Chapter 19

After three months

Namrata typed away the invoice details and took a print out. She handed it over to the store manager Mr Patel.  “Thanks Namrata, why don’t you go and have lunch?” the bespectacled balding manager Patel bhai told her. She nodded and pulled down the shutter of the general store half way through. Patel bhai slowly shuffled with help of his walker and went to his adjoining little office to nap like he did daily. It was 1PM. Namrata opened her tiffin box and started to eat.  She didn’t have an appetite these days but … Everything around her reminded her of him. And then how he trampled on her heart….

Her eyes fell on the day’s newspaper. She picked it up and opened it.

Ranvijay Mehrotra Vindicated….

About three months after the largest coup took place….  Fraud amounting to crores of rupees… The late Premnath Chopra…. His daughter Smriti charged with money laundering….

….Past incident involving late Premnath Chopra…. Suvarna  guddi jewellery group….fraud.

Shareholders happy…

RM industries win both tenders in absence of PC Infotech which has been dissolved…

Tears streamed down her eyes as she read and re read the news article on the front page. She was finally relieved.

Immediately after the tender fiasco and the scene at Smriti’s office she had started looking for a job. James had helped her find this job. It didn’t pay much but it offered her other perks like daily lunch sent by Mrs. Patel and time for her to study. She wanted to complete her MBA. James had helped her with the fees and she had promised to repay him once she got a job. She had just started the distance learning program. Mr and Mrs. Patel owned a departmental store in the far end of the town. Since the distance was more, Namrata stayed back most days. The Patels were a childless couple and Mr. Patel was handicapped after an accident. She helped them with the invoices, accounting at the end of the day and inventories. She also helped Mrs. Patel in her kitchen whenever the flow of customers was lean. The Patels doted on her. Especially since last month when she skipped her period… Her abdominal cramping had been caused by the conception and stress.

Namrata touched her belly which was yet to show. Her mother knew but left the decision to her. She never had second thoughts about keeping it. She was sure the baby was conceived on the day Ranvijay had declared his love for her. Everything seemed so surreal now… He probably wanted nothing to do with her anymore… she wondered if she should tell him about the baby. But she decided to wait for a while. She wanted to clear her head which was still mush. She didn’t want anything from him but wanted to give him a chance to know his child someday and vice versa.

Nirmay got a scholarship on clearing an exam by armed forces. He would join college there next year after completing his tenth grade. She was so proud it hurt. He was working as an errand boy at Sanjana’s café after school. She didn’t want him to but he insisted. Her sobs increased as she thought of her brother and how matured he was for his age.

Her mother worked as a supervisor at the NGO driving home a small stipend but collectively they managed comfortably… Her mother managed household chores fairly well with a little help from NIrmay and occasionally from her. She often got provisions for home from the Patels. Overall it was going fine…

But she missed him… she craved his touch… the feel of his lips… She often cried herself to sleep at night…thinking about him.

Namrata sighed. She had been following the news coverage in the initial days but for the past month or so the media was not very interested and their attention was focussed elsewhere. But today the papers were filled with this latest news. She wondered how Ranvijay pulled this through. Her mother apparently had more confidence on him. They had never discussed him after that evening. She only wished she could tell him her side of the story. That she had been a fool of the greatest order. She was also upset with him for not giving her a benefit of doubt… for not trusting her enough…

As she finished the last invoice for the day, it was 8PM. The Patels had to attend a family wedding in Baroda. They had left about an hour ago. They had requested her to stay back for a couple of days to take care of the store and feed their cat. She was only too happy. She wanted to be alone….

That night she sat for studying. A ritual she had been pursuing for last couple of months. It was raining heavily outside. The July monsoons used to be her favourite but these days she didn’t like anything….

The doorbell rang. The Patels lived on the first floor above their store. She often stayed in the adjacent room to their flat. She wondered who it could be. The Patels never had visitors. Why would someone come when they weren’t there? She saw the time. It was 11pm. She was scared and protectively touched her belly as she often did these days.

The doorbell rang again. She looked around and found a wooden stick used for drying clothes. She held it and went to the door. She looked through the peephole but it was too dark to see anything. “Who…who is it?” she asked.

There was no answer but the doorbell rang again with a knock on the door. She took her phone and dialled 100 and opened the door. She almost dropped the phone… it was him.

Before the phone fell he caught it and cut the call. He walked in and closed the door gently behind him. He was dripping wet… how long was he in the rain? Her heart was thudding and she couldn’t say a word… her throat was clogged and she was trying to hold back tears…

He came close to her. He was in a white shirt which now was stuck to his toned body and black trousers which was dripping water on the floor. His hair was plastered to his head and he rubbed his hand over his face to clear the water… She missed him so much that she only kept looking at him, rooted to the floor. He came closer and lifted her chin with his finger. “My little sparrow…” he whispered and gave a peck on her lips. She pushed him away.

“WHY…. Why are you here?” she cried out. As he tried to get closer she held her hand up. She was breaking inside but she had to put a front.  She looked at him with accusing eyes… she saw him clearly then. He was haggard as if he had not slept for days… he had become thinner as well. Was he not eating well? How did he manage to do what he did?

She had many questions at the tip of her tongue. But first… he had to get dried. She went to the cupboard, took out a towel and held it in front of him.

