A/N: So I have something to say. Please read this before you start reading the chapter. I wrote this chapter a while back but then I was in a dilemma whether I should put in the story cause this is not a romantic one neither concerns the two main lead together. But I decided to keep it cause you know what I wish to build Ipshita's character a bit, to introduce her to you to know her better and for that this is really important so please stay with me. Also, I am posting two chapters together today. So hope you like it.
Hope you guys are safe. Take care.
Now read...
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
The whole room filled with murmurs as Ipshita walked through the swarm of her colleagues, shaking their hands with a smile, towards her new cabin.
"Ipshita Roychoudhury. Department Head." - it said in bold letters on the door.
It was indeed a success. A small success if one measured the road ahead but a huge leap if gone by the distance that had been covered.
Walking inside the cabin she had promoted into, a smug smile filled her beautiful face. Hard work of three years and all those sleepless nights had finally paid off. A knock on the door made her turn around.
"Do I have to knock like this from now on?"
Ipshita's smile turned into a bright grin looking at her best friend's beaming face on the doorway.
"Certainly! Always keep that in mind." She chuckled cheekily.
Throwing her head back as she laughed Riti hurried inside the room to pinch Ipshita's face making her wince. "Khawa! Khawa! Treat! Treat! Treat -" she kept yelling while Ipshita wiggled to get out of Riti's hands.
*
"So, leaving Abhijit was indeed a good idea huh?" Leaning on the shoulder of the high stool of the Hoppipola, a local pub, Artriya asked looking at Ipshita dancing her eyebrows that evening. Humour twinkled in her big almond eyes.
Ipshita threw a glare at her and Riti let out a chuckle. "A cabin load of a good idea." She interjected. And both of the best friends of Ipshita started laughing.
"Sure! Hob on the drinks I paid for and trash talk about me, why don't you two?" Ipshita rolled her eyes.
"Seems like a plan!" Artriya held up her hand holding a shot glass of tequila and clinked it with the one Riti held up. Another round of laughter followed by another round of Ipshita's growling.
"Why didn't Ajopa come?" Ipshita queried Riti to divert the continuous stupid topic and regretted instantly upon seeing her best friend's face to grow dull and shrink.
"She has work." Pulling a smile somehow Riti excused and Ipshita nodded quickly to let away the impression that she was believing her, to conceal the thoughts inside her head. But that was not the expression Artriya having clearly.
For she scoffed, "oh please!" taking a sip of her cosmopolitan.
"Ari!" Ipshita growled in a low voice to control her best friend.
"Don't Ari me Ipshita! You too are thinking it!" Artriya slurred and Riti clenched her jaw in anticipation. "First of all why would you even ask for that woman to join us? Secondly, Riti, get rid of her really!"
"I love her!" Riti hissed back.
"Does she? Does she?" Ari shot back sitting up straight like a slingshot.
"Yes!" Riti said adamantly.
"Oh god! How blind are you woman?"
"Ari!" Ipshita interjected looking around them. A few heads were turning them due to the voices.
"Why is it your business? Did I say anything about the fact you were sleeping with a married man?" Riti argued.
"What!" This was the turn for Ipshita to yell.
"I didn't sleep, I said I would and he was divorced that's one and second that's not toxic, I didn't call my best friend up at the 3 in the morning to cry like a baby after we broke up!" Artriya retorted to Riti completely ignoring Ipshita's shriek.
"Fine! I wouldn't call you anymore!" Riti replied shrugging her shoulders.
"Yes! That solves everything. Doesn't it idiot?"
"Yes, it does!"
"Sure!"
Growling to one another both the woman silenced taking sips from their drinks. Though the wings of both of their noses inflated and flattened with the normalisation of their heavy breathing.
Ipshita kissed her teeth with her tongue as her eyes shot between her friends to gauge the situation.
"You slept with a married man?" After a long silence, Ipshita asked making a poker face at Artriya.
"No!"
"Yes!"
Simultaneously the accused and Riti replied.
"Oh! You were there?" Artriya hissed again at Ritika.
"Like you were there when Ajopa said she loved me!" Riti retorted.
