Hearts and Hate

Chapter 9 - Right or Compensation?

❀Neha❀

"Hey! What's the rush!? Careful!"

I slam my forehead onto the wall and groan in pain.

I rub my forehead and see my mom smirking with a look on her face which says 'I told you didn't I?'

I ignore her and wear my shoes in a hurry and collect the important files and pack it in my bag.

"I might be late today, don't wait for me, bye, mwah!" I state drinking the glass of milk in a gulp and running to the bus to reach my office on time.

As soon as I reach my office I report to the chief designer, she instructs me along with my fellow interns the jobs to be done. We disperse and work on our respective projects.

As soon as I settle down I receive a call from Drithi.

"Are you nervous?" Drithi asks. Today our chief designer was going make two out of four intern jobs permanent.

"Do you think I should be nervous?"

"With your talent and hardwork, you don't have to be." She says making me smile.

"I wish I get the job"

"You will Nehu, All the best!"

"Thank you"

"I gotta go, I'll call you back in the evening to congratulate you" I chuckle at her confidence and hang up.

After our work was done we were called into the chief designer's room.

My heart shattered when my expectations were crushed. The chief designer who always praised my work and passion didn't even look in my direction.

"I'm appointing Ms. Rina and Mr. Karan as junior designers of our company." I felt like my heart got cut into two pieces.

"You'll be taking your position after your graduation" She kept speaking as my mind went blank.

At the moment I felt sorry for myself for working too hard on something which wasn't meant for me. I felt sorry on myself for putting my heart and soul into the job. I felt sorry for putting myself through sleepless nights, sacrifices, struggles.

I looked at Rina whose mouth was wide open and surprise which covered her face. She looked at me with a triumph in her eyes which made me uncomfortable.

"Thank you so much ma'am, I'm really happy that you recognised the real talent unlike the plagiarised ones" Her every word felt like a blow to me.

Plagiarism.

The word which haunts me throughout my life.

Mist clouded my eyes as I looked down.

My brain screams saying I didn't indulge in plagiarism but my voice is struck in my throat.

I couldn't stay anymore in the confined space. I wanted to run away but my feet weren't moving.

Everyone starts leaving the room so I follow.

"Neha, stay back" I stop and turn around trying to blink away the tears in my eyes.

Don't cry. You should be used to it by now.

"Don't you have anything to ask me?" The chief designer asks me as I look at her.

"No ma'am" I choke out breathlessly.

"Don't you want to know why I didn't select you?" She asks cautiously.

"No" She sighs sadly.

"You may leave" I try to rush out of the place but I stop remembering something I had to do.