“…Here… take this. Get out of those clothes. You will… catch a cold….I… will get you something hot.” She gave him the towel and went to the adjoining little kitchen. She checked what was there. She had kept some milk which she heated. She added a pinch of turmeric and a little honey and got it for him. He had taken off his clothes and had tied the towel around his hips. Her heart skipped a beat. He may have worn rags and he would still be desirable to her.  “Take this…” she gave him the glass. “…drink it up…” He took the glass and consumed the milk his eyes not leaving hers even for a second as if she might disappear. He kept the glass on the table and came towards her. He stood eyeing her with longing in his eyes…

Her heart was overflowing with strong emotions and she was being pulled towards him like a magnet. Amidst tears she said softly, “…it… it wasn’t me… It was Smriti and ….”

“…I know that sweetheart…” He interrupted. “…. And by now you too must know about Premnath and your…father…”

She nodded… “I was hurt… alright? When… you accused me…” her voice cracked

“…I am sorry sweetheart… the circumstances surrounding what had happened… I was a mess and when i found out the leak was from you… I lost it… just lost it… I have always been betrayed in my life… so I was always extra careful … till I met you. With you around I let caution to the wind. I trusted you blindly….” He rubbed a hand over his face. “… When my technical team did a close check of everything around my house they found traces of transmission during the time you were there… it was unbelievable but the… the proof was undeniable….”

She was silent as she took in what he said. Then she said, “… It was Premnath who had planned everything… that mic was designed by him…”

“Yes…I… got to know that later… He was a disillusioned old man”

“Hmm…” She nodded and turned around hugging herself… She was a nervous wreck.

He came closer and hugged her from behind. He hid his face in her hair as he took a deep breath. She tilted her head to her side and he kissed her neck exactly the way she had wanted… had craved. He turned her around and held her by her shoulders. “My little sparrow…these months spent without you… has been a living hell. Please… please forgive me darling… There was not a day when I didn’t want to rush back to you…But it was not just getting back my company but also I had to clear your name… and fulfil a small dream of your father’s.”

“What…what dream?” She was confused…

“That’s a surprise for later darling… for now I can’t… stay away a minute longer…” saying he pulled her to him and claimed her lips.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author

Chapter 18

Namrata rushed outside and ran to catch an auto to reach home. Her mother was coming back tomorrow itself. She must have taken the news seriously. Namrata was relieved. She wanted to confide in her mother about all that had happened… all that she had found out…

She kept crying even as she entered her house. Suddenly her lower abdomen started to pain… she held her midsection and bent down… when the pain passed; she went to the washroom and freshened herself. She hadn’t eaten anything so she fixed herself a snack and after having it with a coffee she went to bed. She was tired to the core…drained out mentally. She desperately wanted to speak to someone… unfortunately the only person she had trusted and given her heart to had crushed it under his feet… first by hiding his identity and then by distrusting her.

She kept her phone on silent mode and went off to sleep.

Her mother arrived the next morning. As she wheeled her mother inside, she patted her hands. Her mother got busy with her exercise and unpacking her bag. After lunch as her mother lay on the bed, resting, Namrata sat on a chair beside her. Namrata was wondering how to broach the topic.

“Namu…” her mother called out to her. “… He… I mean that client in the car was Ranvijay isn’t it?”

Namrata looked up stunned… Her mother knew? She turned beet red with embarrassment.

“Namu… dear, I was initially not happy but then… you were glowing… I saw you happy after years…so … I am really happy for you dear.”

Namrata started to cry, “ma you don’t know…he was responsible for what happened to papa…. I don’t trust him anymore…” her heart clenched as she said the words.

“Namu… you don’t know anything at all…” She sat up supported by pillows. She then took Namrata’s hand in hers and said, “Namu my child, irrespective of what people tell you, remember one thing. Your papa was solely responsible for his decisions and no one else should be blamed for that….” She raised her palm as Namrata tried to interrupt. “…Just hear me out alright?”

When Namrata nodded she continued. “Your papa was a whiz when it came to financial transactions and investment decisions. He gave up his job and started freelancing a couple of years before he… passed. He was yet to make profits but things were looking up. It was when RM industries approached him. RM industries was trying to acquire some jewellery making unit… it had huge potential He studied the finances of the unit for over a period of two months and along with two other investors he raised about two crores of the needed four crores  in funding.. Your father too saw potential and pooled in everything he had as well as took loans to raise the major amount. Not just that, he was a guarantor for the other two investors as well….RM industries was a major stakeholder in the same. Ranvijay too had put in almost everything he had at stake…. What Namu…?” she looked at her daughter. “… You don’t believe me?”

Namrata shook her head… she actually couldn’t believe her mother knew so much.

“Namu… your father told me everything. I was his partner not just in life but in business too… I was not active because you and Nirmay need me more at home. I was not in favour of this investment decision because of Premnath Chopra.”

“How do you know Premnath Chopra ma?” to say Namrata was shocked would have been an understatement.

