Chapter Two: Frenemies

4 years ago

Mahi

@Mannmohanaa

CHAPTER TWO

FRENEMIES

“Oh come in, actually, let’s go to the VP's. She might be expecting us” Varun said.

She walked in to see the name plate on the table. 

Anushka Singhania

“She’s great at work and a keen observer so beware!” Varun told Antara as he found her looking at her photo on the table.

He adjusted his blazer and glanced at his watch.

“It's showtime" he muttered, inaudibly. 

Ten minutes later, a woman in her late twenties entered the cabin, busy in scanning a file.

“Looks like the time still ticks as per your choice” Varun taunted her. Completely ignoring the comment, she sat down on her chair, still engrossed in the report.

“And looks like you gotta brush up your accounting skills" she said, sliding the file towards him. “Check the figures again, Mr. Team Lead.”

“Right so.” He said, closing the file and moving out, without cross questioning her once.

“So Antara, glad to have you on board. It would be exciting to work with you. I liked your profile, specially your inter personal skills, so hoping you’d make good use of that!”

“Well, I am expecting you will go through the history of this project thoroughly so that we can start sharing the workload asap.”

Antara was just in awe of this lady there. She was checking a document, sipping on coffee and briefing her about the tasks. Multitasking anyone?

She chose not to disturb her about the frozen laptop and resolve it herself.

“Yes ma’am” she responded and left, not before wishing her a good day.

…

“Yes. Welcome everyone and please sit down.”

Murarilal didn’t have a bad sense of grammar amidst the typical countryside English accent.

“So the rates are clear. 500 for Level A gossip, 1500 for Level B gossip, 3000 for past history of the office and once again, an important reminder that only positive comments are to be filled in the Staff Feedback Form. And I repeat, do not contact me for personal information of employees, that is against rules” he spoke so solemnly about something so unethical that it was both amusing and bewildering. 

Murarilal, the Office Chapraasi was surely a man of his words.

After the super secret and important meeting was over, she walked down the spiraling staircase, the one that emerged from the terrace. She had never expected the next day to start off on such an entertaining note.

“So madam if you’re done with the gossip fares, please report in Varun's cabin immediately.”

Rachit met her right outside the 3rd floor premises.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“You’d come to know soon.”

Is he always this sulky or I’m getting some special attention?

She wondered as she followed him.

“Did you say something?” he asked, turning around.

Irritated, she walked ahead, not looking back at him.

“Who read the client mail?”

Anushka was furious.

“Okay no point pretending. Let’s face this. Hiding anything won’t help so y’all better be honest." 

Varun tried to calm down the infuriated situation.

“There was a very important client mail read yesterday afternoon, it was on the team group email, no one has a clue? Seriously?”

“Don’t force me to do the IP tracking thing okay?”

“I think… I… I did,” Antara spoke numbly. She was already on the brink of exploding into tears of guilt and remorse, as she recollected how she had clicked on the unread mail before her screen froze.

She had no explanation for this, which wasn’t embarrassing.

“Actually I was setting up the account and the laptop screen froze…” 

“What you?” Anushka cut in sharply.

“Alright. It’s on us. Rachit, get on with the damage control immediately, I’m calling them over for the presentation.”

 Varun wanted things rolling without playing the blame game.

“Okay, let me do this. Varun, don’t bother.” Anushka told him upfront.

“This is my team alright, I’ll manage it.”

“Wait. Your team? Really? It is I who will be answerable to the board if we’re reported."

He gave her a don’t-get-me-triggered look, before making her realize that they were openly bickering in front of their subordinates. She walked off to her cabin, closely followed by Varun.

“What are you huh? A 7 year old?” he taunted.

“And this is how you deal maturely with situations – ‘I’m calling them over for a presentation’, do you even realize that Rachit wouldn’t be able to manage the pressure like this?”

“Leave that to me, I know who to trust" he said, not willing to step back, “and also, who aren’t trustworthy.” 

Hurt, anger and pain reflected in his eyes. For a moment, she was stunned to witness him like that.

She turned around to face the wall, as he banged the cabin door behind him.

…

Antara wanted to dig a hole into the ground and thrust her head in it. This whole fiasco was beyond humiliating. She had made a fool of herself, with her first impression ruined totally and her invisible reputation already and totally screwed up, not to mention the trouble she’d gotten to the team. She dared to look up and look around for a minute, when the tears no longer threatened to break over the dam of self control. All she saw were cold, silent faces, staring grimly into the screens.

She couldn’t get those looks out of her head, which had already begun to hurt.

“The least you could’ve done was to let any one of us know about this,” spoke Anjali. And that wasn’t welcoming at all.

“I am sorry…” she said. She couldn’t think of anything else to utter.

“Leave it people. Let it be and why are we even expecting anything out of her?” said Rachit, without mincing his words. “She’s just a new joinee.”

“Right” smiled Anjali and got back to work. The rest of the faces popping out of their cubicles too sunk in, maybe disappointed that they’d missed out on some dose of gossip feed.

Antara felt hurt. She was anything but useless.

…

“Okay, I know I messed up but that doesn’t mean you can insult me.”

She frankly questioned Rachit during lunch.

"Insult, huh? You should thank me. I saved you from everyone speaking ill of you one by one…”

“Oh really? And how did your encouraging words help?”

She herself was surprised about this new found confidence that she spoke with. There was something in his face which made her fight back with aggression.

“This office, infact the world, is full of meanies. They are happy either when their own ego gets satisfied or when someone is suppressed in front of them. Sadists, you see. And what’s so wrong about this? If you have it in you, show it to them. If you don’t, then well, I was right about it.”

“Now if you’d please excuse me, I’ve an important presentation to deliver, thanks to someone, umm, so talented?”

She smiled back in return. This was going to be fun and she could feel that in her gut.