50

"Aakash, Bangalore Manager has put down his papers!" Arnav gave him the news in the office after the meeting with the staff.

"What? When?" asked Aakash.
"Today, Aman is talking to him. I heard he is joining Raymonds!" said ASR.

"Oh! Ok. What do we do now?" asked Aakash.
"I am going to accept his decision." He said.

"Ok! What next?" asked Aakash.
"Let me think about it! Regi will help us for the time being…!" said Arnav. Aakash went back to his cabin.

******** ********* ***********

"Lavanya, you will have to go to Bangalore. The Manager has resigned. I have asked him to hand over the charge to you!" said ASR.
"What? No! I mean when did he resign?" asked Lavanya in a shock.

"He is in notice period. Go there and take charge!" he almost ordered her.
"No! ASR, I mean I already have started working on a new project here! I can't go now!" she Protested.

"Are you saying NO to me? I haven't asked your opinion, Lavanya!" he asked her raising his voice in rage.

"No! I mean I can go. But ASR..." she pleaded looking frightened.
"Lavanya tell me by tomorrow, when will you go!" he dismissed her.


"Ok! ASR. But I don't want to go to Bangalore. We can send Aman!" she gave him an option.
"Lavanya, I need Aman here!" he said looking at her.

"ASR, I am here! I will help you!" she said brightly. "We will send Aman and find out another manager. I will call the head hunter!" she took charge.

"Lavanya, are you telling ME what to do?" he screamed.
"No, I mean... I gave you an option! I mean... ASR!" she came and wrapped her arm around him.

"ASR I don't want to leave Delhi!" she was desperate. "I got to finish some wok here!" she said finally.
"Work? What work?" he asked suspiciously. 

"Some personal work ASR! " she said looking at him scared.
"Ok! Finish off that work and go to Bangalore!" he ordered turning his back on her.
She came out crest fallen. She never wanted to leave ASR. "I have to find out and excuse not to go to Bangalore!" she thought to herself and went back to her cabin. She dialed a number.
"He is sending me to Bangalore!" she said on the verge of crying.

"Avoid going to Bangalore! Give any excuse! You are so close, Lavanya! Don't let it go!" said Sham's voice from other end. Tears rolled down from her eyes.

"Lavanya, listen to me! It's a matter of only a few weeks. Once the Court matter is decided, they are bound to separate! You are so close Lavanya. I know, you are made for him, his class! Think about it! Don't go!" he convinced her. She nodded and disconnected the phone.

"I have to think about something!" she thought. She was determined not to go to Bangalore. She couldn't leave her ASR at this point of time when he would require her support.
She went out and entered Aman's cabin.

********* ********* ******** ********

"Balwindar, give me all the information about this Sham! I mean it!" Dasgupta was with Papaji.
"What? What happened?" asked papaji in surprise.

"Balwindar I want to study all the matters against this Sham!" he said.
"Ok. I will arrange to send it to your office!" said papaji.

"No! I mean I want to personally study those!" said Dasgupta.
"Personally? You? Das... is everything ok?" asked papaji worried.

"Everything should be, so long as I am there!" said Das smugly.
"Are you thinking of appearing?" asked papaji astonished.

"Yes, if need be!" he said seriously.
"What?" asked papaji getting up in a jerk.
"If I feel that the things are going out of control! I am going to handle the arguments in the Courts!" said Dasgupta calmly.

"Is there a problem, Das? Arnav and Khushi...!" papaji could not continue.
"Balwindar, I want the copy of every paper concerning the cases!" said Dasgupta.

"And don't worry! Nothing will happen to our Khooki and her husband!" he assured papaji.
"And keep ready my fees!" he said smiling. Papagi gaped at Dasgupta. 

"Wait a minute! Are you asking me fees?" papaji asked angrily.
"Yes, and you know I am pretty expensive!" said Dasgupta. "And if I am handling the cases, who will pay my fees?" asked Dasgupta.

"Oh yes. You are right! Let me see!" said papaji furiously.
"Ok! Balwindar I should leave now!" said Dasgupta. "Send me those papers!"

********** ****** ******

"What? He is asking me fees?" wondered papaji.

