9. All Is Fair in Love and Business
All Is Fair in Love and Business
Ananya
That sensual mouth against my skin. His hand sliding around my waist.
‘That polka-dot shirt? Absolutely not.’
The kiss was all I could think about. And our conversation the morning after.
‘Look at that hairstyle.’ Rhea’s cackle brought me out of my thoughts. ‘His hobby is clubbing. Red flag.’
My eyes went to her phone. One of our favourite pastimes was doomscrolling through Hinge and roasting all the cringe profiles. On the rare occasion that someone decent showed up, Rhea would give him a shot, only for it to inevitably fail.
Would Jai and I ever have a real shot, or would we fail?
‘Okay, enough!’ Rhea said. ‘You’ve been in this weird zone since you got back, and if this—’ she turned her screen to me ‘—isn’t distracting you, nothing can. So will you tell me what happened on that trip?’
My eyes lowered. I traced invisible designs on the sofa. Rhea was an optimist. In any other situation, she would tell me to hell with it and follow my heart. But this time, I wasn’t sure.
And hearing it from her would only confirm what I was thinking: getting involved with Jai wasn’t a good idea.
But keeping this from her was impossible. ‘Jai and I kissed.’
She blinked. ‘Your boss Jai?’
‘Yes.’
‘Holy shit.’ She gripped my arm, eyes wide. ‘This is serious, Ananya. Spill.’
I exhaled, warmth unfurling at the mere thought of it. ‘We got the deal, and I was so excited, I just hugged him. And then … I don’t even know who moved first, but we kissed. And it was so good, Rhea. The-best-kiss-of my-life kind of good. I can’t stop replaying it.’
‘The late nights and working on the weekends, all without complaints. Makes sense now,’ she said. ‘Then what happened?’
‘I panicked,’ I groaned, sinking into the cushion. ‘Told him it was a mistake, then locked myself in my room.’
‘Way to handle it like an adult.’ She slapped her forehead. ‘That would’ve made things so awkward this morning!’
‘We actually spoke about it.’ I sighed, the memory of our conversation still sharp enough to make my stomach flip.
I woke up with the ghost of Jai’s lips on mine. Was I dreaming? My eyes flew open. Oh no.
Oh my God.
What did I do? What did we do?
This wasn’t supposed to happen. What if I lose my job? What if I’m forced to go back home and they make me marry Parth?
One step at a time, Ananya. First, get ready, then go out and talk to him.
Yeah, I could do that. We were both mature adults, and we could move past it; it didn’t have to get that far. And if luck were on my side, he would pretend it never happened as he did after our almost-kiss.
I was still jittery when I stepped out into the living room. Jai was sitting at the dining table, reading the newspaper while sipping his chai, completely unbothered.
My heart flipped.
His hot breath against my skin. The press of his body. The way my knees felt weak under his touch. My mind had been replaying the kiss since I woke up, but it hit different after seeing him again.
Jai’s eyes locked onto mine, and for one reckless moment, I wanted to bridge the distance between us once again.
‘Good morning.’ He carefully folded the paper and put it down. ‘Have a seat. Laxman made us chai and breakfast.’
‘Ananya, you’re going to be the death of me.’
My teeth dug into my lower lip as I sat down opposite him, the legs of the chair scraping loudly. The air felt heavy with awkwardness and thoughts of last night’s … events. I poured myself some tea. Maybe he’d let it go.
The cup trembled lightly in my hand as I took a sip.
‘We need to talk about last night,’ Jai said, his voice firm.
I swallowed. So, we’re doing this.
‘We work together, and I’m your boss,’ he started.
This isn’t going to end well. Cold, invisible fingers gripped my heart.
‘The most important thing to me right now is to ensure you don’t feel pressured. I never want to put you in a difficult situation.’ His voice turned gentle. ‘If at any moment, you feel uncomfortable, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to fix it.’
The unease dissipated. Of course. It’s Jai. What did I expect? I nodded.
