ADHURI KAHANI: A tale of an amnesic bond

27. SOOTHING VOICE

INAAYA'S POV

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute," I said and ended the call.

Tanvi mentioned she wanted to introduce me to someone, and I couldn't help but wonder if she had another secret to reveal before celebrating something else. Perhaps a baby shower after the baby's already born? That's something people do in the U.S., after all. Or maybe a gender reveal party post-birth-seems like it would fit better in India. The thought made me chuckle, and as I shook my head, I realized how ridiculous it all sounded. If anyone saw me laughing to myself, they'd probably think I'd lost it, which only made me laugh even more.

However, I was quickly pulled back to reality. Rubbing my fingers over my eyes, I tried to refocus on the screen in front of me. I had been reviewing this PDF file since morning, which was unusual since I typically prefer working with physical copies. But today, I decided to switch things up. After adding another note to the PDF, I minimized the window and headed out of my cabin.

I came to an abrupt stop as soon as I exited my cabin. The walls, now replaced with glass, gave me a clear view of Ishaan on the other side, seated at his desk, meticulously reviewing files. He signed one, set it aside, and immediately reached for another from the stack, pausing briefly to rub his forehead. He looked tense.

I quickly averted my gaze as soon as he looked up. Shit, did he catch me staring like a creep? Trying to act as normal as possible, I closed the door behind me and made my way to the elevator.

As I approached Tanvi from a distance, I noticed she wasn't alone-a guy was standing with her. She seemed to be in her usual cheerful demeanor, but maybe a little extra happy today. She was glowing, especially after her recent marriage, even though it was her second time marrying the same person.

"You called me, Tanvi?" I asked upon arriving.

"Oh, Inaaya! Yes, I did."

I glanced at Tanvi, then shifted my gaze to the young man beside her, who seemed to be in his early twenties. My eyes were full of unspoken questions, hoping Tanvi would catch on-and she did.

"By the way, I wanted to introduce you to Raghav. He'll be replacing Shivyansh," she winked at me without Raghav noticing.

"Hi Raghav, this is Inaaya. I'm the CEO's secretary."

"Good morning, Ma'am," he smiled.

Nervousness was evident in his eyes. A few months ago, I was in his place-nervous and scared of what was to come. What followed was indeed unexpected. My best friend-well, ex-best friend-turned out to be my boss, only to lose his memories in an accident, leaving him unable to recognize me. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, as I've been doing. Whenever I think about him, I actively try to distract myself with work, reading, or watching movies. It's helped me a lot so far.

Raghav extended his hand for a handshake, and I gladly accepted.

"Didi is fine with me, Raghav. Don't call me 'ma'am.' Is it your first day?"

He nodded eagerly, a proud smile spreading across his face. I was about to ask another question to keep the conversation going when a sudden, earsplitting sound of papers crashing against a rough surface interrupted us. I whipped around to see Ishaan, who had just slammed a file onto the table, its contents now scattered across the floor. My eyes widened in surprise, and I glanced over at Tanvi, who looked equally shocked. The room fell into a tense silence, punctuated only by a few gasps, but no one dared to say a word.

What in the world is happening?

I turned my gaze back to Ishaan, who was visibly seething with anger. His face had turned a deep shade of red, his jaw clenched tightly. The veins in his neck were pronounced, and his eyes, usually so controlled and composed, were now blazing with fury. He was fuming, and the intensity of his emotion seemed almost palpable.

"Why are there so many mistakes in this file?! The entire department couldn't submit a mistake-free document. Redo it and ensure it is completed by today!"

With that, Ishaan stormed out of the room, not sparing a glance at anyone. His strides were long and purposeful as he headed toward the lift, his shoulders rigid with tension. The exhaustion in his posture was evident, and his frustration was almost tangible.

I glanced at Tanvi, who shook her head, clearly as bewildered as I was about what had provoked his outburst. My attention then shifted to the new guy, who looked visibly shaken and frightened by the sudden display of anger. The atmosphere was thick with uncertainty and unease, leaving everyone in a state of silent anticipation.

"Don't worry, it's a rare occurrence," I assured him with a smile.

ISHAAN'S POV

I exited the lift and made my way straight to my cabin, my frustration palpable. Saying I was angry would be an understatement. With the magazine's release date rapidly approaching, I demanded-and expected-absolute precision and dedication from my team. One mistake could jeopardize everything, and they didn't fully grasp the stakes. The reason I left my position abroad to lead this branch in India was precisely because of the importance I placed on this project.

Why can't people do their jobs properly? If something goes wrong, everyone in the company could lose their job! The previous CEO of the Indian branch was corrupt, misusing company assets for personal gain to the extent that my father was considering shutting down the branch due to the financial losses it was incurring. He was ready to close it, given that the family had settled in the USA and had no plans to return. But I persuaded him not to, feeling that closing the branch would mean people losing their livelihoods and that it wasn't the right course of action. Despite my parents' initial reluctance, I came to India myself to try and turn things around. If this release fails, however, the branch will face closure, and all the efforts and sacrifices will have been in vain.

I picked up the landline in front of me and dialed my secretary. She answered after two rings.

"To my office, Miss Inaaya."

"I'll be right there, sir."

I ended the call.

A few moments later, she opened the door and stepped towards my desk.

"You called me sir" she asked

Her soft voice reached my ears, surprisingly soothing. In that instant, my worries and anger seemed to dissipate, and my shoulders relaxed involuntarily. If her voice had such a calming effect, I couldn't help but wonder how spending time with her would make me feel. Her eyes, curious and attentive, gave me a sense of comfort. They seemed to wait patiently for me to explain why I had called her. While the true reason I summoned her was simply to see her, I knew I couldn't reveal that.

"Miss Inaaya, are you done with the final file? If so, please send it to me."

"Yes, sir, I'm done. I can send you the PDF."

"Sure, please do."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Here is the 27th chapter. I hope you guys liked it.

My college have started so i will upload after 2 days from now on.

Show some love by voting and commenting. It motivates me a lot.

Chapter 28 will come out soon <3

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