It started with an impulse

12. Barah

Sitting at my cubicle and trying to concentrate on the work I had been assigned, proved useless, because all I could do was think about Nishika's words.

Viaan. Is. Mine.

Her words kept echoing in my head. It should never have mattered to me. For some reason, it bothered me very much.

Stupid! Stupid Rynah! Focus on your work.

I scolded myself and tried to work again. The keyword being 'tried'. I had only turned to face the screen when Anand announced, "Listen here everyone! This is an announcement from the boss."

Everyone sat back in their chairs and paid attention to what Anand had to say, "Everyone in the office shall undergo a test in the form of personal assessment by a few board members and the boss himself. And if you failed to pass that, kindly collect the pink slip from your desks and never show your face here again.

"We hired you when you were capable of benefiting our company but in case you are no longer in your benefiting state, you can pursue your passions and desires elsewhere. Everyone, irrespective of the years of contribution, the designation or even their powerful contacts, shall be undergoing this test indiscriminately. The tests shall start from today sharp at noon and continue till everyone has been assessed in Design department. Once your names are called, please enter meeting room 2. You all have my good wishes." After dropping that bomb Anand left us alone to let the information sink in.

Only silence prevailed for an entire minute before shocked whisperings filled the room.

"What was that about?" My punjabi neighbor Hemant was out of his wits as he looked around not asking anyone in particular.

"They could at least have notified us prior today! We would have prepared something!" Ananya who was sitting before Hemant was about to cry.

I remained silent in shock, unable to process anything about it...

Soon the names were called one after the other. And people started walking towards the examination room all tensed.

"Hemant Singh!" My neighbor had been called making him wipe his forehead glistening with sweat, fix his yellow turban before heading towards the dreadful room.

Kavya was the one who came out of the room with her shoulders slumped, like she felt defeated. Unable to stand watching her slumped shoulders, I headed towards her only to find tears glistening in her eyes, threatening to shed.

"Kavya?" I called gently. She engulf me in a sudden hug and silently cried over my shoulder.

"He's horrible, Rynah! He's so horrible!" She mumbled over and over again.

"Who?" I asked even when I had an idea who she was talking about.

"Mr. Raivardhan... He is such a jerk!" She gritted her teeth.

"Why? What happened?" I frowned. She pulled away and opened her mouth to explain.

"Rynah Kundra," I heard my name being called and blood drained from my face as I stared at the woman who called for me from the meeting room 2 before closing the door behind her.

Kavya just gave me an emphatic look as I moved towards the door. Nausea took over my entire being. With trembling hands and a rapidly pounding heart, I knocked at the door.

"Come in," the woman who had called my name, permitted. I walked in with wobbly legs and mustered a little smile that I didn't even know I had in me. At the end of the room sat six people behind a curved table. Five of board members were in their later forties. Four of them being men while their fifth partner was a woman. And the last person was none other than Viaan himself, who had been seated in the middle. Their faces housed grave expressions. They glanced through the files laid before them.