by Ruchi Singh
4th October, 10:30 PM
"When did you notice me at the station? I must be losing my touch!" After dropping the girl home with some strict instructions on safety, they were sitting in a café, at Mahajan's insistence.
"On the train, and no, you are not. Losing your touch, I mean. I had sensed your presence the moment I had entered the train, and then saw you. I have that knack. Moreover, your height makes it hard for you to blend in the crowd."
"Aah... my traitorous height."
"Were you following me?"
"No. Your ex-boss told me about your farewell party from the army today and that you will be at the metro station at around eight p.m. By the time I located you, you were getting into the train, two compartments away from where I was. I didn't have a choice but to board the train. But I didn't feel like wading through the ocean of breathing, sweating, talking humanity, so stayed back."
Esha nodded.
"You shouldn't take risks like you did today. What if there were more men at the station?"
"Can't help it." She shrugged.
"Hmm... on to the business at hand then." He began once the waiter had served them and left. He kept a file on the table upside down, which she was sure had her name on it. "I know you have completed your SSC tenure in the army and are at a loose end. I want to hire you."
She smiled. "What's the nature of the work?"
"This is not a regular security assignment, Major Sinha. I want your consent signed and documented, and only then can I disclose the details."
"Nothing illegal I hope."
He laughed out, a handsome throaty laughter, and heads turned. "It's an undercover bodyguard job in Mumbai, albeit the demand on time might be more than what you would have bargained for and comes with risks."
"What's the tenure?"
"Two months... at a maximum, three."
"And after that?"
He shrugged. "As of now this is what I can offer."
Then he quoted the remuneration and Esha's heart whistled. The sum could keep the family happy for at least two years and would pay for her sister Nisha's wedding in three months.
"Let me think about it."
"I'm afraid I don't have much time, Major."
"You'll have my answer by tomorrow eight a.m." She stood up and held out her hand.
* * * *
October 5th
Dwarka, New Delhi
5th October, 11:05 PM
The insistent ringing of the phone jolted Esha out of the deep slumber. She thought it was her alarm and jabbed on the side table, but couldn't find the alarm clock. The ringing stopped but started again. She opened one eye. A faint glow from her cell phone indicated an incoming call.
Closing her eyes, Esha picked up her phone and put it to her ear.
"Esha? Major? Sorry to disturb you sweetheart... I won't be available tomorrow. Esha, are you there?"
"Yes, Mr. Mahajan."
"Call me Nick, everyone does. I won't be in Mumbai tomorrow, I've briefed Maria about you. Reach the corporate office and ask for Maria at Vikram's office. She will know what to do. Don't say anything to anyone, except that you have been recruited in Maria's place. I'll be back by afternoon and will handle your joining formalities. Thanks."
"But... Mr. Mahajan... Nikhil..." After two-seconds, she realized the call was disconnected. She frowned. The guy for sure moved fast. She had accepted the assignment in the morning and all official papers—the appointment letter, confidentiality agreement, and her ticket to Mumbai—were delivered at her home by evening.
What a man! And people were not allowed to call her 'sweetheart', especially someone whom she would be reporting to. He would be her boss, how could he call her 'sweetheart'? She would set him right at the first opportunity, she vowed and tried to burrow in the pillow wishing for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
* * * *
October 6th
Seth Towers, Mumbai
6th October, 10:30 AM
Monday morning, Esha stood in front of the imposing twenty-one floor building that housed the corporate office of Seth Industries, one of the landmarks at Nariman Point, Mumbai. Looking at her reflection in the glass-cladded façade, she grimaced at her formal trousers suit. The jacket was necessary for hiding the shoulder holster, if required. She sweated like a pig in the sultry weather, despite the anti-perspirant she had liberally sprayed.
Taking a deep breath, she walked through the revolving door and stood there staring. The triple height air-conditioned lobby, clad in white and grey Italian marble, had a contemporary white sculpture that was shapeless yet stylish. A huge ball-like chandelier hung above the sculpture, beyond which nestled the chrome and marble reception area. A huge mural depicting the logo of Seth Industries adorned the wall behind the reception desk.
On the right, black leather sofas were kept for visitors along with a kiosk for water and a coffee machine. The entry to the office was to the left, beyond the security barricades. She could see two elevators and a door, which she guessed must be to access the stairs.
Manning the reception desk were the Indian versions of Barbie and Ken, with western clothes but black hair. Esha tried not to look amused as she approached the reception desk. The girl looked up.
"Esha Sinha, I'd like to meet Maria, at Mr. Seth's office."
A pair of heavily kohled eyes and mascara thickened lashes assessed her from head to toe and asked, "This is regarding?"
"I'm joining the office today, in place of Maria."
Barbie exchanged a look with Ken. "Do you have an appointment?"
