5. Office

Raina finished her work before time and spent the remaining time getting familiar with her co-workers. After the office hour, she took a cab back to her apartment.

When she reached there, she got a surprise. Dia and her fiance Gaurav was waiting for her.

(Gaurav Chavan. 26 years old)

She greeted him with a beaming smile, " Gaurav! What a pleasant surprise?"

Gaurav gave her a hug, "Actually, I got a holiday so thought to surprise you both."

Raina raised her eyebrows in mischief, "Surprise both of us or surprise your fiance? What happened? Can't stay away from her?"

Gaurav chuckled at her comment and Dia blushed.

Gaurav cleared his throat and said, "Leave about me. I heard that today was someone's interview day. Did you get the job?"

Raina nodded her head in yes while smiling. Dia jumped on her giving her a bear hug.

Dia gushed, "OMG! You got the job in Rathore Enterprises. I am so happy for you."

Raina chuckled while hugging her back and motioned Gaurav to join them in the group hug.

Gaurav said breaking apart from the hug, "Now Ms Raina Kashyap, I want a party."

"Alright. Just give me 15 minutes. I will freshen up and join you.", Raina said.

With that, she ran to her room, picking her bag one the way.

🔅🔅🔅

The trio enjoyed their outing in Mumbai. Both have belonged to that small group of people with whom Raina was comfortable to show her emotions.

With outsiders, she pulled up a tough facade.

Dia and Raina are family members for each other in this world.

Gaurav joined this group in their college's years.

He was their senior and liked Dia very much.

Later in the night, Gaurav dropped both girls at their house and left for Pune, the city where he worked.

Again, when the darkness of the night reigned, Raina was lost in her thoughts.

When people get hurt, they sleep to escape their problems even for a while but her nights of sleep were cursed, cursed with horrific nightmares.

She was an Insomniac for the last 12 years. If she sleeps then it is soon broken by the bizarre nightmares. At first, she faced much physical and mental strain due to insomnia so she tried sleeping pills but soon discontinued them as they had their side effects.

Over the years her body and mind got adapted to the lack of sleep.

Dia was there to console her in her teenage days whenever she suffered from panic attacks in that orphanage but later she made herself strong, she became a tough lady.

She kept herself busy gazing at the moon and nostalgia hit her. In her childhood, her dad used to tell her stories by making her seat on his lap in the moonlight and she usually fell asleep in his arms.

A lone tear trickled down, passing through her cheekbones and fell on her hand. That's when she realized that she was crying. She wiped her tears and muttered, "From when you left me, my peace also left me."

🔅🔅🔅

In the morning, she got ready for the office on time. She decided to take her bike, her Black Beast along with her. Last day, it was her interview that's why she went by cab but now there was no need as she had her bike.

She reached her office before time as the heavy traffic in Mumbai couldn't stop her bike from sneaking from between the cars. She placed her helmet on her desk and settled on her seat.

Gradually, all of her colleagues started to come and the greetings were exchanged. They were chatting about their life but Raina's participation was limited. She was not the usual extrovert person.

Jeet, another co-worker asked after seeing her helmet, "You have a scooty??"

Raina answered, "I have a bike"

Neha asked, "Which bike??"

Raina simply answered, "Royal Enfield."

Jatin gasped, "Woahhh. A girl interested in the bullet?"

Raina rolled her eyes at his narrow-minded thought, "Not only for boys, but ROYAL ENFIELD is a crush for many girls too."

With that, everyone shut their mouth especially Jatin.

Soon Head of the team arrived there and started assigning their works.

Raina was patiently waiting for her turn but Head was leaving after his work, so her co-worker Neha intervened, "Sir!! What about Raina? You didn't give work to her."

Head came back to the desk and said, "Oh! yes, I forget about her."

He turned to Raina and said, "Raina you will be directly reporting to the MD himself. You have been asked in his cabin ." And with that, he walked out.

Raina along with all the employees were shocked because she was a new person in this job and MD was paying interest in her work directly which was very uncommon.

Raina stood up and went for Rohan's cabin avoiding all the gazes of people.

She went into his cabin and came with three big files in her hand. She carefully places them on the table while again her co-workers were shocked.

Vineet, her colleague asked, "Raina! What is this? Why there are so many files?"

Raina answered rubbing her temple, "Uhhhh. I have to complete these two files today and study the third one to prepare a presentation over it within one weak."

Neha gasped, "This is just too much work dude."

Raina said determined, "I know but I have to do this and I will do this."

And with that, she submerged herself in work.

After a whole day of continuous work with just a lunch break, she managed to complete the two files.

Many people had left already.

So she decided to hand over the files to Rohan.

Rohan was also ready to leave when Raina entered his cabin after knocking. She placed the files on the desk and told him to check them.

"You completed these two? Nice.",Rohan asked with interest.

Raina said pointing at the files, "Sir, I have read all the files and found some points missing so I wrote them down on a page. And the page is inserted between the last couple of pages."

Rohan was checking them and Raina was busy admiring the books of great authors kept on the shelves. She was always fascinated by the world of stories just like her father. Her trance was broken by Rohan.

Rohan said keeping them aside on the table, "Excellent Raina! Your working speed is great. Your points are also very necessary. I will remember to add them. And yeah, I want the third file ready by the end of this week. So you have five days to complete it."

He reminded her of the deadline.

Raina nodded and left his cabin.

She went to her desk to grab her bag and helmet.

Entering the elevator to go down, she found a man already present inside. Raina didn't look at his face, he was standing behind her and she was checking her mobile.

His eyes casually fell on her and then at her helmet.

A small smile tugged on his lips remembering his sister who had put the whole house on her head just to learn to drive a bike and how she abandoned it in between after falling from the bike.

Elevator opened with a ding sound and both went in the opposite direction.

Raina ignited her bike and drove swiftly to the exit. Unknown to her, somebody's gaze was following her.

He rolled up the window swiftly and the car moved out of the office premises.

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