‘That being said, our kiss wasn’t a mistake. I don’t regret it.’
My pulse skittered. He doesn’t regret it. Relief bloomed so hard it hurt. I exhaled a shaky breath. ‘I … I don’t know what to say,’ I murmured, my eyes lowering.
‘That kiss … it was something else, and we both know it,’ he said. ‘The only complication is that you work for me. I’m hoping that’s the reason you called it a mistake.’
The other complication is that I’m spying on you for your mother. I bit my tongue and nodded.
‘It is not against company policy to date co-workers. I don’t care if anybody knows, but if you decide to give us a shot, we won’t tell anyone. And when your contract ends in five months, this will become a non-issue.’
My brain stalled. Did he say date? My ears were ringing. Surely. My heart did a full somersault. He couldn’t possibly be serious. Maybe I’m asleep, and God gave me this hyper-realistic dream to torment me for my sins.
Under the table, I pinched my arm.
Ouch.
It’s real.
‘Date?’ my voice squeaked.
‘The kiss wasn’t a mistake. Denying what’s between us would be.’ Jai’s gaze sharpened. ‘Say yes, Ananya.’
My throat closed up. The certainty, the hope in his face, fanned guilt into my lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
It only existed there because he didn’t know the secret I’d been keeping from him. If he did, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be out of his company and his life.
If he found out, I would break his trust. And his heart.
And I refused to do that to Jai.
So, I swallowed my guilt. My panic. My feelings.
Just say it. ‘Jai, I … Can I have some time to think about it?’
‘You’re leading him on.’ Rhea smacked my leg. ‘Why didn’t you say no?’
‘Because I like him!’ Tears sprang into my eyes. ‘And all I wanted was to say yes.’
‘Oh, Anu.’ Her voice softened as she pulled me into a comforting hug. ‘I’m sorry. I know this is hard.’
My throat constricted.
‘But you know you need to do this,’ she added softly.
Jai
Next Day
A girl dressed in a school uniform raised a hand, stopping the early morning traffic to rush across the street. The muffled sound of horns sneaked past the office window.
A man opened the shutters of a stationery shop. A black cat pawed at a street dog trying to sniff her. A couple dressed in formal wear walked hand in hand on the footpath.
‘Jai, I … Can I have some time to think about it?’
The flash of desire in her eyes was unmistakable. She wanted me. I knew that. And her inclination not to shit where she ate was understandable as well. But I had explained that it wasn’t a problem worth fretting over. I was sure she must’ve realised that by now.
A soft knock grabbed my attention.
Ananya walked in with a cup of tea.
Silky hair. Bright eyes. Lush lips. I’d always admired her beauty. But through the lens of memory, it was captivating.
‘Good morning,’ I greeted as I walked to the front of my desk and leaned against it.
A tantalising floral scent mingled in the air as Ananya came close and put the cup down. ‘Good morning, Jai.’
She hesitated, gaze dipping to my lips, her breathing momentarily uneven.
She’s thinking about our kiss. My odds seemed good.
‘You look beautiful.’
Her hand smoothed her grey knee-length dress. ‘Thanks … I got it on discount from H you should trust me that much,’ I said softly, stepping closer.
‘I hope it doesn’t happen, but if you don’t want to work for me after that, you can transfer to another department.
Or I’ll get you a job wherever you want. You have my word.’
The moment stalled, and hesitation took root.
I should step back. I should let her go. But when it came to Ananya, ‘should’ never stood a chance against ‘want’.
I lowered my head and pressed a soft kiss on the shell of her ear. ‘Be mine, Ananya,’ I murmured. My fingers dug into the soft flesh of her waist as I trailed kisses down her neck. ‘Or I’ll lose my goddamn mind.’
‘Yes,’ she breathed.
I pressed a soft kiss on her lips. A promise. ‘You won’t regret it.’
She looked up at me, vulnerability shining in her eyes. ‘I hope you don’t either.’