The Daily Grind
Ananya
‘I obviously want the dress to be movie-themed, but I also want it to reflect my style and who I am,’ Naina said. ‘I know it’s a tall order, but I absolutely loved what you did for Navya, and I want that magic for myself too.’
‘What better way to express yourself than through your clothes, right?’ I smiled. ‘I already have a few ideas for you, and I think you’re going to love them.’
‘Exactly! You get it.’ She clasped her hands together in excitement. ‘Oh my God, I’m so excited to do this.’
‘We should also discuss payment,’ Dipti chimed in.
Our meeting was going better than I could have imagined. Naina was as warm and wonderful from the inside as she was beautiful from the outside. Dipti, on the other hand, looked at me as if she feared I was expired milk – with doubt, and as though I should be discarded.
‘Considering the reach and credibility Naina’s profile can bring to your work, we’re proposing a collaboration. Two posts, three stories and a permanent highlight placement. We will also reimburse you for the raw materials,’ she said.
It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I knew this was the way of the industry. Being featured on Naina’s profile would do wonders for me. I may not be paid for this gig, but it would bring in numerous additional offers and open up new avenues for me. It’d be worth it.
I snuck a glance at Naina.
She looked slightly uncomfortable but had a small smile pasted on her face.
This opportunity was once-in-a-lifetime. It was unmissable.
If it went well, I wouldn’t need to get a job. I’d be a full-time fashion designer.
‘I’m okay with that,’ I replied.
‘We would like you to sign this before we move forward.’ Dipti slid a stack of papers across. ‘It’s a standard industry contract; I’m sure you’re aware of it.’
I glanced at it. If there was one thing I had learned, it was not to enter into deals without knowing all the asterisks. ‘I’ll need to read it before I sign it.’
The server came in and set the bill on the table.
‘Of course,’ Naina said, paying for it. ‘Let us know if there are any issues. I’m sure we will work something out.’
‘I will, thank you,’ I said, sliding the papers into my bag. We stood up.
Surprisingly, she hugged me. ‘It was really nice to meet you. I can’t wait for us to work together.’
The smile on my face was instant and real. ‘It was great meeting you too.’
Dipti offered me a tight smile and a nod before we headed out.
Halfway to the staircase, she stopped mid-stride. Frowning, I looked up.
A man tucked into the booth beside the staircase stood up, blocking our way.
Jai.
My heart leapt to my throat.
Jai’s here. In front of me.
My head spun. The universe was playing a twisted joke. But this felt too cruel. No way.
‘Jai! It’s so nice to run into you here,’ Naina said, flashing a gorgeous smile.
She had been the face of a successful HoA campaign a few years ago and had attended all of their events since. Of course, they knew each other.
‘The festive collection was fab, by the way,’ Dipti added. ‘Naina said the event was even better. She—’
‘Thank you. It was great seeing you, but I have a meeting with Ananya. And we’re running late,’ he interrupted her politely, glancing at them before looking back at me.
This wasn’t fate; it was Jai. He sought me out. How did he know I was here?
Rhea. She was the only one I’d told.
I didn’t know they talked. What did she say to him? Why was he here? Could it be that he wanted to get back— Do not even go there, Ananya. Don’t get your hopes up. Regardless, a restless tangle of emotions formed.
‘Oh, of course.’ Dipti glanced at me with a newfound respect on her face. ‘I’ll let you get to it.’ In any other scenario, it would have irritated me. I should be valued for my skills, not for the people I know. But right now, I couldn’t care less.
Naina agreed and bid us goodbye.
‘Can we talk?’ Jai asked once they disappeared down the stairs.
My pulse spiked. I swallowed, then nodded.
I slid into the seat, and Jai sat opposite me. My fingers picked at a nail as I tried to ignore the whirlwind of anxiety, dread, anticipation and hope churning in my stomach.
‘It seemed like the meeting went well,’ he said.
I slowly raised my eyes, skimming over his linen shirt and broad shoulders before looking at his face.
Splodges of purple coloured his under-eyes. He had a scruffy beard, as if he hadn’t shaved in days. And his hair looked like he had been dragging his fingers through it over and over again.
He looked battered. Exhausted.
My heart clenched. Every part of me wanted to reach across the table and comfort him. But how could I? I had done this to him.
Jai’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. ‘I’m happy for you,’ he added. His voice was low, rough, but the faint spark in his eyes told me he meant it.
‘Thank you.’
