Enchanted

Ajabdeh looked up at the sky as the grey clouds poured incessantly over the cityscape. She pulled her raincoat out of the rear end of her scooter and cursed the day. She was already wet when she could finally put the raincoat on and start the vehicle. As the stop timer in the first crossroad counted down from ninety, she finally had some time to think about what had just happened. Thankfully, she had not lost her job. The HR left the incident as a stray one with a warning for her conduct. But what disturbed her to the core was how he and the others around her saw the incident. 

She remembered getting down from her Uber ride home on Sunday morning, and the moment she tiptoed up to the decent flat and unlocked the door, she could hear her father in the kitchen. 

She removed her heels at the doorway and shut the door noiselessly. 

“So, you are home finally?” Her father’s voice was gruff. Their usual Sunday mornings were when he made breakfast experiments, and they would share a laugh. She was usually home before he woke up, even if she was out and about.

“I have to tell you something.” Her voice made him turn.

“About the post?” His voice seemed distant as Ajabdeh gasped, looking up at him.

“How do you…”

“Your mother called.” He sighed.

“She is not my mother.” Ajabdeh snapped.

“Am I your father?” She looked up at him, “That lady called first thing in the morning. You are adult enough. Aren’t you? Why do you lie to me about where you are going?”

“I did not know the guy. I swear. Baba…” For the first time perhaps in years, she was teary in front of him. That rattled him enough to ask, concerned, “Did he do something…”

“No.” Ajabdeh wiped away her tears and sniffed. “But I am usually…”

“Why do you need to go to such places alone?” His words made her look up. “You know how men think of women if they drink or wear…”

“Is that you talking or Mrs. Chauhan?” Her jaws stiffened. Her father inhaled.

“We care about you.” He said calmly. A smile appeared on the corner of her lips.

“Huh, now you are putting your parenting on par with hers? Are you getting too old and losing your mind, Baba?” Even when he reassured her, Ajabdeh could sense the blame and disappointment in his voice. She could imagine the phone conversation with Mrs. Chauhan. What if the tabloids found out she had a daughter from another marriage who was a loose cannon? Could it affect her social standing? She suddenly remembered Pratap’s stern voice, “You are not at fault.” 

Yet, she was. In the eyes of everyone she met, from the peeping neighbours to the grocery shop owner and the HR and her colleagues. She was tired of it. The rain seemed to increase with the lights turning green. Now with the traffic, she would be late for work. 

The phone rang when she was in the parking space. It was Kiran. 

“Yes, I am in the elevator.” She ran down the corridor in a hurry. “I am almost there.”

“The presentation is in two minutes.” Kiran sounded irked. Ajabdeh frowned.

“But you are presenting.” She said matter-of-factly. 

“Yes, but you made it; so brief me.” Kiran snapped as she spotted the elevator door open, and Ajabdeh rushed out. Her hair was wet, and so were parts of her blouse.

“What is wrong with you?” Kiran asked judgmentally. Ajabdeh had noticed some eyes on her as soon as she entered the floor. It had been happening since the day before. 

“Me? The rain…” 

Shivam intervened as a saviour. 

“ Sir is on his way, we have to go.” Kiran took off her jacket and handed it to Ajabdeh.

“As if your attention-seeking online wasn’t enough. Put this over your blouse, it's wet.” Ajabdeh sighed and nodded, following her silently with the files.

The room was suddenly darker than the department, making it hard for her to see for a few seconds. Ajabdeh was suddenly conscious of her wet, messy bun and the eyes on her. She looked around at the people exchanging glances and whispering at each other. She inhaled. It was going to be the bluest Monday. She placed the files down where Kiran was about to sit and looked up at Pratap at the other end of the table. He was engrossed in his laptop. Perhaps the only pair of eyes that were not on her. A part of her was disappointed with the lack of acknowledgement, and a part of her was relieved. She had overthought their situation. She found it hard to admit to herself that instead of feeling like closure the second time, it made her want to see him again. And not in an across-the-table-in-the-office kind of way. She was sure he did not quite like it the way she did. And that would be a closure. Why was she so obsessed with closures? Her therapist would say it was because her mother refused her one. Kiran’s voice made her snap out of her chain of thoughts and take the seat behind her with Shivam. 

Kiran’s voice introducing the project as the first slide came up on the projector made Pratap look up from his laptop. He eyed Ajabdeh, busy with the files, as Kiran continued.

“Wait…” His voice made everyone stop. Ajabdeh looked up from the files at him with a frown.

“Did you make this, Kiran?” He sounded unsatisfied. “I mean this could be done better…” Ajabdeh inhaled. Great, now she would be in trouble with the presentation. 

