The Hating Game

Chapter Two

Updated on: 9/30/20
|Edited|

Araaya drummed her fingers on the desk, leaning her elbows against it as she watched Ronit pace across the room. He kept glancing at his watch, then his phone, then the door, as if sheer willpower could make someone appear on time. Araaya raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smile. All the praises he'd sung about Ishana, and she couldn't even show up on her first day?

"I'm here! Sorry, sorry, gosh—it's been hectic!" A flustered voice finally burst through the door. Ishana appeared, slamming down a precarious pile of files, keys, laptop, phone, and coffee onto the table. She looked like a whirlwind had just passed through.

"Hi," Araaya said coolly, studying her. Ishana turned to Ronit with an apologetic smile.

"Hi, Uncle."

"Ishana, you're forty-two minutes late," he said, checking his gold watch.

"The party went late, Uncle. You know mornings aren't my thing," she said, trying to laugh it off.

Ronit raised an eyebrow. "Yet you had no trouble waiting in the Starbucks drive-thru line for your coffee?"

Ishana flushed, squeezing the cup nervously. "Won't happen again, promise."

"Good," Ronit said, exhaling. "I want you two to finalize the office renovation plan before Abhi returns in a week—layout, furniture, team schedules, everything. It should be ready for him to review immediately."

"Kyun uncle? Scared of Abhi?" Ishana teased.

Ronit waved her off. "No, of course not."

Once he left, Ishana extended her hand. "Hi Araaya, I'm Ishana."

"So you're the famous Ishana Batra," Araaya said, smirking. "Uncle's probably losing sleep over you."

Ishana laughed, brushing off the compliment. "Let's hope it's for good reasons!"

As they walked through the offices, Araaya noticed everyone smiled or waved at Ishana. Her warmth was effortless—a stark contrast to Araaya's own guarded demeanor.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me with this," Araaya said. "You're huge in this industry, and yet you're taking time for someone like me—it's... unexpected."

"Araaya," Ishana said, gently grabbing her arm and giving her a reassuring smile, "there's no such thing as big or small work. I've been where you are—starting out, trying to prove myself. It can feel overwhelming, but sometimes all it takes is one person willing to guide you, even just a little."

Araaya tilted her head, curiosity mixing with admiration. "But how do you... handle it all? The pressure, the expectations, the mistakes? Doesn't it get exhausting?"

Ishana chuckled softly. "Exhausting? Of course. But it's also rewarding. Every challenge teaches you something new. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn. And honestly, having someone to push you—someone who believes in you—makes all the difference."

Araaya nodded slowly, absorbing the words. "I wish I had someone like that when I first started."

"Well," Ishana said, giving her a playful nudge, "maybe you just do now. Think of me as your not-so-typical cheerleader-slash-mentor. And trust me, I don't give out compliments lightly. If I'm investing my time in you, it means I see potential."

Araaya's smile widened, a little lighter, a little more confident. "Okay... I'll hold you to that, Ishana."

"Good," Ishana said, laughing. "Because I'm not going anywhere. And just so you know, I'll be brutally honest when you mess up. But I'll also celebrate the wins—even the small ones. That's part of growing."