Desperate Measures #3
It’s also a step closer to where you want to be, a selfish voice in my head whispered. It was hard to ignore. I’d be working for one of the biggest fashion houses in India. And if everything went well, I could be working for Suraina Mukherjee in eight months. That would make everything worth it.
I inhaled deeply. Released the breath. ‘I accept your offer.’
‘Thank you, Ananya.’ She reached over and squeezed my hand. ‘You have no idea what this means to me. Truly.’
I smiled, nodding.
‘This is my personal number. You can text me your updates on it.’ Rekha handed me a card.
‘One more thing,’ she added, her voice still gentle but with a note of unmistakable finality.
‘This conversation remains between us. You cannot speak a word of this to your family or friends. And especially not Jai.’
She hadn’t explicitly mentioned maintaining secrecy up until now, but I’d known it all along.
‘Of course,’ I said with a nod.
I opened the door.
‘Good.’ Her smile brightened. ‘See you later, Ananya. Have a great day!’
‘You too.’ I stepped out onto the pavement.
Her car pulled away onto the street.
And that was how I ended up back inside the HoA office, nerves in my stomach and a résumé in hand, looking for Kavita Patel, the COO’s assistant.
All I had to do was hand her my résumé (which I had quickly updated for an executive assistant position), answer ‘yes’ to a few basic questions and sign on the dotted line – and voilà, the job (with the covert mission) was mine!
I entered the lift and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
As the doors started to close, a hand shot out, stopping them. I looked up.
Dark suit. Honey eyes.
You’ve got to be kidding me. ‘You.’
The cab thief stepped in, his eyes widening slightly when he saw me. ‘You work here?’
The paperwork was yet to be signed, but he didn’t need to know that. I crossed my arms. ‘Yes.’
His expression hinted at amusement. ‘What department?’
The elevator opened on the third floor.
‘None of your business,’ I scoffed.
He stepped out and turned around, the ghost of a smirk on his chiselled face. ‘We’ll see about that,’ he said just before the doors closed.
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. What were the chances I’d have to work in the same building as that arrogant ass?
At least the office had multiple floors. With any luck, I’d never have to see him again.
On the fourth floor, I walked down the main hallway and spotted a sleek wooden desk beside a door labelled Jai Advani, COO. A woman sat behind
it, and a glance at the nameplate on the desk confirmed what I already suspected. It was Kavita Patel.
I pasted a friendly smile on my face and placed my résumé on her desk. ‘Good afternoon. I’m Ananya Tripathi, the new assistant.’
‘Not yet.’ She gave me an analytical once-over. ‘Did you pass the interview?’
Her intense stare was unnerving, but I stood my ground and answered as convincingly as I could. ‘Yes.’
‘Do you have any previous experience being an assistant?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ She passed me a contract. ‘Read it, and let me know if you have any questions. If not, you may go ahead and sign it. Then you can introduce yourself as the new assistant.’
As I reached out for the papers, I saw how unsteady my hands were.
The salary – ?7,20,000 – caught my eye first. It was more than I’d expected. Enough to comfortably pay rent every month and gradually clear the credit card debt I’d accumulated.
I kept reading. Standard confidentiality clause, non-disclosure agreement, eight-month fixed term. Everything looked normal. Professional.
Except that nowhere in this contract was there anything about reporting to Rekha. Nothing about our arrangement. It was all verbal – unwritten, unenforceable, unprovable.
If this blew up, I had no protection. No proof. Just her word against mine.
My hands shook slightly as I held the pen.
Eight months. You have to survive eight months.
As my signature dried, a silent finality settled over me.
‘Congratulations on the job and welcome to House of Advani,’ Kavita said, a tinge of lightness mixed with her otherwise monotonous tone. ‘You start Monday.’
I suppressed the small voice whispering that I’d just crossed a line I could never uncross. ‘Thank you. I—’ The elevator dinged.
I glanced over. My stomach dropped.
The cab thief stepped out and headed towards us. Unbelievable.
‘Couldn’t resist finding out?’ I said, unable to help myself.
His brows lifted in surprise, then his mouth almost curved into a smile.
‘Ananya,’ Kavita said, her tone turning cautious. ‘This is Mr Jai Advani. The COO. Your boss.’
The words didn’t register at first.
Boss. COO. Jai Advani. All the air left my lungs.
No. This could not be happening.
That hint of amusement on his face sharpened into something else.
‘I ...’ my voice came out strangled. ‘I didn’t realise—’ His phone rang, cutting through the tension.
Jai pulled his phone out of his suit pocket. ‘I need to take this,’ he said, giving me one last unreadable look before he pressed his phone to his ear and walked away.
Spy on your boss? Manageable.
Spy on your boss, whom you’d gotten off on the wrong foot with – thrice?
Not. Even. Close.