by Shilpa Suraj
---***---
“Alisha? A moment?”
Her manager had the kind of nasal, whiny voice that made you feel like your teeth were being drilled. A tall, skinny beanpole of a man, he spent a lot of time peering at people over the top of his glasses. It was Alisha’s turn today.
Sitting down in the chair across from him, she waited for him to snap out instructions like he usually did. Instead, he sighed and took off his glasses.
“Could you close the door, please?”
Surprised, Alisha got up to do what he asked. Had she messed up in some way? Unable to think of anything she could have done to deserve a closed door meeting, she waited for him to speak.
“There has been a complaint lodged with HR.”
Alisha’s mouth went dry. She could feel her heart hammering in her throat. Swallowing to ease the constriction, she asked, “Against me?”
“Yes,” he paused, choosing his words carefully. “I believe a girl has come forward claiming you’re having an affair with her fiancé.”
“What?” Alisha burst out laughing. This was beyond ridiculous.
“A Laxmi Srinivasan from the online marketing team has filed the complaint.”
Mind whirling, Alisha sat back in her chair. What level of viciousness was this and why? Was Laxmi really going to destroy her career because she was friends with her boyfriend? Belatedly, the word fiancé registered. When did they get engaged?
“I am NOT having an affair with Venkat.” The high pitch of her voice had Alisha wincing. Clearing her throat, she tried again, “This is-“
“I know.” Her manager’s calm voice cut through her impassioned defense.
“You do?” Deflated, Alisha subsided a little. The beginnings of a migraine had started with a dull throbbing in her right temple. She ignored the pain and waited to see what her manager said next.
“Yes, I do,” he repeated, emphatically. “Also, her fiancé has submitted a written letter stating that there is nothing happening between the two of you. Technically, this isn’t even an issue for HR or me to get involved so the whole matter has been closed.”
“Then why are we having this conversation?” Alisha asked. The throbbing in her skull was now a pounding.
“We’re having this conversation because there will be talk,” he said, gently. “And office gossip can be very damaging.”
Focusing on a point above his shoulder, she willed back furious tears.
“She’s saying that-“
“That because I’m divorced, I’m desperate and frustrated and that’s why I’m hell-bent on destroying her relationship.”
His silence told her more than any words could have.
Suddenly tired, Alisha sighed, “It’s nothing she hasn’t already said to my face.
“I’m sorry. Some people just aren’t very evolved.” Hesitating a moment, he continued. “Alisha, it’s also been suggested that you might be depressed in the aftermath of your divorce and that you may not be able to handle any additional responsibilities that management might be considering giving you.”
Alisha’s spine stiffened at the implication. “Do you have any complaints with regards to my work, Sir?”
“No. You’ve always given me 140% in terms of hard work and effort. That hasn’t changed at all.”
“Then I think we can safely ignore the rantings of that deluded woman?” Fury had her snapping the words out.
“I believe it was her fiancé who voiced that suggestion. He’s a friend of yours?” The last question trailed off into silence when he glimpsed Alisha’s expression.
Shaking his head, he decided to move on before his best performing employee exploded in front of him. “It’s probably best to just ignore them but I know it’s easier said than done. Anyway, I wanted you to hear about it from me first.”
“Thank you.” She appreciated his consideration. “If that’s all, then I’ll get back to work.”
He opened his mouth and then shut it, obviously rethinking whatever he had been going to say.
“Send me the media release for next week’s product launch by EOD,” he said in an attempt to bring the conversation back to work.
“The preliminary draft is ready. I’ll forward it.” Her face deceptively calm, she left his room and made her way back to her desk.
The first thing she did after reaching her desk was forward the media release her manager had asked for. She rubbed the palms of her hands into her eyes to still the tears stinging the backs of her eyes.
Sleep deprived, furious and in pain, she wasn’t in the frame of mind to deal with either Venkat or his newly minted fiancé but she knew she couldn’t let this go. The only question remaining was how she went about it.
Rummaging through her drawer for the painkillers she stashed there, she pulled out a strip and swallowed two. Pressing a hand to her throbbing forehead, she tried to think only to find her thoughts interrupted by Nisha.
“Hey.” Her concerned face peered down at Alisha.
“You heard,” Alisha said, grimly.
“Everyone’s heard,” Nisha said. “It’s juicy gossip.”
And must be spreading like wildfire, Alisha thought. She hated this. She hated being the center of sleazy gossip for no reason other than an immature woman’s insecurities. She hated the fact that her past still had the power to damage her and the life she’d painstakingly built for herself.
“Take a break.” Nisha hauled her up with one hand. “Let’s go get some tea.”
The painkiller was starting to slowly take effect by the time they reached the office cafeteria. The pounding had just started to ease when she caught sight of Venkat sitting at a corner table.
Something snapped inside of her at the sight of him sitting so calmly with a laptop open in front of him and a mug of coffee on the table next to it. Walking over, she slapped his laptop closed.
“So did my back hurt your knife?”
His face flushed at her implication.
“I wasn’t backstabbing you, I was just trying to-“
Aware of Nisha hovering behind her, she lowered her voice until what she said could be heard only by Venkat. The ice-cold tone sliced through his stammering explanation.