Her mother sighed as she said, “Premnath was your father’s childhood friend. He was much older to your father and considered and respected by your father like an elder brother. They grew up together in their village in Punjab. Both were equally brilliant. Your father in Finance and Premnath in both Finance and electronics. He was street-smart though and your father was… a very emotional person…

 …Actually when we got married and had you, Premnath had visited us few times along with his wife and daughters… His wife was a wonderful woman…very wise but Premnath dominated her…put her down.  He didn’t give me good vibes from day one. But your father trusted him. He was the finance head of that jewellery making unit. In fact he was the reason; your father was emotionally attached to the project. …”

Her mother looked away…she was lost in thought. She took a deep breath and said, “Premnath wanted to achieve a lot in life… in a short span of time. He fudged the documents so that the valuation of his sinking company increased. Your father blindly trusted him… his biggest error of judgement. Ranvijay trusted your father and Premnath, since he was engaged to Premnath’s older daughter Rhea. That was an arranged alliance. However on the day of the merger the money got transferred indirectly to a proxy account. That account was owned by Premnath and another insider man from Ranvijay’s office. Premnath had played with the software. Those days’ electronic transfers were fairly new and not very secure like today. That other man later turned out to be Rhea’s boyfriend. The engagement was a farce…there was total deception everywhere. The papers were signed but were fraudulent too… the owners sued both, us and RM industries… Premnath had been planning the coup for a long time…”

“….suddenly everything fell around like a pack of cards. Ranvijay tried damage control but the media had caught wind of it and all those involved were tried by the media… Namu it was like a living hell for your papa… He tried his best to consolidate things but this time it was way beyond his league. Premnath escaped within a day but his wife didn’t go with him. She called me and I in turn informed Ranvijay and your papa. Ranvijay had a strong IT team and they took action immediately. They got back some of the money but the rest was already withdrawn and put away… they couldn’t find a trial. Premnath was that good. That man from Ranvijay’s company confessed… Premnath’s family back here hardly had anything and your father refused to allow anyone to trouble his wife and daughters. His wife died of a heart attack as these events unfolded and Rhea hanged herself out of depression after her boyfriend’s arrest. ….”

“…Premnath disappeared from the face of the earth with his daughter Smriti… only to be heard of now…” Her mother wiped her cheeks…

Namrata sniffed a cry and asked, “… what about that man who confessed and what about papa?”

“Namu on the day of the accident your papa was driving to Ahmedabad along with that man to lodge him in some safe house Ranvijay had arranged till they went on trial. They had to recover the money somehow from the insurance….It was almost a year since everything had fallen apart. Your papa had become depressed and… had given up… I was a last minute addition to that trip. I didn’t want him to go alone…. “

Her mother started to sob… Namrata went up to her and hugged her tight. But she pushed Namrata and said, “… just hear this… you have to know… He… your papa….  We didn’t meet with an accident that day…. “

“…what?” Namrata could barely hear herself.

“…. Your papa rammed the car to the road divider…. On purpose… I saw him do that. He dropped off that other man just couple of minutes before asking him to take a taxi.  I was sitting right behind….He…he just gave up….He must have even forgotten I was in that car…” She covered her face with her palms and cried. Though Namrata was stunned and shaken by the revelation she tried to calm her mother.

After a while her mother stopped crying and said hoarsely, “When I regained consciousness in the hospital, Ranvijay visited me. He was acquitted from the case put by those company owners because of lack of evidence and neat paperwork by your father, which helped. Your father had apparently dug deep and had found massive corruptions related to Premnath. That actually killed him from within. He had felt responsible for the entire debacle.The case was dismissed. Ranvijay compensated the other two investors. He was broken too…”

“Ma… he… I was told he got the accident investigation…. stopped? Why?” Namrata asked.

 “He got the accident investigation averted because he didn’t want to tarnish your father’s image further…. Yes… he knew what had happened. The police probably were guessing it too….He paid some of our debts. The creditor’s list that was shown to you Namu was only half of it. If he hadn’t helped us we would have been ruined even more. But… I dint want him near any of us at that time. He reminded me of what I had lost. However he has been discreetly paying the NGO all these years. He paid a deposit for Nirmay’s school once we moved here. He didn’t personally meet me after that. …”

She held Namrata’s hands again and said, “…Namu… he is… a good man. Good at heart… He didn’t have it easy in life either… he could have just left us to our fates but he didn’t. Unfortunately for him he got cheated…. Again…. Yesterday’s news… it was like… history repeating itself… Namu I am feeling so bad for him…”

“….Ma… I … I … am partly responsible for this too…” Namrata said softly. When her mother looked at her questioningly she revealed everything that had happened. Smriti’s deception, her whirlwind affair with Ranvijay minus details… and what the old man, Premnath Chopra told her…

Her mom took in a deep breath. “It’s not your fault Namu. You were cheated too. Given the circumstances I would have probably believed that slimy Premnath. He is a snake. But… if I understand Ranvijay well… he has a reputation for being a ruthless trader, an eagle… but to me he is a rising phoenix. I am sure he has something planned. Don’t worry… he must be busy working something out… And you learnt a lesson too isn’t it?”

When Namrata nodded, she continued, “…Come let’s start dinner. Nirmay’s coming today….”

As they got busy, Namrata kept thinking about him… was he alright? Would he ever know the truth about her? Her breathing got heavier as she remembered their last encounter. Could the chasm of misunderstanding get any deeper?

 But she had other things to worry. Namely… finding a new job…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author

Chapter 17

He gripped her shoulders. “YES… I lost it. I lost everything… just everything… but you know Namrata… what hurt the most?”

She just kept staring tears flowing…

He brought his face close to hers. “…what hurt most was BETREYAL… being stabbed in the back by the one person whom you trusted the most… Just…just tell me ….just ONCE… WHY DID YOU DO IT?”

Namrata shoved his hands away. She raised her hands and cried, “… I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT… okay?”

He glared at her his nostrils flared with rage as he removed his phone from his pocket. He showed her a video and said, “Explain THIS”

Namrata was stunned to the core. It was her video accepting money from Smriti and another accepting the envelope from Jatin … Just the part where they were giving it to her. It was edited to show her in bad light. Only the part where Smriti thanked her for everything was there in the clip. Her initial refusal and later talk was missing. Even Jatin’s conversation was missing.

