SaiRat FF || CRASH INTO YOU ||CHAPTER 1 : PAGE 1

 Hello lovely people! I know it is weird when out of the blue, someone pops up and posts a piece of fiction out here for y'all to read and I apologise for that. I've been a part of this place for a couple of years now and for the better part of those years, no show has captured my fancy long enough for me to actually put pen on paper and cook something of this sorts up. (Not that I used a pen or paper to write this up in this day and age but it sounds fancier to say it that way). I've been following this show since it first graced our television screens and color me impressed for I didn't ever see myself enjoying a soap opera like this one. I find myself waiting for the new episode with so much excitement that it finally led to me writing this story down. I apologise again for the randomness of it all, I was supposed to be studying last night when inspiration struck (maybe because I didn't wanna keep staring at the same old books) and I decided to write this down. Now that I had written it down, I couldn't help myself but put it out here. Unlike many of the talented people here, I'm in no way good with words or stringing them together to form beautiful stories and a part of me feels guilty for making you read through this amateur work of fiction. 

CHAPTER 1

 She started the day hoping to be as chipper as she possibly could, considering how it could potentially effect a considerable portion of the rest of her life. Positive thoughts only, she had to think of positive things only, manifest positivity so that it comes back to her. That is what she kept hearing from everyone, like all her misery was somehow due to her not keeping things positive enough around her. 

Had today been any other day, she would have grumbled something incoherent past them while murmuring to herself about how all this positivity mumbo-jumbo is utter nonsense and that the universe doesn't work on such a system of barter but not today, today she needed all the luck she could get, even if it meant she had to walk around thinking of rainbows and puppies for all she cares. Rainbows and puppies are as positive as it could get, right? 

What got her into believe in the power of manifestation you may ask? The company she has been employed at, recently got acquired by a tech giant and she knew that no matter how well the management sugar-coated the acquisition as a means to expand the company's clientèle and as an opportunity to enter new markets, an acquisition always resulted in some layoffs and she did not want to venture into that list. 

"Being layed off wouldn't be that bad now, would it?" She found her subconscious asking her. This job was never meant to be a permanent deal but somehow she got stuck in the rut. 

"Maybe losing this job would be for the best" another valid point was made inside her head. When did her subconscious get so good at making points, she wondered. 

"Losing this job might finally be the wake-up call you need to get off your ass and go to medical school like you wanted" Her inner voice was being rude, she concluded. Sure her initial plan to work for a few years to save up enough to apply to med school got sidetracked but it wasn't due to her fault. Living by herself was expensive, between rent, transportation, clothing and groceries she saved up little to nothing. 

Although she is living with a friend and she was offered the accommodation rent free, multiple times, it didn't sit well with her to live in the apartment that way. She was already being treated more kindly than she deserved and not paying her share of the rent felt like she was mooching off her friend and taking advantage of the kindness she was offered. 

"No, I can't lose this job, not now" She fought back, trying to justify herself, well to herself. "I have bills to pay, I can't lose this without another job lined up" 

"Madam, we have reached" The cabbie said, putting a stop to her inner monologue. She wondered if she looked like a psycopath to the driver as she sat there in the back, trying to arrive at life altering decisions, with a glazed look in her eyes. 

"Madam, That'll be 200 Rupees" The cabbie, spoke, starting with a slight cough to catch her attention. 

"200 Rupees, but that's more than what I usually pay" She started to protest. 

"Listen lady, I don't have time to bicker, just give me my money and leave. You're wasting my time" The driver spoke, irritably. She did not like this sudden change in his demeanour, she concluded. 

She was going to give him an earful and set him straight but she suddenly remembered she was not to fight today and keep on thinking positive stuff. Surely someone who keeps thinking of puppies wouldn't fight with a random stranger for a few spare rupees. 

"Here" she said, with a straight tone and a big smile plastered up face, as she paid the cabbie his fare. "Nothing says positivity than smiling ear to ear" She assured herself. 

She quickly caught her reflection in the window as the driver started rolling up the glass after pocketing the money, with the most puzzled look adoring his tired looking face, like he couldn't believe he just got away with conning an innocent woman out of her hard earned money. Yes, that was the narrative she was sticking with. 

"Maybe smiling wasn't the best idea" She thought as the only thing she could match her smile with at that instant, was the chucky doll.  As this realisation dawned on her, the cab's engine revved and it disappeared into a swarm of vehicles on the highway. 

"This is it, you can do it." she reiterated. "Positive thoughts, puppies, rainbows, freaking powepuff girls for all she cared" "Just focus on your job and you'll be fine." She kept repeating in her head. 

She didn't know why it was so hard for her to try and attract positive thoughts. She wasn't a pessimist by any means. It was just that during her life of a little over two decades on this planet, she has seen and been through more losses than one would in a lifetime. 

Her tryst with losses started with the untimely demise of her mother. She probably would count it as one of the easier ones to deal with, maybe because she was a toddler when it happened and didn't have much recollection of that time or maybe because her father never let her feel like she was down a parent. He was her mother and her father and when needed, he was also her best friend.

Life was going well for the father daughter duo until that fateful day when her father went out to buy groceries one evening, and never returned. Somewhere around midnight, she was informed of his passing in a vehicle crash caused by a drunk driver losing control of his car. 

She was mad at everyone for a long long time back then. Mad at the drunk driver for driving under the influence of alchohol. Mad at herself for not stopping his grocery run. Mad at her father for leaving her all alone. Mad at her god, for having robbed her of everything she held dear. 

Stabilising herself after her father's death was excruciatingly painful. She learned to live alone, she learned to accept that she was meant to be alone until he waltzed in, turning her whole world upside down and breaking down all the walls she had put up around herself to keep her safe from any hurt. Little did she know then, that she would end up losing him too and with him, she'd lose a part of herself too. 

"Sai!!" she heard someone exclaim behind her. "What are you doing there?" 

The source of all this yelling was her coworker, Priya. "Don't just stand there, the new MD will be here any minute now and we need to be ready for his welcome, I need your help with the preparations"  Priya stated as a matter of factly to Sai who still stood at the entrance of the building, seemingly glued to the spot. 

Sai wanted to move but she couldn't. Thoughts of him took over her mind. She realised that this was a can of worms best left unopened but not a day went by without her thinking of him. She knew thoughts of him would only gift her sorrow but she held no power over her mind when it came to him. She hated to admit the power he still held over her. Even his thoughts were adamant like him, refusing to let her be in peace. 

"Sai!! Hurry, Please" she felt a slight tap on her shoulder, bringing her out of her reverie. Priya was now standing next to her and had a worried expression on her face. 

"What's wrong?" She quizzed

"Oh my god, I'm getting fired today" Priya spoke, too fast for Sai to comprehend. "I tried to manage everything while you were out and it all got so out of control. I don't know what to do. Sai, help me. I can't be fired on the first day the new MD takes over the reigns. I've heard he's too good looking" Priya rambled on as Sai tried to make sense of her ramblings. 

Sai held Priya by her shoulders trying to calm the girl down. "Breathe in, breathe out" she spoke, gently so as to not get Priya all worried again. 

"Now, tell me what's the problem?" 

"I was too busy looking after the decor and everything that I forgot to assign someone to come and receive the new MD when he arrives. He'll be here any moment now and I don't know what to do, his office still isn't completely set up, I have to be there to finish it off but I have to also be here to welcome him." To Sai it looked like Priya was about to have a nervous breakdown. 

" Priya, breathe. Remember? " Sai cooed. "I will stay here and welcome the new MD"

Priya's face lit up. "Thank you, you're a life saver. I owe you big time. The flowers are by the reception. The HR team and others will be here soon. Thank you once again" Priya semi yelled as she hugged Sai, almost cutting off her oxygen supply. The girl is tougher than she looks, Sai made a mental note. 

And with that, Priya sprinted towards the elevator to finish off those last bits of work that required her presence. "Off to get the flowers" Sai thought. "Maybe this is for the good, she'll welcome the MD and that way he wouldn't lay her off right? Who lays off someone who welcomes them? That would be such a heartless thing to do, fire the person who gave you flowers" she rationaled. 

As she reached the reception, she heard the sound of tyres screeching to a halt and a bunch of people rushed towards the glass doors of the building, just having gotten off the elevator. She couldn't understand what the hullabaloo was about. And then it dawned on her, her new boss was here. 

She rushed to get the flowers. She could hear her HR manager welcome the new boss to the company. His voice was extra sweet today, Sai concluded. Maybe he was getting a head start on buttering up the new fellow. Good for himxshe thought. She didn't understand the whole concept of being extra sweet to people to get your way with them, she either liked you or she didn't, either way it would show on her face. She was never skilled at hiding her emotions. 

"Welcome to the company Sir. Make yourself at home" She heard the HR fellow, exclaim loudly. It was followed by a nervous chuckle on his part and then an array of loud laughs filled the area. "Did he really think that joke was apt or funny?" Sai wondered. 

"Thank you Mr Bakshi" She heard him answer back and she found herself frozen to the spot. 

"It couldn't be" She stammered. She could never make a mistake when it came to recognising that voice, she knew it all too well. This was the voice that had become the bane of her existence, the voice that once meant the world to her. There was no mistake. He was here. 

"Virat Sir." She breathed out. 

       ××××××

So that was it! I guess third time's the charm when it comes to apologising for this mess. If you've been patient enough to read through this incoherent work of art, you'll see that I've taken a few creative liberties and tweaked a few things up to fit my train of thought. If you found this interesting enough for me to continue posting it here, do let me know. Thank you for your time and patience, it's truly appreciated 🤗

      INDEX

• CHAPTER 1 : PAGE 1 (28.02.2021)