“Your fiancée was always a bitch. I knew that but I seem to have missed the fact that someone I considered a friend was something even worse than that.”
Stepping away from his table, she said in a slightly louder voice, “Congratulations on your engagement. I can’t think of a better suited pair.”
“Let’s go,” she told Nisha who was still hovering like a little hummingbird next to her. “I really need that coffee.”
---***---
It was close to eight in the night before she left office and headed to the hospital. Cars stretched bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see. Resigned to being stuck in one place for at least another half an hour, Alisha cranked up the music and waited for the chaos to subside.
She watched two drivers get down from their respective vehicles and almost come to blows over what looked like a nonexistent dent to her.
Her phone rang just as a traffic cop came running over to pull the two men apart. Glancing at the display, she put it on speaker and answered.
“Mom. I’m still stuck in traffic at Punjagutta. With the way the cars are lined up, I think it will take me close to an hour to reach the hospital.”
“Alisha-“ Her mother’s voice faded into a crackle that had her frowning.
Taking the phone off speaker, she said, “I can’t hear you. The signal seems to be bad.”
Whatever her mother said was lost in the hiss and crackle of static again. The cars had started to move in front of her.
“Ma, I’m driving now. I’ll call you when I reach the hospital.” Dropping the phone on the passenger seat, she heaved a sigh of relief as the traffic snarl slowly started to ease.
It still took her close to the hour she’d predicted to reach the hospital but at least she’d spent that time in traffic th
at moved as opposed to sitting in one place. Handing her keys over to the valet standing there, she weaved her way through the still crowded lobby until she reached the bank of elevators.
“Kahan jana hain, Madam?”
“Room no 405,” she replied.
“Visiting hours khatam ho gaye hain.”
Sighing, she hefted the laptop bag that was slipping off her shoulder.
“Paanch minute ke liye, please?” It took her less than a minute to wheedle her way through with the promise that she would be on her way out in the next five minutes.
Slipping past him with a sigh of relief, she rested her still aching head against the elevator wall and watched the numbers glow as it ascended.
The door opened and she stepped out. Skirting the nurse’s station without making eye contact with any of them, she followed the boards on the wall till she found Room 405.
Pushing the door open she stopped short when she saw the room was full of people. It looked like the combined strength of both her family and Vivaan’s was here in the room.
Luckily, her uncle had been moved to a suite but still people spilled out from every corner. Why the hell had the guard stopped her downstairs if he was allowing the whole city to camp out in the room?
Smiling, she leaned down to kiss her aunt’s cheek before skirting a still sulky looking Pooja and going into the other room where her uncle was propped up in the hospital bed and holding court.
Bending, she kissed his cheek too. “How are you feeling?”
“So much better with all this company. I.C.U is lonely.”
“It didn’t look that way when I peeped in to check on you. Weren’t the nurses keeping you company?” Alisha teased.
“I wish.” He heaved a very put-upon sigh. “None of them were willing to hold my hand.”
“What a tragedy.” She was still laughing when she caught sight of Vivaan entering the room. The quiet intensity of his gaze caught and held her own until the chattering horde around them seemed to melt into nothingness.
She forced a smile to her lips. “Hi.”
Coming to stand next to her, his eyes took in the strained lines of her face.
“Long day?” he asked.
“You could say that.” Restless under his scrutiny, Alisha looked away and smiled a greeting at Arav and Arjun who were standing in the corner chatting with her father. It looked like everyone had come straight from work if the rumpled formal clothes were anything to go by.
“Alisha.” Her uncle’s voice reclaimed her attention. “Thank you for staying the night at the hospital.”
“Don’t be silly, Uncle Kamal.” She clasped the hand he held out to her. “It was nothing.”
“I heard you had company.”
Alisha flushed at the sly wink that accompanied the words.
“Yes,” she mumbled, acutely conscious of Vivaan’s eyes boring into her back. “Arjun kept me company.”
“And?” her uncle continued to prod her.
“And it was nice. He’s nice,” she finished lamely.
“Nice is good, huh?”
Alisha just didn’t have the heart to erase that encouraging smile from her uncle’s face. Smiling weakly, she said, “Nice is good enough.”
“Okay everybody.” Vivaan’s voice cut through the chatter. She wondered if she was the only one who heard the edge in it. “I got you all the hour you asked for but now you have to leave. Uncle needs his rest.”
That explained how so many people were allowed into the room past visiting hours. Alisha was about to start on her goodbyes when the door opened again and admitted a most unlikely visitor.
“Sidharth?” Pooja’s nervous gasp had everyone’s eyes focusing on her.
Alisha had a bad feeling about this. So that’s why Pooja’s phone had been on silent that day. It was all starting to make sense now.
“Who is Sidharth?” Vivaan’s murmur had her starting guiltily like she was the one who’d done something wrong. Alisha didn’t want to be the one to answer that so she did the next best thing. She pretended not to have heard the question.
Nobody said anything for a moment. It was like a scene from a bad television serial.
