Episode 2: Hating each other.

Arushi stepped into Adi's office, her heart sinking as she noticed the half-empty whiskey glass on his desk. It was clear he had been drinking. Despite her apprehension, she approached him cautiously.

"Adi, you called me?" Arushi asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the unease she felt.

Adi looked up, his eyes slightly glazed but still sharp. "Yes, I need those files from the last floor," he replied brusquely, his words tinged with impatience.

Arushi couldn't help but notice the change in him. The Adi she remembered was confident, charismatic, and always in control. But today, sitting before her, he seemed vulnerable and distant.

"Are you sure you're okay to work right now?" Arushi asked gently, concern lacing her words.

"Why do you care?" Adi retorted sharply, his tone cutting through the air like a knife. "Employees should just do their job."

Arushi felt a pang of hurt at his words. She had known Adi for years, through good times and bad. They had been close once, inseparable even. But something had changed, something that had driven a wedge between them.

Tears welled up in Arushi's eyes, a mixture of frustration and sadness. Without another word, she turned on her heel and left the cabin, her emotions threatening to spill over.

As she made her way to the last floor to retrieve the files, Arushi tried to compose herself. She couldn't afford to let her feelings get the best of her, not on her first day in this prestigious job. She was determined to prove herself, despite the unexpected confrontation with Adi.

Once she had the files in hand, Arushi hesitated outside Adi's office. She dreaded going back in there, facing him again. But she knew she had no choice. Stealing herself, she pushed open the door and entered, her footsteps echoing in the tense silence.

Adi was standing by his desk, his back to her. As she approached, he turned around, his eyes meeting hers. There was a brief moment of hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze.

Without warning, Adi closed the distance between them, reaching out and gripping her waist tightly. Arushi gasped, caught off guard by his sudden closeness. She could feel the tension radiating off him, the conflict within him palpable.

"Crying, baby girl," Adi murmured, his voice low and tinged with bitterness. "But it doesn't matter to me anymore." He took the files from her hands, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

Arushi felt a rush of conflicting emotions - anger, hurt, confusion. She wanted to demand answers from him, to know why he had become this person she barely recognized. But before she could gather her thoughts, Adi spoke again.

"Why do you still hate me, Adi?" She asked suddenly, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and something else he couldn't quite place.

Adi took a step back, startled by the intensity in his question. "Umm... do I need to give you a reason now, Aru?" she replied softly, her voice tinged with sadness. "Don't you feel ashamed of asking me this?"

Adi looked away, his jaw clenched in frustration. "That was in the past," he muttered finally, his words barely audible.

Arushi shook her head, tears threatening to spill over once more. "Adi, I..."

"Shut up, Arushi," Adi interrupted abruptly, his tone harsh. "You know what? I hate you more than anything or anyone. For you, maybe it's in the past, but for me..."

Arushi swallowed hard, the weight of his words hitting her like a ton of bricks. She had hoped that time and distance would heal their wounds, that they could move on from the pain of their shared history. But standing here, face to face with Adi, she realized that some wounds ran too deep to ever fully heal.

Adi sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Then why did you accept my offer for this job?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

Arushi looked at him, her heart aching with the complexity of their emotions. "I needed the money," she admitted quietly. "And you know I won't find a better job than this."

Arushi bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes.

As Arushi turned to go, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. She had hoped that accepting this job would be a fresh start for both of them, a chance to move past their painful history. But now, standing in Adi's office, she realized that their relationship was more complicated than she had ever imagined.

Adi didn't ask her to stop. He knew he broke her heart but this didn't affect him now.

Read the next chapter to find out what happens next.

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