🎶 Jaan Nisaar
Published on 01.02.2023
❝ kyu itna hua hai tu khafa,
hai zid kis baat ki teri,
ke maaregi zyada mujhe maut se
naarazgi teri. ❞
🥀
Inaaya was a hypocrite.
She said she was fine, that nothing affected her much, that she didn't care enough but it didn't take her more than another day to change her stance.
Sameer had managed to track down the person who had snapped those pictures and exchange it with the media for money. Sameer paid a hefty sum to make them pull down those articles which were circulating. Ayansh's PR was in full action to cover up for the mess and bury down the rumours before more people took notice of it. Everything seemed to be coming back to normal, atleast from afar.
The world somehow had been silenced but the people around her who weren't oblivious? Not so much. If anything, the hushed whispers felt like echoing screams, assumptions made and judgements passed made her feel disgusted, those aversive looks sent her way made her want to shrink and disperse. She knew in the back of her mind that this won't last more than a few days but it was getting unbearable and it had just been two days.
Ayansh had messaged her, called her, tried to approach her in the office and she managed to avoid them all. If she felt mentally exhausted earlier, she felt she was on the verge of a breakdown now.
It was triggering, the words, the comments.
Freeloader.
First, get the company as a charity and then, get a female employee to satisfy your needs.
Do you really think Inaaya is that kind of girl? What if he's blackmailing and dominating her? He's powerful afterall.
She's ambitious so it isn't surprising that she grabbed the offer presented to her.
No wonder she was selected to attend the conference in India. The boss needs his toy to keep him entertained.
He doesn't do girlfriends, my foot! I'm sure he must have been involved with several other women behind closed doors and who knows, how many of them were actually forced into it.
Manwhore!
I was giving him benefit of doubt but his silence is a proof that we all ain't completely wrong.
Broken trust can be mended, atleast to an extent if not completely but how do you restore the lost respect? How do you make people respect you again after falling so low in their eyes? Is it even possible? Inaaya didn't have an answer to that.
A decision had to be made, a decision was made.
She knew she was being impulsive, she knew she might regret it later but for now, she just wanted to escape. She wanted to shut everyone up and this felt like the only way to do it. She couldn't tell them about what Ayansh and her shared because what was she supposed to tell? How was she supposed to explain the complicated web that they were tangled in? And why was she even expected to try to explain it to the people who had no business knowing what equation they shared? They didn't deserve it. Nobody did.
Sameer informed Ayansh that Inaaya wants to meet him and it was important. She was waiting outside his office, preparing herself to not let anything make her waver on her decision and just get done with it for once and for all.
And that's how she found herself in front of Ayansh in his cabin during the office hours with an envelope in her hand.
Ayansh furrowed his brows, his eyes falling on the envelope and then, moving back to meet her gaze. "What's this?" He asks as she forwards it.
Inaaya beckons him to take it.
He watches her with uncertainty as he takes the envelope and opens it, pulling out a letter that was tucked within.
Silence stretches with them, so heavy that she was sure it could be cut with the help of a knife.
Ayansh rakes his eyes over the letter, skimming over the words quickly, grasping the subject of the letter and befuddled, looks back at Inaaya who held his eyes with an empty stare. "Resignation letter?"
"Resignation letter," she confirms calmly.
His glare harden slightly at her nonchalance before he forces himself to deal with this patiently. "May I know why?"
"I've stated the reason."
This time he doesn't resist the urge to snort at that response. "What are you? A fourth grade kid?" He remarks sarcastically, showing her the printed letter. "You'll say that you're looking for better opportunities and that the company doesn't offer you scope for growth anymore and you think I'll be convinced? Either give me the truth or go back with your resignation letter and dump it in the trash."
Inaaya clenches her fists under the table to contain her simmering anger at his attitude. He was pissed, she understood that. She was pushing his buttons. First, she kept avoiding him and now, when she approached him, it's with her resignation letter. She heaves a breath. "Accept my resignation letter and free me," she continues to remain adamant, "if you aren't convinced at my reason then I really can't help. Whatever I've stated is the truth."