“I didn’t realise there would be so many people here. I just wanted to see how Pooja’s father was doing,” Sidharth finally said. He still had one hand on the door and one foot out of the room. Alisha didn’t blame him. She would be on the point of fleeing too if she’d been in his shoes.
“I’m fine,” her uncle answered gruffly from the bed. “You’ve seen me. Now you can leave.”
“Papa.” Pooja’s outraged gasp had everyone staring at her again. “Don’t talk to him like that.”
Her uncle’s eyebrows lowered in a ferocious glower. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that!”
As one, the Kapoor family shuffled their feet in preparation to leave. Nothing cleared a room quite like a family fight. Wishing she could leave with them, Alisha shifted her laptop bag from one arm to the other.
“What about the way all of you talk to me?” Pooja's voice exploded through the quietly murmured goodbyes. Everybody froze again. “Other than barking out orders or lecturing me nobody ever bothers about me.”
“Pooja, please!” Alisha’s aunt’s embarrassed whisper didn’t even make a dent in Pooja’s tirade.
“I’m sorry. I should leave.” Sidharth started to back out of the door only to stop when Pooja grabbed his hand.
“No. Don’t,” she insisted, pulling him further into the room.
“Pooja, what are you doing?”
Pooja turned slowly to face her mother. “I was going to tell you this morning, Ma, but you kept lecturing me about not taking your call and-“
“Now is not the time to talk about all this.” Flushed with mortification, Lavanya tried to pull Pooja away from Sidharth but she tightened her grip on his hand and held on.
“Enough,” Uncle Kamal roared from next to Alisha making her jump. His face had turned an ominous red.
“Alisha, take her home now. We’ll talk about this later.”
“Why should I go?” Pooja demanded.
“Pooja.” Alisha grabbed the hand her aunt had been holding on to. “Let’s go. Don’t do this here.”
Sidharth pulled on her other hand leading to a weird tug-of-war with Pooja in the middle.
“Come on, Pooj,” Alisha kept her voice low. “You really don’t want to make this a bigger scene than it already is. Think of your parents.”
“Did you think of yours when you filed for divorce, Alishakka? You’re lecturing me on relationships? You left your husband and came home without bothering to give anyone an explanation. What can I do that would be worse than what you did?”
The words slapped Alisha in the face like a physical blow. Dropping Pooja’s hand, she stepped back. In the dead silence that followed Pooja’s words, nobody moved. For a minute, it felt like nobody even breathed.
Alisha was the first to break that frozen moment. Gathering what was left of her dignity, she walked out of the room without another word or backward glance.
---***---
Chapter 17
Vivaan scanned the hospital corridor but couldn’t see Alisha anywhere. Finally, he caught a glimpse of her arguing with the valet. As he watched, she handed over some money and snatched her car keys from the valet’s hand and walked off towards the parking ground next door.
His brain still sorting through all the drama from before, he followed more slowly. He caught up with her just as she came to a halt next to her car.
“Alisha.”
Her body stiffened at the sound of his voice, but she didn’t turn. Unlocking the car, she slid her laptop bag into the passenger seat. He waited patiently until she couldn’t ignore him any longer.
When she realized he wasn’t going to just give up and go away, Alisha turned to face him, a hard, cynical smile on her lips.
“Did you need something from me?”
“I just wanted to check if you w
ere okay.”
A laugh escaped her. “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” The compassion in his eyes was more than she could take. It was a small slide from compassion to pity and Alisha had worked far too hard to rebuild her life to stand by and let someone pity her.
“I have to go,” she said abruptly. “I have a lot of work to finish once I get home and-“
“I’m sorry.”
The apology halted her mid-sentence.
“For what?” Surprise silenced the excuses she’d been in the middle of making.
“For-“ Lost for words, he just looked at her. He didn’t know why he was apologizing. He just wanted to wipe that exhausted, resigned expression from her face.
“Look,” he tried again, this time praying the right words would come to him. “I know things have been tough for you and I know how you must feel but-“
“You do, do you?” The mocking question stopped him from jamming his foot any harder into his mouth.
“Ever had someone hold a knife to your throat?” Her calm, conversational tone sent chills chasing down his spine. “No? Then you really don’t know how I feel.”
She held his horrified gaze with a quiet knowledge that made him want to weep for her. For what she must have gone through.
“He told me on our wedding night that he wanted nothing to do with me. That he found me a complete turn off.”
“Was he blind?” Somehow, he never knew how, he kept his voice steady. People streamed around them in the still crowded parking lot but the conversation kept them enclosed in a tiny cocoon of their own.
She laughed, the sound so sad, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, hold on and never let go.
It was such a sorry, predictable story that Alisha still found it hard to believe it had happened to her.
“He married me for money or so he said. I didn’t find out until much later that he was also in love with someone else and was staying faithful to her. She was very rich and her family didn’t think he was good enough for her. He had some grand, twisted plan of using my money to fund his courtship of her.”
The hurt and pain came rushing back like it had just been yesterday. “Unfortunately, she didn’t stay faithful to him. She viewed his marriage, quite rightly, as a betrayal so she left him. All his frustrations, his unhappiness found a single target. Me.”
