‘Thank you.’ He kissed me again.
I loved him. And as his kiss deepened, the reality of our situation fell into place.BecauseI loved him, I had to confront Rekha.
15
God Help Me!
Jai
I glanced at my wristwatch.
Suraina wanted feedback on how the festive line was doing. She liked physical papers, so I sent Ananya to print and drop off the seasonal merchandising report. It was a ten-, maybe fifteen-minute job, but Ananya had been gone for over an hour.
It was unlike Suraina to hold someone this long, and Ananya wasn’t the one to wander around for no reason.
I called her. No answer.
Where is she?
I left my office and went straight to Suraina’s studio.
I paused at the doorway.
Inside-out outfits, saris and crumpled sketches carpeted the floor. Half-dressed mannequins were draped with mismatched fabrics held together with pins. The desk had been covered with fabric swatches, a measuring tape and sketchbooks.
Suraina sat in the middle of the chaos, rubbing her temples.
‘What happened here?’ I asked, stepping inside.
‘This is a nightmare,’ a voice came from the back. A girl in her late teens stomped out, wearinga sari from our latest collection. ‘Chachi, this isnotworking.’
Ananya trailed behind her, two bunched-up saris in hand, looking half-disappointed, half-exhausted. She broke into a smile as soon as she spotted me.
‘This is my school graduation party we’re talking about. Ineedto stand out. To look better thaneverybodyelse,’ the girl huffed. ‘I need more of … everything.’
‘Navya, meet Jai, House of Advani’s COO. Jai, please tell her that this sari is perfect,’ Suraina said, her voice carrying a slight edge.
‘Do youreallythink that?’ Navya raised a brow, a hand on her hip.
I needed out. Now.‘Yes. But we have more outfits if you’re looking for something else,’ I said carefully.
‘She has tried and rejected everything,’ Suraina said through gritted teeth.
‘I think last season’s—’
‘Last season?’Navya looked appalled. ‘I might as well wear the school uniform.’
I’d survived hostile boardrooms. But melodramatic teenagers? God help me. ‘Good luck finding the outfit,’ I said and gave Suraina a nod. ‘Ananya, let’s go.’
‘Actually …’ Desperation coated Suraina’s voice. ‘She said she’s not very busy today. Do you mind if I borrow her for a couple of hours?’
I didn’tneedher, per se. I just missed her, and we were supposed to work on Rivaayat together. ‘Where is Krisha?’
Suraina’s face soured. ‘She’s taken a day off.Again. If she weren’t your mother’s pet project, I’d have fired her months ago,’ she said, a rare bite in her tone.
‘What do you mean?’ I asked.
‘Rekha dropped her in my lap and told HR she’d train under me. Out of respect for her, I’ve kept her on. But she’s a disaster, Jai. I’m so tired of babysitting.’
