Opposite Poles..Part 70

Part 70

“No way! She is not coming in my house!” he declared flaring up his nose.  Lavanya looked at Nani for support.

“Oh yes! She will come here for two hours and teach Ms Kasyap the basics.!” Nani retaliated.  He got up flaring up from his seat. 

“Chote.. please try and understand.  She needs to learn and Khushi is the best person to give her training..!” Anjali tried to mediate.  He was firm on his stand.

“You do not know such girls.  They can stoop down to any level..!” he gritted his teeth.

“How many such girls you have seen Chote?” asked nani getting up from her seat too.

“One is enough..!” he said with hatred and turned to leave.

“Wait, Chote.. Khushi will come here for two hours a day..everyday!” Nani issued the directive.  Arnav gaped at his grandmother and then shrugged.

“Fine! If you want to take a poison test.. go ahead!” he said clenching his fists.  He was clearly outnumbered.

“AUR   NAHI   TOH   KYA? Hello hi bye bye! Bringing such girls home.. is a big risk…!” Mami poked.

“HAAN   MANORAMA..! I already have that experience, when I allowed you in my house..!” Nani spat.  Mami twisted her nose and kept quiet.

“Lavanya, decide what you want to do..!” he gave her the ultimatum. 

“ASR, I must learn our culture and tradition..!” Lavanya said dreamily.  ASR blew his head off in anger.

“Stop thinking with others’ brains, Lavanya.. use this!” he pointed at her head.  Inadvertently she touched her head to check whether it was in its place.  She behaved like Khushi, he thought and gritted his teeth. Anjali, Nani and Lavanya sniggered. 

*****   ******   *******

Khushi was sent to Auditor’s office in the afternoon to assist.  She came back in the evening, closed her registers and came out.  She saw ASR striding away.  Her heart ached.  “LAAD   GOVERNER  KAHI KA! ITANI   SI   GALATI  KE  LIYE  ITANI  BADI  SAZAA? Its unfair!” she muttered.  

“REHENE  DO  KHUSHI,  BABUJI  NE  KYA   KAHA  THA?  GALATI,  GALATI  HOTI   HAIN.. BADI   HO  YAA  CHOTI…! Its ok Khushi.. Babuji told you, a mistake is a mistake… be it small or big!” she sighed and picking up her bag went home.

*****    *****     *****

Her double duty started that day.  She went to his house with bated breath hoping that she would meet him there.  But he had already left for office.  

“Bhai… this is getting deeper and deeper..!” Aakash was looking at the statement sheets.  Arnav was standing at the entrance of his cabin staring unfocused at the empty cubical.

“USAKI    AADAT   PADANE  SE  PEHELE   MUZAIN   YEH  SAB   KHATAM   KARANAA  HAIN! I want to finish this before I get used to her!” he said gravely.

“KISAKI  AADAT, BHAI?” Aakash asked confused.  “Forget it!” ASR dismissed him. 

“Aakash… I am calling off this enquiry..!” Aakash gaped at his bhai.  The scam ran over sixteen crores in last four years and ASR was thinking of calling off the enquiry.

“Aakash… there is something fishy in this entire scam.  Someone has a remote .. they are trying to hallow us from inside..!” he said seriously.  Aakash looked on quietly. 

“Aakash, do you know, where Jijaji was, last week?” he asked suddenly after a while.  Aakash didn’t know.  Arnav turned to face Aakash.  

“I don’t know, Aakash… Jijaji … I mean that police inquiry about Prashant calling Jijaji, before his death.. is itched in my mind…! I know, it was a coincidence… but!” Arnav spoke his inner fears. 

“Yeah bhai, it was just a coincidence … Jijaji is cleared off that..!” Aakash kept his hand on Arnav’s shoulder.  

“Anyway… we have to get it through as early as possible..!” Arnav sighed.  He didn’t tell Aakash that he was getting threat calls and he had already reported it to police.

“Where is she?” he asked in a bare whisper.  “You sent her to Mehta Construction Site with the file! We are exiting the contract with them..!” said Aakash.  ASR came back and took his chair behind the table.  His phone rang.

“She is out there… unsafe… beware!” someone called and disconnected.  His posture stiffened. 

