vi | mystery

key:

ishita / jai

Jai was anxious. He didn't know if Ishita would do well as a personal assistant. With her humor and excessive dramatics, she should be the last person he should have considered for the job. But since Kayal requested for maternity leave, he'd personally interviewed many people for the job and none of them were close to the mark. He looked for someone who was responsible and gave it their one hundred percent, not just because of the money but because they were passionate about what they did. He looked for someone who didn't make him feel like he was dealing with uncertainty and change, someone who'd transition into Kayal's role perfectly. He knew it was impossible and that he was bound to feel the change, but he wasn't ready to. Change made him uncomfortable.

When he heard Ishita going on and on about her skills and unprecedented talents but the lack of a job, all he could think about was giving her the position of his assistant. It didn't make sense to him because he hadn't even bothered to check her resume before giving it to her. It was impartial and unethical of him to do so when he rejected so many people who promised him equally excellent skills. But there was something in his gut telling him to give her a chance.

After the night he took her home, his mind somehow fluttered towards the woman repeatedly for nonsensical reasons. Maybe because he had liked it when she called him a warm person and clung to him like he was the last blanket in icy wonderland. Maybe because she was fierce and honest and so unapologetically herself. She wasn't scared to show her vulnerabilities and she wasn't afraid to put him in his place. It had been a while since he met someone who called him out right onto the face. It was refreshing despite a majority of her being annoying.

Actually, on second thought, Jai didn't know why he decided to give her the job. But it just felt right.

The only thing Ishita had to do was prove it. Prove that she was the right person and he had made the right decision.

Kayal knocked on the door and let herself in, followed by a happy Ishita. She was of average height with dark chocolate-colored hair dipped in pink at the ends that was tied halfway in a knot. Her posture was straight, like she was ready to take on anything thrown her way. She was wearing a pastel yellow blouse and navy trousers, a gold-metallic watch and golden hoops. The same pair she had been wearing that night at the bar, except she had paired it with a blue dress that day.

"Good morning, Sir," Ishita greeted, so in contrast to the grumpy and scowling person he had met, and when Kayal turned to face Jai completely, Ishita raised her eyebrows and mouthed what's up, asshole.

Jai was half annoyed at her unseriousness but also glad she hadn't changed her demeanor entirely. Somehow, the familiarity of her rudeness eased him. He wasn't usually a person who warmed up to people instantly, but with Ishita, it had been different. She had this talent, this niche way of grasping people's attention and wielding it skillfully enough to slide into their personal space without making them uncomfortable. In a way, he was thankful for that.

Even though she was too blunt a person and they had interacted face-to-face only once, he felt a sense of strange comfort.

Ah.

Jai knew now what had made him give her the job. This was it. The familiarity between them that eased the discomfort that change brought in. He knew what to expect from her and she knew what to expect from him. He was used to the dynamics between them, even if it was built with blocks of rudeness and foul language. There was no way their dynamic was going to change. Afterall, their mutual dislike for each other fueled it. There was nothing more powerful than that that could disrupt the nature of their relationship.

He only hoped it didn't backfire on him in any way.

"Good Morning. Did you just come in?" he asked.

"Yes, I was required to be here at 9, not any time before that," she said. Kayal didn't sense anything out of the ordinary in her words but Jai could understand Ishita's language. She was challenging him.

"Good to know. This is Kayal, my personal assistant and she is going on a maternity leave. She will teach you everything you need to know before she leaves. Make sure you don't slack off," Jai said, and he could see Ishita battling the urge to say something foul to his face. He stole joy from it. "Kayal, see to it that she gets her own space and whatever she needs. Make sure she feels welcome and introduce her to other employees."

"Of course, Sir," Kayal said, smiling gently at him.

If she knew anything, it was that Jai was an expert at two things - being an asshole and looking like a goddamn snack. Seeing him in that crisp black shirt and black trousers was a sight she never thought she'd enjoy so much. But that wasn't the reason her heart tripped. It was the platinum chain on his neck. She could only see a sliver of it underneath the confines of his shirt but her gaze was drawn to it. She couldn't shake it off. Why was a simple accessory aiding devious thoughts in her head, daring to defy her absolute distaste for the person that he was? Since when had she become so shallow, letting superficial things sway her control?

She was disappointed with herself.

"That is all," Jai said dismissively and oh, the amount of self-control that it took Ishita to not stick her tongue at him and mock him nearly weighed her down to death. For some reason, Ishita had this urge to defy him, challenge him, insult him and put him in his place. That gave her a sense of satisfaction that she couldn't remember where she experienced last. It was bliss to see the utter disapproval on Jai's face.

Maybe this job was going to be fun, after all.

Ishita left the room with Kayal. She was a sweet woman in her mid-thirties, poised like the most elegant and efficient personal assistant to ever exist. Her bump only added to her grace. She could even see that Jai had a great deal of respect for her. It showed in his eyes and his tone.

"So, I am assuming you know each other?" Kayal asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Mr Jai didn't once look at you like you were under evaluation. When someone is unfamiliar, he tends to be like... a watchful cat. Keeping a distance, being cautious and assessing the unfamiliarity again and again to make sure you are not a threat."

"Threat? Does he think I might pull out a knife out of nowhere and stab him to death?"

Kayal laughed. "No, he likes to be certain. Always. You have to make sure of that for him. That's your only job."

"Kayal, you make it sound easy but it's difficult, isn't it? He is a difficult person, after all. I can tell," she said, and realised she shouldn't be talking shit about her new boss so soon. That's not normal. "How long have you been working for him?"

"Since he took over from his father."

And then it dawned on Ishita. All that talk about familiarity made sense. She was going to be filling the shoes of a person who's made life easier for him ever since he'd shouldered the company on his own for the first time. Adjusting to the absence of the person was a task in itself but adjusting to the switch in person, the replacement, was more difficult. And he had handed over that huge daunting responsibility to her without even an interview but over a stupid silly bet.

Why, she thought. Why had he chosen her out of all people? He didn't even like her. They barely tolerated each other. What made him even consider her for the job?

And she knew better than to think of Jai as dumb. He was brilliant and his brilliancy was the sole factor for his position. He was calculating, too clever and wise for his age. He wouldn't give her such an important job without thinking. Why, Why, Why?

She loved mysteries but not this one. She was losing her goddamn mind.

"Hey Kayal?" Ishita asked. "Do you think I'll be able to do it? The job?"

She smiled softly. "I don't know, Ishita. But I know this: He wouldn't choose you if he thought you couldn't do it."

More mystery. Ugh.

"Can you be honest with me?" she asked again to Kayal. "What is Jai like?"

"You'll find out soon enough, don't worry," she said. Ishita hated that both of them were cryptic with their answers. Honestly, which moron in the planet decided that it was interesting to make others work to find answers themselves? Whoever it was, she hoped they died a nasty gruesome death. "But I can tell you one thing."

Ishita's face perked up.

"Don't be too quick to judge him. Don't make that mistake," Kayal said.

She sighed mentally. Too late.

To her, Jai was an asshole. He'd always be. Nothing could change it.

Ever.