It had been four long days since the chaos with Sanjay's project, and not once had I dared to set foot in Kathir's office. Honestly, I didn't want to. The thought of facing those awkward moments again, the tension hanging in the air, was something I wasn't ready for. It felt like every time I thought about it, a weight settled on my chest. I couldn't deal with it. Not yet.
Vino and I were sprawled lazily on the couch, our attention drifting between the TV screen and random thoughts. The hum of the television was a comforting background noise as we half-watched a mindless show, both of us lost in our own worlds. Then, just as I was beginning to forget about everything, a voice broke through my thoughts.
"Hey, Vidya, can you do me a favor?"
I froze, already knowing who it was. I glanced up, catching Vino's gaze. She was looking at me with that familiar expression—the one she always wore when she knew something was coming. Her eyes seemed to say, I warned you. I shifted my attention to the staircase, and there he was: Sanjay, standing at the bottom, his gaze firmly fixed on me. His stance was casual, but I could see the glint in his eyes that told me exactly why he was here. Of course. I'd known this moment was coming.
My brows furrowed instinctively, and I sighed inwardly, bracing myself for whatever he was about to ask.
"What is it?" I asked, trying my best to keep my tone even, though I could feel the frustration bubbling under the surface.
"They accepted my project," Sanjay said, his voice betraying just a hint of excitement. "And now I need to give them some documents. Can you take them for me?"
I blinked, the annoyance rising in my chest. Seriously? After everything that had happened, he wanted me to go back there? I couldn't even imagine stepping foot in that office again, not after the way things had ended. I didn't want to see anyone from that place again, especially not Kathir. The thought of the cold silence, the uncomfortable glances—it all made me want to hide under the covers and never leave.
"Why me?" I asked, rubbing my temples, trying to stave off the headache forming. "Why don't you just go and give it to them yourself?"
Sanjay sighed dramatically, as if my question was the most unreasonable thing in the world. He gave me that familiar look—the one that said, You're making this harder than it is. It was the kind of look that made me feel like I was the problem.
"Come on," he said, his voice laced with a touch of desperation now. "Don't you remember? You're supposed to be my assistant in their eyes. You need to go and be there sharp at 7."
I felt my stomach turn at the thought. My eyes flicked to Vino, who was sitting up straighter now, her gaze narrowing at Sanjay. She wasn't having any of it.
"But Sanjay," Vino interjected, her voice sharp, "You're the one who owns the project. Why can't you just go yourself?"
Sanjay gave a knowing nod, as if the answer was painfully obvious. "Yeah, I know, but they're probably wondering why Vidya hasn't shown up to work yet. Just tell them you're not interested in joining. Please, do me this favor."
I let out a slow breath, the weight of his words settling over me. I glanced between Sanjay and Vino, trying to weigh my options. I wasn't thrilled about this, not even close. But what else could I do? He was my brother, and sometimes family meant doing things you didn't want to. I couldn't leave him hanging, especially with everything going on.
"Fine," I muttered, the resignation in my voice clear. "I'll do it. But don't expect me to be thrilled about it."
Sanjay's face lit up with relief, his shoulders relaxing as if a great burden had been lifted. "That's my sister."
I rolled my eyes in response, exhaling loudly as the dread of what was to come slowly crept in. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready for anything that had to do with that office, with Kathir, with the endless tension that seemed to follow me there. But I had no choice now.
The feeling of unease settled in my stomach, and as I stared at the TV once more, I could already feel the weight of the decision dragging me down. This was going to be harder than I thought.