key:
ishita / jai
“For fuck's sake,” Ishita let out a curse as soon as she saw Jai arrive at the venue. He was clad in all black — crisp shirt pulled taut against his chest and neatly tucked into black trousers that illegally defined him and his ass. He had left his first two buttons open, the only indication that this is an informal party rather than a formal one. His platinum chain glimmered under the moonlight, making him look sexy. She wanted nothing but to loop a finger under it and pull him closer to her with it.
Fuck, what am I thinking? Ishita was alarmed at her thoughts. These days, they've been focused on things like how good of a kisser Jai might be and if he is a dominant man in bed. They were consistently irrelevant, horny thoughts that required holy water to cleanse herself with everytime she broke out of them.
And Jai? Out of all people?
Was it because he was the only man she was around for more than a month? Or was she getting attracted to him?
“Were you waiting long?” he asked.
“Yes.” She wasn't. She had only just arrived.
“I'm sorry. My cat wasn't feeling well so I had to quickly contact the vet.”
Ishita choked. “You have a cat?”
“Yes.”
“I've been your assistant for more than a month and why didn't I know about it till today?”
Jai smiled his rare smile. “She is the one person I don't need a schedule for.”
Something twisted in Ishita's chest — a sudden urge to steal this cat and ship it off to Mars.
“The look on your face is scary. What are you scheming?”
“Nothing,” she snapped. “Why did you wear black? We are matching!”
“Black is a nice colour,” he said, his eyes quickly tracing the black figure-hugging sarara top and its matching loose pants on her. She could feel her skin getting hot under his gaze. “Especially on you.”
“People are going to misunderstand.”
Jai chuckled. “Ishita, are you serious? You're whining over a coincidence?”
“I'm not whining. I don't whine.”
“That's not what I remember from the day you got drunk.”
Ishita stopped in her tracks and turned around. “I told you to forget it ever happened!”
“Did I agree?” He grinned — a smug grin that made Ishita want to tug him closer and kiss it away. He was infuriating and beautiful at the same time. It was fucking with her mind. She couldn't seem to get any mental peace around him.
“Asshole,” she grumbled and turned around. Jai grabbed her wrist and spun her back to him. “What are —”
He knelt on the ground and untangled the golden embroidery on her pants that had gotten tangled with the strap of the heel she was wearing. His hair was soft — she knew it without touching it. She wanted to run her hands through the strands. “You'll trip and fall and make a fool of yourself. Then again, you'll blame me for it.”
Ishita's heart hammered against her chest at how gentle he was with her and how his cold fingers brushed her skin lightly. Goosebumps dotted her skin. She hoped he didn't notice. “I would because it would be your fault for inviting me here in the first place.”
“All employees are invited, Ishita.”
“You were the one who hired me in the first place for me to get invited here.”
He sighed and stood up. “You're just proving me right, astronaut. Let's go before my mother thinks I ditched them for work.”
“Have you?”
“I love my parents too much to miss it. I just dislike their need to see me married.”
“Understandable. Parents do consider marriage the ultimate success in life. They should know that it's only paving the way for doom.”
Jai seemed surprised by her words. He didn't know Ishita had such thoughts about marriage. In her defense, he never asked her about it.
They entered the hall and the crowd went hush and stilled. Jai was used to the attention but he had forgotten to warn Ishita. She stepped closer to Jai, as if to hide behind him. He took her hand and squeezed, before smiling at her. It's okay, he wanted to convey. Ishita took a deep breath and steeled herself as did her grip on Jai's hands before she let him go. The crowd watched with bated breath, already weaving new stories about the two of them. But honestly, Jai didn't give a fuck about them. He stopped a few good years back.
“You must be Ishita,” A woman with black hair that was too shiny to be real stepped forward. She was of average height, having familiar brown eyes that Ishita had seen on only one other person — Jai. She was dressed in a sunset orange silk saree and had a mysterious smile. Neither warm nor cold.
“Um, yes,” she said, glancing sideways at Jai to help her out. “Nice to meet you.”
“Ishita, this is my mother. And the man who's talking to a crowd of wannabes over there is my father. You must have seen him on the internet somewhere, surely,” he said, and Jai's mother smacked his arm lightly at his words. Jai smiled but the rare moment broke when his eyes fell on a guy about Jai's age. He walked over to them and stood in a stance that screamed arrogance. Ishita didn't like him instantly. The smirk on his face didn't help either.
“And this is Gaurav, my cousin,” Jai said.
