Page 21 of Yes Boss
Kavya studied her for a moment, head tilted. “Look, I’m not judging. The man’s gorgeous in that intimidating, might-eat-you-alive kind of way. And that voice? That perfect suit? I get it.”
“There’s nothing to get,” Ishani insisted, saving her document with more force than necessary. “He’s my boss. I’m his assistant. Everything else is office gossip.”
“That wasn’t just about a client being rude,” Kavya continued, undeterred. “That was...” She trailed off meaningfully. “Well, let’s just say no one has never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at you when he took that phone. Like he was ready to tear apart anyone who upset you.”
Ishani laughed, the sound practiced and dismissive. “Don’t be ridiculous. He would have done the same for any employee.”
“Would he, though?” Kavya pressed.
“Yes,” Ishani said firmly, gathering papers into her bag. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t feed the rumor mill. I’m still new here. I don’t need that kind of attention.”
Kavya held up her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Consider it dropped.” She stood, retrieving her coffee cup. “But just so you know, half the office is convinced he’s secretly in love with you, and the other half thinks you have dirt on him.” She grinned. “Either way, you’re the most interesting thing to happen to this floor since Samrat accidentally sent his dating profile to the entire company instead of HR.”
“Goodnight, Kavya,” Ishani said pointedly.
“Night,” Kavya called over her shoulder, already halfway to the elevators. “Don’t stay too late. Even Raghav Khanna’s favourite employee deserves a life outside these walls.”
Ishani watched her go.
Favourite.
The word lodged itself where it didn’t belong.
Was that what people thought? That she had crossed some invisible line? That she was no longer just efficient, reliable. Butspecial?
The floor emptied soon after. Screens went dark. Chairs rolled back. The hum of the air-conditioning became louder in the quiet, joined by the distant sounds of the cleaning crew beginning their rounds below.
Ishani leaned back in her chair, releasing a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.
She hadn’t imagined it.
The memory surfaced unbidden. The way he’d leaned in, close enough that she’d caught his scent. Clean. Expensive. Masculine. It lingered even now, hours later, like something branded into her senses.
She closed her eyes.
Too easily, her body remembered the moment, the sudden awareness of being caged in his presence, the sharp, unwelcome thrill that had raced through her. Her heart hadn’t pounded with fear.
It had responded.
“Stop it,” she whispered into the empty office.
This hadn’t been part of the plan.
She hadn’t expected the pull, the way her body reacted before her mind could catch up, the way his proximity unsettled her more than any raised voice or difficult client ever had.
It complicated everything.
Professional boundaries existed for a reason. More than that,shehad reasons for being here. Purpose required clarity. Distance. Control.
All of which became harder to maintain every time her pulse jumped every time he said her name.
She stared at her screen, jaw tightening. She could deny many things. But not this.
When Raghav Khanna had stepped in. When he had taken the call. When he had defended her without hesitation… She hadn’t wanted him to stop.
And that, more than anything else, frightened her.
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