Chapter 6
' You did what ?' Mithila squealed into Amaya's ears making her took the phone out and frown at it.
' Why are you so hyped up about an outing Mithila? You are screaming into my ears!'
' It wasn't just an outing though...right?.
It's not like that you took all of your guests to visit your home !! You have never invited me to go there...but you took Advaith. Why ? How ?' There was a hint of hurt in Mithila's voice which she covered up with sheer enthusiasm.
Amaya practically groaned. That was something she was questioning herself throughout the night , still clueless how she was acting like a dumb teenager with a huge crush when it comes to Advaith. It was surprising that she just nodded in agreement with his idea to accompany them.
' I don't know Mithila. I am just dumb I guess. ' Amaya concluded.
This much was true. If not, she would not have agreed to take him with her. He would not have heard the horrible things her Amma had said. He would not have seen her ugly crying and her useless anger.
Mortification bubbled inside her, then she thought how he had dealed with her meltdown. With kindness and gentleness and lots of understanding.
If he wasn't that supportive and kind, she would not have just leaned herself into his shoulder.
She wasn't aware of the weight of her action until she put her head on his shoulder .
She was being selfish and dumb along with other things which she wanted to ignore at that moment.
She felt better immediately at the same time her stupid heart was beating crazy like she was running miles in a second yet she had yearned for more.
She wanted to loop her arms and drew him a little more closer so that they could sit more comfortably. She wanted to hold their hands together and check whether his hand was big enough to engulf her hand and talk about million stupid things. But they had stayed just like that , little awkward yet connected somehow.
Amaya was embarrassed by her thoughts now. She had never been like this.
She had always kept her thoughts in check, actions measured and control , yet this time her heart was acting like it has a will of it's own.
Advaith was as shocked as she was about her sudden boldness. He hadn't uttered a single word and they had sit there, watching the sky in silence until someone from the resort called her. She thought there was a little bit magic in the air surrounding them which dissipated to the night as soon as they decided to get back to the resort.
They had walked the whole way back to the resort in an amicable silence.
Amaya had a lot of thoughts in her mind. Her Amma's words echoed in her head. She knew her mom hated her , but listening all those hurtful words from her , it broke her heart.
She wanted to put a reverse switch in her life if possible. So that, she could reverse all the things that went wrong in her life.
Her past , her words and actions, everything were hunting her down till day. If it was up to her, she would erase everything in her past.
But the irreversibility , the hurt and pain, it's overwhelming and she sometimes struggled to keep herself from crumbling down.
She was pretty shaken up by the confrontation and the outburst of anger and misery. Probably that's why her heart leaned to a person who actually seemed kind and warm enough to let her cry.
Yes that was it. She was just shaken up and like every other person if put in that situation , she was just seeking comfort from Advaith. Nothing more, nothing less. Period. Right.
Amaya exhaled deeply.
' Hey Amaya...are you there?'
Mithila's confused voice asked her.
Amaya shook her head as she replied
' Yes yes I am here.. Do you want to switch today's shift? I will take the evening one or work tomorrow? '
Amaya had called Mithila in the early morning to check this one thing.
' Let us talk tomorrow. Have a good night Amaya' that was what he said right before they parted their ways last night.
What was he implying? What is there to talk? His tone wasn't too serious but not playful either.
Was he going to give her a lecture about how indecent her behaviour was or how disappointed he was in her or he was going to cancel her service since it was a total disaster yesterday?
She was confused and utterly humiliated by the thoughts.
She felt weird to go out and meet Advaith in the morning after pulling such a stunt last night. She could justify her actions by words but she wasn't sure that she believed herself about it at all.
' Switching shifts? Is this Amaya in real? ' Mithila let out a laugh.
' What is so funny?' Amaya was annoyed now.
' You know your nick name is clock?? Who works around the clock and never stops working?'
Amaya sighed ' What happened to that name now?'
' Yeah.... that's my question to ask! Did something really happened yesterday? You know you can trust me ..?'
Amaya could sense that Mithila was concerned about her even though she was trying to mask it , not to push her too much.
Was it like this always? Was she this ignorant towards Mithila that she had to constantly make efforts when it came to Amaya's thoughts and feelings? Was she a difficult person?
