harbour.
‘You make me feel so bloody guilty,’ he said.
‘You should feel bloody guilty,’ I said, still without looking at him.
‘We did this together. Nobody forced you.’
‘I know. I feel guilty. So about time you do too.’
‘Give me two hours.’
‘What?’ I said, turning to him.
‘Come back in two hours. Can you?’
I shrugged and left his office. I went back to my cubicle.
My desk phone rang after two hours. I went back to Neel’s office.
‘Leave me if you have to. Don’t quit the firm,’ Neel said.
‘So are you resigning instead?’ I said.
‘Can you stop being so harsh? We have happy memories.’
I smirked at him. He continued, ‘You can take a transfer to another office. New York. London.
Wherever.’
I looked at him.
‘I suppose not New York,’ he said.
Sure, not New York. I had a relationship wreck in that city too.
‘I.. .’ I began to speak as he interrupted me.
‘You can get jobs outside. But please don’t leave the group. We value you. I will never forgive
myself.’
‘Is that all you won’t forgive yourself for?’ I said.
He hung his head low. Then he stood up and went to the window. I thought about his proposal
for a minute.
‘Fine, I can move to London. But it has to feel like a new job. I don’t want you in my life. At
all.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘No common deals. No being in touch. Be gone. Clear?’
‘How can we.. .’
‘Neel, I am serious. If this is reported, you get into trouble. Not me. You are the boss.’
‘Are you threatening me?’
‘I am saying I am serious. I am going to be a huge mess. I don’t know if I will be able to pick
up the pieces again. I don’t want you in my life there. That is why I am leaving.’
‘Okay,’ Neel said in a heavy voice and came back to his seat.
‘Thanks.’
‘Someone from the London office will call you this evening,’ he said.
‘Fine. Can I leave now?’
‘Yeah,’ he said and paused. ‘Radhika?’
‘Yes?’
‘I am sorry.’