Page 54 of The Promise of a Traitor

Advik threw his head back and laughed. “She is and I am,” he admitted freely.

“Wish I’d got to meet her,” Manish grinned, settling into the chair across from him.

“You will,” Advik said. “The whole office is invited to the engagement. It’s on the 20th.”

Manish whistled. “Of this month? Where’s the fire, dude?”

Advik shrugged. “We’ve known each other a long time. And we want this. Why wait?”

Manish grinned. “Why wait indeed? I’m happy for you man. She must be something special.”

“She is,” Advik repeated. “Shall we get to work now or do you want to gossip some more?”

Manish laughed good naturedly before opening up his laptop and settling in to explain the issue to Advik. The large screen that took up one entire wall scrolled endless code as the two of them troubleshot the madness of their latest launch.

When they finally wrapped up, they’d managed to unravel most of the knots. Advik leaned back in his seat, massaging the back of his neck.

“Remind me again,” he murmured, “why do we have the rest of the people out there?” He waved his hand toward the shut door.

Manish gave a tired laugh. “We’d hoped to get home at a reasonable time.” He glanced out of the large windows to where the skyline of Mumbai lit up the night sky.

“But we’re still here working,” Advik said, dropping his head back on to the headrest, “while all the ones we hired leave at five in the evening to maintain their work life balance. We have work and no life.” Advik groaned, his fatigue making itself known. “We have zero balance.”

“We have balance,” Manish said. “We’re like those little boats in a storm. Rocky but balanced enough to hang in there.”

Advik snorted a laugh. “We’ll get there man. We’re so damn close.”

“Yeah,” Manish agreed.

They’d started this company together six years ago. Two guys with an idea and the balls to take it to market. The market had responded and the funding had poured in. They’d grown faster than expected, expanded to keep up, and somehow found themselves sitting on the pinnacle of a mountain that had been a dream a very short while ago.

Had the goalposts shifted, Adi wondered. Or did he just have a different dream now?

“We need to hire smarter.”

Manish nodded, his gaze still on the lights outside the window.

“We need people to take the pressure off us,” Advik told him. “So we can have lives.”

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” Manish drawled. “You get engaged and suddenly, you have no time for me.”

Advik grinned. “You don’t want to have a life outside this office?”

Manish’s bright grin dimmed. “Been there. Done that. Don’t need a re-do.”

Advik met his friend’s gaze. “I thought so too man. Until she came back into my life. If it can happen for me, it can happen for you.”

Manish’s gaze met his, something undefinable swimming in it. And then he smiled, the darkness Advik thought he saw disappearing.

“We can only hope. Maybe some of your luck will rub off on me.” Manish stood, stretching the kinks out of his back. “But for now, I’m going to head home to get some sleep. We’ll crack the rest of this out tomorrow?”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

Once the door shut behind Manish, Advik got up and walked over to the window, looking out at the view. His mind whirled in a million, different directions but there was only one person he knew could help him out right now.

He grabbed his phone and dialled. It was answered on the first ring.

“Chachu,” he said. “I need some advice.”