Hers To Love

Chapter-4

The alarm I set the night before rang like a banshee. I reached out for my phone on the night table to shut off the irritating sound. But I could not find the phone immediately and in that few seconds delay, I remembered what day it was. It was the first day of my internship. I sat right up, rubbing the sleep off my eyes. As soon as the sleepiness was gone, the moments from last night rushed into my brain, suffocating me. Meeting Arun in the corridor, fighting with him and kissing him. And finding out that Arun kissed Ritu before me.

I hid my face in my hands and leaned against the headboard. What a mess. The memories from last night had a dreamlike quality. Maybe because of the alcohol. But it was hard to pretend that the kiss was a dream. I was mad at myself for still liking it. I had to come to terms with the fact that my body would always crave Arun Sahu, no matter what my mind thought. And my mind thought he was a cheater.

I got off the bed, shaking my head. No, I would not let Arun Sahu pollute my mind and my important day. I brushed my teeth, showered and entered the bedroom, dressed in my underwear. Fortunately, I didn't have a big wardrobe so there was not much to choose from. I dressed in white slacks and a blue and white shirt tucked into it. I tied my hair in a ponytail and applied minimal makeup. Cute, yet professional.

In the official email I had gotten from the company, the interns were asked not to bring their laptops to the office. So, I hung a handbag over my shoulder and got out of the apartment. I took the metro to the office. It was just a ten-minute walk from the station to the building. There was a Starbucks on my way and I quickly sneaked in to get a latte. I continued towards the office, sipping my coffee and thinking of all the exciting things I would get to do that day. All the amazing people I would get to meet.

After five minutes, I was in front of the mammoth of a building that housed the Vedanth Advertising Agency. It was a ten-floor glass monster with people streaming inside like ants in their colony. My excitement turned into anxiety and my stomach roiled with dread, threatening to throw up the coffee that I had just drunk.

I worked in the corporate world before. But then I had Sudha by my side, not to mention a dozen other college friends who were placed in the same company. The one owned by the Tanejas. Sudha and I went to the office together on our first day and also stayed together. People there used to joke that we were joined at the hip. We were so engrossed in having fun together that I never had the feeling that I was in a new place.

But now, insecurity and unfamiliarity tumbled over me, making me feel like a drowned woman. I had an irrational yet strong urge to run away and never look back. Unfortunately, in real life, we could not always act on our urges. So, I squared my shoulders and entered the Vedant Advertising Agency through the revolving doors.

The coldness from the central air conditioning wrapped itself around me. I shivered a little as I made my way to the reception. A pretty lady with an updo sat at the desk, swiping at something on an iPad. She had a wireless earbud in her ear and was nodding her head furiously. I stood in front of the desk, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly, waiting for her to notice me.

"How can I help you?" The woman asked, without raising her eyes from the iPad.

"I am here for the internship," I said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"May I get your name?"

"Janvi Patil,"

She tapped twice on the iPad and then nodded her head.

"Take the elevator to the tenth floor."

"Sure, thanks."

She was back on her iPad and ignored me. My sensible heels made a clicking sound on the polished tile as I made my way to the bank of elevators. There were already six people inside it and they stared at me impatiently as I slipped into the elevator in the last second. I stood in a corner looking at all these people who were somehow making me feel inferior without even looking at me. I knew it was all in my head but I was unable to calm down. Unable to brush off the feeling that I was alone in the middle of nowhere.