“Who's the lady, bro?” he asked.
“His new secretary,” Jai's mother answered in her son's stead. “Why don't you join us for dinner, dear? We would love to get to know you.”
Ishita couldn't refuse even though she wanted to. She didn't want to be on her guard and be professional. She wanted to let loose, bicker with Jai and make him scowl at her silliness while stuffing her face with good food. That was her plan.
“Sure, I would love to,” she said.
Jai took her aside while they walked to the buffet table. “You don't have to sit there.” Shit, he saw right through her.
“It's okay. I have to make a good impression and be friends with your mother so that we can bitch about you later on,” she said, turning around to meet his eyes.
“God, I hope that doesn't happen.”
“It's going to,” she said, though being friends with Jai's mother was the last thing she wanted.
Ishita scanned the items on the buffet and for some reason, the first thing her mind caught onto was which of them were Jai's favourites and which ones weren't. Since they shared food everyday, they knew what each other liked. Jai didn't like a lot of spice in his food. He loved seafood except for crab. He preferred mutton over chicken and never ate beef for religious reasons. But the man loved sweets. He had three tins of them in his office, which he would restock diligently.
Ishita shook off her thoughts, sirens going in her head about how much she knew and cared about Jai. She began piling up her plate. Ishita had skipped lunch and had an orange instead to prepare herself for the feast. But she was skeptical about eating so much, now that she had to sit with the head family.
She looked longingly at the dumplings when she realised adding that onto her already full plate would induce questionable glances. Jai took them. “We can share. Don't worry,” he whispered.
Her heart melted.
No.
Fuck no. No business with the heart when it came to Jai.
“You better,” she said quickly, walking forward.
As soon as Jai's father joined them, the table was complete. Jai sat between Ishita and his mother. They were facing Gaurav and his wife, who was a slender oval-faced woman. Gaurav's mother sat next to her son. Heading the table was Gnanavel, Jai's father. The man who changed the game for branded stationery in India with Mye & Co.
“Happy birthday, Mr Gnanavel. It's very nice to meet you,” Ishita said.
He seemed pleased once he recognized her for the role she was playing in his company. Jai's father continued to make small talk with her while eating when his wife suddenly gave him a phone. It was Jai's elder sister on a video call, who was married and settled in the UK. She said Hi to everyone at the table, her eyes twinkling and lips curling at the sight of Ishita. After a few minutes of small talk, Jai's sister hung up.
“So, bro, how's your love life?” Gaurav began, egging Jai.
“You have nothing better to talk other than my love life?” Jai said blandly.
He chuckled. “I heard it's still non-existent.”
“None of your business, Gaurav.” Jai's tone was clipped.
“Come on, bro. You've accomplished the impossible. You've inherited all the good looks in the family and yet what use is it? Talk to a woman, bro. They don't bite. Well, unless you ask them to,” he said with a wink. If Gaurav thought he was funny, then he should be delusional. Ishita was disgusted.
“I said, none of your business. Drop it, Gaurav. Don't cross your line,” Jai said. It was the first time his tone had gotten so deep, so dangerous. Ishita looked around. Gaurav's mother looked bored. Jai's mother looked concerned but didn't say anything. Jai's father's expression was indecipherable.
“Did you know?” Gaurav turned to Ishita. She looked away but still he continued. “Jai used to stutter so badly when he was young. Everyone used to make fun of him so he never used to talk at all. Except only when it was required. Slowly, it turned into a fear. He was so scared to talk to people, especially girls. He grew out of the stutter but the fear still stayed. And he's the CEO of a company now but can you believe he doesn't even have the guts to talk to women?” Gaurav punctuated his comment with a sardonic laugh.
This disgusting pig knew that Jai had suffered through a condition and still had the audacity to mock him? In front of everyone, that too in front of an employee who worked under him? Ishita couldn't stand it.
“Who said he doesn't talk to women? I'm sitting right here, aren’t I?” she asked, breaking the silence. All heads snapped to look at her.
Jai grabbed her hand under the table but she shoved him away. He hissed her name under his breath and took her hand again. She shot him a fierce look after which Jai let go of her hand. A semblance of prayer took over his face.
“Look, I respect you and your position, the authority you possess, and the responsibility you hold. But I take pity on you for being insensitive and utterly incapable of giving respect to others’ feelings,” she said, “and not that you need to know about Jai's life, but I've got to tell you, you are very wrong. Jai may not talk a lot but when he does, he is genuine, honest and direct. He doesn't spew shit— excuse my language—about others like you do or feel the cowardly need to comment on someone else's life.”