Amaya felt really bad about all of it.
She made a promise to herself that she would try to be more mindful of Mithila's feelings too.
If she was going to try to be a decent friend for Mithila, she has to talk first ...right?
So Amaya started telling the whole story to Mithila.
Their lunch together, how he had asked her to join them, how she had said yes without giving it a second thought like a moonstruck teenager. What happened with her Amma, how he had consoled her, how they had ended up watching the sunset together and how she had acted like a fool in the end.
Mithila was patient with her throughout her monologue. Once she ended her one sided talk, Amaya was expecting a flurry of excitement from Mithila but all she got was a sigh.
' I am so sorry Amaya. Are you alright? I wish I was there to give you a hug. I am grateful that at least Advaith was there and he took good care of you. Well , he scored a few points in my book , no wonder you were comfortable with him'
A lump formed in her throat. She had hid her worries well all the time that she had forgotten, how comforting it is to tell someone and how relieving it is when that said person is kind enough to acknowledge your pain and concerns? Mithila was that person.
It took a lot of time for Amaya to see that but she wanted to hold onto that feeling that no matter what, Mithila is her person.
' Thank you for saying that' Amaya's voice was little bit squeaky with all the emotions. She wiped off tears from her cheek. She had a friend all along...even though she was too absorbed in herself, Mithila was watching over her.
' But Amaya , I am not sure why are you worried about your shift today? Did something else happen?'
Amaya blinked realising that she hadn't given the reason for her plans to exchange their shift.
' Hm... Advaith told me that he want to talk to me .. tomorrow. That means today. I have no idea what does he want to talk. Probably about the way I behaved last night. I should not have done that. Now I am freaking out '
Amaya blurted out .
' Seriously Amaya? It could be that but the chances are very very less if you ask me. What if he wants to talk to you about something else, something important that he want to share with you? It could be something good too right? Don't get scared already. If I have to take a wild guess, may be he wants to take you out on a date...like yesterday evening might have proven that you guys could be magic together...'
Mithila was having too much fun with the scenerio altogether. Amaya could tell it from the excited way she was talking.
Amaya laughed despite of her being terrified to face him today.
' Come on Mithila... that's way too much for the situation right now. I just hope it's not something bad'
' I know it's a bit too much but hey...he is good looking and kind, and it seems that you don't hold the unapproachable card around him and you are soooo single. I could dream about a romantic date here ...you don't have to participate at all'
Amaya rolled her eyes but her lips curled into a smile. Mithila would totally do that in her head. She had tried to play Cupid a few times in the past even though Amaya never budged or played along with her but that never stopped Mithila from trying.
Amaya chewed on her lip thoughtfully.
Mithila could be right...not about the date thing obviously but maybe he just want to talk about something else? Maybe about the trekking points or viewpoints around the area , it could be something like that too...right? '
Why can't she think like that though? Her stupid brain always gives her a hard time by overthinking about everything. She sighed in resignation.
' Do you want to change the shift? I am ok with it , not because you are overly worked up about the whole thing but I really think that you should get some rest and sleep after what happened yesterday. Then go and meet Advaith and clear your head. Don't give it a lot of thought, just go . ' Mithila added gently.
Amaya was so grateful that Mithila was being so supportive of her.
They made plans to exchange their shift. ..so that Amaya could rest a bit and meet with Advaith.
It was still early to get out , so she moved around in her tiny apartment. Even though she was sleep deprived, her mind was too restless to sleep or rest.
After the call with Mithila, she just want ed to go and talk to him and clear the confusion from her mind.
So here she was , knocking on his door at sharp 8'o' clock.
Being this eager to talk after freaking out whole night was a little stupid, she knew, but she wanted peace and Mithila would kill her if she backed out now. So Amaya had mustered up all her courage and came to meet him.
She was still restless and looked almost like a homeless person in her crumbled sweats but she could not care less. She was in no mood to perfect her look and pretend everything was perfect in her world.
So she waited for him to open the door even though her legs were opting to run away, she stayed there.
After a few minutes, Advaith opened his door. If he was surprised to see her early in the morning, he did not show it at all. As he invited her to come inside, the nervousness caught up her with again.