She looked at him through tears and pleaded, “This… this  is not what it looks like. It’s edited… I…I don’t know who did it but it’s not…”

“….JUST SHUT THE HELL UP… “He bellowed and she startled. “…Did you receive the money or not? Twenty thousand in cash … twice? Besides the gold ear studs. They cost forty thousand…”

She nodded…”It was…. Because of my work on the gig….” she spoke softly unable to trust her own words.

“…Ha… look at the naivety. Do you think I am a fool? Who gives that kind of money as a perk to a mere employee who had completed just over a month in the company? So don’t…. just don’t fool me. Enough –of- your -deception. I just want to know why and how… I want answers….”

She was shaking now… “You have to trust me on this. I have no idea…”

He held her arm and pulled her to him. “Trust you? Trust you? You know what? I was a fool…. I was a lovesick idiot. You used yourself so well… what a charade… I have to give it to you…You traded me… My future… my everything… I only want to know why you did that.  HOW DID YOU GIVE OUT OUR FIGURES AND WHY?”

“What… figures…?” she asked still crying. He furiously backed her till she landed on the sofa. He leaned over her and spoke with a sneer. “I am sure now that you don’t know the relationship between me and your father. Then what was it? The money? You could have asked me. I could have given you more… a lot more… I want to know… what was in it for you?”

“N…n…nothing… I don’t know anything. My mother just told me…. About you knowing my father…just before you got here. Don’t… don’t know what…” she tried speaking between tears.

“That’s it… though it’s very tempting, I can’t strangle you…. I can’t… believe it. I believed a lie… Fell for your deceit… I had prided myself on being the Giant Eagle…. A great trader….  But today …I realised I was the one being traded all this while…” saying he stood up straight and started to leave. He turned his back to her and as he approached her door, he stood for a moment and rubbed his eyes.

Then as he opened the door as he took out his phone again. She yelled, “Wait Ranvijay… it’s not what you…” He banged the door after him.

She dropped on the floor sobbing. Things were now making sense to her… the money, the earstuds… how she could be so stupid. She should have realised something was amiss…

The alarm sounded and she woke up. Her eyelids were heavy because she had cried herself to sleep. She remembered the events of the earlier night and fresh tears started to flow. But today… she HAD to get some answers. She quickly dressed up had a cup of coffee and rushed to office. As she entered the building she saw it was heavily decorated… The old ‘for you forever’ sign–board was replaced by a new one and it was lit up. All the employees were present. Namrata’s confusion prevailed. She was getting angrier by the minute. She met James and asked him what was going on. “for you forever  has been taken over by a new conglomerate. Merged… to be precise. Celebrations are on.”

“Who… who took over?” she asked with her heart thudding.

“Some…. PC infotech…”

Now where did she hear the name before? Probably on the TV. Her head was spinning. She rushed towards Smriti’s cabin. Today she didn’t knock…and entered directly.

Smriti was standing and talking to an old man with a crooked nose sitting on her chair. They both stopped talking as Namrata barged in.

“What is it Namrata?” Smriti asked with a smile…

That angered her all the more. “Smriti M’am, I want some answers. Why did you… Why was that video taken…and why was it edited?”

“Aww, look at her….” She told the old man waving a hand towards Namrata. “… So you are in love with that asshole is it? Your GIANT EAGLE…” She looked at the old man and both started to laugh. The old man suddenly started to wheeze and Smriti helped him with the inhaler.

The old man sighed and spoke, “Look Namrata, you should thank us…we did you a favour. That man didn’t deserve you after what he did to your father. And after what he did to us…he got a taste of his own medicine…”

Namrata stared at him… “How… how do you know my father?”

The old man regarded her for a while and spoke, “…Abhinav Kiri and I go a long way back…He was a good man. An emotional fool though… My late wife always said, ‘being emotional was ok but not an emotional fool’….”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered her father. “I…I… want answers…Why…” she waved her hands around not able to form the words to voice her turmoil.

“Of course… you are Abhinav’s daughter… you would want answers….” the old man wheezed as he spoke. He typed something on his laptop. After a moment he turned it around. She saw news articles dating seven years ago.

RM Industries’ meteoric rise….

RM Industries to takeover Suvarna guddi jewellery group…..

Deal goes down….

Ranvijay Mehrotra Director of RM Industries arrested…. Fraud…. Released on bail…

Major accident on Mumai –Ahmedabad highway… Venture capitalist dead, wife seriously injured….

Mehrotra free…. Case closed …. No evidence.

Namrata started sobbing as she read about the accident which resulted in her father’s death.

The old man got up and walked towards her. He patted her back and made her sit down. He walked with a slow gait towards the window and said, “Your father’s accident investigation too was suspended by Ranvijay. That man destroyed all our lives. You see my daughter Smriti? I had another daughter… Rhea. She was engaged to Ranvijay. But after this fall out the alliance broke and she… she hung herself. She was addicted to that man…” He wheezed again… “…I saw him do that to you too. He lured you. And you caught the bait….”

Smriti spoke then, “…that’s why we decided to …. to use you, as well as open your eyes.” Then she took Namrata’s purse. She zipped it open and emptied it on the table. Her meagre contents fell out. She then pulled the inner lining of the purse outside and tore it. A chip like thing fell out of it. “This…” Smriti showed her and said, “… this is an advanced microphone made by my genius father.  It can catch human vocal frequencies to up to 300 metres radius…. I got it stitched to your bag before the Five star hotel gig. You did the rest of it dear…” she laughed as she said it.