She could feel Jai's mother smile at her but it was just for a moment. Gaurav's wife was shocked. She closed and opened her mouth like a fish.
“Excuse me—” Gaurav started.
“You're not half the man Jai is and I can say that just by spending less than fifteen minutes around you,” Ishita said. “I don't care if I lose my job but I had to say this or I'd go insane. I'm sorry you had to hear it. I didn't mean to ruin your dinner,” she addressed the last bit to Jai's parents. She stole a dumpling from Jai's plate and proceeded to stand up.
“Ishita,” Jai's father called. “Finish your meal. You seemed to be enjoying it before.”
“I can't after —”
“I insist,” he said, making her sit her ass down. He turned to Gaurav. “Gaurav, I understand that Jai hasn't married yet. That doesn't give you a right to mock him. You expect me to sit here and watch you mock my own son? Did you think that would make me think my son is a loser and you aren't? You always asked me why you weren't given more shares. Your arrogance is why. Why is Jai so successful even when he talks less? Because he is that capable. He is my son, do you understand?”
“Anna, he was just—” Gaurav's mother started.
“No, Vimala. He's taken it too far. Every family gathering, my son is the subject of mockery. He is one of the most successful men in the country and it's solely his credit. What your son is is because of me. One more wrong move, he'll be the one losing his job.”
Gaurav's mother elbowed her son. He visibly fumed, pushed his chair back and stormed away. His wife ran after him.
“Ishita, you didn't do anything wrong to lose your job. You were loyal and you are proud to work with Jai. And you care,” Mr Gnanavel said, softly. “Please continue eating.”
Ishita was shocked to see how everything had turned out. She assumed Jai's parents were inconsiderate, selfish and snobby but they were nice. Just like Jai had described them to be. She understood why they pressured Jai to get married — because even though they didn't want to be affected by what people like Gaurav said about Jai, it got to them.
“So, I heard you have no qualification to be Jai's assistant but yet he picked you,” Jai's mother told her. Ishita was embarrassed. “Jai had spoken great things of you and I wondered why. Now I know.” She smiled knowingly.
Huh?
What did she know?
Jai couldn't stop staring at Ishita. Not only because she was so fucking beautiful but because it was the first time that someone had stood up for him. Not one person from his childhood had ever spoken up for him. Even though he was a victim of bullying, he was never considered to be one just because he was the son of Mye's founder. They thought he had it all in life. They thought just because he had money, his emotions didn't hold any value.
Jai grew to learn how to stand up for himself. But having someone do it for him stirred something in his heart.
He had felt very protective of Ishita from the first day — the day she had gotten drunk and clung to him, refusing to let go. Even though he found her bratty behaviour and her recklessness annoying, he felt the need to protect her. He only recently realized that his thoughts going to her was because he felt more than protectiveness for her. He felt the need to care for her, to hold her in his arms, hear her laugh and drown in her smile. He wanted to surround himself with the light that she carried around. Jai wanted to love Ishita even though he shouldn't.
Ishita was making it a challenge for him to stay away from her, more and more everyday. It was driving him crazy.
“So, how is Ishita?” Ma asked him, leaving Ishita to continue her conversation uninterrupted with Pa.
“She is efficient at her job,” Jai answered.
“I heard she's also efficient at stealing your heart,” Ma said, smirking.
“What are you talking about?” He managed to say before looking away. “Who even told you things like this?”
“Your sister told me. And I know you tell Sakshi everything. So, don't even try to lie to me about it.”
Jai cursed Sakshi in his mind. She couldn't even keep a damn secret. “Is that why you invited her to sit with us for dinner?”
“Yes, of course. I need to know if she is the right girl for our family if you plan on making her your wife.”
Jai turned red. “Ma!” he hissed. “Please. Don't get ahead of yourself. There is nothing happening between us. I just… I like her,” he said, wetting his lips. “She doesn't know and I don't think she likes me back. This won't happen.”
Ma chuckled. “She likes you. But she doesn't know it. Give her some time. She'll figure it out.”
Jai glanced at his mother with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”
Jai's mother pinched his cheek like she used to do when he was a kid. “Of course, Jai. Mothers know things like this. You trust my word and wait. You'll see for yourself.”
Jai watched Ishita tuck a strand of her hair behind her ears and laugh at something his father mentioned. He sighed, I hope it's true. I hope it isn't one-sided.