Page 72 of Yes Boss
A weighted silence fell over the table. Vikram suddenly became very interested in his curry, though Raghav could swear he saw his brother’s shoulders shaking slightly.
“Your own decision?” Harshit asked, voice level.
“Yes.” Raghav met his gaze without hesitation. “I want you to meet her.”
He had expected shock. Resistance. Perhaps even anger. What he hadn’t expected was the calm curiosity that passed between his parents, or the way his mother’s mouth twitched slightly at the corners.
“Name?” Harshit asked.
“Ishani Rao.” Raghav stated. “She works as my executive assistant.”
“How long has this been going on?” Vikram asked brightly.
“That’s not important,” Raghav said, dismissing the question with a slight wave. “What matters is that I’ve made my choice. She’s intelligent. Steady. She understands the way I work.”
A brief pause.
“She understands me.”
That landed heavier than he intended.
His father’s eyebrow arched slightly. “High praise indeed from you.”
Raghav didn’t notice the faint amusement in his mother’s eyes. “I don’t give it lightly,” he replied.
Across the table, Vikram bit the inside of his cheek so hard it must have hurt.
“How interesting,” Kavita said, dabbing her lips with her napkin as Pista the puppy skidded across the polished floor and nosed at her plate. “And does she return these feelings? This assistant of yours?”
Raghav shifted in his chair, glancing down at Pista’s wagging tail. He still didn’t know how his parents came up with this name, matching the category of dry fruits, like Kaju.
That brought Ishani’s memory. He thought of her lips against his, her fingers threading through his hair, the breathy “come inside” she’d whispered not long ago.
“Yes,” he said simply. “She does.”
Kavita’s eyes twinkled, but her tone stayed gentle, probing. “Well, this is quite a surprise. Especially since we’ve been in negotiations with the Rao family for months. They’re very respectable—accomplished daughter, excellent match.”
The name Rao rang in Raghav’s mind like a discordant note. Same surname as Ishani’s. For a moment his strategist’s brain pinged with possibilities—until he shrugged it off. Mumbai had millions of Raos. Pure coincidence.
“I’m not interested in your arrangement,” he said firmly.
“But you haven’t even seen her photo,” Harshit protested, reaching for his phone. “She’s beautiful. MBA from London, fluent in four languages—”
“Dad,” Raghav cut in, tone final. “I don’t need a photo. I don’t need credentials. I’ve found the woman I want.”
At the word “want,” Pista let out a triumphant bark, tail wagging so hard he nearly toppled the salt shaker.
Vikram’s shoulders trembled as if he’d swallowed a ghost. Raghav shot him an irritated look and continued.
“Nothing else matters.”
Harshit leaned back, studying his son. “And you think that’s how marriage works? That nothing else matters but what you want?”
“In this case, yes,” Raghav replied, cool as ever.
Kavita shook her head slowly. “You haven’t even met the Rao girl.”
“I don’t need to meet her to know she’s not right,” Raghav insisted. Pista hopped up so his paws were on Raghav’s knee, tongue lolling.