Namrata just couldn’t believe anything anymore…she realised she was being played all this while. She had thought she had made it big in her career… but she was just being… traded. She stood up. She had already removed those ear studs and placed them in the box. She took the second envelope given by Jatin the other day and placed both on the table. “I… I can’t work here anymore… you…all of you are full of lies and deceit…. You may keep the rest of my salary and allowances against the twenty thousand you had given me. I haven’t taken anything from this… you may check….”

Her heart was already crumbled… she was now totally shattered. As she opened the door, she heard the old man, “He is not worth it Namrata…

As she came out of the cabin she wondered if she could trust Ranvijay ever again… her mother’s word kept ringing in her ears,

‘There is nothing like free lunch’

The old man smiled to himself. Today he had his revenge. Premnath Chopra had done it. He had stolen RM Industries right under The Eagle’s nose and Ranvijay couldn’t do anything. That man was hit where it hurt the most… his baby RM Industries and then his lady love… Now that Namrata knew the Eagle was responsible for her family’s condition, she would hate him…

Premnath laughed… he had avenged the death… of his dreams, his wife and Rhea. Finally Smriti would inherit everything and he could die in peace…

Had he done anything wrong? No…he didn’t think so.

His wife always said, “the law of karma is also the law of cause and effects…as you sow so shall you reap…”

He coughed into oblivion as he thought of her disapproving looks….

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author

Namrata settled in her hotel room in Pune after a hectic preparation on Friday evening.

They had barely reached Pune when they had to scramble around with the allotted staff for the event preparation. A political scion was launching his son. Their company was one of the three event management companies hired to do the job for the launch event which was spread over the weekend. Namrata’s company was signed the food and logistics. Namrata and James got busy with the former while Jatin and the other subordinates were immersed in the latter.

By the time the preparations were half way through, it was 1AM. Jatin asked them to retire for the night as they had to be up and bright with the remaining preparations before the event started by 10AM on Saturday morning.

Namrata freshened up and changed into her nightgown. Before crashing out she checked her messages. Her mother had sent pictures from where she was visiting. Her brother had also reached the location safely. But there was no message from him…. He had looked extremely tired and worn out last night… was he alright? She was getting increasingly concerned as the time went by. Sleep eluded her because of worry…

She called him but his phone was unavailable…She started getting paranoid about what must be happening to him….. She just hated the uncertainty. He was still a closed book to her…a mystery. He was a Giant eagle who had her in his talons…she already felt ripped apart… her emotions were all over the floor…

The next couple of days went in a total blur. Namrata was physically present but mentally she was a wreck. There was no message from him. She had messaged him couple more times but there was no reply. She couldn’t even make out if he had read her messages. She was worried sick. They had to stay back Sunday night because it was too late at 2AM for them to drive back. She couldn’t sleep and kept pacing her room…

The formalities took a while in the morning and by the time they left it was 11AM. Something or the other kept coming up and they were getting delayed.

Namrata  was extremely uneasy. Something was troubling her at the back of her mind. It was as if he was still a stranger… an enigma… as if she never knew him at all. Then what was all that about proclamation of love?  Was he so busy that he couldn’t even message her? Was she only a means to satisfy his physical craving? Her heart was breaking with every such thought. Before she realised tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away before James or anyone else could see her. She decided to have a talk with him… give him an ultimatum that she couldn’t continue like this… him going off the radar every time… and she under perennial turmoil waiting for him.

They faced heavy traffic snarl on their way back and it was 9PM in the evening when she reached home. She was a bundle of nerves and before she got in and locked the door, she was sobbing. She was so depressed and for the first time in over six years she had nothing to do… She felt extremely lonely. She decided to watch TV… it was 11PM and sleep was still miles away.

As she switched channels, she stopped on a business news channel because she thought she saw him. Yes… It was him. She unmuted the volume and heard the news.

…. Scion of RM industries Ranvijay Mehrotra has stepped down as the director….

……following heavy losses incurred…… mortgaged….. May have to file for bankruptcy…

…shareholders in panic…. You can see the crowds outside RM Tech park….. police bandobast….

…PC infotech takes over the functioning from today…

Namrata had turned a statue with the remote in her hands as she saw the news unfold. The visuals were from daytime which meant this was hours ago… She had overheard him talk about the tender opening today… he had said something about things being at stake…

Her phone rang jarring her out of her thoughts. It was her mom. She didn’t want to take it but her mother would get worried or in case there was an emergency… she answered it.

“Yes ma?”

“Namu did you see the news today?”

Why was her mother asking about the news…?

“Yes ma… why what is it?”

“Did you hear about RM industries…? Namu that was Ranvijay….” Her mother sounded anxious.

Namrata was puzzled. How did her mother know him?

“Ma… do you know him?”

“Namu he is the client for whom your father had free-lanced that last investment project… The one which caused…. Everything…” Her mother said frantically.

Namrata stood paralysed with the phone in her hand.

“Namu… are you there? “

Ye..yes ma… so he is the c…c…cause of our troubles….?”

“It’s not that simple Namu… I will explain when I get back… network bad….” And her call was disconnected.

Namrata had totally blanked out what her mother spoke last. Ranvijay was connected to her father?

Suddenly her doorbell rang and along with that someone was banging her door. She rushed to open the door before her neighbours gathered.

