Page 74 of Not Safe for Work
‘You look like you need a drink,’ Varun said, filling a mug from the absurdly tall beer tower he’d ordered.
‘Thank you,’ I said, taking it from him as he poured another for Tanya.
Once he’d handed everyone a beer—except Neil, who was apparently being a responsible driver tonight—Varun raised his glass. ‘Congrats to Kavya and Neil … and to all of us for surviving the Hunger Games.’ He had to practically shout to be heard over the loud music. ‘I just want you to know how proud I am of all of you. Win or lose, you guys did a fantastic job today. Cheers!’
I blew out a slow breath. Varun meant well, he really did, but forcing people tocelebratewith their opponents right after they’d lost to them was rather naive, at best. At worst, it was like rubbing salt into paper cuts. I took a sip of my beer, pretending to be busy with my phone, mostly so I didn’t have to keep returning everyone’s tight-lipped smiles.
A few unread messages were waiting for me on my family WhatsApp group, all replying to the text I’d sent earlier, letting them know that I was coming home soon after all. They had obviously ignored my follow-up texts.For work. And probably only for a weekend.
Mehra Parivaar
@Mom: Ok but when are U reaching? Tell me the dates
@Pops:
@Keshav Bhaiya: Call me tomorrow. We’ll book your tix together.
Tanya slid onto the barstool next to me with a sigh. ‘This issoannoying.’
‘Tell me about it.’
‘Well, at least you have something to be happy about. Congrats, by the way.’
‘Thanks, Tanya.’ I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, contemplating the right thing to say. ‘I thought your concept was great. I know you worked super hard on it …’ My voice trailed off.Should I apologize?No, an apology would be tone deaf.Empathize?If only it were that simple.
‘It’s fine,’ she said, sparing me the awkwardness. ‘There could’ve been only one winner.’
‘But hey, Rajat did say he wants to do a mini social campaign with it … that’s pretty great, right?’ I rested my back against the bar counter, trying to keep my tone light.
‘Sure, more work and none of the perks.’ Tanya sighed, pushing her round glasses up her nose. ‘A true victory for me.’
This was torture.She hated me. My best (and only) friend in the office hated me.I tapped my fingernails against the glass in a restless rhythm, trying to piece together a sentence that would kill the terrible tension that sat between us. When I couldn’t come up with anything, I decided to take a sip of beer and blurt out what was really in my head. ‘Tanya … are you upset with me?’
She looked up from her drink, startled. ‘No … no, I’m not upset. Of course not. I’m happy for you,’ she said, her voice wobbling a bit. ‘I’m just … sad for me.’
I nodded, unsure what else to offer her in that moment. We sat next to each other in silence, cradling our drinks and catching snippets of conversations taking place around us—weekend plans, weather forecast, national politics. The usual.
‘The funny thing is,’ she began, taking another swig of her beer, ‘I knew it was over the minute Neil stood up and Rajat’s face lit up like a 1000-watt bulb.’
I frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
She lifted her mug, mumbling into the rim. ‘You know … it’s no secret that he has a soft corner for Neil.’
I stared at her for a second, wondering if I’d misheard her. But the quick, embarrassed way in which her eyes flitted away from mine confirmed that I’d heard her just fine. ‘Are you …’ I began, swallowing the knot forming in my throat, ‘saying that we only won because Rajat is biased towards Neil? That our idea was crap?’
Tanya groaned and covered her face with both hands. ‘Oh Kavya, I didn’t mean it like that at all. I’m just frustrated becauseI got my hopes up, you know?’ She let her hands fall to her sides, her shoulders slumping. ‘I really thought this would be my chance … to move out of my parents’ prison, get my own place, maybe live a little.’
Her words had stung, but she looked so deflated that all I wanted to do was comfort her. ‘Tanya, you’re amazing. And Rajat literally said he’s building a whole new marketing team for the fashion vertical … so there have to be more positions up for grabs.’ I gave her a small, lopsided smile. ‘Besides, I could still fuck this whole thing up and change Rajat’s mind. You never know.’
A tiny laugh trickled out of her. ‘We both know you’re going to ace it.’ There was a sincerity in her gaze that hadn’t been there a few moments ago. ‘I’m sorry … about implying your idea wasn’t worth the win. I’m being a little bitch.’
‘That you are.’ We bumped shoulders together, the last of the tension easing.
She checked her phone and made a face. ‘I have to go. My dad will have a full-blown meltdown if I’m not home by ten.’
Once Tanya had left, my eyes scanned the room absently. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for until I spotted Neil standing at the other end of the island bar, talking animatedly with Varun, Saloni and Nitya. I refilled my mug and let myself be pulled like a magnet in their direction.Hisdirection.
As I approached, I could hear the bubble of chatter spilling from their little circle. Varun was mid-story, gesturing wildly with his hands. ‘—and then the client says, “But can we make it moreedgy?”’ He paused for dramatic effect. ‘For a tubelight campaign.’
