You're okay!

PART - I B

This chapter has some heavy content. Please go to the end notes if you wish to see the warnings.

Part - I B

Parth still remembered his first day in Goenka Industries, six months ago. He had been a nervous wreck for a whole week and the fact that he would be Mr. Goenka's personal intern didn't help at all. On his first day, he could barely breathe properly, almost throwing up on the way over.

Parth had entered Mr. Goenka's personal lab where he did special projects and had promptly knocked over a miniature Bohr's model of hydrogen atom. Mr. Goenka stared at him blankly, and Parth wished for an earthquake, because at that point that was preferable.

Then Mr. Goenka suddenly snickered. Parth stared like an idiot.

"You look like you're two seconds from passing out kid." He smirked. "Just relax, okay. I don't bite. And I already know that you're smart."

That had calmed him down. Mostly. He had still been around fourty two percent nervous, but it was a blessing from the full-blown hundred that he had first walked in with. Mr. Goenka must have worked out that he was still nervous, and he started talking about the new 3- D print miniature batteries and as usual, when people started talking science, every trace of nervousness promptly left Parth.

That was a long time ago though. Parth wasn't intimidated by Mr. Goenka anymore. To tell the truth, Mr. Goenka was sort of mentoring him. He showed off how smart Parth was to people and they hung around the lab bouncing ideas off each other and even though he mostly helped Mr. Goenka with his projects, he had the freedom to do his own independent projects too. He was trying to replicate the very miniature batteries that Mr. Goenka had mentioned to him.

The other interns envied him, and hung off his every word. Because he was the lucky intern who got to work with Anant Goenka. Parth knew that it was probably wrong, basking in the attention but it felt so good to finally be acknowledged. He was too awkward for the kids at his school, but here, he felt like he belonged.

For the first time since his dad's death, he started looking forwards to each morning. He had his mom, he had Geet, he had Hemant and Michelle and maybe he had Mr. Goenka too. It was a good life, he decided.

Speaking of good life, Parth was at Mr. Goenka's lab sharing the gulab jamuns his mother had made yesterday with his mentor. His phone rang. Mr. Goenka had a no phone rule in his lab, unless it was his mother, but this was the second time Geet was calling in a row and he hated ignoring her calls. Screw it, he decided.

"Hey."

"Good morning. Dear customer, this is an automated call to remind you that you have a girlfriend who's missing you very much and is craving your attention, even though she knows you are busy with your internship and she supports you in whatever you do."

"Noted." Parth chuckled, awkwardly running a hand through his hair.

"Thank you for listening to us. Please be sure to call said girlfriend as soon as you're free."

"I will."

"Call ended. Now shoo."

Parth chuckled again, after she hung up and looked up to see Mr. Goenka stare at him with one eyebrow raised.

Oops.

"Was that the girlfriend you keep denying that you don't have?"

"Whaaat? I don't have a girlfriend. That's crazy."

"Oh kid. If you're gonna lie, at least put a little effort into it. That was just sad."

"I'm not lying. That was just a girl who is a friend."