Living In Oblivion

02

"May I come in, sir?" A sweet voice pierced through the desolate silence, colliding with Divit's numb detachment.

He refused to turn around, ensuring that the wall of indifference he had built remained intact. Any acknowledgment on his part would weaken it slightly, and he was determined to preserve his emotional fortress. But as she drew nearer, her presence demanding attention, he could no longer ignore her. He reluctantly acknowledged her with a curt nod, pointing to the empty chair beside him. She was dressed in a khaki top with short sleeves and black denim, appearing decent to him. However, what caught his attention was the persistent smile playing on her lips—a smile she seemed to be suppressing with great effort.

Perhaps Divit realized he was being unnecessarily obstinate, searching for flaws and succumbing to his habitual negativity. But that was who he was—an individual who couldn't help but find fault.

"Avanti, this is Divit. I was telling you about him. You will be working under him, and I'm sure you will learn a lot," Mr. Bharadwaj introduced Divit to her.

Avanti responded with another small smile. Despite her poise, she felt slightly uneasy, reflecting on the things Vibhuti had warned her about. Most of the advice consisted of effusive praise for Divit's calm demeanor and excellent work.

However, Vibhuti also cautioned her not to press the wrong buttons with Divit, as he could be somewhat mean and indifferent when it came to courtesies in general.

"Besides working under this young man, you will also stay with him in his flat. I assume the two of you will discuss everything regarding that arrangement. As you were informed, your stipend will be transferred to your bank account by the end of the month—twenty-five thousand. Your CTC would be twenty-two thousand, though," Mr. Bharadwaj explained, his words hanging in the air as Avanti absorbed them. "I expect nothing less than hard work from you. Make me proud and prove me right." With a final smile, he concluded, and Avanti gracefully nodded her agreement.

"I assure you, I will give my hundred percent, sir," she replied.

Divit couldn't help but roll his eyes at her response. He had heard those words countless times before—empty promises that seldom held any true commitment.

"Now, please wait outside. I have something to discuss with him," Vibhuti informed Avanti, and she promptly left the room.

Divit squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, waiting for his boss to speak. Mr. Bharadwaj broke the silence, his voice filled with conviction.

"Divit, she is an incredibly talented and hard-working girl. When I say it, trust me, I mean it. I've witnessed an exceptional level of courage and determination in her, traits that even men like you and me might lack. You may think I'm merely reusing old tea leaves, but you'll soon understand what I mean. Rest assured, she won't be a nuisance. However, if she does pose any problems, I trust you to handle them, if possible. But I must emphasize that recommending her doesn't entitle her to any special treatment. I'm confident she wouldn't want that either. Treat her like any other trainee and show her the reality of working in the corporate sector."

Agreeing with a nod, Divit rose from his chair to take his leave. Just as he was about to exit, Vibhuti called out to him. "And finish that module sooner. Get it to the tester. We need to deploy it by tomorrow."

Suppressing the urge to flash Vibhuti a middle finger, Divit ducked his head and quickly left the room.

Outside, he calculated the upcoming months, contemplating the necessary arrangements. He needed to discuss Avanti's stay in his house with her and inform her that she would start working from next Monday, given that today was Friday. He assumed she would settle comfortably into his home within two days. Lost in thought, Divit continued walking until he abruptly halted, his confusion evident as he stared at Avanti and the peon crouched beneath a wooden table, their heads disappearing from sight. They seemed to be searching for something. But under the table? In the office?

Perplexed, Divit approached them. "What's wrong, Kamlesh?" he intended to ask Avanti, but as the words formed on his tongue, her name felt strange to say, so he quickly changed direction and addressed Kamlesh instead.

"Divit sir, this madam isn't listening to me. She insists on searching for some screws under this table. I tried, but they're too small, and now she won't listen to me," the peon complained, visibly irritated.

Divit wondered if these were the same screws Avanti had been carefully arranging on the table earlier.

"Kamlesh ji, it's not my fault they fell, and who asked you to fetch me water?" she retorted, turning around on her knees to search for the screws near a flower pot. "Because of the glass you placed on the table, they fell. There were eight, and now there are... six," she counted the screws in her palm before closing her hand into a fist.

Kamlesh silently implored Divit to rescue him from this lady who seemed determined not to release him until she found her screws.

"Ahem," Divit cleared his throat to gain her attention. "Avanti, they're just a few screws. I'm sure you can find them at a nearby store. Besides, don't you think it's inappropriate to crawl around the office like this?" He had intended to say something else, but as he watched her crawl on her knees to the other end of the corridor, his words emerged differently as he stared at her in astonishment.

"Divit sir, these screws are from my phone, and they would be difficult to find in random shops. They fell here, so they must be nearby," she insisted, her focus solely on locating them.

"Look, there's one," she exclaimed with delight, crawling a bit farther to pick it up. "Now, only one is left."

"Kamlesh ji, please help," she pleaded, and the poor man reluctantly got down on his knees in a desperate attempt to find the last remaining screw and escape the clutches of this eccentric woman. Frustrated, he walked further, only to bang his head against the wall and curse Avanti silently.

"Divit sir, please help," Avanti beseeched, her eyes pleading as she looked up at him. His jaw dropped at the mere thought of himself kneeling on the office floor, searching for a screw. He had worked at this company for two years and had a reputation to maintain.

"No, thank you very much," he responded abruptly, causing her eyebrows to furrow in disappointment. "Meet me in my cabin later," he added quickly, darting away before he found himself on his knees in the office corridor, with bystanders gaping and silently laughing at their absurdity.

As Divit waited for the elevator, the scene replayed in his mind, reinforcing one undeniable truth—he could kiss his peaceful life goodbye