As soon as she opened a little, he pushed the door along with her and barged in. He kicked the door shut behind him. She was thrown behind with the impact and fell flat on the floor.

He looked furious. She saw him looking down at her with fire in his eyes… he looked like a raging bull. His beard was grown, his eyes bloodshot. His shirt was dirty… he looked horrible and unkept.  His hair was a mess showing he had drawn his hand through it many times….

Suddenly he was out of his apparent daze… He held her arms and drew her up against his. She had to keep her palm on his chest to steady herself… She tried to push him away. But he held the back of her head and held her hair in his hand. Pulling her head behind he spoke through clenched teeth, “you knew … all this while you knew…” He was breathing heavily on her face. She closed her eyes as she cried… he released her hair as if woken from a trance and moved back dropping his hands by his sides… he looked defeated.  “Just… Just tell me one thing Namrata…” He didn’t call her his little sparrow “…Why… WHY DID YOU DO IT?”

Her head was reeling. What the hell was he talking about? She wiped her eyes and when her vision cleared she saw he had tears in his eyes as well… he looked totally shattered. She understood that but…

He continued his tirade. “Was this all about money? How much… how much did they give you?”

She couldn’t follow anything that was going on. First her mother, and now him. She sobbed, “What are you talking about?”

“Stop the farce Namrata… it doesn’t suit you… the innocent looks…. They don’t match your conniving self. So tell me… how much you traded me off for…” He looked away and mocked laughter. “… Here I thought I was a trader but you my dear, you have surpassed me… congratulations…” He looked back at her and raised his voice. “… why Namrata…?WHY?… all this to avenge your father? You don’t even know the truth Goddamnit…”

Namrata kept crying… not knowing what was going on… why was he behaving like that? Why was he being so hurtful?

She tried to speak with her clogged throat, “Why are you talking about… my father? Why get him into all… this? What truth…? I have no clue… Wait… I saw the news … you…lo…lost…the tender…” she added the last part softly.

Meanwhile few kilometres away…

The old man and his protégé were playing bluff… as always he won. He always won except that one time years ago. But now he got everything that was his. The eagle was destroyed… almost… and if his protégé was to be believed the rest of the plan was also in place. As his beautiful late wife had always said, ‘Do or die was getting old… do before you die was the new concept’

He was doing it now… before he died. His daughter…his protégé had to have the legacy…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author

Chapter 15

Namrata was in high spirits as she sat on the passenger side of his car. It was 4AM. He was dropping her home… He loved her.… She had a perennial smile on her face ever since he declared his feelings.

After he had said he loved her. She had pushed him on the bed and climbed on top of him. She had kissed him pouring out the passion and love from within. Then… she had been adventurous. She had held him from behind and placing herself on his tip had slid down his length. It was a different feeling. She had ridden him… his eyes had widened but she knew he loved it. She had collapsed on him as soon as she came. He had caught her hips and had thrust inside her till he released explosively inside her taking her to another pinnacle along with him…

After the euphoria had subsided they both had fallen asleep entwined in each other’s arms. But she had to reach home early morning to help her mother finish packing for her trip. So they were on their way. He held her hand throughout the ride to her place. When he stopped the car at the usual place, he took her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers one by one. It was so sensual she was igniting from inside. If this continued she wouldn’t be able to go home…

He released her hand and turned to look at her. His face had so much emotion written on it, she fell in love all the more…

“You know…little sparrow? Monday is a make or break day for me… for my company… I have made some vital decisions…. It’s either do…or die… And trust me sweetheart, for both our sakes…I want this to materialise. I must have that contract… I can’t lose…” He took a deep breath and held her and again. “… Will you …. You know … if I lose this tender… I will lose… a lot of … I may touch bankruptcy… A lot is at stake. But… will you…” He looked away.

She kept her hand on their joined palms and said, “look at me darling…” when he did she continued softly, “You are more valuable to me than all the money in the world put together. No one can understand this better than me… My family…We lost everything like this…” She snapped her fingers. “…Overnight we were left with nothing. I know how it is. But Trust me when I say I am with you… Always…in thick and thin.”

He pulled her head towards him and kissed her hard and deep… He touched her forehead with his. He whispered, “I love you so much my little sparrow….I love you…” He sighed as he released her. “Look…” He moved back she looked into her eyes and said, “… I will be staying in my office… till Monday. So maybe… we won’t be able to meet…”

“…Hey it’s fine… I will miss you but … its ok… really”. She smiled biting back tears. “We will directly meet on Monday to celebrate.”

He gave her a tight hug and then she stepped out of the car.

Namrata went to work after her mother left for her outing. It was a tearful moment for the mother-daughter duo…  Her mother looked very confident considering her ordeal in the last few years. The NGO volunteers assured her they would watch over her mother. Her brother was to leave next day early morning. So he wanted to sleepover at his friend’s house. The friend’s father was to drop them to school early morning. Namrata spoke with him and once she was convinced she permitted her brother for the sleepover. That meant she would be alone that night…

Once in Office work kept her on her toes. She had to assist Jatin on a gig and since James was there too, she had to be extra careful so as to not reveal her secret rendezvous. They were managing a terrace party even where she had to mainly handle food and the welcome table. Cakewalk for her considering she had independently handled her earlier gigs.

As the party was in full swing, Jatin called her aside and gave her an envelope, “Smriti ma’am has given this to you. I got one too. Can you beat that? We made record profits man!!” She took the envelope and peeked in. There was a wad of notes… again.  She was perplexed… why was Smriti being so generous to all of them? Did they really make that kind of money? She decided to take his help when he got free from his tender.

