Under The Pink Evening Sky

14 | meet again

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Sana peered at the book her colleague was reading. Physics and love. But that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the name of the author that had her blinking in recognition.

"Anuradha Anand...?"

Her colleague turned to her. "This book is so fluffy and sweet. I want a man like Arya as well."

Sana pulled out her phone and searched up the book. Then, she tapped on the bio of the author. Indeed, it was the same Anu she knew. Her English teacher in 10th grade.

"She published a book?" Sana muttered, as she scrolled through the page, digging for more details.

"The book is all over bookstagram. Practically, every reader in the country knows about it by now."

Sana blinked. "We should definitely interview her. It would bring more engagement for our magazine."

Her colleague brightened up. "If we managed to land that interview, it would be awesome!"

Sana nodded. "We should put that idea through Shetty-"

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulders. "Ma'am, boss is calling for you."

"For me?"

"Yes."

Sana stood up, stretching her long limbs. Her hair was long, thick and jet black. She was tall and her posture erect, summoning in her even more confidence than she already possessed. Her countenance was striking and resolute. It made her look stunning and helped in gaining a good impression.

"Mrs. Shetty? You called for me?" Sana peeked in through the glass door, holding it slightly ajar.

"Yes, Sana. Have a seat."

"What's this about, ma'am?"

Her daily apprehension about her column getting called off struck her mind. She, however, showed no sign of nerves.

"We've got a new interview request. I thought you would be perfect for the job."

"That's great. Who is the client?"

Mrs. Shetty shuffled through her papers and presented it to her. "Will you take on the job?"

"Sure but-"

"Then, sign the contract. It's a little bit urgent."

Sana immediately got into work mode, quickly signing the papers. "Who is the person? By how long does he need the interview published in my column?"

Mrs. Shetty collected the papers, casting Sana with a beaming smile. A smile that was often used before conveying bad news to her.

"It's the painter. You know the one that's popular on instagram these days and even appeared on the national daily for his murals."

Sana felt dread pile up in her stomach. Was this who she thought it was...?

"His name is Shrest. Shrest Gupta."

Sana wanted to jump off a building.

"Okay, I hope the outline is clear. I'll leave the rest up to you. He's waiting in our meeting room to get the rest of the details ironed out. You can go with Vidhant as your photographer. That okay?"

Mrs. Shetty received the twentieth blank nod of the day, characterized by a dead look in the eye. She began to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Would the interview turn out well?

"Then, get going. Let's not keep Shrest waiting."

 Sana slowly pulled herself out of the chair and went over to her desk. She shook her head, slightly. She didn't want anyone from her close circle around her job. She didn't want to see the pity in their eyes or the judgement.

She collected her files and herself, sauntering to the meeting room. She noticed Vidhant was already seated inside, making small talk with Shrest.

She let out a sigh.

Let's get this over with.

She pushed open the doors, a smile plastered on her face and quickly took a seat opposite Shrest.

"Thank you for choosing our magazine for your interview. I'll be your interviewer. My name is Sana Das. I write for the 'Chat With Us' and 'Editor's Advice' columns of our magazine and newspaper. Would you like any beverage before we discuss further?"

This was the usual introduction and she had done it many times. She was at ease. If she wasn't, she'd make herself believe she was at ease. She didn't make eye contact with him, lingering on each page of the contract and other details.

"No, thank you." was his brief answer. But she knew him too well. She could practically feel the smile in his answer. There was probably a mischievous glint in his eyes too. That was the disadvantage of a long friendship. She knew everything about him too well.

"Well, first of all, we'd like to cover all of your personal history and background to give the interview a more humane nature. Can you tell us what are the boundaries you don't want us to cross?"

"There's no such boundary. You can ask me anything."

Sana paused. Vidhant glanced between the two of them, clearly sensing that something was up with the two of them.

"Alright. We'll take note of that. The other part of the interview will be focused on your previous exhibitions. We would also like to ask about your preparations for upcoming ones. Are there any upcoming exhibitions?"

"I'm hoping to conduct another one, pretty soon."

"Okay. That's something we'll touch upon then. Where would you like to conduct the interview?"

"I would like the interview to be conducted in three parts, spread over three days. As for the location, I'll contact you on the day of the interview."

"We would like to be informed beforehand-"

"Then, I'll text you the three locations."

"You can give your number to Vidhant-"

"You already have my number. If you want it, Vidhant, you can take it from Sana."

Vidhant watched the two of them. He felt that if he said he wanted the number, it would be a grave mistake on his part. So he kept quiet.

Sana gripped the page, still making no eye contact. So, he was still using the same number.

"Well then. We can conclude the meeting here. Do text the locations as soon as possible."

Shrest nodded, which Sana caught from the corner of her eye.

She quickly stood up, collected her files and raced out of the room. As soon as she reached her desk, one of her colleagues grinned at her.

"You were asking me about the apartment, weren't you? Well, I got the contact of this guy who might be able to help you. He specifically deals with people looking for cheap apartments."

Behind her, Sana felt Shrest pass by her.

"I want something in the range of 5000 to 10,000 max. I can't afford more rent than that." Sana said, trying to ignore his presence.

Once he had passed by her fully and left the office completely, only then did she breathe in relief.

Now, she was going to have to look at his face for 3 days. How was she going to look him in the eye after her righteous speech about being realistic and getting a 'real' job all those years back?

Damn it.

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