Papaji and Dasgupta had a very long relationship. They both were of same age and were together for a very long time. They both had shifted to Kolkata at the age of 20 and were struggling for earning. They both used to travel in the same tram at six in the morning and come back at 12 in the night. They shared the same room. Papaji had started his apprenticeship in a weaving mill and Dasgupta had joined a law firm. They literally grew together, sharing everything they had and pooling their finances at the end of the month to meet the ends. They got married and settled in their lives. Dasgupta had a daughter and a son; both settled abroad having a roaring law practice. Dasgupta had set his own class and only accepted contested matters. His law firm was among the best in India where one had to give entrance examination to join as trainee. 

When Dasgupta went to England for higher studies, Balwindar, who had set up his own factory by then, had supported Dasgupta's family. They stood by each other in sorrows and joys. Papaji was there when Dasgupta lost his wife and Dasgupta was a great support when Papaji lost his son, Tej!! 

**** **

"Biwi...!" Papaji called out loudly.
"What?" she asked him.

"This.. this Das is asking me to pay his fees!" he said angrily.
"What? Why?" she asked in astonishment.

"He may handle the cases, not sure, he said!" said papaji still confused.
"Ok! If he is handling the cases, we should pay him!" said Mummiji calmly.

"What? Pay my foot! I will not!" he said still fuming.
"Did he tell you the amount?" she asked.

"No!" he answered.
"You will have to pay through your nose, Balwindar!" came a loud voice from behind. Dasgupta had come back and was grinning.

"Biwi! See?" Balwindar clenched his fists.
"She is not a referee in our fight!" said Dasgupta grinning at Mummiji.
"Give me your car keys!" he ordered Balwindar.

"What? No way!" snapped Balwindar.
"Flat tyre! Give me your car!" he said again.

"No! take a taxi and go!" Balwindar was all set to settle the score.
"Don't fight like children, Balwindar, give him the car keys!" ordered Mummiji. Balwindar threw the keys.

"Thank you!" he said and turned winking at Mummiji. 

********* ********** ***********

Khushi was with Naniji when the parcel was brought in by Ram Prakash.

"It was a huge Rose bouquet with a card attached. Khushi read the name on the card. It was for Anjali. "Shondeep sir? How Romantic!" she thought tearing open the envelop. Her expression changed She clenched her fist crumpling the envelop in it. 

"How dare he!" she hissed furiously. "What is it Khushi bitiya?" asked Nani looking at the bouquet. 

"Nothing naniji, its for me from Arnavji!" she said with a fake blush and took the bouquet out. She threw it on the flood with rage and asked Ram Prakash to throw it away.

She glanced at the card "Get well soon, Raani Sahebaa! Miss you!" read the card. It was clearly Sham's handwriting. He had drawn two entangled hearts. She tore the card into pieces and dumped the shreds into the dustbin. 

She looked around and stormed into her room. Another flower bouquet was waiting for her in the room. She gaped at it, going near it in slow motion to pick up the card.

“Chamakili, get well soon!” Khushi was aghast.
“Lavanya ji? Why did she send me the card and flowers?” she was puzzled. She dialed her number. 

“Hello Lavanya ji!”
“Hi chamakili? Did you get my card? How are you now?” asked Lavanya brightly. 

“I am fine! But why the flowers and card, Lavanya ji?” she asked sounding confused.
“Oh! Chamakili, had been to the florist and thought of sending you the flowers!” she said innocently. Khushi smiled mildly. 

“So nice of you, Lavanyaji, thank you!” she said. “Ok, Chamakili, got to go! I have a meeting with ASR!” Lavanya said disconnecting the phone. 

Khushi stared at the bouquet. She ran her fingers on the artistically arranged gerbera and orchids, in a shallow copper bowl!! She was overwhelmed by the good gesture of Lavanya.
“She is so nice. And.. I sometimes ..!: she felt guilty. She kept the flowers on the side table and rested her head on the pillow. She took in the beauty of the flowers.

“This Laad Governer doesn’t like flowers! He only has green plants!” she thought grumpily. “No! but he has some flower plants!” she thought over again and got up from the bed to go to the pool side. She turned to move and froze.

She turned again and picked up the bouquet. She looked at it again and came out of the room.
“Ram Prakash ji!” she called him.

“Ji, bhabiji?” he came running.
“Where is that bunch of flowers I gave you to throw away?” she asked him.

“Ji.. I throw them away!” he said looking confused.
“Where?” she asked him eagerly.

