The Rose & Her Thorn

Part 11

"So, how are things going at your office? Strangely enough, after your initial excitement about the internship, you have narrated no incidents of your office to us," remarked Sunaina, accepting the plate of fried onion pakoras prepared by Rajeev, following their custom of relishing a delicacy on every Sunday.

"Yeah! First job, and we haven't heard a thing! I thought we would not hear the end of it once you begin the internship! Is everything alright?" added Rajeev, settling on the chair beside Sunaina after forwarding Shikha's plate to her.

Shikha stared at the couple uncomfortably. She was well aware of their impression of her boss and the stark contrast between that and the one on her mind.

"Well, it's going fine. The project idea that I had, it was approved, and it's going well," answered Shikha, smiling as she hoped she managed to satisfy to convince the duo with her incomplete answer. She munched on the fritters, praying that they would not ask any further questions.

Sunaina's eyes narrowed as she processed her sister's answer. She had noted that Shikha had omitted any information regarding her boss, or her equation with him, after their rather heated confrontation about the internship.

"And your boss? How is he?" asked Rajeev, voicing out his concern, unlike Sunaina.

A direct question meant that Shikha could not dodge the bullet. "He's fine. I don't see him much, anyway."

She felt remorse ravaged her conscience as she lied through her teeth, but from where she stood, she saw no other way. She found it hard to defend her view of him to Sunaina and Rajeev, especially with the knowledge that they regarded him as a menace to her.

She desired for them to be in agreement with her, so she could express her gratitude and admiration for the man. But, unfortunately, the suspicion and fear in their eyes made her erase any thoughts about narrating the anecdotes from work.

"Oh. I thought he was your mentor for the internship, wasn't he?" pointed Rajeev, having heard Shikha's conversation with Rohan in the preceding days about exceeding Vikram's expectations on her.

Shikha felt sweat pour out of her temples as she could not remember the time she had revealed that piece of information. She could not help but wonder if they heard her mumbling to herself about him and using his name to motivate herself to pull the all-nighters.

"Oh, uh, he is. He is. But, um, I don't see him much. Just submit the project and getting approvals. Yeah. Yeah, that's it," she answered, stuttering and fumbling, much to her annoyance.

"Shikha. You can tell us anything, you know that, right? Is everything alright? You seem jumpy," asked Sunaina, shifting closer to her sister and wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulder.

Sunaina was worried if she did not like her boss and if he terrorized her, and she was petrified if she did like him and if he did not terrorize her. She did not know which of the two scenarios was harder to digest and being on which end of Vikram's emotional spectrum was safe for her younger sister.

"I know, Jiji. Trust me, I am fine," replied Shikha, smiling at her sister. She could not reveal that she was plagued by the inexplicable behavior of her boss whom they despised or the fact that she was more affected by him than they would like to hear.

"Well, that's great then! Fifteen more days and you will be done with this internship!" exclaimed Rajeev as he hoped that they would not cross paths once again.

Ironically, his statement made the ghost of a smile on her lips fade away as she realized they would soon have to part, and she could not revel and relish his attention, affection, and appreciation anymore.

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

"Only fifteen more days, Choco. In fifteen days he gave me more confidence than I ever thought I'd have," she said, gazing at the ragged teddy bear. The ache behind her rib-cage intensified and tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision.

"I don't know if I'll have the same confidence when he is no longer around. I don't want to feel worthless, Choco. I don't want to keep asking myself if my dreams are impossible."

Sobs clogged in her throat as she clutched the toy close to her chest. She could not lament without a worry of alerting her sister or her brother-in-law, but the anguish bottled up inside her chest clamored for a release. Hot and silent tears poured out of her eyes when she pressed her face into the toy, muffling her wails.

Self-doubt was a vortex that called out to her without relent. His trust in her and his compassionate words had aided her to drown the voices questioning her capabilities. There was not a price she was not willing to pay to escape the belittling voices, or so she told herself, ignorant of the price she'd pay for her blissful dismissal of the skepticism.

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

"Sir, I am sure you would have realized by now, but the paid internship ends in fifteen days," remarked Shekhar, waiting to know his boss' next plan to ensure that Shikha lies in his line of sight for as long as he could.

"I am aware of that. How do we make sure that Shikha doesn't leave my life without exposing my interest in her?" mused Vikram, juggling the paperweight, staring at the ceiling.

"Offer her a job? But we don't hire freshers," answered Shekhar, confusion muddling with his thought process.

"We don't hire freshers, Shekhar, but start-ups do. And you know what's the thing with start-ups?" he prompted, a devious and dangerous glint gleaming in his eyes as an idea struck him.

"They are short of money so someone can buy them," replied Shekhar, staring at his boss as he predicted Vikram's plan.

"But, but, that would be quite obvious, won't it? We'll wait for some company to hire Shikha and make sure that they suffer some losses. We will make them so desperate that they will be about to release their staff, and that's when we will buy their company," explained Vikram, smirking as he visualized his plan playing out just as he had wanted and his dear doe-eyed damsel walking into the trap laid by him.

"She will be enthralled by your generosity and she will grateful to you for saving her employment," added Shekhar, commending the way Vikram's shrewd brain functioned and thankful that it did not involve depriving someone of their life or their limbs.

"Yes. And they say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', don't they? Time to test the theory," exclaimed Vikram, vowing to himself to make every moment of the time apart would be worth it.

The master of manipulation had chosen his cards and so has the destiny. But, will accomplishing the mission bring the satisfaction which Vikram has craved all his life, or will it turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory?