The Unsaid Affair

The day Ipshita saw Aditya, she fell in love with him. She would secretly watch him, find excuses to talk to him but never really gathered the courage to disclose her feelings.

Aditya was her manager and treated her just like any other team member. He never paid any attention to her advances. He was not oblivious to her feelings but he intentionally maintained a distance.

This unsaid affair continued for a few months and then Ipshita got an opportunity to work abroad. She knew she would never get in touch with him again. So, she fought hard with her thoughts and finally decided to express her love for him.

She sent him a text to meet her for a cup of coffee. He readily agreed and asked her to meet after office.

It came as a surprise to her and she was extremely happy. She had no idea what was in store for her. In the middle of their conversation she abruptly blurted out, “Aditya, I really like you. I wanted to tell this long ago but never got the courage.“

He didn’t find it amusing and said, “I know, I’ve noticed it several times.”

Ipshita smiled and said, “Glad you noticed. I was so scared how would you react.”

He stopped her in between and said, “Listen Ipshita, I have different plans. I am sorry but let’s not discuss about it any further. I am not interested.”

Ipshita was left shattered. She didn’t expect such a rude response from him. It took her a long time to come out of it but she came out stronger.

Years later, Aditya was asked to attend a client meeting for which he had to travel to a different city. He waited patiently in the meeting room with other senior executives. They were all ready with their presentations and Aditya too, did his last minute preparations.

The meeting was to be headed by the Associate Vice President (AVP) who was known for a very strict professional approach. As she entered the board room, Aditya was completely flabbergasted. The AVP was Ipshita.

The last time he saw her, she was a timid girl from a small town. He presumed her to be dumb, low in confidence and one who didn’t have a bright future. He believed that girls who hailed from small towns didn’t do well professionally and ended up quitting their jobs to settle in their married life.

Ipshita turned out to be an eye opener for him. She made him realize that it really doesn’t matter where you hail from. What matters is hard work and your approach towards building a career.

Aditya was dumbfounded and couldn’t utter a single word in the meeting. Ipshita was not the same timid girl anymore. She appeared to be very confident, strict and was not at all amused to see him suddenly.

She had moved on, was in a reputed position and this time it was Aditya who had to gather courage to talk to her.