“Dustbin!” he said. She ran down to the dustbin and picked up the flowers and stood like a statue. She saw the same copper bowl at the base. She picked it up, plucked out the flowers and brought the vase to her room. Both the bowls were strikingly similar!! She was puzzled. She kept gaping at the bowls, suspicion growing in her brain she feared the worst. “Lavanya ji and Sham ji? Together?” she was shocked at her own thought.

“No!... No! I am imagining the things. I have become paranoid. They must have gone to the same florist” she thought reprimanding her devil mind, kept the empty bowl on the table and came out to go to the kitchen to prepare for the dinner.

The thought of the flowers kept lingering in her mind throughout. Everybody had gathered at the table for dinner and Payal and Khushi were serving. Everyone noticed that Khushi was unusually quiet. Anjali tried to cheer her up in vain.

Khushi avoided everybody’s gaze and quietly went into the kitchen. Ram Prakash was cleaning.
“Ram Prakash ji, when did you keep the flowers in my room?” she asked.

“Ji? Haan… When you were in Naniji’s room. The two bouquets arrived one after another. Yours first and then after fifteen minutes for Anjali Di!” said Ram Prakash.

“Yeah! Ok!” she said absentmindedly. “May be I am imagining things. But I should tell this to Arnav ji!”  she though resolutely. “But then.. will I sound stupid?” she again came back.
“But any way he thinks I ask stupid question..! So, I should….!” She kept on thinking about it.
“Khushi.. these flowers?” Arnav was surprised.

Khushi looked at the bouquet. “umm.. Lavanya ji sent it!” she said.
“What?” Arnav was confused. “Why?” he asked.

“I was not well, she thought of cheering me up!” she said forcing a smile. Arnav was gaping at her. He shrugged and went to change. She sat on the bed lost in her thoughts.

“Khushi, are you ok?” he asked her coming back and sitting next to her.
“um.. Arnav ji, Di received the flowers too!... from HIM!” she stuttered.

“What?” he got up with a jerk.
“I took them from Ram Prakash and threw them… I did not tell this to Di!” she explained hurriedly.
“Oh! Good!” he said taking a sigh of relief.

She took the metal bowl and fidgeted. “umm.. Arnav ji, I may sound stupid and paranoid”¦ but “¦!” she stopped.

“What?” he asked her looking at her and again sitting on the bed.
“umm.. I mean”¦ Di received Red Roses from HIM and I received this from Lavanyaji”¦ But the metal bowls in both the bouquets are same!” she finally spoke her fears aloud.

“What?” he took the bowl from her and lifted the bouquet from the table. He turned the empty bowl upside down and saw the sticker of the florist. 

“Lavanya? And Sham?” he couldn’t correlated.
“Umm.. it may be a coincidence!” spoke Khushi but a seed of doubt was sowed in Arnav”™s mind. 

“Yeah! May be” he said smiling at her and said “Ok! Khushi I think you should go to sleep now!”
“And you?” she asked jerking her head back and looking at him. His eyes softened, he looked into her eyes and asked in a husky voice “What do you want me to do? Work?”
She flushed. He knew what she wanted him to do!

**** ********* **********

“Lavanya, the bouquet was beautiful!” Arnav praised Lavanya. She was shocked to hear appreciation from him. This was not ASR. She gaped at him and said “Thank you ASR!”
“I bought it from the florist from the corner!” she said. 

“Lavanya, what is your decision?” he asked suddenly changing the subject. She never wanted to talk about it.

“umm.. ASR, I talked to Aman. He said the notice period is three months”¦ so may be “¦ I will go after two months and take over??” she asked him expectantly.

“I am relieving him after a month! Finish off your work and go to Bangalore!” ordered ASR.
“No! ASR, I have to be in Delhi. My parents are coming!” she was desperate.

“Oh, I see!” ASR looked at her piercingly. She immediately looked away.
“When?” he asked. “Umm.. I mean”¦ this weekend!” she said reluctantly.

“Ok. From next week you will be on unpaid leave for a month!” He declared.
“No! I mean”¦ no need, ASR! I can come to the office!” she said hastily.

“No need Lavanya, enjoy with your parents!” he said turning his back on her.
“ASR !” she hugged him from behind and said, “ASR, I know you will be over burdened! I will come to the office!” she said in a consoling voice.

“No need Lavanya, I made alternative arrangement with Aman and I am going to Bangalore!” He said turning to look at her aghast face.