Accidental Love

I X

Aparna

My life has been unpredictable for as long as I can remember.

I even had my first period when I was on a field trip, a few hundred miles away from home.

The only thing constant in my life is my job.

So, naturally, it gives me peace. A reminder that however bitchy my fate is, I still have to grab my bag and get the hell out of my house at nine o' clock sharp.

But I guess my life just didn't want me to live in peace for even those eight hours.

Why you ask?

Because ever since I stepped into the air conditioned building of Aditya Automobiles today, my trail was followed by hot stares burning into my back, leaving me feeling violated.

Nadia tried being with me most of the time but then again, her desk is at the other side of the building and she had to leave me alone at some point.

So, I decided to wear my 'big-girl pants' and shooed her off myself.

I always knew that people in the office love gossiping but I never really thought about it much because it was nearly never about me. So, when my engagement made it to the headlines of every newspaper published in Mumbai- India even- I understood how it actually felt.

Thankfully though, the whole fiasco with my parents hadn't been printed in any newspaper because Varad threatened every single media person at the engagement.

Yeah, that's what I call him now.

Anyways, a reporter from some flop business magazine did write about it in his report but since no one really reads the magazine, it was just considered a rumor.

The only person who didn't bother me with stares and murmurs was Gabbar. She, surprisingly enough, still called me to her cabin when I arrived and handed a shit-load of work for me to complete.

Either she is not interested in knowing anything about me or she is just plain workaholic.

Well, as long as she treats me normal, I am okay with any of the reasons.

Everything did go well for half the day. I mean, if you call random clients and colleagues walking up to me and asking stupidly common questions as if I knew them forever, then it did go well.

That was until after lunch break. After lunch was when shit hit the fan.

Exactly as I put my lunch box away, Charan- the office boy, told me that Mr. Reddy was asking for me.

"Mr. Reddy as in Aditya Reddy sir?" I asked, wide-eyed. Instead of answering, he furiously nodded his head in affirmation and scurried off. I couldn't even ponder about it for much long as my feet went towards the elevator on their own accord.

Reaching the eighteenth floor, I stopped in front of the lavish glass door engraved in a dark mahogany frame. The golden plaque on the door read 'CEO Aditya Reddy' in elegant cursive writing.

I was considered as the secondary staff so I never really had the opportunity to meet the CEO before. Given, I saw him quite a lot of times, I never had any reason to converse with him. 

Calming my nerves, I knocked on the door twice before popping my head in.

"May I come in?" I asked, focusing my gaze on the backward facing swivel chair.

Mr. Reddy turned his chair around and gestured for me to come inside. He was talking to someone, his phone pressed to his ear while he twirled a pen in his other hand.