8. Out of League

It was the twelfth call I had repudiated of Ajay.

He needed to stop bothering me, but his mind was a size of a pea to understand anything. I had more things to worry about and pay my attention in.

Vexed by it, I put my phone on a silent mode, to not disrupt me while I work.

"Again on phone." Piyush gave me a spiked look like it was my fault. But it was my so called boyfriend. I had no idea where we both stood, neither I wanted to think about it.

Thinking about it was like giving a tunnel for hurt to come and destroy me. Many bad breakups were already on the list and one more would join soon.

I put my phone back to my purse.

"Girls and their phones," Dhruv commented from my side. I gave him a harsh glare to shut his mouth up. I wasn't in the mood of performing a sorry girl and think about our ruined relationship. He gave me a startled look but didn't say anything in return. Tiredness was coursing my muscles.

"Boys and their sick attitude." I snapped back.

"No fighting in my office. Let the fishes have a loving atmosphere." Piyush criticized both of us. I stirred my head back to the front, with a scowl on my face. His aquarium had only three fish.

"Apologize." He slid his gaze from me to Dhruv. "Both of you."

"Sorry." We muttered in unison.

A happy smile emerged on Piyush face as he clapped his hands together. "You both behave like children." As you were any less. "I saw corrections you both made. Nicely done."

I hadn't seen the changes he made to my design, but something in me was urging to jerk the design from Piyush hands and see it.

But then he did something out of the world. He tore away our designs in two pieces and threw it away in the dustbin.

"What the fuck!" We both yelled.

Piyush wore a bored look and dusted off his hand like it was just a thing made of dust and made his hand dirty. We spend hours on that design, then make each others design correct and he just tore them away like they were blank papers.

That was the most ludicrous thing I ever saw in my entire life.

"For the people, who hate each other, you both have a sync of saying things together." His remark brought out a scowl. He was saying like he had figured us out.

"You need to tell what you did." I denoted my gaze to the tore pages.

"You both made it. I saw it. Nothing new." He knelt closer. "I need something new. Extraordinary. It is Fashion Studio show. We don't show things which are outdated." He stood up from his chair and paced around the room. "Open the windows of your mind, let the ideas overflow it, make you work your hands."

"He talks like a lunatic," Dhruv muttered. "Are you sure you aren't drunk today?"

I think he was.

Piyush frowned at Dhruv and snapped his fingers in front of him.

"I don't drink while working. Golden Rule." He took another sketch pad and handed to me.

"Make a new design. This time different. Not the one you made before."

"But there is only one sketchpad."

His lips quirked up in a secret smile. "That's what interesting. Work together."

My mouth dropped on the ground. It was impossible. Me and him working together was the next to impossible thing. He never talks to me. Remained in his own work and avoided me. It had been going on from a week.

"I will not do it," I said.

"I didn't ask you, Sanchi," He sang.

Was he sure of being a mature and adult? Because nothing from his actions spoke maturely to me. He behaves like a child.

I displaced my glare to Dhruv. Already a headache was girdling me and his useless talking was increasing it.

"Say something to him."

He shrugged his shoulders. "He is our boss."

"Dhruv, you're right." Piyush gaze turned to me. "Learn something from him." Not this dialogue. Always learn something from someone else. Learn how to behave. Learn how to speak. Just learn and learn. My hands curled, but I made the anger control.

I need to fucking forget everything about morning.

Nothing was different. But one dialogue changed.

Learn something from your cousin sister. I never saw her going out in odd hours.

Well, dad you never saw her going out in odd hours because she never had a life. Always hiding away in an innocent act in front of you, and doing things you couldn't even imagine.

"Now go to work. I've to see things too." His usual dialogue to flee us away. Giving him a look, I took a run out of the office with impediment boiling in me.

Furiously, I threw the sketchpad on the table, clutching my forehead tightly to avoid a headache which was hastening back. Things were becoming a mess day by day. I shifted in my seat and saw Dhruv was standing beside me, talking on the phone.

"- you're going back?" Something was spoken on the other side. "Hmm, I'll make her understand. Don't worry." Chuckling, he cut off the call and faced me.

Her must be his wife.

"Let's get started or eavesdropping wasn't enough for you?" Ignoring, I opened the sketchpad with pencil swayed between my fingers. White ceiling light was casting a glow on the black carpeted table. The sheet was white and I had no idea how two people work together in one design.

From his expression, I could decipher he was thinking the same.

