Crack The Job

16- In Between Good and Bad Luck

Payal

"You were right about sending Abhiraj early." I couldn't help but stare at the party dynamic duo — Manager Arnav and Anvish — as they were enjoying their best night. A third would have been a match that would be too overwhelming to witness. 

Siddharth sighed as he said, "That's why I told him to give an excuse and leave the market just before the dinner plans." 

We both shook our heads as we all watched the performance pulled up by the duo who poured drinks like a pro. 

"Um, excuse me, I don't drink so can I not do this?" Akshara raised her tiny finger to raise the question. 

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay. if you are uncomfortable you can sit next to Mrs. Agasthi." As night grew long, we all learnt stuff about each other.

I learnt that this place was better than I thought. No senior pressure and a very good relationship between higher-ups and employees. 

"You don't drink? I thought you did." Siddharth looked at my glass of water and pondered. He looks cute when he makes that confused face. What am I thinking? 

Shaking the weird and awkward thoughts out of my mind, I replied in a whisper, "I do but my brother-in-law will be at home and he hates drinking." 

"Really?"

"He will throw tantrums if he sees anyone tipsy, that's why I wouldn't dare. I just have to wait till I move to my rented apartment." 

"It's that bad?" He pulled his shirt straight as he leaned to take a sip of his drink. 

The mood of the table was back to normal once everyone finished drinking. Thankfully, no one was super drunk and they managed themselves quite well. They all left by taxi leaving only the two of us.

“So… how about I drop you home?” Siddharth asked gleefully, only to run over to the parking spot. “Where is the car?” he asked under his breath in a whisper audible just enough. Then his expression turned grave as if he realized something just now. 

I knew what it was long ago. “So, did you realize you didn’t bring your car?” I asked, almost amused. How could he get so wrong?

“Ah... I was just joking. Of course, I knew I didn’t bring the car.” He laughed awkwardly as I nodded, my eyes wide and glimmering to see him trying so hard. 

“I get it. I wish you would stop.” I chuckled, shaking my head as I walked ahead of him. He can be so cute at times. Whenever I see him, it's like time didn’t pass and we are still kids who enjoyed bunking classes, giving wrong room numbers for food orders deliberately just to meet each other and calling the numbers just to put the receiver down again. 

The old days. The old times. It’s as if I never grew out of it but I still did. We all did. I turned to see him standing right behind me. With tenderness radiating all over him, for a second, I really saw him as a partner or maybe, husband. But the idea was so far-fetched that I snapped out of it as quickly as I got in it. 

“What did you talk about with Anvish back there?” I asked, just to divert from my wild thoughts. 

He looked stunned as if he didn’t expect me to ask that but he still answered. “He was just asking about us. I just knew I recognized him from somewhere. Anvish was the guy from my father’s company. He worked in the headquarters for quite a while but he didn’t mention any of that. Ankit looked up to him so much. I heard so much about him from my brother. Competent, diligent, and hardworking. I wonder why he ended up here.”

I was so stunned that I didn't notice I had my mouth open. Why? What was the reason? And overall, why did he look so suspicious? I remembered him glancing at him. I just knew he could stare into me, past my flesh and bones, into my soul.