Healing The Void

Chapter 4 - The Odds

Intuition is never wrong. Your soul whispers to you through your intuition, hoping you'd listen to it before taking any decision. Especially the wrong ones. Until you listen to that little voice nagging at the back of your head, it'll keep warning you before you fall into the trap.

Shreya thought for the fifth time whether to sign the contract as she fiddled with the pen. She couldn't quite point out why but it didn't quite feel right.

After she and Tiyasha talked about the job responsibilities which were basically looking after her son Devdoot, Dev for short, she called Rishi who was already on his way to the bungalow.

Rishi was a charming young man who she had already met at the hospital. Now that they met again, she observed him closely. His amber eyes were the first thing that caught her attention right away. They were beautiful and their corners crinkled when he smiled. They exchanged handshakes before he handed her a file with the contract papers inside it and sat down beside Tiyasha. Closer than necessary. They exchanged a meaningful look with each other before Tiyasha turned towards her and asked her to go through the papers before signing.

Shreya swiftly averted her gaze on the contract papers after giving her academic certificates along with other documents to Rishi. The job responsibilities were simple. She'd only have to look after Dev's needs. From cooking his food to his other basic needs and help him with studies, everything would be her responsibility.

Tiyasha even clarified, "You're allowed to turn down any other members' demand which is not related to Dev."

Everything was alright except one certain clause. Her shift started at 12 PM and ended at 6 AM. She was allowed to get off work only between 6 AM to 12 PM, since those were the hours Tiyasha would be able to take care of Dev. So, that simply meant, she'd have to spend the night here. The pay was really high, and to be honest, much more than she'd expected. It'd be downright a stupidity if she let go of this opportunity.

"Am I only allowed to get off work between 6 to 12?" Shreya started hesitantly, "I mean, my home is a little away from here. I- what if I can't get to work on time?"

"Well, in that case, you can stay here," Tiyasha said. "It'd be much more convenient."

"Uhm-" Well, that was not exactly what she was expecting. "I mean, I haven't discussed it with my parents. I mean, you do understand right, this is my first job. It- it's just normal for them to worry about me."

Tiyasha leaned forward and smiled assuringly. "Don't worry, Shreya. Don't be hard on yourself. It's not like we'll cut off your pay for a few minutes of delay. It is just that I don't want to leave Dev alone outside supervision."

Shreya nodded with a half smile, which Tiyasha returned while Rishi said, "If you have any other doubts, you can just ask us. This contract is valid for six months. We will see how good you are in your job responsibilities. We'll extend your work tenure accordingly. Is that okay?"

"Yes, absolutely." Shreya nodded before signing on the contract.

"Oh, and Shreya," Rishi enunciated, "You're not allowed to leave the job before your contract term ends, and you'll be responsible for the improvement of Dev's health or any kind of slide of the same."

"Err- okay."

Tiyasha said, "You can start from tomorrow since Dev will come back home tomorrow around 10-11 AM."

"Sure, I'll be here around that time. Don't worry. So, I'll just take my leave now." As she stood up from her seat, both Tiyasha and Rishi followed her.

Rishi nodded. "You'll get a copy of it tomorrow by post to your home address."

Tiyasha added, "Congratulations," while holding Rishi's arm. "We've been looking for someone like you for Dev. I can at least relax now without worrying too much for him."