Suddenly her tongue was glued to the roof of the mouth and she had no clue what to tell or ask.
' You are here... '
Amaya tried to analyse the tone but he was just being nice to her, so she could not place his mood.
He walked into the kitchen and opened the mini fridge in the corner.
' Would you like some coffee?'
Amaya nodded her head , still unable to utter a word.
' Come...sit' he pointed her towards the bar stools near the open kitchen island.
She sat down quitely and watched him making coffee.
They were quiet and she could feel the way he moves around the kitchen, collecting the coffee powder and sugar from the cabinet. The smell of warmed milk and the perfect mixing of the concoction.
He poured the creamy liquid to the white cup , that's customary in every room of their resort.
He took a cup for himself and moved one cup towards Amaya who was studying him with wide eyes all this time.
He was tall , lean in a way that was attractive.
His hair was fluffy and unkempt, just out of bed but still kind of cute and was wearing a black and grey sweat pants and t-shirt. That was his regular fit, she had seen him in the same kind of clothes almost every day. She looked away. Admiring him secretly is not going to help her at all.
Advaith sat down on the bar stool, facing her , while sipping his coffee.
The aroma wafted through the air which was tempting enough for Amaya to take the cup and sip her coffee in a second. She made a satisfactory noise while sipping. ' Man..this is good!'
' How is it?'
Obviously she liked it. It was a perfect coffee and for Amaya, who really can't cook even to survive, would enjoy anything and everything someone cook for her even if it's really bad.
She did not want to voice all of her thoughts right away . So she nodded.
' Thanks for the coffee, it's really good.'
She replied as she took another sip of the same.
As the caffeine was hitting on her nerves, she was getting more alert .
What was she doing right now? Wasn't she here to talk and clear the air? Why is she drinking coffee prepared by him and admire him inconspicuously.
Amaya bit her lower lip.
'Ha...this is going bad ' she thought.
' Do you want some cookies too? It's not as good as you brought me last time. They were delicious. I finished everything last night itself. It was that good.' he smiled and that dimple made an appearance.
Amaya glowed with pride. Even though she can't cook a single thing properly, her cookies were amazing, like Micheline star worthy good...or she was told so.
' I made them. The one and only thing that I could make without burning everything into charcoal ' she chuckled on her own joke.
' Wow ....so those cookies were your own creation? Thank you Amaya, for considering me worthy enough to try them. '
He gave a little bow and she laughed.
Yeah yeah Amaya, don't get too excited about his good mood. You still have no idea why he wanted to talk. She reminded herself over and over. She waited till he finished his coffee to let her thoughts out.
' So what do you want to talk about?'
Amaya jumped into the topic right away. She didn't want to beat around the bush to get her answers.
' Oh ..yes . The talk ' His tone emphasized that it was something really important.
Amaya's heart start pounding in trepidation.
' I am planning to check out today evening ' he replied while looking away. Like he has a lot of thoughts and unsure how much he could reveal.
' God this is awful. She was right all along. She had done something really wrong yesterday that he decided to check out already. Wow Amaya, this is some another level of unprofessionalism ' her throat closed up.
She hasn't done something like this in her work never before.
' Is this about yesterday? Look, I am really sorry about what happened yesterday. It was all my fault. Please don't make a decision to leave just because how I handled yesterday. If you want, you can always change the private service personnel. I won't come anywhere near to bother you. Please don't leave because of me.'
This was her working place and losing a guest due to her poor service was enough to leave a red mark on her career . Moreover, it hurt her pride.
Advaith's eyes snapped back to her. He looked totally confused and bewildered.
' What ? No. You got it all wrong. It's not like that ' he rubbed his palm together. Then looked at her again.
Her eyes were welling up even though she tried to blink them away, they were persistent.
It made him sad that how easily she put all the blame on herself.
It's like she believed that her actions were wrong , she was someone to be blamed and taken accountable for when something went wrong.
What must have happened in her life to make her think like that? He wondered.
He could tell that there was something going on at her home but how deep it affected her and showed it in her personality, he didn't know until now.
There are moments when you actually want to protect someone from all the wrongdoings of the world. Advaith has yet to figure out why he feels the need to pull Amaya out of her self deprecating thoughts and tell her that she should stop putting herself down .
