“You seemed to flit from project to project, trying different things on for size and then dropping them.”
He held back a wince. Everything she’d said was true. In school he’d chosen mechanical engineering because it meant he coulddesign…anything. But when he’d joined the company, he’d found himself overwhelmed by the options. He’d rotated through most of the groups and experimented with everything, working on turbines, HVAC systems, and pieces and parts for factories. But he’d always stayed far, far away from one team: biomedical.
At first, he’d been enamored of the field. Had been tempted by the idea of creating artificial limbs, pacemakers, even robotic medical assistants. But he hadn’t been able to stop imagining what his father would say. How he might react to Karthik choosing something so close to his own career. How he might take pride in it. Approve of it. Think that Karthik wanted to follow in his footsteps.
So, Karthik had ended up selecting at random, ultimately joining the HVAC design team. Sure, some people considered the work bland, but Karthik didn’t mind. At least his father couldn’t gloat about his decision.
“But in the last few years,” Marianne continued, “you’ve really shown great dedication and follow-through. With impressive results. And what greater sign of commitment is there than marriage?”
Karthik’s palms started to sweat.
“I was already going to recommend you for the position,” she said. “But when I heard the news this morning, it just confirmed for me that you are the right person for the job. To see you commit to something like this…It’s what I’ve been wanting to see from you for so long.”
She got up and wrapped her gray shawl around her shoulders. “We’ll see what the people upstairs think, and you’ll probably have to interview alongside a number of candidates, but I think you have a great shot at this.”
He swallowed. “Thank you, Marianne,” he said. “I appreciate your faith in me. And your recommendation.”
“You deserve it,” she said. “Just don’t let me down.” She wagged her finger at him playfully.
He gave a nervous laugh. “Of course not. I won’t.”
She headed to leave, then turned around. “By the way, Jim’s going to throw a retirement party for me. A small thing, just a couple folks from the office, some friends and family. But you should definitely come. I know a bunch of the executives are going and it’d be a good time for you to mingle with them.”
“I’ll be there,” he said immediately. He was willing to do anything possible to get an edge over the competition. Unlike him, the other candidates would probably be well qualified for the position. He needed all the help he could get.
“Great. Invitations should be going out soon. I look forward to seeing you there,” she said over her shoulder as she left his office.
Karthik turned back to his computer, his brain already buzzing with ideas and plans and projects he could pitch. This promotion could change the entire trajectory of his career. But even more important, Marianne had taken a chance on him. Had shown her faith in him by putting his name up for the job. He’d need to bring his A game. He couldn’t afford to make any missteps. He couldn’t let her down.
He opened a blank document and was brainstorming, typing every idea that came to mind, when a sharp knock disrupted his focus.
“Hey,” Marianne said, her head peeking around his office door. “I forgot to mention this earlier, but please be sure to bring your bride-to-be to the party. We all really want to meet her.” She punctuated the words with a smile and a quick wave goodbye.
Karthik stared after her, frozen in place. She wanted him to bring his bride-to-be to her retirement party? Hisfakebride-to-be? He dropped his head into his hands and groaned.
—
“You’re engaged?” Ankita asked, her slice of pizza suspended in the air, frozen halfway on the journey to her mouth. “How did that happen? I thought you hated him.”
“I never hated him. I just thought he was…kind of rude.”
“And now?”
“I still think he’s kind of rude.”
Ankita stared at her in confusion, but Meghna just reached for the remote, avoiding her gaze. She turned on the television, the light casting Ankita’s apartment in a soft glow. On the screen, a beautiful woman in a sparkly dress greeted the twenty-three men she would be dating that season. On the living room floor, a box of pizza and an open bottle of Malbec lay between them.
“I don’t understand,” Ankita said. “Do you like Karthik at all?”
“I like how he looks,” Meghna joked. “He’s tall. And he’s got a really sharp jaw. And this kind of stern, serious look in his eyes. Really, he’s a dead ringer for Fawad Khan inKhoobsurat.”
Ankita’s eyebrows rose. “Damn.”
“I know!”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re engaged.”
“Doesn’t it?” Meghna teased with an exaggerated wink.