“Aakash, I want Mehra’s file…!” he ordered his brother.  Aakash went away.  ASR dialed the number and forwarded the unknown number to the police.  

“I must stop her.  I must call her back!” he blurted resolutely dialing the number.

********   ********  *****

Khushi did her registry work and was asked to visit Mehta construction site.  She took the file and the instruction note and went away.  

The construction site was around ten kilometers from her office.  It was an isolated secluded area with a few constructions under progress nearby with construction workers moving around.   She came to the construction site.  A four-storied structure was built up with centering supports on the fourth floor.  She looked up to the structure.  It looked deserted.  “Strange..! Work is not in progress..~” she wondered and then Shrugged.  “Do your work, khushi and push off.  Don’t poke your nose~!” she commanded herself and entered the compound.  The driver was waiting in the car. She looked around..

A make shift site office was visible.  She went and peeped inside.  There was no one.

“Hello… anybody in?” she knocked on the open push door.  No response.  She didn’t know what to do.  She didn’t enter the office but kept on banging on the door.  A very old person, looking like a beggar said “They left!” “Where?” was her question.  He shrugged. She went ahead in search of someone who would tell her where all were.

She went at the back of the construction site.  The labor camp was visible beyond the compound wall.  She went nearer.  It looked deserted.  “So there is no one.  No work going on!” she concluded.  Her hair sprawled untidily with the wind.  She tried to gather it in vain.  Her bag fell down.  She looked down.  The long shadows gave her the signal for sunset soon.  “I should get out of this spooky place as soon as possible!” she muttered.  She saw the driver approaching her.

“Madamji.. there is a phone call… !” he spoke loudly against the wind.  She opened her mouth, “Haan?” she couldn’t hear.  He started approaching her faster holding the phone and on the way stubbed his toe.  He bent down in pain and she sat down to pick up her bag.

“SuunnnnSSSS!” something passed her ear… she pressed her hand on her ear looking back at the direction.  It hit the wall behind her.  “What was that? She was frightened!” she had narrowly escaped.  Driver too sensed the danger.  “Madam ji Chaliye!” he started running away from that site.  She followed close behind.

“Run..!” he shouted.  They heard another sound and something missed her head by an inch.  She winced increasing her pace.   They came out from the entrance, running and panting but didn’t stop.  She heard the crashing sound. She screamed with that deafening sound and ran forward.  The Centering support poles and bamboos crashed and the entire fourth floor slab came crashing down with a blasting sound. 

Khushi and the driver had escaped again narrowly.  Both screamed in fright.  Everything else stood still.  The people from nearby construction sites started gathering.  Khushi and the driver kept running away.  She pulled out her phone …..

********  *******   ********

“ASR Sir…” Aman came running to his cabin. 

“What?” ASR got up with a jerk. 

“I had called up the driver… there is something… I heard the sound and the phone went dead!” he dropped the bombshell.

“What? Call Aakash” ASR had already picked up his car keys dialing the number of Khushi…!”

“Damn it!” he banged for the engage tone.  “Khushi!” he blurted in despair.  The threat calls ringing in his ear… Aakash and Aman came running behind.  “We have to go!” he declared and opened his car door.  Aman’s phone rang.

“Hello, Khushi..!” he screamed and ASR snatched his phone.

“Khushi…are you ok?” he screamed.

“Sir..!” she was shattered.  “Sir.. the building.. crashed down..!” he could hear between her sobs.

“Khushi.. are you ok? Are you safe?” he screamed in panic.

“Yeah..! Please sir… that car…!” she sobbed.

“Khushi… I am coming… I am comingm Khushi… Stay safe..!” he yelled

“Aman Call the ambulance and police.  Both of you take your own cars.. we may require backup!!” he yelled slamming the door and the accelerator.

Aman and Aakash hopped in their cars.

Khushi disconnected and looked at the driver.  He looked devastated.  

“Driver ji…! Sir is coming!” they both took a sigh of relief.  The sun had set and the darkness started engulfing.  She shivered.  The driver came nearer.  “Madam ji, we have to wait here.  Look at our car!” he pointed out at the smashed car.  A support pole had hit it.  Khushi looked aghast.  Driver lighted the torch from his mobile to give her some consolation.  Someone pulled her hand from behind and she screamed in fright…! The driver leapt forward for her rescue…