STORY: FACES (Chapter-2)

Read Chapter 1.

"Hey, Tish. Quick question, what will you do if you spill all the beans in front of the person you hate knowing the fact that you have to be around this person there's no other choice?" 

"Depends on what beans they are. I mean if the beans are chocolate beans and that person likes chocolates, I guess it’s a win-win for me. ;)"

"Ugh! I knew you'll say something like that, it’s good to be around positive people like you. Not khadus people like my new boss. God I hate her."

"Haha... Maybe she isn't that bad. Don't be so judgmental,  just go with the flow. Try to know her more, maybe you'll like her."

"Hope so! Gotta go. Break time about to end."

"Take care. And don't judge, maybe she is the one."

“No ways.”

Rahul met a girl named Tish, on an anonymous app named Kindly. She was a listener and he was the one in problem. With Tish's positive aura, it was difficult for Rahul to stop at just ‘his problems’. He kept talking to her, she kept replying, and the two delve well and later, became friends.

Tish,  just like Rahul, was an adventure lover, was talkative and an absolute extrovert when it comes to talking to strangers.

Where Rahul told her a lot about his personal life. Tish also shared some of her secrets, "I drank so much that night but I was, in my wits. Still, I intentionally acted drunk to have sex with this super-hot guy." she told him once.

"Can I get your number? I'll call you whenever I’ll be free?" Rahul asked.

"Umm... okay I guess. I'll talk to you around 10 in the night?" Tish texted along with her number.

"10 sounds fine. :)"

Rahul put his phone on the desk, just then, there was a knock on his office's door.

"Come in." Rahul answered.

"Sir, Trisha mam is calling you in her office" a tall think girl with wheatish complexion said.

"I'll be there." he replied with a smile.

Trisha's company was too “mechanical” according to Rahul. Employees were more like robots then humans. "Nobody here knows how to smile, laughing must be an alien thing for these people."

Rahul reached Trisha's office after 5 minutes.

"May I?"

"Rahul Kapoor, right? Please come in."

'How did she managed to forget my name this soon? Short term memory loss?' Rahul asked himself. "You called me? Ma’am."

"Yes Mr. Kapoor, I called you to inform that you have to shift to Bandra, as our Head office is in Bandra as well. Your Personal Assistant Ms. Renuka Das will give you the keys and will take you to the Bungalow. I will suggest you to shift to your new Bungalow as soon as possible. As you and I have a meeting to attend on July 3rd in Bangalore, and we have to stay there for 15 days.

Don't worry about the shifting process Ms. Das will tell you everything." she completes.

"In case you don't mind Ma'am, I will like to postpone my shifting process till our Bangalore trip. My own house is there, so I think I'll be more comfortable in my house then in a hotel."

"It’s not a trip Mr. Kapoor, it’s a business meeting. And call me Trisha please."

"Rahul, Trisha." Rahul said with a smile, thinking, that Trisha was finally over whatever he said in the flight. But, to his smile, Trisha only replied with a plain nod.

He left Trisha’s cabin with his PA "Is she always like this Renuka? Not-in-a-mood-to-smile like?"

"Umm... Ever since I've been in this company, yes sir."

"Oh pah-lease! Don’t call me sir, its Rahul."

"You are the only person she has asked, to call her by her name. Only one."

"Really?"

"Yes, sir."

Rahul was confused about Trisha's behavior. In her office, she doesn't smile, she is strict and nobody, not even a single person was permitted to call her by her name. While on the other hand, in the flight, she was smiling, she was laughing, 'talking' to be precise.

It was 10:00 pm in the night and Rahul was really excited to talk to Tish on call, he wanted to tell her everything about her new boss.

"Hi!" her voice was mild and sweet. Though, there was some harshness in her voice, probably she had a cough.

"Hey! Finally, so this is how you sound. Thank god, I was talking to a girl all this time, I always had a fear that you might, were a boy."

"May be, maybe I am a boy, who is using some voice converting app."

"Haha... then I have to meet you to confirm. By the way, is Tazzy, Rash and Moti fine now?"

"God! You remember the name of my street dogs? That's cute. They are great, in fact I'm still with them. Wait."

Rahul could hear the sound of Tish saying something, but the voice wasn't clear. Followed by her voice, he heard some barks.

"They said hi to you" Tish completed.

"Aww... that was so sweet. I'm pretty sure you look cute in real life."

"Uh-ah! No meetings anytime sooner, no picture shares or personal detail shares as well. Remember?" She said in a quirky tone.

"Aaye! Aaye! Captain." Rahul replied, placing his hand on his forehead, attempting to do a salute.

Talking to her, made Rahul relaxed that he forgot Trisha's topic completely. That night, they both talked for 3 long hours.

To Rahul, sitting in the airplane with the same person, he had flown with, 2 days back, brought back a little bit of nostalgia. He quickly turned towards Trisha, her face was again covered by a book. 'How to Develop Self Confidence and Influence people by Dale Carnegie' Rahul read. 

"Why are you reading a book like that Trisha?" Rahul asked inquiring.

"Mr. Rahul. Some people like gaining knowledge, some people like reading genres. Why, is there any problem?" Trisha said with a straight face.

"No." Rahul replied. 'How does this woman say stuff without a single smile? I mean, my face looks smiling even if I'm crying. Eh! I'm pretty sure this woman is reading this book intentionally. She don't wanna influence, she just want to manipulate people. Wait! Why do I always behave like a stupid kid around this woman? I'm a fucking CEO for God's sake.' Rahul said to himself.