LOVE SOAKED

CHAPTER 4 - Sapna ya hakikath

TRISHA

My head throbbed like i had a too much to deink at a party last night. The harsh fluorescent lights of the office did little to erase the lingering dream ,clinging to my mind. Asher, his eyes sparkling with appreciation for my design ideas... his hand lingering in mine... Ugh, it was so real, so vivid.

A loud rapping on the cubicle wall jolted me awake.  Squinting, I saw Suhana, my best friend and fellow design martyr at "VA Architects," peering down at me with a mixture of concern and amusement.

"There you are, Sleeping Beauty," she drawled.  "Mr. Khadoos budda ( strict old man) sounds like bethala ( ghost) high on drugs calling your name."

My heart lurched.  The dream.  It wasn't a dream.  The meeting with Asher Brown was happening right now.

I scrambled out of my chair, my carefully planned outfit now wrinkled and my hair a bird's nest.  "Thanks, Suhana.  Lead the way, warrior princess."

The walk to Asher's office felt like a trek through the Thar desert in flip-flops.  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, a nervous cocktail of anticipation and dread.  Would the dream Asher, the one who championed my ideas, be the real Asher?

The answer hit me the moment we stepped into his office.  Gone was the warm smile, replaced by a deep frown that could crush an almond between his eyebrows. He barely acknowledged us, his gaze glued to his phone, a permanent furrow between his brows.

My boss, oblivious to the atmosphere, launched into his usual " bag the client speech", peppered with enough buzzwords to make a tech bro blush.  My carefully prepared presentation felt like a sandcastle under a tsunami.  My boss being the asshole he is, dismissed every idea with a dismissive grunt, and Asher offered no support, his silence as heavy as my heart felt. Eh?id en agoythu?( what's happening?)

Frustration simmered in my chest.  This wasn't the dream Asher.  This was a certified Grade-A jerk in a designer shirt.  The man who, in my dream, had captivated me with his respect, now couldn't be bothered to look up from his phone. Although he still looked captivating and I was thoroughly captivated.i couldn't help wonder why he was being this way.

As I finished my presentation, the silence in the room was deafening.  Even my boss seemed taken aback by Asher's stony demeanor.

Finally, Asher spoke, his voice clipped and cold.  "Thank you, for your time.  However, I believe we're looking for a more... modern and contemporary approach for this project.  Perhaps you could explore some options along those lines?"

He stood up, effectively dismissing us.  A curt nod to a woman who materialized by the door, and we were being ushered out like yesterday's stale food.

The walk back to our cubicle was a blur of disappointment and anger.  So much for the dream team.  Asher Brown, the green flag of my dreams, had turned out to be a giant red waving in a monsoon wind.

Yet, a strange feeling lingered amidst the frustration.  Annoyed as I was, a part of me couldn't help but be intrigued.  The dream Asher, the one who saw my potential, felt too real to be entirely fabricated by my sleep-deprived brain.

Maybe, just maybe, there was more to this brooding billionaire than met the eye.  But then again, maybe I'd just been reading too many morally grey romance novels.  Whoever ended up with this version of Mr Brown, I thought with a sigh, was in for a treat that left a bitter after taste, or maybe something that killed you,  like poison. And me?  Well, I was sticking with Suhana and chinese takeout for lunch.  At least they wouldn't make me feel like a failure, and now I'm not sure how to tell them about my dream that got shattered the minute I saw the real Asher Brown.

Just as I was about to get lost in Asher's thoughts suhana's hand jerked me out of it reminding me of our meeting with that chutiya boss. I have no idea how I'll get through today.... govinda..... govinda.....