Page 27 of Yes Boss
Raghav remained where he was.
The glass wall reflected him standing still while Ishani settled into her chair outside. Her shoulders squared. Her spine straightened—too straight. More rigid than her usual ease.
He flexed his fingers once. Then again.
The heat still lingered where he’d brushed her wrist, a ghost sensation that hadn’t faded with distance. He curled his hand slowly, as if containing something volatile.
He checked his watch. 11:17.
Two hours until lunch arrived from Taj. The vegetarian thali he’d ordered without asking, because three weeks ago, she’d chosen it without comment while they worked late. He hadn’t forgotten.
Two hours never seemed longer than they did today.
The intercom sat beneath his hand.
He could press it. Call her in again. Invent another reason. Another excuse to have her seated across from him, or worse, beside him.
His eyes drifted back to Ishani, focused and composed at her desk. This wasn’t a pursuit. This was claim.
She was not his employee. She was not his secretary. She was his.
???
Lunch arrived.
Raghav stood at the window as two staff members wheeled in a cart lined with polished containers, the Taj emblem stamped on each lid. The spread was excessive for a working lunch. He knew she would notice.
That was the point.
He adjusted his watch out of habit and pressed the intercom.
“Ishani. Lunch.”
He released the button before she could respond.
Through the glass, he watched her pause. Just a beat. She lifted her gaze, met his, then closed the file in front of her. Her jacket was straightened in one smooth motion before she crossed the floor toward his office.
Raghav turned away and moved to the conference table in the corner as the staff set the place. Crisp white linen. Polished cutlery. Crystal glasses catching the light.
Too much for a Tuesday afternoon between a CEO and his assistant. Enough to unsettle.
“That will be all,” he said, and the staff withdrew as Ishani entered.
She stopped just inside the doorway, her eyes taking in the table before she schooled her expression. “This is… quite a lot for a working lunch.”
“Efficiency,” Raghav replied, pulling out the chair beside his. “Better food leads to better thinking.”
He waited.
After a brief hesitation, she sat where he indicated, placing her laptop and notebook neatly beside her plate. The chair positioned her closer than usual. Close enough that when she reached for her water, their elbows nearly brushed.
“I’ve updated the presentation,” she said, opening her laptop. “The data is cleaner now. I restructured the timeline to emphasize the three phases.”
Raghav glanced at the screen, then at her profile. Calm. Focused. Composed.
“Walk me through it.”
As she began to explain, he listened. Not just to the content, but to the cadence of her voice. The quiet confidence. The way she leaned slightly forward when she made a point, then settled back again.