“Oh no, it was her.” Kiran was fast to blame Ajabdeh, “Do you want me to handle it, and we can come back with a better presentation in an hour? I am sorry, sir…”

“No.” Pratap straightened his suit and sat up straight, leaning his elbow on the table. “I want whoever made the presentation to present it.” Kiran looked a little startled as Shivam looked amused. “Looks like someone got tricked, take the chance and shine.” He nudged Ajabdeh. Kiran glanced over her shoulder, still a little stirred and indicated at Ajabdeh. “Go on.” She stood up and approached the projector and inhaled. She did not know if Pratap actually found a fault or simply did not want Kiran to steal her credit. She could not tell whether he did so professionally or because of what she exclaimed to him the other night. But Ajabdeh suddenly felt like the day had turned in her favour. She felt empowered as the eyes that were judging her admired her work and appreciated it. 

“Thank you, Miss Punwar, the project made more sense with your presentation.” She turned as Pratap said so in a professional tone. “It was great working with your team, you can go back to your office and resume the next step from next week.” He eyed Kiran, who nodded.

“Thank You, Sir.” Ajabdeh’s voice died on her lips as he walked away. 

She turned to see Mrs Sisodiya walk into his office as soon as they left. After a while, Kiran was summoned to her chamber as a clueless Shivam exchanged a glance with Ajabdeh. Kiran returned in a while, huffing about how her boss took away her credit. Ajabdeh inhaled at the irony as Shivam feigned sympathy.

“Mrs Sisodiya called our company, they now want you to lead the project instead of me.”

“They what…” Ajabdeh raised her eyebrows, a little shocked. “Did she say that?” Kiran nodded.

“Yes, I am still part of the project… just that you will take the calls.” Kiran snapped. “After all my hard work…” She inhaled. “I hate this job.”

“I… am sorry, I guess?” Ajabdeh spoke, a little confused.

“Oh, she also gave us this, but given your recent phenomenon, ask HR first.” Kiran handed over what looked like a pass to Ajabdeh, who opened it.

“Oh, our annual employees getaway,” Shivam said before she could read it. “It's in Goa. We have one day of team activities followed by two days of fun. Without the bosses.” He smiled. “You are coming along, I hope?”

“I… don’t know.” Ajabdeh looked confused. “The HR of my company…”

“Oh please, it's a client invite, they won’t intervene. So good of her to ask you two… we all have plans to…” His voice barely registered in Ajabdeh’s mind. Perhaps they did like her work; this was not Pratap giving out an invite, this was his mother. Did Mrs Sisodiya know about the viral post, or did she not care like him?

“Don’t worry about your viral thing.” Shivam gained her attention back. “Such things happen.” Ajabdeh looked up at him and inhaled. She wanted to scream at the top of her voice. Give him a piece of her mind. No, Shivam, such things did not happen. It was not okay. What happened was wrong, and I was the victim of it. Why am I being judged and shamed, and nobody cares about the perpetrator? He will get out on bail and do it to someone else… How is that okay? Instead, all that came out of her mouth was “Hmm.”

Two days later, Ajabdeh found herself waiting outside the chamber of “Mr Pratap Singh Sisodiya” with a file in hand, tapping her hand on its cover like the ticking of the clock. It needed to be approved, and since she was in charge now, Kiran refused to do most of the work. They had to wrap up the papers here before moving back to their old office. Only three more days and a lot of paperwork. Her thoughts were interrupted as the secretary walked out of the chamber. She looked young and beautiful. She flashed a smile.

“You can go in now, hope it won’t take long. Sir has a meeting in ten minutes.”

“I just need signatures.” She nodded as she tapped on the door and walked in.

“We need signs of approval on these.” He stopped typing something on the keyboard and looked up at her voice as she placed the files down. He eyed them and her. 

“Keep them, I will let Shivam bring them to you.” He nodded. Ajabdeh did as she was told, murmured thanks and turned to leave.

“So you are coming to Goa with us?” Her hand stopped at the door knob at his question as she glanced over her shoulder at his curious eyes.

“I am still waiting for my HR to approve the… umm…” She stopped. “I thought that was an employee retreat.” She frowned. He nodded. “It is, and Mrs. Sisodiya feels your team earned the holiday.”

“But… why are you going?” Ajabdeh regretted it as soon as she asked; she bit her lips and murmured an apology almost to herself. “Not my business.” Pratap signed the papers and placed his pen down, looking amused at her.

“I am an employee too. This is her company.” Ajabdeh inhaled. She could sense the air thick with awkwardness. Looking at him bugged her with several questions she needed answers to. Some of them she could ask, some she could perhaps never.

“Can I ask you something, sir? I have to because…” Pratap nodded, making her stop. She needed to frame it right. 

“Are you having the conversation in your head first?” He asked, narrowing his brows suspiciously. “Go on, ask.”

“I… Did you stop Kiran from presenting because of what I said that day? If so, please restore her position. I don’t want that…” She stopped because he stood up from his chair.

“What do you think of me?” He asked in a very serious tone. 

“Pardon?” Ajabdeh raised her brows.

“You think I remember something you said in intoxication about your boss to take action two days later? Really?” He sounded almost amused. “I am not that cold, calculative person. I have forgotten most of what you said and did.” His emphasis on the last word made Ajabdeh look relieved. “Thank you for trusting our skills then. We will not let you down. Have a good day.” She turned to leave.

“See you in Goa.” His words died on his lips as he smiled faintly at the door that shut behind her noiselessly.