Kanak was struggling. She was trying her level best. She had started her job three days later from the morning she had received the letter. And it had been fifteen days already.
A lot had happened in this time. The reception had been the topic of every newspaper and every magazine for the first few days and Aarav had predicted rightly. Wasn't that what he had said? He was never wrong and even though Kanak had wanted to be peeved with him over it she couldn't. Palak Singhania had become an overnight sensation. Social critics had decided to call her story a 'modern day fairy tale'. Others had not stopped writing about what a grand occasion it had been and who all had been a part of it. There were reports of a movie being announced on a similar story. And Palak had been on the tenth cloud. She had already gone on a ten day honeymoon to Europe and returned. How she was coping with her in-laws in reality was a different story. Pratiksha hadn't stopped complaining about how overbearing and rude Tanish Singhania had been to them. Her uncle and aunt had returned to Indore, happy. Everyone was settling down in their respective lives, except her.
She had slowly realized she was more than just attracted to Aarav and on a personal front she was trying to manage with her emotions which were refusing to heed her requests. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the day she had started her job. He had called her to wish her all the best and then that was it. No communication from his end. And she hadn't known if it was okay to call him anymore or not. Everything for her was hanging in the open, loosely. Top to that being the head of her department now she had more responsibilities to deal with. Getting to know her team. Making sure their concerns and worries were taken care of. Preparing rosters to checking inventories to sorting out complaints from the guests if there were any to coping with office politics. Her regular shift hours had extended. And she ended up doing overtime most days. Once home she would be so exhausted she would eat and fall asleep. Before Palak used to be there and sometimes they would talk or even argue but she had had some sort of company. Staying alone again was so depressing. She couldn't call upon Pratiksha often too. The girl had her work to take care as well. In all she was struggling.
Worse, was her manager at the hotel she had started working at. He was a strange man. Efficient. No doubt, but weird. At least she thought so. Every time they met, Mr. Asthana gave her strange looks, pass even stranger comments. Nothing directly so she couldn't ask him to back off, it was all indirect. And she couldn't figure out his problem. She hadn't made any friends or any confidants yet, it was too early to do so and she wasn't into gossiping either but she had sometimes seen some of her team give her looks as well. And she had wondered what that had been about. She had asked them of course and they had either shrugged over it or told her it was nothing. Sheetal and Ruby were the two girls who she had sort of made friends with. She shared her meals with them sometimes. But she wasn't sure if she should ask them about it. The problem was it had started to get on her nerves. She had started to become irritated. Was it because of the fact that she was new there and was heading the department at such a young age? Or was it because of some stupid office politics? Or even a prank? It could be. Pratiksha had assured her it was probably because she was new and they were taking their time to get to know her just as she was. And Kanak had sighed over that. She was a positive girl. And she had always tried to find a positive even in the most negative of emotions. But she could feel it in her bones that something wasn't right. Her instincts warned her that something wasn't right with Mr. Asthana. And she didn't know what to do about it. It had been all of just two weeks since she had started work. Maybe she was overreacting. But it was taking a toll on her. Maybe the little time she had spent with Aarav had rubbed itself on her. She had become short on patience. And she refused to take unnecessary attitude from anyone. Had she become more confident? She wasn't sure.
Where the hell was that man anyway? Here she was, desperately trying to forget him and there he was, nowhere in the picture. Not bothered about her at all to be more precise. Then why had he said she had been able to capture his attention all those days ago. And she was mad at him. He was at fault for putting ideas in her head and then vanishing. But Kanak knew it had been her fault. Thinking about him all the time, worrying, getting angry, getting emotional and whatever else she felt for him. It had all been her fault. So now she was reaping the aftereffects. What was she going to do? Even on the days she was the most tired she would still think of him if that was not an option then dream of him. The man didn't leave her alone even in sleep. She was suffering. Already. And this was when there was no relationship, no commitment, no words of never dying love and she was a mess. She wondered if she ever did enter a relationship what would happen then. She had to stop thinking. Stop feeling. And definitely stop dreaming. If only it was that simple.
Sometimes situations needed to get out of hand to get a clearer perspective. Is that what would happen with her? Or will things be just the way they were?
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