Once Upon A Mr. Goody Two Shoes

Chapter 19

The conference in Bangalore was boring to me, because it had a lot to do with team activities and similar nonsense, and when you're simply sucking up to your life, fun doesn't feel fun anymore.

I hadn't seen Taira anywhere since the time I had landed in Bangalore, probably because she wasn't a part of the company. I hadn't seen him too. We were lodged in Conrad Bengaluru, with team activities and similar pastimes happening within the hotel itself. I had landed in the afternoon and headed straight to the hall room where the conference was being held.

I pretended to look over the decorations of the hall room to locate a particular brown head, but my eyes couldn't find him. After two months, I was desperate to meet him. I hated him, I really did, but for the life of me, I couldn't get over the anxiety of seeing him again.

My heart had betrayed me just like he had. I turned to look at the empty seat on our table where we were seated in groups to find his name plate at our table. I glanced sideways towards the paper label reading 'Abeer Sen' across from where I was sitting on the table.

We worked together. It was obvious we were to be seated on the same table. My heart raced at the thought as I pried my eyes away from the nameplate and focused my attention on the chit chat on the table. He had to be here. And I would see him.

The day one of the conference started, and ended, but Abeer Sen's chair remained decidedly empty. It was seven in the evening when we made our way towards our hotel rooms that we were sharing for three in one. I had muted out the chatter around me for the best part of the day, but my ears perked at the name of a particular someone.

"...didn't see Abeer sir today. Where was he?" One of the colleagues I was sure was our department spoke out loud.

"Don't know. I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up my calls," another one spoke. "He did come, right?"

I silently thanked the girl who had asked the question. I slowed my pace down, keeping my eyes firmly trained on my phone screen while straining to hear the words.

"Oh, of course he did. He's in my room, just the two of us," a male employee spoke up, and I resisted the urge to look up and see his face. I wasn't sure who he was, it had been two months since I had met up with my colleagues from the Delhi office.

But against my heart's wishes, I forced my legs to walk forward, my heart pounding in my chest.

He was here. In the same city...in the same building.

I walked faster towards my room.

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The stand up comedy show began at 8 PM, before which Taira pulled me from the middle row to the higher panel of seats to sit alongside her. It was where her father, and the other important members, the stakeholders and their families were seated. I hesitated and looked at Taira imploringly, to which she shook her head sadly and left my hand which she had been pulling.

"Papa is adamant to have me sit with them. I insisted on sitting with you guys, but he refused. I'll be bored out of my mind up there," she said sadly.

If it had been anyone else, I would have thought they were simply playacting. But it was Taira, I knew she hated being in the 'rich circle'. And her father hated the fact that she would not claim what was rightfully hers. I squeezed her hand and started climbing the stairs with her.

I didn't mind being in the spotlight, but history had shown that I messed up terrible when I was the sole focus of their attention. I could feel the judgement in the eyes of the 'high seating' members of the company and their families, and I trained my eyes on the ground, until someone whispered from the right side.