He suppressed the urge to give her a lecture on the same , instead he picked up her empty cup from the table and put it in the sink and turned around to look at this small human being who was sitting in front of him with her heart already breaking into pieces.
' There was nothing wrong about yesterday Amaya . It was my request to go with you, it should be me if someone has to apologise here. But I am really glad that you weren't alone there and I had witnessed a wonderful sunset too...only because you took me there. I am grateful and my decision has nothing to do with it. Please believe me' He just wanted her to understand that it wasn't about her or anything to do with her.
Amaya took a moment to process this. She could see the earnestness in his eyes. He wasn't lying to her. She let out a long deep breath.
' Then what's it about? ' she asked, steadying herself a bit.
The sunlight was hitting on her face directly from the kitchen window. She tried to cover her eyes with her palm and looked at him, waiting for his answer, to make sure that it's not her fault. His heart went out to her and hoped that she would understand that his decision has nothing to do with her.
' See, I came here to stay at my friend's house. I got to know about the ongoing renovation at that house only after landing here in Kerala. So my friend made the arrangements for me to stay here, which is the closest to this friend's house, till they tidy up the place. He glanced at Amaya, making sure that she's following his words. .
' And it's all done now and I can move to there at any time I want.
Coming here in Lakeview, it wasn't in my plan , I don't regret it though. '
That was true, he didn't regret it at all .
Amaya gave him a tiny nod.
She was relieved to know that he wasn't leaving because of her.
But that didn't change the fact that he's leaving nonetheless.
It's true that she had known that he would be leaving eventually, like every other guest in the resort, but it was so soon and unexpected.
She was feeling better than before, yet she could feel the disappointment filling up in her heart.
' Okay. I understood. Should I make the arrangements now itself? Since you have done an advance payment, I will check with the accountant about the payment and service charges.
It will be ready in an hour or so.
You can just ring in the reception and Mithila would let you know.'
Amaya tried to sound all professional, but she couldn't hide her gloominess lacing each of her words in a bubble of sadness. What's wrong with you Amaya , she scolded herself.
' Thank you but I have something else to ask ' He added.
This was what he had in mind when he mentioned 'the talk'.
Amaya looked a bit confused by his confession.
Her eyebrows shot up a little as she crossed her arms, waiting for him to explain it.
He tapped his fingers on the counter twice nervously. Amaya's gaze followed his actions, curious to know what is making him this nervous.
' Amaya, I will be staying here for a month or so and I will be honest with you. I am working on my last book in the blood bath series. Hopefully I will be able to finish it this time....I have to'
There was a little bit of frustration in his words, his forehead wrinkled in worry. He was worried about it, Amaya could tell but she couldn't resist the little smile on her lips.
There were a lot of people who are waiting for the same, and she is the one who get to know about the status of the book directly from the writer himself. Even though she doesn't like to read the series, the news made her happy. Finally, those people who were losing their sleep over the book , will be getting their answers.
' Wow... that's great ' she welcomed the news with a little smile and a clap.
He returned the gesture even though the smile didn't quite reached his eyes.
'There is more to it...right? She could tell that he had more to say on this topic.
'Yes' he brushed back the mop of hair from his forehead. Amaya could now look at his black orbs clearly but the intensity and hurt reflected in them made her uncomfortable.
' I am like this old school person who likes to write it on paper first.I usually send my manuscript to the publishing company first. I have been the same always but it's difficult to write now. My fingers do not budge.' He tapped his fingers on the counter again.
She could tell that he wasn't telling her the entire thing and this conversation itself is really uncomfortable for him. Amaya looked at his long slender fingers.
What does he mean that he can't write anymore? What is wrong with his fingers? She thought about the delay and all the discussion happened when he didn't release the last book in the series on time and it was quite noisy in the literary side of the internet. She, herself was so curious to know about it. But now, when he was right in front of her eyes , telling her about all the things she wanted to know, she didn't want to pry or prod. There was something really vulnerable about him in that moment, she didn't want to quench her thirst by asking useless or hurtful questions.
I am still trying to write on paper but I can hardly type it on a laptop.
I need someone to help me to type it down for me, someone I can trust. Usually, I get help from the publishing house, since I am here now, I need someone from here.
