𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚

Chapter 2

"you have a meeting at 9 am with Mr Denzel. Lunch at 12 with your father. Reservations are made in his name at Olive Plot. Also you have to go through the review of this month's projects." Radhika read out Mr Maverick Bennett's schedule for the day.

"Alright, thank you Rads." said Maverick tapping his fingers on top of the desk and turning to the laptop screen.

Radhika became 'Rads' on the first day of the job. Not because of some adoration, but because her actual name slipped off awfully off of everyone's tongue. Rads quickly became everyone's favourite person in the office.

Maverick Bennett personally began to become fond of the young charisma, seeing a good friend in her. "Rads, please don't let anyone into my office, I want some quiet time. And please──"

Radhika hummed and nodded, "I'll order chamomile tea for you."

Maverick looked at her blankly. He blinked his eyes a few times, "how did you know that's what I──"

"I've been here for more than a month now, sir. I noticed this almost immediately. You tend to spend your mornings of stressful days by yourself. You ordered Chamomile tea many times last week. Especially when the stocks dropped significantly because of the rumour of the Hollywood scandal."

Maverick leaned back into his chair, the back creaking slightly. He set his elbow on the arm of the chair and pressed his fingers to his chin. Radhika took his quiet as her cue and continued further.

"When the day is going to demand too much of you, you drink chamomile tea like a ritual. On easier days you bring out the scotch from the glass bottle inside the cabinet there." she pointed to the wooden small cabinet like cupboard in the corner of his office.

Radhika had a slight smile curled lopsidedly. Maverick was quite impressed with her observations. "You noticed all of this in just one month? I'm impressed. It's like you were trained to do this."

Radhika looked stunned at his words. "Trained? Absolutely not. No, no no no no no. It's all natural." she told him hastily attempting to sound cool. "I'll — uh, go and order that tea."

"Get yourself a coffee too. On me." he shouted after her just as she closed the door.

She exited his room and quickly went up to her desk. Radhika dialled the local cafe and waited for someone to respond.

"Hello Ms Assistant to the big man. What will it be today?"

"Chamomile tea and mocha." she placed her order.

"Alright. Be there in fifteen."

"Aye aye captain." Radhika placed her phone on the desk and resumed her work. Maverick's schedule was always the busiest on Mondays and Thursdays. He took his weekends off completely and it overloaded his Mondays. Not that it mattered to Radhika.

For her, everyday was as always, reserved. Her nights turned bitter on weekends when she engaged in social gatherings. Her bar visit last week almost put her in a tight spot that she nearly evaded. A particular face in the overcrowded sea forced her to stand still, unmoving in place. But she was fine. She excused herself and ran away.

A month and Radhika was slowly getting comfortable in her new life. Her mornings spent in some yoga and then running around doing her duty as an assistant. She often wondered if she could just apply for some short course at Yale just to pass her extra time but repented immediately. What if they find her? What if it all fails? Her struggle, the planning, the success?

Instead Radhika did what she knew best. Read. She read in every language she was acquitted with. Dostoevsky in Russian hit differently than in English for her; as did Kafka. The words so we'll put together that consumed her whole and left her with a surprised emptiness at times.