Rekindled | ✓

Chapter 5. Handshake

"Finally." The person on the other side breathes out. "Hello, gorgeous." He greets in an overly bright, enthusiastic voice.

"Josh." Inaaya grits. "What's wrong?"

"You weren't picking up my call and then we couldn't talk since two days. Even the Sunday plan got cancelled. I just wanted to talk to you."

"And so you decided to call at my workplace at the office number at the reception?" Anger bubbles in her veins as she asks that question.

"Yes." He says as if it was no big deal.

She fists her hands and her chest heaves as she exhales. "I was fucking busy!" She spats out in a low yet deadly voice. "You knew it! You knew I didn't have time at all. It wasn't as if I didn't respond to your messages too. I would've got back to your call when I would've been free. Don't you understand a simple thing? This- "

"Ina- "

" -I work here. You can't just randomly call and ask for me just because you wanted to talk unless and until it's something really urgent and important. Didn't you think that I could get into trouble because of such behaviour of yours?" She shakes her head incredulously and continues, "don't your ever dare to call when I'm at work!" She says aggressively and slams the handset into its place.

Inaaya could feel her whole body trembling. Was it only rage or was it something more than that, she didn't understand. She rests her elbows on the counter and presses her face in her palms, closing her eyes and focussing on her breathing to compose herself.

Life sucks but you still gotta go on with it.

Inaaya silently makes her way back to the conference room. She keeps her eyes down or anywhere but him. Felix who was standing two persons away from her quietly comes near her and waggles his brow in question. She shakes her head, dismissing his concern and curiosity and he stands beside her, asking the other female employee who was standing beside Inaaya to shift.

Inaaya had tuned herself out. She wasn't present. Her thoughts were disorganized and her mind was a battlefield. She didn't even know if she wanted to cry, her brain seemed to be still processing the reality and as if the universe wanted to make the process easier, she hears his chuckle. The light, husky sound evoking another multitude of emotions within her, making her heart beat with a new rhythm and before she knew, she was already stealing glances of him.

Ayansh looked so much same yet so different. His face still carried the same innocence, the same kindness and it felt as if someone was twisting a hot iron rod within her heart, making it clench painfully because once upon a time, she fell for the same facade. He was better built now. There wasn't much of a difference and probably not many would've noticed it but she did. Afterall, once upon a time she had felt safe in those arms, felt like home. She had held him as if he was her world, the most beautiful one and maybe he was, once upon a time. But there was something missing. Amidst everything, his warm eyes didn't have the same glow, his charming face didn't have the same cheer that he used to have whenever she was with him as if there was nothing more worthy than her. Where did it all go?

Remember when he talked about his start-up plan? He has made it. He has made it so big.

A voice whispered to her internally and a wave of nostalgia so strong hit her that she almost lost her footing, her hand flying to the wall on her right side and Felix grabbing her other arm. All heads in the room jerk at the little commotion.

"Are you alright?" Felix asks with his brows furrowed.

For a fleeting moment like an instinct her gaze drifts towards Ayansh who had already taken a step ahead, his eyes looking down at her with panic.