Ayansh looks away and doesn't speak for a moment. "I know people have been talking all sorts of rubbish about you, about us. If that's what is affecting you, then I'll talk to them- "
"No," she says quickly, gritting her teeth. "It's not. I don't care what they talk about me. Just accept my resignation letter." She repeats, her calmness fading away slowly and her agitation surfacing.
"Stop lying." He says, looking back at her as if he could see right through her. "You're hiding something and I don't what it is but whatever you've written in this letter is nothing but bullshit."
Inaaya glares at him.
"And as much as I know you, I'm certain you don't care much about how people view you," he narrows his gaze trying to gauge her reaction as she tries hard to not let any sincere emotion show on her face, exposing her vulnerability. "What happened that pushed you to do this? Did someone tell you something? Let me know and I'll take action. Just don't do this. You know you can confide in me, right?" He looks at her pleadingly and a flicker of conflict crosses her eyes. "Stop trying to deal with everything on your own."
Not able to hold his gaze longer, she averts hers. "Ayansh," she says quietly and it makes his heart thud in an ugly feeling. "It's better for both of us. Just accept my resignation letter."
"No Inaaya, I won't," his voice goes an octave higher. "You don't get to decide what I need to do and what I don't. And do you really think you're taking the right step? Aren't you giving up? Aren't you escaping again?" Her head snaps to look at him, hurt evident in her sparkling black eyes. He knew what he was doing and he decided to continue it. "People said something and now, you aren't able to take it so you're letting them win by making your way out instead of standing on your- "
"Don't do this to me," she cuts him off, swallowing the lump formed in her throat.
"Do what?" There was a hint of subdued taunting in that rhetorical question which made Inaaya want to scream at him to just shut up and stop hitting her nerves.
And then, she gave up. Her shoulders slouched as she exhaled, her head lowered and her lips quivered. "I'm tired, okay," she murmured and Ayansh gripped the arms of his chair to not let himself reach out to her and wrap his arms in a small attempt to comfort her. The heaviness lingering in her tone made his chest squeeze painfully.
"I can ignore what people talk about me, have always done that but when they talk about us, about you, it affects me," she blinked back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and Ayansh was taken aback by that confession. "It's pathetic but I can't help. They've no right to do it. They don't know anything about us. And I want them to stop. They talk about you as if you aren't their boss who's ultimately signing their paychecks," she let's out a chuckle, "they keep discrediting you, keep making fun of you for getting this company even though you aren't a heir forgetting that even before this, you had your own company which you founded and built on your own."
"Inaaya- "
"Ayansh," she breathes out and looks up, staring at him with glazed vision. "I know this probably is a matter of few days and then, the gossips will stop and lives will return to normal but I fear I don't have it in me to tolerate this anymore. It- it hurts when people talk about us as if I'm some gold digger and you're one of those who abuses power. I hate it when they repeatedly taint our relationship with their filthy words. I know you've done some worse mistakes but I- I also know," she stops and squeezes her eyes shut to not let her voice break. She felt she was on the verge of being a sobbing mess. "I know you loved me," she murmurs, looking at her clasped hands, "I loved you and things went wrong between us but- but that doesn't give a third person the right to point fingers at us and demean whatever we share. It's for us to know. I want this to end," she looks up, desperation swimming in her eyes. "I want people to stop talking as if they know everything. And I don't know the way out of this. So, so just... ," she trails off. "Please," she adds in a mumble.
Guilt and regret hit him in waves. He blamed himself for the situation. To see Inaaya tearing up, feeling miserable about her feelings, being unable to get a grip over herself, being pushed to such an extent where she felt that giving up was the best option was like someone repeatedly stabbing an open wound. Their relationship was important to her and he felt he had failed her again, leaving her desolated when he was supposed to not let history repeat itself. Yet here they were where she helplessly tried to not let anyone taint the innocence of what they shared, protect a relationship that didn't even exist now whereas like always, he waited for things to get better on their own, hopelessly.
Running a frustrated palm over his face and inhaling deeply, he stood up.
Inaaya's neck craned to look at him, confused. "What are you doing?"