"Okay! One unnerving problem at a time, please! And stop screaming people are watching!" Ipshita screamed loudly like the eleven years old class monitor of her used to do and almost all the eyes around them shot at her along with her best friend's frowning ones.
***
A flirtatious smile was lightening up Ipshita's face as she typed into her phone with utter amusement. The flirtatious tone of the conversation that was going on over the dating site tingled her skin. The guy on the other side certainly knew what he was doing.
"So if you are not up for any relationships, what are you looking for here then?" The guy asked her.
"Good time I guess." She sighed typing. Last few months have been nothing but gloomy and suffocating for her.
"Well, I can show you that!" Confidence oozed in his reply increasing the density of crimson on her face.
Seeing the clock striking two, signalling the finish of the lunch break Ipshita stood up slipping her phone inside her pocket.
"Hey, Hriditha have you gone through the file I asked you to?" Resting her elbows on the top the cubicle partitions Ipshita asked one of her fellow colleagues.
"No." The answer came curtly from Hriditha, without her looking up from the computer screen in front of her. A frown appeared in Ipshita's finely carver yet bushy eyebrows.
"Well, do it. After you are done we can sit with the clients. So -" giving a professional node Ipshita was about to stroll away but stopped in her way listening to reply.
"Well, if it's that necessary you must do it more efficiently won't you Ipshita? Oh, I am sorry 'Ma'am'." Purshing her lips Hriditha replied glaring at her moving figure but her face stayed calm and polite challenging Ipshita.
As Ipshita looked back at her the realization of eyes from around the whole being on her very curiously dawned upon her. Like this audience were waiting for this showdown. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Riti's disappointed face scowling at their direction. Bewildered Ipshita looked at her with surprised eyes to see if she had any clue and got an eye roll and disgusted shake of Riti's head.
Ipshita looked around the room for a moment watching the whole room staring at her in anticipation. Clenching her jaw she cleared her throat before walking away looking down at her feet rushing to disappear inside her cabin.
*
"Of course Hriditha is being a bitch! You can't be surprised Ipshita. You both were up for that promotion -" Riti shrugged saying the words like they were just as normal as the Sunrise.
"And the fact that I got it is a fault?" Ipshita's forehead creased up in shock.
"Well, according to her, yeh!" Rounak shrugged sipping on the cup of tea he was holding. "I heard apparently she told the building -" he was about to give the missing puzzle in Ipshita's hand but got interrupted as Riti's elbow furiously jabbed Rounak's stomach.
"She isn't happy. It's not your fault Ipshita. Ignore her." She tried to divert her best friend's attention from Rounak's attention. But that try went in vain for Ipshita looked at Rounak to ask him about what he knew however before she could he chirped.
"Yeh! I mean she didn't even deserve to be on the panel. We all know how she reached there. Haha! If oiling was a machine you know - haha!" Rounak added quickly further with nervous chuckles, only to dense Ipshita's frown.
"No! Then you don't know Rounak!" Growled Ipshita Roychoudhury with a flaring nose. "Hriditha is one of our best employees. She is very hardworking and efficient, maybe even more than you. Think before spreading nasty rumours around the office about your colleague."
Spite in her words tugged as the poisonous nail on him. Fire flashed in his eyes as he looked at the woman looking at him with an authoritative gaze, telling him that another woman was better than him. Rounak's jaw mussels tightened. "Well!" He scoffed. "Then you must be interested in knowing this efficient colleague of your Ipshita, doesn't share your thoughts. I heard Hriditha was very much descriptive as she narrated what 'Job' you had to do to get the job."
Riti closed her eyes as she heaved a sigh knowing her best friend's face at that moment. The rumour wasn't hidden from her but she didn't let it reach Ipshita till now.
For Ipshita it felt like all the blood in her entire body gathered on her face as her eyes and ear heated up. Suddenly the surrounding darkened although they were standing at the tea stall in front of her office, under the scorching sun of April. Her eyes widened so much it started hurting as she looked at Rounak - the look, which sent a red alert to every cell in Rounak's body. It appeared to him that Ipshita would throw the teacup, which she was holding so tightly now that her knuckles around it turned white, at him in any moment now...
So here was the update. Hope you like it. Please please leave comments and VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!...