery swap?
Funny'That's my daughter's pen,' Anil said when he saw the little wooden star attached to it.
Our office had started a joke swap: leave an unwanted freebie pen in a mug, take another. I contributed a bulky pen with a defunct sandwich shop's name on it and drew a much nicer one.
Anil thought the mug was for pens people could borrow. He had put his daughter's star pen there while clearing his desk, intending to collect it later. He smiled and said I could keep it if I really wanted, but he also told me how she had made the star.
I offered it back. He said he didn't want to spoil our swap, and now we're both politely refusing to be the person who accepts the pen.
Can I end that loop and return it without telling everybody that the game was badly explained or making Anil publicly claim a sentimental item?