"Something that I should've done way earlier."
She slowly shook her head. "Don't."
"You wanted to put an end, right? I'll put an end to it." He says firmly and the determination in his voice scares her.
"Ayansh," she calls out in warning.
"Come with me." He demands, walking around the table and near her.
"No."
He let's out an irritated breath. "Don't make me hold your hand and drag you out alongwith me," he tells her sternly and she knew he wasn't joking by the way he looked at her with those cold gaze. "Come with me."
Reluctantly, she stands up from her chair, gulping back the emotions that tried to dominate her.
"Better." He muttered, opening the door and beckoning her to step outside.
Ayansh ordered Sameer to assemble everyone on his floor as soon as possible.
Inaaya, her body rigid, her eyes void stood behind him, her gut churning in uneasiness and intertwined her fingers as tightly as she could.
"Good afternoon everyone." Sarcasm dripped from his every word as he greeted the staff present.
It was a pretty poetic display of how things stood. Everyone on one side and Inaaya and Ayansh on the other, against them whilst Sameer stood on the side, in the centre between the two groups as the mediator.
"I'm sorry for the chaos that have ensued since yesterday. I swear I didn't see it coming," he starts and people exchange glances amongst themselves, hostile and skeptical. "And although, measures have been taken to get everything back on track, I doubt if this is the case with our workplace as well."
Ayansh waits for someone to speak up but nobody says a word. He sighs.
"Well, let's put an end to this here as well." That earns curious stares from a lot of people. "Y'all seem to be uncannily interested in Inaaya and my relationship," he gets straight to the point. "I understand, it's human but sadly, I'm not here to quench your curiousity."
Their boss's audacity causes frowns of displeasure to get etched over their faces. Inaaya looks up, the statement unexpected and it baffles her.
"What we do outside the office, where we meet, what we talk is none of anyone's business and since I've been anyways accused of abusing my position then, let me actually do it," he shoots a mocking smile to all. "This is the last day I'm tolerating y'all gossiping and throwing dirt on Inaaya's character. If I find anyone,- "
Alex scoffs and cuts him off, making heads turn towards him. "Just admit that she's your girl and move on with it. Nobody is interested in your speeches."
Ayansh looks at him unfazed. "You seem to be having a very distinct problem with her from long."
"Why wouldn't I?" He retorts back. He knew he was behaving irrational but his thread of patience and insecurity had been broken. "Since the time you've come here, all you do is be biased towards her. Bonus points, presentations, a chance to attend the biggest conference, all goes to her."
"And doesn't she deserve it?" He asks calmly, tilting his face and running an eye over everyone. "How many of you here feels Inaaya didn't deserve them all?"
Subtly, Inaaya looks at all, all eyes discreetly watching her and then, looking at each other. She was dreading the worst and when no hand except Alex went up, relief washed over her.
"Are you guys scared?" Alex asks in disbelief. "We all know he's partial towards her!"
All traces of humour vaporizes from Ayansh's face and he glares at Alex with a stoic face. The guy was testing his patience and it was taking every ounce of mental strength of Ayansh to deal with him as he would do with a petulant child. "Listen to me," his tone was so commanding that it causes a shiver to run down Alex's spine. "If I really wanted to shower her with favours, treat her differently, advocate her then I would've done it openly, in front of the world, proudly and not behind closed doors, hiding away from all as if she's my dirty little secret."
Eyes go wide at that bold statement made and few gasps were heard. Everyone who doubted that it was a fling, the speculations were thrown out of the window. Ayansh and Inaaya, both refused to give away the truth but the way he took a stand for her, for them made it certain that whatever they shared ran deep and they would be digging their own grave if they tried to question it.
Alex's anger rose at that. His ego was bruised. He desperately wanted to prove a point. "Inaaya- "
"Alex, enough." This time it was Felix who called out him. "Everyone is tired of your unhealthy obsession with Inaaya. You're jealous and insecure of her because she's more successful than you even though she's younger to you and has less work experience. You just find it hard to digest the fact that she's more talented and deserving than you and the fact that she's a woman and better than you."