Can you be that person Amaya?. I think I trust you...a lot. '
There it was, he had left the truth out there. He trusted her a lot and hoped she would accept the offer.
Amaya took a shaky breath. She sat still for a second and searched his face for any traces of mischief. None. He was damn serious.
He has just offered her a job, something very valuable for him and considering her as someone trustworthy, that he will entrust her with such a job.
Her eyes slowly slipped towards his long fingers.
His fingers looked fine. There's nothing wrong with them, if she could put herself as an intrusive observer, his hands were gorgeous.
' wow Amaya... what's with all that?!' she surprised herself with all the cringe worthy things that went through her mind in a flash of seconds. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
' Is that a job offer? ' She enquired casually trying to suppress her bubbling anxiety and excitement at the same time.
'If you are interested, then it's ' he conceded. Advaith really hoped she would take the job.
It's a legit cause to keep Amaya close even after leaving this place.
That was a bit of selfish from his side.
He could use her help here but it wasn't a necessary part as he was trying to imply here.
Sam, his agent, is always ready to get it done for him. It's his job that he was offering to Amaya . Why ? Just because he wanted to keep her close? Was he deceiving her? Not really.
But was he being completely honest with her? Not really either.
He sighed. He needs to figure out why he is doing what he was doing right now.
He patiently waited for her reply. Even though she tried to look cool and calm, he could feel her nervous energy in the air and he really hoped that she won't bolt from the chair right away.
' I would love to work for you but I need to get the permission from the management' she replied slowly. since the job is outside their premises and it has nothing to do with the service they offered here, she needs the approval from the management.
Amaya has worked other jobs along with this job in the past too.
She was one of the oldest staff in the resort and GM really knows what happened to her family and he was kind enough to let her work in other job opportunities if she could deliver her duties here without creating any trouble for her team and colleagues here.
She was grateful for that and she did all in her capacity to give it her all in anywhere she had worked in the past. That included babysitting, assisting in a vet clinic, distributing flyers to visitors on road and a lot of other jobs.
It was hard and she barely get time to eat and sleep but she survived.
This was an easy job in comparison to all the odd jobs she had done so far.
' You have to pay me well ... I am in high demand you see ...' she tilted her head to a side and raised her eyebrows.
' That means you are okay with the proposal?' he breathed in relief.
' If the management allows me , then It will be okay I guess'
A little smile broke out on her lips. The relief she felt after knowing that Advaith wanted to talk her about this and not about their yesterday's adventure, she was quite happy.
Mithila was right, some times it can be good news that awaits her. She has to go ahead and listen before deciding whether it's bad or good.
Mithila said that over and over until Amaya started to roll her eyes when they met in the afternoon to change the shift after Advaith checked out. Amaya stayed away from the reception area until she was sure he had left the property.
' Now, now go ahead and thank me for being such a blessing in your life and promise me that you will update me every single thing that happens in your new work place '
Mithila was too ectastic , oohing and aahing over the new job , which Amaya was planning to take over whenever she has some free time, and praising Advaith's keen eye to seek out Amaya for it. It was adorable to see her getting excited over Amaya's life.
She hoped that Mithila hadn't scared the hell out of Advaith when he came to check out.
When Amaya enquired about it to her , her reply was feable.
'I am a professional, he was pleased by my service' she flipped her hair in a way that made Amaya wonder how professional was she with Advaith.
Sigh sigh....who knows! Maybe she could hear about it once she started working there.
' Yeah Yeah ...you are the best person out there....' Amaya gave her a thumbs up and little bow while Mithila raised her right hand in the air showing her blessings.
Amaya laughed. Mithila could be really funny and it was fun to chat about something silly like this.
' What about the daily updates?' Mithila's voice was serious.
' What updates ?' Amaya raised her eyebrows quizzically.
' You should tell me anything and everything happens when you go there.
It's for your own good. If it's not for me , you would not have gone to meet him and there's a bigger chance of you twisting and misunderstanding every single thing happens there. This is for you my friend ....I need updates so that I can keep an eye on you both'
Even though her face and tone was serious, Amaya could see the mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
' Oh I see, such an act of kindness. Mithila, I can see that you want all the updates to get all the drama out there and convince me to date someone '
Mithila laughed , a hearty happy sound.
