‘You girls carry on. I need to get back to work,’
I said tightly and then left.
I knocked on Jai’s office door before walking in and taking my seat.
We were working on the new line, and Jai thought it would be more efficient to do it together. So, I’d been working from here a lot recently.
‘Lay’s? Really?’ he asked. ‘You need real food.’
‘Hey! Don’t diss my Lay’s. And I’m not that hungry.’ I ate another chip and got back to my research.
I clicked on an article on the Mahala family from a dusty textile blog.
They were the last ones still practising the kauseya weave – a lightweight silk weaving style known for its sand-ripple textures. It had been passed down through generations and was now teetering on the edge of extinction. Which made them perfect for Jai’s new line.
Bingo. I copied the contact details and mailed them to him.
His laptop chirped with a notification, and his face lit up. ‘You found it.’
I clasped my hands under my chin and smiled primly. ‘Who’s the best assistant in the world?’
‘Kavita,’ he said in an instant, still typing away.
I sent him another email: a sad emoji.
‘I was kidding. It’s you.’ Jai’s eyes met mine. ‘But don’t tell her I said that.’
Warmth pooled in my stomach. ‘Be nice, and I’ll consider it.’
Jai and I had hit a few speed bumps in the beginning. But the dinner in his office shifted the tone between us. We remained professional, but we also became … I wouldn’t say friends, but friendly. We worked hard, but we joked and laughed too. Working as his assistant wasn’t what I wanted, but I’d come to enjoy it.
Although for the past month, he had been acting strangely. It was nothing too obvious, but small things like not noticing when I’d accidentally burnt his chai, not catching all my jokes, or catching them and not reacting the way he usually would, or even losing focus during meetings (I had nudged him back to attention a few times).
I’d been working for Jai for almost two months now, so I knew him a fair bit. All of these things were unnatural for him. Like a hippopotamus in a desert.
Today, finally, he felt like his usual self. Focused. In control. Present.
My phone rang, and Maa’s name flashed on the screen.
She had called a few days ago. I told her I’d call her back and then forgot about it. A pang of guilt ran through me. ‘It’s my mom.’ I flashed Jai an apologetic glance before pressing answer.
‘Hi, Maa.’
‘I knew you wouldn’t call me back,’ she said. ‘You’ve forgotten us now, haven’t you?’
I sighed. ‘I’m sorry. You called while I was at work, and then it slipped my mind.’
‘Of course it did.’ A pause. ‘How are you doing? Are you eating well?’
‘I’m alright.’ I glanced at my Lay’s. Meh. ‘And eating well.’
‘Arey waah,’ she said. ‘Good girl.’
I smiled, glancing at Jai. He seemed focused on his work. ‘Maa, I’m actually at work. Can I call you later?’
‘I just called to remind you about Seema’s wedding in three weeks. It’s on the weekend. You have to be there. No excuses.’
Seema was my first cousin; there was no chance I was getting out of this. ‘Okay, I’ll be there.’