It was past 2AM when James dropped her home. Since it was a late gig, they could report late tomorrow morning. That relieved her. She was bone tired…

As she was about to hit the sack, her doorbell rang. She was scared… who could it be at this hour?

She checked through the peephole and her heart skipped a beat. She opened the door and let him in. Ranvijay looked terrible… She was saddened by his haggard appearance.

He walked in as she locked her door and flopped down on her small sofa. He was in his work clothes. She offered him water. He drank and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Did you eat dinner?” she asked

“No…” he shook his head. “…not hungry…”

“… Just freshen up a bit. I will fix you something…”

Before he could answer she rushed to her kitchen. Her emotions were paradoxical. She was thrilled he was here… in her house but at the same time her heart was breaking seeing him in this state. She had to be strong for him. Steadying herself, she prepared scrambled eggs with buttered bread. She also heated milk and placed it in a glass along with the eggs. When she took the tray outside, he was leaning on her sofa with his eyes closed… she kept the tray on the stool nearby and touched his shoulders to wake him. He opened his tired eyes and smiled. She brought the plate to him and he finished the eggs and bread in record time! He drowned them down with the glass of hot milk. She then dragged him to her room and made the bed. She made him lie on the single bed and before she could say anything he was fast asleep. She smiled and covered him with a blanket. She went to her mother’s room and slept off immediately.

The next morning when she woke up he was gone… But this time there was a note in his beautiful handwriting,

Had to leave. Urgent meeting today with shareholders. Need to prepare….

Cu soon…

Love you…

Namrata took in a breath of satisfaction and hugged the note. She liked that he was opening up to her. Soon she would find out about his family. She needed something to tell her mother when she finally revealed about Ranvijay to her.

After finishing her morning chores she left for work.

Today she was entrusted an outstation gig. She had to go to Pune with Jatin and two other subordinates. This was huge because of the local political involvement. That meant absolutely no room for mistakes. At one end she was thrilled at been given the opportunity of such a scale while at the other end she would miss him…She had to leave in the afternoon itself…

She went home to pack a bag. James was to pick her up in an hour. She finished winding up everything and messaged him as she waited for James to arrive.

Hi…

Off to Pune for a gig…

Don’t skip dinner..

Love you…miss you…

After waiting for some time when she got no reply, she kept the phone away and focussed on gathering her stuff. Her heart sank as she thought about him overworking himself.

Soon she was on her way to Pune

Meanwhile few kilometres away…

The old man got off the phone with his CEO. PC Infotech was going to touch great heights. But even more than that, the Giant Eagle was going to be destroyed. The eagle would now understand his pain… The pain of losing all that you have earned the pain of losing someone you love…. Now that was going to be a bonus he hadn’t counted upon getting. Lady luck was in his favour after all. Everything was in position. The ball was ready to strike. His intelligent ex-wife always said, ‘it’s not how you bowl, its how you roll.’

He had already set the ball rolling…. It was time to hit the pins within the next two strikes.

 Monday again would be….his.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author

Chapter 14

Namrata was relaxed when he dropped her home next morning by 6AM. They could barely sleep but she felt fresh. She had the off at work and she told him about it.

He had said, “I wish I could spend the entire day with you… you know… go on a movie date, lunch… but sorry darling… I have work to finish. There is a new tender for this line of diamond jewellery. My companies can’t take another setback…” She had understood and smiled. Though she was breaking from within, she didn’t want to show her emotions to him. He had promised to meet her at night. So… it always came down to sex… not that she complained. She loved every moment spent with him especially where she could speak her heart out and he could easily gauge her mood. But that’s how he was and he had not committed anything to her. She knew it so she couldn’t complain.

She slept for an hour after her mother left for her NGO. Tomorrow, Thursday her mother was leaving for her first trip after six years. Independently for a week. She was now confidently handling her wheel chair. Her mother too had fought odds and was now getting self-reliant. She had been appointed supervisor for the kitchen services by the NGO. She was now very confident. Namrata was happy because it gave her more time to pursue her work and for herself. Then on Friday her brother was to leave for his field trip for four days. He would be back on Wednesday .Till then she had few days for herself. Guilt ran through her for being happy about it but she had wanted some time for herself since ages…

After waking up she finished her household chores which were pending. Though she was supposed to be relaxed, she was far from it. She knew the reason too. She wanted to meet him… this kind of craving for him was dangerous … but she couldn’t help it. She barely got time with him but whenever she was with him, she felt wanted and cherished. She was hopelessly in love with him… She had little doubt he felt the same for her, but unless he said it she couldn’t be sure.

But… what did she know about him? Only his name… now that sounded familiar… where had she heard that name before?

She took out her laptop and googled him. She shook her head thinking, she should have done this last week when they had first met…  Nonetheless it was better late than never. She typed his name in the search engine and got a page full of links. All mentioning his businesses and mergers… There was nothing about his personal life at all. There was no mention of parents, siblings…. girlfriend  the last sent a pang of jealousy through her. After an hour of trying she was bored and gave it up.

She decided to message him. He could reply whenever he got the time. But at the same time she didn’t want to sound clingy. She typed.

                             Hi. Hope all’s going well at work…

Now that was a safe area. Immediately her phone buzzed with an incoming text.

All ok. What’s my little sparrow doing?

That got a smile on her lips. She messaged back.

