7. Truth and Lies #2
Anxiety coiled tight, refusing to ease. If I didn’t give her something, I’d never get to work for Suraina Mukherjee. I would never make it in fashion. Rekha had the power to ensure it.
Think, Ananya, think.
‘It’s probably nothing,’ I said, my pulse quickening. ‘But … the morning of my interview, I saw Jai near my building. He was getting in a cab.’
‘And where would that be?’
I murmured the address.
It doesn’t mean anything. It isn’t important.
‘Thank you for telling me that.’ She smiled slowly. ‘Every little detail is useful.’
It was a harmless detail. But my stomach churned the entire cab ride back.
I stepped into the office, still tasting the metallic edge of guilt on my tongue. People moved past me, chatting, laughing, going about their day.
Just as I put my purse on my desk, Jai’s office door swung open.
Suraina ma’am stepped out and spoke over her shoulder, ‘It’s turning out well. I’ll have Krisha send the file.’
‘I’m happy you approve,’ Jai said, holding the door open.
‘Good to see you again, Ananya,’ she said warmly as she walked past me.
I managed a smile.
‘Come in, I need to talk to you,’ Jai told me and disappeared back into his office.
I felt like I was floating as I followed him inside. My body didn’t feel mine anymore.
‘I want you—’ His eyes landed on me, and his mouth snapped shut. His eyebrows pinched together. ‘What happened?’
I tried to wipe my clammy palms on my dress.
Should I tell him? What would I even say?
That your mother doesn’t trust you and gave me this job to spy on you? That I’ve been reporting back? That I didn’t trust you at first either, but I do now.
Would that even make a difference to him?
I opened my mouth, but the words died on the tip of my tongue.
‘You’ve been so dependable. I’d hate to see anything compromise that.’ Rekha’s sugary voice rang in my head.
A chill swept through me.
This wasn’t just a job. It was my shot at the life I’d always wanted. At freedom.
The words hovered in my mouth. I swallowed them.
There was a sharp knock, and the door swung open, revealing one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life.
Thick, luscious hair, doe-shaped eyes and a tall, model-like figure.
She walked inside as if she were strutting down a runway, her heels click-clacking.
I recognised that dress. It was from this year’s Versace Spring–Summer collection.
She smiled, revealing pearly-white teeth that belonged in a toothpaste commercial. ‘This is for you,’ she said, slinking so close to Jai that it was unprofessional, and handed him a file.
An icy feeling unfurled low in my belly.
Jai grabbed it and stepped away, his gaze still fixed on me.
That’s when the woman realised I was in the room too. Her smile dimmed for half a moment before she pasted it back on and turned to Jai. ‘Rekha aunty has invited me to dinner on Sunday.’
‘I hope you enjoy it,’ Jai replied smoothly. ‘Tell Suraina I will go through the file and send it back on Monday.’
So she’s Suraina ma’am’s assistant. My heart stopped. Blood roared in my ears, and my breath turned shallow.
As I watched her leave, there was only one thing on my mind. She’s the reason I’m in this position. Everything that was happening to me was because of her.
My lips pressed together. ‘Girlfriend?’ Her body language suggested nothing less. That’s why he gave her that job. An iron fist closed around my heart.
‘She wishes,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘She’s … a family friend. Any time she shows up, and you’re at your desk, tell her I’m busy.’
The strain melted, leaving a faint smile behind. ‘Not a fan?’
‘What gave me away?’ he asked dryly.
That made no sense. ‘Why give her the job then?’
‘Mom recommended her, I think,’ he said. ‘But she does not influence hiring decisions past that point. Krisha must’ve gotten the job on her merit.’
Jai didn’t hire her. Rekha did.
Cold flooded my veins. She made me a part of a game I didn’t know she was playing. And I was none the wiser.
All for what?
‘Ananya?’ Jai asked, his voice soft. His warm eyes were brimming with something I wasn’t sure I deserved. Concern.
They were the eyes of an honest man.
Rekha was the liar. And she was wrong about him. She had to be.
My throat tightened. Pressure built behind the back of my eyes.
I blinked fast, willing it to go away. The sting. The ache. The guilt. Jai didn’t deserve this betrayal. My chest caved under the pressure of everything I wanted to say but couldn’t.
Shame crawled up my neck, slowly and suffocatingly.
‘What is it?’ He stepped closer. ‘You weren’t okay when you came in either.’
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat, but no words left my mouth.
His large hand engulfed mine and raised it. ‘You’re shaking,’ he murmured.
The warmth of his skin seeped through mine. It steadied me in the way I’d needed since my meeting with Rekha.
‘Did someone say something to you? Did something happen?’ His voice remained gentle, but the razor’s edge running beneath it was unmistakable. ‘Who was it?’
‘N-no,’ I whispered. ‘I just … I … my friend and I argued. I’m upset because of it.’
‘I’m a good listener. If you want to talk about it.’
‘Thank you, but I’m okay.’ I slid my hand out of his hold. ‘We should get back to work.’ The heat of his touch lingered. ‘What did you need?’
Jai’s eyes pierced mine. With the way he was looking at me … he knew I wasn’t telling him everything.
‘I need to focus on the Mahala pitch,’ he said, letting it slide. ‘Please hold my calls for me. And don’t let anyone through unless it’s an emergency.’
I nodded. ‘You got it.’