Opposite Poles..Part 34

Part 34

Khushi came home with bag full of material and made her usual demand.  “Jiji, Bhookh lagi hai! I am hungry!”

“Yeah, I know.. kept it on the table!”  payal shouted from the kitchen.  Khushi stuffed the samaosa in her mouth.

“Arree, Sanaka Devi, Dheerese! Khana kahi bhaag nahi jai he! Your food is not going to runaway!” Buwaji slapped her on her head. 

“Nand Kishore.. This girl…Bhukkad! Hungry soul!” she muttered sitting next to Khushi with a thud.

“Buwaji, let me eat!” Khushi pursed her lips sulkily.

“Khushi, I called your Amma Babuji!” Buwaji dropped the bomb.

“What? Why?” Khushi got up from her seat.

“You left me no choice!” buwaji was equally annoyed.  “I had asked you to go back!”

“But Buwaji, that is not possible.  I had told you! Why did you call Babuji?  You know, he is not well.  He will get unnecessarily worried”  Khushi was irritated.

“No! I must call him, and tell him that I am alright…!” she said going towards the landline.

“Aree Paramesari.. wait.. they are coming here next week!” buwaji gave her the news. 

“What? Oh! Buwaji!” Khushi hugged her buwaji tightly smiling broadly.

“Argg, Leave me! You are strangling me!” Buwaji pushed her away with mock anger.

Khushi stuffed one more samosa in her mouth happily.  Buwaji went away.  She had given the news but had not told the reason behind.  Shashi had received a bank notice.  Someone had paid the loan amount in full..  Shashi was worried that anytime they would be ousted from the house.  His health too deteriorated.  His shop too was not doing well.

“Khushi? What’s all this?” Payal asked bewildered. 

“Nothing Jiji.  I am very happy today.  Come, help me!” Khushi said happily, spreading the material on the table.

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He was deep in thoughts, pacing his room in the night.  The theft and pilferage issues had taken a different turn.  The Database log file showed the IP address of different machine, though logged in under Khushi’s login password.  Someone was accessing the intranet of the warehouse from outside.  They had traced it to a cyber café, outside on the opposite street.  The log file showed some unknown names.  The CCD camera footage showed a stranger covering his face intruding in the night at 1:32:26 lifting the boxes.  The intruder alarms were unplugged…!

The log files further showed tampering with the database using Khushi’s login, but from different machines.  The IP address of Prashant’s Machine and a couple of others were traced.  They were to be called for the enquiry.  But before the enquiry, Prashant met with a fetal accident that evening. 

“This is not a coincidence!” Arnav clenched his fists.  Someone was controlling the events.  Prashant’s death had put an halt to the enquiry for the time being.

“I have to be more careful…!” ASR was worried thinking about the safety of other persons involved in the enquiry.

He could not sleep for a very long time, with a severe headache and the anxiety.  

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She reached office at seven thirty and immediately started working, setting up, before people could come in.  She waited for him.  People started coming in and were surprised to see the Name everywhere, in different styles, on different texture, on different medium, on different material.  They all looked puzzled.  Khushi was in the canteen answering the curious questions.

“You know, SIR wanted to change his name plate so I give him 100 choices in different styles.  You know? My drawing teacher, used to ask me to write the certificates.  I can do calligraphy..!” she said proudly.  Rekha gaped at her.  Everyone knew about the punishment.  But Khushi was looking at it with different angle.  “How could she hide her feelings in such a weird manner? She is not giving up!” thought Rekha with moist eyes.  She kept her hand on Khushi’s shoulder.  For a fleeting second, she saw sadness and pain in Khushi’s eyes, the next moment she was smiling broadly accepting the appreciation of her art work.

The Placards bearing the name of Arnav Singh Raizada were displayed all over the office.  Everyone waited for the boss with apprehension.  They all were waiting for the explosion and were worried about Khushi.  They knew he will not spare her this time and more humiliation would come her way.  On his table in his cabin, a special beautiful wooden plaque was waiting for him, with silver calligraphic letters engraved on black background.

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He walked in half an hour late and froze looking at his name all around.  He looked at every placard and went to his cabin with an expressionless face.  Khushi’s eyes followed him.  She waited with a bated breath, so did everyone else.  Nothing happened.  Slowly the tension in the office released.  But Khushi remained apprehensive.