' You got me... Hey..I mean I love drama, especially when it's from your life and when the guy involved is handsome ' she winked.
' Poor Roni, does he knows that his wife is acting like a loose nut nowadays?'
Mithila snort laughed.
' Well , he lives with me , of course he knows and he loves it'
Yeah, that's so true. She had seen that much. The way Roni looks at Mithila, with lots of adoration and pride that this loud, cheerful yet compassionate woman is his partner.
If someone ever looked her that way, what would she feel? Amaya wondered.
Probably something like that won't happen ever in her life. That was a bit disappointing but hey at least she has Mithila to cheer her up.
Amaya found the new development in their relationship quite amazing.
They had known each other for years now but they weren't this close before even when they shared the apartment.
How did she ignored this much sunshine? Mithila had this energy and cheerfulness about her always, which Amaya had noticed before but never riveted in it.
Now that Mithila was pouring all her attention and energy on Amaya, there's something she loved about it.
The way Mithila made her feel lighter and warm, for a change, Amaya loved it.
She made a promise to herself to be more mindful and open towards Mithila, that way she could repay the kindness she had showered on her all this time.
The next few days passed by the blink of an eye. Amaya got the approval from the management to take up the job , under the condition that she would put her duty here first and this new job is under her own full responsibility. She was happy to agree on the same.
Meanwhile, it took Advaith a few days to get used to the new house he moved into.
It was close to Amaya's resort. Maybe a 15 minutes walk.
She hasn't started working yet . She was busy all week and he needed time to set up everything at this new place.
He loved the new place. It was a bit old yet spacious and comfortable.
The building itself had a minimalistic approach in everything that he loved.
If he wanted, he could start writing right away. The atmosphere and ambience, everything was perfect except that he had lost his will to try writing again.
He had finished more than half of the book long ago. He wanted to finish the book as soon as possible so that Nila could read it.
Since Nila left him before he could even finish the book, he was lost.
He did not have any will or purpose to finish the book anymore.
If Nila won't be reading, he didn't care who else wouldn't get to read.
His fingers took the message right away and he was unable move his fingers when it comes to writing. .
' It's all your mind's game Adhi.
You know, you did not want to finish the book and now you are trying to finish it since the publishing house is giving you lots of pressure and if you didn't deliver on time, they might sue you.
Your purpose has changed but your will hasn't.
You need to get out there and see the world again. Go and explore the world. Go for a trip, do and try many things.
Who knows you might be able to write again? '
Alex 's monologue had touched on his nerves when they talked about his inefficiency regarding writing.
He used to feel the anger rising inside him.
Nobody understand him. Alex was just giving opinions over and over without thinking that Advaith wanted to write too.
Not as passionately like before but still he wanted to write. It's his only way to express himself and his thoughts out there.
When he was writing Hiraeth, the characters were his tools to deliver his thoughts. It worked like magic for him. It healed him , comforted him when he was in dire need.
Blood bath series was nothing like Hiraeth.
It was more about people and their poor judgement and desire to own everything.
The main protagonist in his book was a young woman, Nilanika.
The character was directly inspired by Nila herself.
A badass, intelligent, observant girl. Charlie, her sidekick, was her biggest support who always stuck by her side .
Readers didn't know that the characters were real, from his life itself. For them they were just characters and he was able to explore the human desires and mysteries through the series.
So he liked to write it. His first book on the series was very experimental from his side. He was known for his romance books and that's something he enjoyed writing.
This was quite a new attempt and people loved it beyond his expectations. That's how it became a series. Nila loved it . She used talk about the characters for hours, giving suggestions and ideas.
Then one day she wasn't there anymore and he didn't know what to do.
He was doing really bad until he came here.
The day he met Mili, he was able to hold the pen in his hand and write a few lines.
It was nothing much but he was so happy.
It just proved that he could write again, if he keeps trying, keep holding to the hope, he might be able to finish the book.
He has been writing every day since then. He slept comparitively less and was able to write a few sentences.
He was hopeful, if Amaya would be around, he might be able to finish it.
It was Friday evening and he was eagerly waiting for Amaya, for her first day of work here.