I had no idea that fashion designing would turn into this hard. Maundering my eyes, I saw everyone was busy with their own things. Some meddled with mannequins, some talking with others or handling some dresses and some girls just seeing my way - more like Dhruv. But he was busy paying attention to his phone, not caring the girls were staring at him.

Well, he was married. His wife would kill him.

Sitting on the stool, I asked, "What to do now?"

He sat beside me, fingers drummed on the table top. "I was thinking, how about we draw separately and then check each other designs to make it correct."

"That's what we did before."

He hummed in response. "But we've to start somewhere. Their is no way we can draw together."

His point was correct. How can two people draw on one sheet together? Piyush had gone nuts with all the things he was doing.

Nodding, we tore the pages from the pad. Dhruv took the tore pages, got up from the seat and left to the other corner, where white sofas were placed with a coffee table. Sighing, I gazed at the paper, something about it made me sad. I was just overthinking things. Exerting all the absurd thoughts at the back of my mind, I began the work, snubbing the voices going around me.

"Hey, you should change the side of dupatta." Halting on the tracks, I turned to see a girl standing there. Her black hair was pulled up in a pony, the brown skin was powered with makeup, short skirt, and the sleeveless top was enough for me to know. She was here to make me feel less.

"I didn't ask for your advice," I said nonchalantly and got back to my work, but she didn't hear it.

My eyes went to where she sat beside me. Involuntarily, my gaze skidded to Dhruv, who was drinking coffee and drawing together.

"But I'm helping you here." Her voice made the gaze return to the starting point. She snatched my design and started drawing on it, making me scowl. Annoyed, I stole the pad from her grasp. Who the hell she thought of herself? Confusion concealed her bitchy face. "I'm helping. I've worked here more than you. You're beginner."

Did I ask you?

Leaning in, I gave her a wicked smile, fury consuming each part of my body. "How are you helping me?"

She again snatched the pad from my hands, with a smile playing on her lips. I was similar with this smile very well. The smile when you prove someone wrong and got the monopoly in your fingers.

"See - " She pointed to the dupatta which was on her head. " - you can put it on her shoulder." Curling my fingers, I nodded and waited for more of her suggestion and she kept on giving me.

When she was done, she asked, "Do you like my suggestion?"

Before I could reply, Dhruv spoke from behind her. "What is she doing?"

The annoying girl turned her face to meet Dhruv perplexed face. Her face changed. Smile got bigger, showing her teeth, her one hand smooth down her skirt and she stretched her legs. Bitch. Dhruv attention didn't wander from the page. Tip of my lips hoisted up. Getting Dhruv attention was the toughest thing.

"I was helping Sanchi. She asked for it." My mouth hung open like a chandelier. Reviving the memory, I didn't retrieve the memory of asking her help. Narrowing my eyes, the idea of it too penetrated my sense. I should've known it. She was helping me, to grapple the attention of Dhruv.

His eyes met mine, shock going through his facial. He knew I never ask help from someone. I was too arrogant for asking someone help in my designs. His shoulders slumped and he nodded.

Rolling my eyes, I snatched my pad and she asked, "So do you like it?"

Giving a glance at the design, I spoke, "Yup, just try to not seduce a man again in front of me. If you want, go to a club." Her face flushed, and I felt satisfied. I didn't like how she was inviting Dhruv, making herself seem available. Dhruv choked back on his words.

She stood up harshly from her chair. "I helped you and you're saying absurd things to me."

"More like behave helping me. I didn't ask anything, and now - " I paused to wave the pad in front of her. " - you spoiled my design. I've to make a new one. And you should pay attention to your own dress. That skirt is out of fashion, even your boots."

Frustration became her veil, and steam came from her ears. Finally, that toxic fake smile removed from her face. It was becoming annoying seeing it. She pushed a finger on my chest, which I draw away with the back of my hand.

"Leave us, will you? We've work to do." Not giving her a chance, I grabbed Dhruv hands and pushed us out of her reach. Being on her radar was like testing boiling water before it came out in anger. When we were far away from her reach, and her presence was removed from my eyes, I breathed a sigh. The design was spoiled. I didn't want it to turn like this.

Someone coughed, and saw Dhruv attention was on our clasped hands. Instantly, I broke away but the feel of his hand buzzed in my whole body. His hand wasn't soft anymore, but hard and rough like he had been working or washing dishes. Later sound more interesting.