Aarav's POV
-Flashback continues-
"You mean Kanika? Yeah, she is a good girl, she is hard working and also a fast learner." Mr. Deshmukh tapped his chin, thinking about what I had suggested.
"Then it's settled. I will take her as my assistant and make sure to distribute some portion of the work to assistant editors so they learn better." I rose up from my seat and continued, "And about this file, let's talk tomorrow, you should leave too." I started collecting my stuff.
"Alright, I will inform Kanika tomorrow about this. You too have a good rest." I just nodded as he greeted me and left.
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-Next day-
I reached the office and found Kanika already there, setting her table for the day and talking with a few of the other employees. I made my way to the cabin as people greeted me, and I greeted them back. Kanika did turn back to look, but didn't have much reaction and kept doing her work.
'She ignored me, right? Damn, so heartless.' I looked around for Mr. Deshmukh, but he still wasn't here 'That explains why she is still like this.'
Soon, Mr. Deshmukh arrived at the office, set up his desk, went through a few papers, and came to my cabin to discuss the file we left off for today. After the discussion, as he was about to leave, I called out to him, "Mr. Deshmukh," and he turned to look at me.
"What happened to appointing an assistant?" I reminded him.
"Right. Let me call Kanika here." I just nodded as he went out of the cabin to call out Kanika, and I waited patiently. My inner thoughts were not patient, though.
"Good morning, sir," She greeted me with a tight smile, visibly irritated to be present in the same space as me. I chuckled to myself, finding her behaviour cute.
"Good morning, Kanika." I greeted her back politely, straightening up in my place, clearing my throat, and smiling back at her. The difference? Mine was genuine.
"Kanika, from today you will be working under Mr. Rao as his assistant." He wasn't asking her, he was informing her. She wanted to interrupt, maybe even refuse, but he continued, "This will be a good opportunity for you to learn and interact with authors and other benefits." The way he was telling her these things felt like he was bribing her with the benefits of staying. She didn't say anything for a moment.
"If you still don't want it, then it's fine, I can ask someone el–"
"Uh… no need, I will do it." She spoke up before he could finish and agreed to be my assistant. 'Damn, his bribing worked.' I was a bit disappointed that she agreed to the benefits and not because of me, but whatever, a win is a win.
"Then it's decided Ms. Kanika will be working as my assistant from now on." I stood up from my place and walked to the front of my desk, and leaned on it a bit.
"I am looking forward to us working together." I extended my hand forward for a handshake, and she took it.
"The feeling is mutual, Mr. Rao," she said as we shook hands. 'Please say the same when I confess to you.'
"So then, call me anytime you need me. For now, allow me to leave."
"No need, I will get a desk arranged right here in this cabin for you so that we don't have much trouble in coordinating and managing stuff," I suggested, sounding considerate for an easier approach. I signaled Mr. Deshmukh to get it arranged, and he left us.
"It's ok, sir, you don't need to take such trouble. I don't mind it." I could see how much she was contemplating the thought of us in the same room.
"Who said it's for you, Ms. Kanika? It's for me, I don't want to go through the trouble of calling you again and again from here to the other corner of the hall, and I will also get someone to accompany me." I wonder why, but she was embarrassed, but she didn't fight back about it later, and just let it happen. 'Sorry, sweetheart, for being greedy to keep you close.'
Her desk was arranged in my cabin in no time.
She was sitting in the same room as me, the keyboard clacking as her fingers worked on it, hitting every key in annoyance at where and how she got stuck. She didn't speak much, just work-related, mostly nodded or replied with short or one-word answers.
"Why are you not chirping like the other day?" I couldn't handle the silence any longer. I wanted to hear her talk and laugh like that, like a bird chirping all day. 'God, that smile, I still can't get it out of my head, and I guess I might never be able to. Not like I want to.'
"Hein?" she frowned, her eyebrows confused with my wording.
"Ahm…" I cleared my throat and continued, "I meant to ask, why are you not talking like that day? You are treating me like some stranger. It hurts here, you know?" I kept my hand on my heart, and she rolled her eyes at me as if I was some drama queen, but I swear it was real; it was painful being treated like some unknown person after we had those few hours together.
'Like, technically WE ARE unknown, but you getting my point right?'
"That day was different." She coldly replied, "And yes, we ARE strangers." She stopped typing and finally looked at me, straight into the eyes, "Spending a few hours doesn't make us friends, and you are basically my boss, so I shouldn't be friendly." She went back to doing her work. There was silence between us for a moment, a silence that made me uncomfortable.
'Did she just go straight and say nothing is going to happen between us!?'
"Are you sure that's all there is to it?" I felt like there was something else bothering her, and she wasn't saying anything about that.
"What else might there be?" she replied without looking, but I didn't believe it.
"What is it, Kanika? Tell me," I just couldn't let go of this feeling.
"I said na its nothi–" before she could finish, I stood up from my seat, went to her seat, and rolled her seat in the opposite direction of her screen on which she was working, and made her face me.
"I don't believe that there is nothing. There has to be something because we were still strangers that day when we laughed and talked about books and ourselves and made lame jokes about each other's age. So I refuse to believe that is the only reason for you to act this way." She couldn't counter back, which means I was correct; there was something else bothering her.
She hesitated a bit at the start, opening and closing her mouth multiple times like a fish trying to make words, but she couldn't. I sat at her desk, giving her time to talk when she finally spoke up.
"I… first promise me you won't laugh." I wonder what must be the reason that might lead me to laugh, but I promised her anyway. "Promise I won't."
"I…" she hesitated again, took a deep breath, and finally looked at me, all serious, her gaze sharp, "I thought… You planned all this… Our meeting that day and later ending up in the same office." Her tone was serious. She meant what she said. I went quiet. I just looked in her eyes for a moment and sighed. My gaze turned dark. I picked up the glass of water that was on her desk and drank a sip from it.
"How did you know that?" I inquired in a low and dangerous tone, almost in a whisper, my eyes never leaving hers. Her eyes widened in shock, and she flinched at my statement.