Now and Forever

14. Aftermath

The week took too long to go by for Nandini's liking, mainly because of her boss's cranky attitude. He seemed irritated with everything and anything the whole week and she knew pretty well none was his fault. Those were just the side effects of being the victim of mind control. He did try not to show his temper when she was around but most of the time it just led to sudden outburst and a lot of coaxing from her.

"Sir has been too strict with us this whole week. I don't even want to attend today's committee meeting." Nandini heard an employee say as she passed through the corridor beside the balcony.

"Yeah did he get ditched or something? It's like he's been taking out someone else frustration on us." The other replied with a sigh.

Nandini lightly knocked on the balcony door as she let herself in. "Lunch hour is over. You both do realize that, don't you?" On hearing Nandini's voice both of them became alert.

"Eh, we were just about to get back to work." One of them replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"Then please get back to work. The event dates have been finalized and we still have a lot to do."

"We know. You don't need to tell us that." The other replied almost sternly. "Let's go." he said to the other as he passed by her side. She turned to leave too but due to her keen hearing sense she heard something that wasn't meant to be heard by her. "Does she have to act like our superior?"

"I hate girls like her. Overbearing." the other added. Running a hand through her hair, she let out a sigh. Why did people always think she was trying to boss them around when in actual she only meant good and nothing else?

"Just let it be." she coaxed herself as she walked away. The whole week had been hectic with the game launch event date nearing. Everyone in the office had been on the edge with the preparations and her boss cranky mood wasn't exactly helping either but she was somehow managing to keep everything together.

"Is this what you call a model?" Manik's sharp voice hit her ears as she reached near his cabin door. "Redo it within tomorrow."

"But sir-" the female employee started only to be cut off by him.

"What! You can't do this simple task?" he sounded irritated and that just fueled up her guilty conscience. This was all her fault. This wouldn't even have happened if not for her brainwashing. She was responsible for it and she knew she needed to fix it somehow. After gulping down a bitter substitute tablet, she knocked on his cabin door.

"Urghh!! come in." Manik snapped. She slightly opened the door and let herself in. On seeing her the deep frown on his forehead smoothed out a bit.

"Go and redo that." his voice sounded lower than before.

"Okay sir." the employee lowered her head a bit and left the cabin. Nandini heard the door close behind her. "The hell is wrong with him. This is the fourth time he told me to redo it." she heard the employee's pissed off voice as she reached him.

"Headache?" she asked him softly and he nodded. "Did you have the pills I gave you?"

"It's too bitter." his face scrunched on the mention of it. Taking out a pill from his top drawer, she handed him the pill. "Good things always taste bitter and it's for your good. So take it."

He made a bad face looking at the pill but nevertheless put it in his mouth and swallowed it down in a go with a glass of water. "Wakk." he made a gagging sound as soon as he had managed to swallow it. "This is just too much for my taste buds to handle."

"Trust me this pills work. It has a slow but the most effective effect." she assured.

"I already took it. So it better start it's effect fast." he buried his face in his palm, simultaneously pressing his forehead with his fingers.