Waiting to hear from her Giant Eagle

There was a pause and then the next message came in

Come home at 6PM. We can have an early dinner. I have to work… Ok with U?

She shook her head. He worked all the time. But she couldn’t miss a chance of seeing him. She smiled as she typed,

Done. Will be there. I will cook… Ok with U?

Her phone buzzed almost immediately after she had sent her message. It was laughing emoji…

She typed

C ya at 6

Namrata was walking on air… humming her favourite tune as she got ready that evening. She wanted to feel comfortable. So she wore her favourite grey office suit. She didn’t possess any jewellery except for those gold studs in her ears. She preferred to leave them on and left for his home. She was there by 5.50PM… he was already at home. She had purchased paneer on her way. She knew what else was stocked in his refrigerator. As soon as he answered her knock, he pulled her in and closed the door. She saw he was on a call. Giving her an intense look he blurted into the phone, “I…I will get back….”

 He kept the phone in his pocket and pulled her to him. He buried his head in her hair and held her tight. She dropped her bags and hugged him back. She longed to smell his cologne. She took in a deep breath and felt as though transported straight to heaven…

Today his hug had a different emotion… he released her and gave her a peck on her lips. He held her face in his palms and stared down at her. There was some kind of longing in his look… she yearned to know. She touched his cheek and smiled as he leaned into it.

“What’s it my Giant eagle?” she asked in a voice barely audible…

The expression was gone. He shook his head and said, “I… have to make an important call…you want to order something? I have given an off to my cook for a couple of days”

“No… As promised I am going to cook… you carry on…” She gave her handbag to him.

She picked up the market bag and went to his kitchen. She found an apron which she wore and started dinner. Within an hour she had prepared an elaborate meal of Kadhai Paneer, Rotis, Jeera rice and Daal tadka. For desert she prepared rawa kheer, her mom’s secret recipe. She was pumped up to see his reaction… would he like it?

She arranged the food on the dining table, as she heard him rattle away figures on the phone.

She waved to him… but he ignored her. He was totally engrossed in his conversation. She served food for him on a plate and took it to him. He cut the call and sighed leaning behind on his chair with his eyes closed. He looked extremely troubled and miserable. Her heart was crumbling seeing him so desolate…

She touched him on his hand and he opened his tires eyes.

“You have to eat… common. Work will happen, but now you need to have this.”

He looked up at the ceiling. His eyes were shining with unshed emotions, “You know little sparrow?  Everything I have is at stake for this tender. It is important for me… my company…” Then looking back at her he continued, “… for us.”

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. She pressed his palm and he looked at her again as a drop of tear fell from his eye. She kept the plate on the centre table and went close to him. She took his hand and made him sit on the seater comfortably.

“Just breathe…” she said.

She took the plate again and took a spoonful of rice. She took it near him mouth and fed him. Slowly she fed him the complete plate of food. Finally she served him a bowl of kheer which he relished. He immediately got another call and got busy. She cleared the kitchen and came back to the drawing room. She wasn’t much hungry so she just had a bowl of sweet.

He was still on the phone…

She sat next to him and rubbed his back. He moved and put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him even as he spoke.

“…tomorrow we go with the quotes I gave you Viraj… that’s the only option we have…”

Pause…

“…No Viraj, make that the final draft. I am confident about this quotation. Tomorrow is the last day. We send the quotation along with the deposit. I have arranged for the money. ”

Pause…

“… I know… it’s a huge trade… RM industry is at stake here… No Viraj. I have to take this chance… yes… go ahead and do as I have told.”

Pause…

“By the way did you find out who was so close to our quotation last time? Who is PC infotech? Never heard of him before. I have asked Prasad to check him out. Strange that he didn’t turn up for the tender opening, but sent his department head….” He rubbed his tired eyes and continued, “…anyway…You concentrate on this tender. We will see about that guy later.”

He ended the call.

He stood taking her along with him. He turned her to face him. He held her face and said, “Thank you my little sparrow…” he kissed her forehead.

“Hey… why are you thanking me?”

“Actually… no one…NO ONE ever has cared for me like….” His voice choked. He took in a deep breath and smile down at her. He put an arm around her shoulder and took her to the bedroom.

Their union that night surpassed all the passion from before. It was not just a physical coupling but a union of their emotions, feelings and desires… it was a union of hearts.

As they lay staring into oblivion… she lying on his chest and he cuddling her, he asked, “Can I… ask you something my little sparrow?”

“Hmm…”

“If you know… I mean … if you… If I reveal my past to you… will you still… actually my past is not… you know…. Will you…feel the same for me?”

She went up on his chest and smiled into his eyes. She kissed him deeply with all she had and whispered, “I hope… you like my answer.”

He hugged her tightly as if his life depended on her words…

He pulled her beneath him and raised himself on his elbows. He touched his forehead to hers and said,

 “My little sparrow… I … I love you…”

Meanwhile few kilometres away…

He finished his third bottle for the evening. He replayed the audio clip,

‘Everything I have is at stake for this tender. It is important for me… my company…

…Who is PC info tech?’

  He laughed loudly and coughed as he wheezed… he took the inhaler from his pocket and took a puff in. The wheezing stopped. He craved a cigarette but was warned by the doctor this time strictly against it. Normally he wouldn’t listen but now he was so close to victory he couldn’t risk his health further.

The Eagle was in love… that made things all the more better.

Now he had to be quick. His late wife always said, ‘a speedy execution gives birth to good fortune’

The giant eagle was playing right into his hands…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author