"You're delusional, Felix." He gritted out.
"Are you itching for another slap from her?" He deadpanned and crimson instantly creeped on Alex's cheeks colouring it in embarassment.
"Slap?" Ayansh questions, his brows pinching together.
Felix and Inaaya share a look and Ayansh notices that.
"What happened?" He asks, turning to Inaaya who held his gaze with a certain proportion of nervousness and conflict.
Ayansh sighs annoyedly and looks around to see people exchanging meaningful looks amongst themselves and he understood that many of them were aware. "What's the story?" He asks again, this time directing the question at everyone around. He raises a brow at Sameer who shakes his head cluelessly.
"I- I'll tell you," Felix decides to volunteer when no-one else comes forward.
Ayansh nods. "I'm listening."
Felix then goes on to narrate the incident that took place, in the office as well as outside the office, the insinuation that Alex made at Inaaya, the venom he spit, the mockery and the slap that followed from Inaaya.
To say, Ayansh was angry would be an understatement. He felt an indescribable rage within himself. The veins on his forehead throbbed as he glowered at Alex who looked the least bit of remorseful. Ayansh clenched his fists and took a dangerous step ahead when a hand reached out to stop him, nimble fingers softly grazing the edge of his palm.
He halted, the expression on his face changing into confusion as he slowly turned around. Inaaya had her head lowered, not meeting his tenacious gaze and she quietly shook her head, silently asking him to not do anything rash. Her jaw was set tight but her face gave away the multitude of emotions that seemed to be in a war against herself.
Ayansh couldn't understand. He couldn't understand what she exactly wanted. Anger and frustration, but most of all a sense of betrayal and self loathe tugged at his heart the most. He looked up at the ceiling as he faced Alex again, his hands resting on his hips callously. "You're fired." He brought his eyes to Alex, his gaze cold and hard. "It's my fault. I should've been more strict with you when I saw glimpses of your insufferable self in the office itself. Sameer will give you your termination letter so take it and leave. And," Ayansh raises a finger as soon as Alex tries to protest. "Don't dare say a word," he threatens in a low, rough voice that was enough to make him wince. "If you love your life so leave this place quietly without any unnecessary argument because trust me, nobody has anymore time to entertain you and your childishness."
"Sameer," he looks at the addressed person. "Hand him his termination letter and make sure he doesn't get any other job in this city atleast."
Ayansh turns around and takes a stride, walking away from the scene when suddenly he stops, remembering something. "One more thing," he spuns around, assessing everyone with an unusual composed gaze. Inaaya, too, looks at him with trepidation. "I hope y'all haven't forgotten that you work under IA and Stevens Enterprises." Inaaya's heart trashes against her ribcage as anticipation snakes its claws around her neck, making her feel breathless. She looks at Ayansh, her jaw locked and her eyes carrying the sighs of a heart that has already endured a lot and he stares back unfazed before moving his attention to the audience present on the floor.
Ayansh let's a small, almost incomprehensible smile slip on his lips, soft and sincere and his voice falls as he says the next few words. "The IA that y'all work for? It stands for Inaaya and Ayansh so next time think twice before y'all speak about the woman who's the reason I'm here."
The breath knocks out of Inaaya as her eyes tear up, a sob getting trapped in the back of her throat. The confession wasn't something that she was unaware of, her subconscious always knew about it but her scarred self was so terrified that she kept denying the obvious, continued to be stubborn even when her friend called her out on her blindness.
When Ayansh turned around again and looked at her, her heart broke at the amount of hurt that swirled in his hazel brown eyes, the dull pain that painted his face and the way he looked so devoid of hope made it certain that she had messed up. All he wanted was a chance, all he wanted was her to trust him once and she snatched it away from him.
He moved past her, his shoulder brushing against hers and that was all it took for her to stumble back and the sob that she was holding back to rake her body.
***
Every chapter looks to have a surprise in it, it seems. Thoughts on this one? Confused, disappointed, mixed, excited for the next? Tell me, I would love to know. We're nearing the end, kindly shower your love through votes and comments.
• Thank you for reading •