“ASR! Look at her arrogance..!” Lavanya was furious.  He raised his hand to stop her.

“ASR..!” She wrapped her arm around his and said, “Send her away, ASR! She is a pain in the neck!” He did not respond.  

“Ok! Its your decision!” she said sulkily.  “Coffee?” she asked.  He nodded.  She ordered. 

Khushi kept glancing upwards.  No one was gazing at her.  She could see his open laptop and not his face.  She took a sigh of relief.  “He is speechless.  Well done Khushi!” she grinned. 

He had coffee with Lavanya.  She was not at all happy with what was going on in the offce.  ASR was unmoved.

“ASR! Take a decision about her..!” she said getting up.  He looked at her sternly.  She went away.

Khushi was uneasy.  There was no explosion, no yelling, no punishment, no humiliation..!

“What is this?” she was confused.  “Its good Khushi, he is still stunned! Keep going..!” she patted herself happily.  She saw Lavanya coming down looking irritated.  She looked up expecting some harsh words from her.  Nothing happened!

It was eleven thirty and Khushi’s intranet messenger popped up.

“You shall remove all the placards and clean the marks on the surface area, immediately!” she got the message from him.  She grinned.  “He is still speechless at my art work!” She looked up.  Their eyes did not meet.  She got up.  Took a mop and started cleaning, taking out the placards stuck to glass walls.  She kept looking up in vain.  She could see only his laptop and could sense his presence behind it.  She cleaned up for an hour with growing restlessness.  

“Ms Gupta? What happened? Did he not like your calligraphy?” someone asked her.  She smiled sheepishly.

During lunch, she was upset.  Rekha tried to cheer her up in vain.  Khushi grew more restless.

“Is he ok? Hope he is alright!” she was worried.

She couldn’t stop herself.  “Something is wrong..!” she thought.  She had cleaned up most of the places. 

“Now, his cabin!” she thought and climbed up.  She peeped in.  He had turned back his chair.  She could hear a strange voice.  She went in.

“Yeah, Di! I will take care! …. I am fine Di, Don’t worry!” a very low hoarse voice was talking over the phone.  Khushi came around to face the chair and she saw him with dropped jaw.

He was talking over the phone, with a sleep deprived red eyes, his voice cracking and hoarse, his nose and ears red, he looked like a sick person.  She stood there gaping at him in horror.  He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.  She did not come out of shock.  

“What?” he asked in a tired, hoarse voice.  She closed her gaping mouth and took a step ahead.  She touched his forehead. He had a fever.  His intercom buzzed.  She ran forward and picked up the phone stopping him with raised hand.  He looked at her bewildered.

“Hello?” she talked.  “He has a meeting at Four!” said Aman over the phone. 

“Ok!” she kept the receiver.  She turned and surveyed him. He turned away.  Without a word she went out.  She came back in ten minutes with a soup bowl and a hot water glass.  She kept it on the table.  He looked at her questioningly.  

“Have it! I know you have not had your lunch..!” she said pointing at soup bowl.  He looked at her defiantly not moving.  She was angry.  She pushed the tray forward.  He took the spoonful.  She sat on the chair with folded arms, till he finished his soup.  

“Drink this!” she ordered pointing at the glass.  “Wait!” she said getting up.

“Medicines?” she asked.  He waved at his laptop bag.  She took out some tablets and came back.

He picked up two of them and swallowed.  

“Itana Bukhaar Hai, Phir Bhi Office Aana Hai! Laad Governer Kahi Ka!” she muttered furiously.

“Excuse me?” his voice cracked.  “Nothing! Go home!” she ordered.

“What?” he got up from his place in rage.  She had picked up his intercom.

“Hello, Aman Sir! ASR sir has asked you to cancel his meeting!” she said and kept the phone.

“What? No!” he tried to yell but failed miserably.  She grinned at his helplessness and said, “You are going home!” He gaped at her.  

She shut his laptop, disconnected the charger, unplugged the USB mouse, packed everything in his bag and said, “Take this and go!” he did not resist.  She picked up the phone again.

“Aman Sir, do we have the driver around? …Ask him to drop ASR sir home!” she said and clapping,

“Ho Gaya! Now go home!” she turned her back on him and left his cabin, leaving him flabbergasted…!!

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