He nodded, pressing his lips together. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Been better,’ I said, attempting a smile.
The silence stretched, thick with uncertainty. I felt like I was out of my depth in an ocean of possibilities. I never imagined he’d want to talk to me, much less track me down and ask me how I was.
My eyes dropped to his hands idling on the table. I missed them. Their warmth. Their steadiness. Their gentle touch.
‘I’m not sure if you heard, but Lehenga Bazaar released a preview of their new collection, Eternal Weave,’ he said. ‘It’s a copy of Rivaayat.’
My senses dulled under a rush of cold.
The heartbreak had consumed me so completely that I had shut myself off from the world. I had to force myself not to look him up. It was why I had no idea about this.
Jai’s wrecked state made more sense now. We had worked incredibly hard to ensure the line’s success. It meant everything to him. To have his work stolen and put on display for the world to see and admire, right after our breakup … it must’ve been devastating.
Then, a worry crawled down my spine and coiled around my stomach. ‘I—’ My insides folded upon themselves. ‘It wasn’t me, if that’s what you wanted to ask. I had nothing to do with it.’
‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘I’m not here to accuse you.’ Pain contorted his features. ‘Rekha stole the business proposal from Harish uncle’s office. We have it on camera.’
That … doesn’t make sense. I frowned. ‘Why would she ask me for all the details on the line if she had the business proposal all along?’
Jai paused for a moment. ‘It was a draft proposal. Maybe she wanted something that wasn’t on there.’ His shoulders fell. ‘I have no idea what that woman does or why.’
She might not be his biological mother, but she was still his family. This was messed up. My throat tightened. ‘I’m sorry. I know how much it meant to you.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
But I felt it anyway. The guilt. The weight. The familiar, suffocating self-blame.
Then, a memory hit like a whip, my words to Rekha ringing in my head: ‘The morning of my interview, I saw Jai near my building.’
‘She was threatening me once, pressuring me for more information,’ I admitted in a hushed voice. ‘I told her I saw you near my building the morning of my interview. I didn’t know why you were there at the time, but I think she put the pieces together.’
I bit down on my lip as regret twisted in my gut. ‘Is that … do you think that’s how she knew where to look?’
Jai went still. The muscle in his jaw ticked. ‘My family isn’t aware of the extent of my relationship with Harish uncle. It is possible Rekha suspected it after what you said,’ he said, looking deep in thought.
Guilt morphed into nausea. ‘Oh God. I’m so sorry.’
‘I don’t blame you, Ananya.’ His gaze softened. ‘I’ve only recently realised what Rekha is capable of. You were a victim of her games like the rest of us. This is solely her fault.’
I wanted to believe him. But the apology on my tongue wasn’t just for this situation. It was for everything. The months of silence. The secret. The betrayal.
‘If I’d told you sooner … if I hadn’t been so selfish, maybe none of this would’ve happened. You’d said so yourself; I waited too long. I could’ve saved the line. Saved us.’ My voice cracked.
Us. The word sounded foreign. Precious. Broken.
He shook his head, eyes bright with emotion.
‘You weren’t selfish. You were trying to do your best,’ he said, his voice raw.
‘It’s easy for me to talk about doing the right thing because I’ve been able to do it without losing anything.
I now know it is a privilege – one you didn’t have.
And expecting you to make the same choices as I would’ve made was unfair.
I should’ve been more understanding. I’m sorry. ’
Something inside me ripped open. I’d been holding in this grief for days, even months.
Now, it was all gushing out. I wiped my cheeks, but it was pointless; tears kept falling, hot and endless.
‘Don’t apologise,’ I said, my voice threatening to break.
‘I’m the one who hurt you. I betrayed your trust. I ruined everything. I’m sorry.’
He exhaled, a tremor in his breath. ‘You did hurt me,’ he said softly. ‘For the first time in a long while, I trusted someone. I really trusted you.’
My heart splintered.
My throat closed around a sob I couldn’t hold back. A hand covered my mouth.
‘And when you broke it, it gutted me,’ he continued, his voice reduced to a whisper.
‘I couldn’t see past my pain. But you also told me the truth of your own accord.
To keep that trust.’ His eyes lowered, then lifted again to meet mine.
‘You could have kept it a secret forever, and I probably wouldn’t have found out.
But you didn’t. Even though it could have ruined your life.
You told me the truth for me. That … means more than you think. ’
This was too much. Too generous. Too kind for someone I had viciously betrayed.