He was waiting all day in fact but she came late.
She looked really tired and drained when she arrived.
' You are here... Good evening '
She smiled at him . Even though her eyes were tired and a little bit red, her smile was genuine and pleasant.
' Are you alright?' he didn't want to pry her but couldn't help himself from asking.
' It was a tiring day at work. I am alright... don't worry ' she ensured giving another smile on his way.
' You could have skipped it for today you know... it's not necessary for you to come every day. I don't mind '
Advaith really wanted her to come every day but he also wanted her to be healthy and happy.
' This is my first day at work here, I didn't want to skip and make a bad impression on my boss'
Advaith chuckled.
' For your information your boss is really happy that you are here'
Amaya blushed and looked away.
He took her around the house , showing her around.
Amaya looked Impressed by all the beautiful architecture and designing of the place. He had set up a small working place for Amaya. It was the most beautiful part of the house. He set up a table and chair along with a laptop and other things she might need. The table was close to the floor length window with a stunning view of the hilly terrain and foliage.
Pink and rose Bougainville covered the upper part of the window giving it a dreamy look.
He really hoped that she would like the place and she did.
' This is so pretty. Did you choose this place intentionally?' Amaya was pleased to see the place and wanted to appreciate it.
' Yeah, I hoped that you would get to see some good scenery outside even though the job is all about death and mystery ' .
Her face fell. She clenched and unclenched her fists instinctively.
Amaya knew that the books are scary for her liking but she was hoping that she could worry less about the story and concentrate more on the job in her hand.
This is a job and she is going to do well.
She raised her head and held it high with confidence.
Let's just pretend that she's not scared to read at all.
Advaith saw the panic in her eyes and how she quickly changed it into indifference.
' Let's start right away. ' she masked the panic she felt about reading all the murders prone to happen in the book. But she needed this job, the extra amount of money could be helpful to save up for her next IELTS exam. She hasn't checked the results yet nonetheless was so sure she had bombed her exam.
So she need to stick to this job and prove him that she is capable of doing this properly.
' Are you sure? I thought you might need to rest a bit today. You could start tomorrow '
Concern filled his expression.
' No...we could start right away. ' Amaya suppressed a yawn and smiled brightly.
I could sleep later, right now she needs to prove a point, that she's capable of doing this.
The day was exhausting with a bunch of annoying guest in the resort, who kept calling her desk every five minutes. Most of the calls were for the housekeeping section but they decided it's her responsibility to do everything they order.
She tried to be polite and redirected them to the right number and requested them to contact the housekeeping which they deliberately ignored. By the end of her shift, she was exhausted and annoyed . Right now, even though the exhaustion was reaching out to her, she tried to keep it at bay.
There will be time to rest after this..she reminded herself and switched on the laptop Infront of her and waited for Advaith to come back with the manuscript.
Advaith went to his study to get his manuscript of the last book. The last chapters , he has to finish yet but the main portions are covered. He resisted the urge to open the leather bound book and see his neat handwriting but he knew it would just make him sad, seeing the letters and his current inability to write like that. So he kept the books tightly in his arms and headed to the kitchen.
Amaya looked exhausted and he wished she could just rest today and start her job tomorrow. The stubbornness she showed a few minutes ago, a shield to mask herself from the terror she felt about reading the book, he was able to detect . He would get her a cup of coffee and let her sit there till she finishes it and would send her back. He has to find a reason till then to convince her that she could come back the next day itself and he is not going to take her job away.
He made a mug of coffee and thought about a plan to make her believe that she doesn't have to work today.
He was thinking hard until he found her asleep on the same place he had left her.
The exhaustion had taken away her stubbornness to stay awake.
Advaith put the coffee mug on the table and studied her face. She was completely out. There was a peaceful look on her face, which he didn't want to take away by waking her up.
She could sleep a little there , maybe after some time, he could wake her up and send her back.
He went back to the bedroom and got a Cashmere shawl from the cupboard and gently placed it on her sleeping form.
As he retreated to his study, there was a feeling of contentment in his chest.
He knew it's the beginning of something new and strangely it filled him with a warmth that he thought he had already lost.
Maybe something good was on its way to happen.
