Crack The Job

6- Midnight Conversations

"What with his cool attitude? Nice to be cool..." I walked downstairs to see my younger brother standing with extra alertness. 

"You must have something to ask him. You even wore full sleeves, huh?" 

He looked at his full-sleeved t-shirt and sighed. "You are right. What about you?"

"I have something too." I wanted to ask him if I can continue learning under my seniors in the headquarters. I seriously didn't want to get involved with the matters of that market. That is the worst that can happen to anyone.

As we stood near the open door, we saw the black car ceasing near the parking lot. And there was my dad, carrying a handbag with his laptop which he handed over to his secretary to hold. 

He stood watching left and right, his eyebrows scrunched on seeing a black cat roaming near the doorstep of our house. He observed the time, raising one foot cautiously and just when the cat meowed in his presence, he jumped and ran inside, leaving his secretary behind. 

"Ugh, this cat is becoming such a trouble these days. It must be that family next door. I told them to not feed cats here. It would be a terrible omen if that crossed my path." He shoved the dirt on his shirt, fixing it well as he stood firmly, regaining his boss-like figure. 

"Don't think about things like that. You should think about the delicious dinner." Ankit continued his act of being the most disciplined kid. "I will prepare the table till you freshen up." 

"You are being very obvious that you want something. What's up with that full-sleeved shirt in this hot weather? Take that off." He made a grimacing look as he went after whispering, "That fool." 

Ankit looked at his shirt as I hardly managed to control my laughter. 

In the next half an hour, we all were sitting around the dining table, silently digging into our food when Dad turned to Gourabh and asked, "Did you consider what I told you about in the morning?" 

He stopped eating and looked up for a second. His face lacked colour and it was almost turning serious. Ankit and I looked at each other, waiting for Dad to pay attention to our needs too. "I don't want to marry. I already told you." 

"Are you telling me that you will never marry? Just marry already. You are thirty-one now. Do you want the girls to call you uncle?" 

Hearing the little giggles of laughter bustling in the air, I turned right to see Ankit almost about to roll down from laughing. Soon, his laughter ceased after gaining death glares from both Dad and Brother. 

"You should now take the Pegasus Market in your hands. If you don't marry, how am I supposed to hand over the business to you?" He tried to tone down his voice but it had intensity enough to be heard from a mile away. 

"I am never going to that market." He stood up and was about to walk away but came back halfway to take the sweets with him.

"He— Is he crazy?" My dad's temper burst as he shouted, "He even took the sweets." 

Ankit, in that situation, dared to cough and gain Dad's attention. His voice turned meek in the presence of his boiling anger as he hardly whimpered, "I had something to say... if I could just cancel tomorrow's meeting..." 

As I saw him I felt confident to also ask my dad about the Pegasus Market. 

But Ankit was never able to finish his line as Dad took the spoon next to him and threw it in his direction when he jumped like a little puppy, running his way back to his room. "How dare he— cancel the meeting? My foot. That brat has no respect for work!"