"Yes, I believe so." A neatly arched eyebrow went up. "Yes, I have one." Esha amended quickly.
The epitome of style and fashion sighed and dialed a number on the board. "There is a Miss... what did you say your name was?" She tilted her chin forward.
"Esha Sinha."
"Yes... Esha Sinha for Maria." She giggled. "Says, she is coming in Maria's place." Another giggle. "Okay."
It seemed there was another bitch at the other end, since Barbie glanced at Esha and giggled again. Esha narrowed her glance.
"I'm sorry Miss..." She tried to contain her glee behind a polite facade. "You are not on our appointment list. We are not hiring."
"If you contact her, she'll tell you that I'm expected." Esha clenched her teeth.
"I'm sorry, but that's not the protocol. We are not supposed to call Mr. Seth's office without an appointment." She exchanged another raised eyebrows look with Ken and he shook his head. The painted Barbie dismissed Esha like a fungus inflected blusher and went to work on her monitor.
Esha felt like flashing her identity and bashing their perfectly bleached denture in. Furious with Nikhil Mahajan and everyone associated with him, she called up his number, but there was no response. What the hell? The least he could have done was leave a message with the morons at the reception. She sat on the plush sofa kept alongside one wall and decided to wait for him.
After ten minutes, Ken nodded at the guard at the barricades and he marched to her. "Ma'am, you can't wait here without any reason."
"I have a valid reason, I'm waiting on Mr. Mahajan's instructions. I have to meet Maria."
"She is not in office. I'm sorry Miss, we can't allow you to sit here."
"Fine, I'm going."
Esha looked around and went towards the kiosk behind the potted fern. Weighing her options, she took a glass of water from the dispenser and stood studying the barricaded entry to the elevators. The barricades were waist high and operated with a help of a magnetic card issued for visitors by the security.
A couple of employees came in through the outer doors. A fat lady ambled outside the glass doors, rummaging in one of her two large purses, a laptop bag dangling from one shoulder. Taking the decision to nick the lady's I-card, Esha marched towards the exit door, and banged into someone.
"Steady..." Someone with a familiar voice held her with an accustomed light touch on her shoulder, and that same whiff of expensive tobacco a
ssailed her nose.
Esha glanced up to find Vikram Seth smiling at her.
"Oh, I... I'm sorry."
"We meet again, Maj... er... Ms. Sinha." He let go of her and extended his hand.
She had no choice but to place hers in his, a tingle ran down her toes. Her hand was subjected to a firm shake that she returned, masking her bizarre reaction to him.
"Why am I having... kind of a... déjà vu moment?" His smile stretched to show a perfect set of white teeth.
The wind ruffled Vikram's hair and Esha's heart somersaulted. When did he become Vikram for her? She pursed her lips to reign in her jumping hormone levels.
"Sir, I think we should go inside." A man in a black suit interrupted.
"Yes, of course." Vikram moved forward holding the door open and ushered her inside with a hand on her elbow. "Jay, meet Ms. Sinha. She is joining in place of Maria."
Esha would never forget the look on the faces of Barbie and Ken as she entered the lobby again. Vikram took her to the security barricade and instructed the guards to issue a temporary card for her and escort her to his office.
To her surprise, Barbie escorted her to his office. The girl kept glancing at her, from time to time, probably wondering about the swift appointment and dying with curiosity. Apparently, Maria was on leave.
Esha studied the surroundings as the elevator lobby opened to a glass encased office that had two desks and a plush sofa for the guests or other employees to wait. Barbie number two sat at one of the desks, while the other one was vacant. The heavily made-up girl looked up from the computer and raised her fine eyebrows.
Aware of the exchange of glances and the passing of silent messages between the two, Esha scanned and memorized the layout and the exit. Beyond the assistants' area, she could see an ornate wood-paneled door, which she guessed would lead to the den of the high and mighty Mr. Vikramaditya Seth, Jr.
Barbie number two spoke with someone over the phone and said, "Ms. Sinha, you may go inside." She waved her hand towards the heavy teak door.
Pushing the door open, Esha entered and stopped short at the view.
Spread before her was the wide expanse of what one would call the heart of Mumbai. She moved forward on automaton, forgetting the two men in the room. The entire front wall was made of glass, from one end to the other, from the floor to the eleven feet high ceiling, showing the full landscape of Nariman Point and its surrounding areas. It seemed the city was at their feet, running under them. The world beneath was a playground with toy vehicles and Lilliputians going about their business. And whosoever was in this very room was the king, the ruler.
After a couple of stunned moments, her ears registered the muted hum of a conversation and she forced herself to come back to the proceedings in the room. She reluctantly brought her gaze from the glass wall to the desk to her right, and saw Vikram watching her as if he understood and shared her dazed awe.
That moment, a deep, unknown bond connected them. Her reaction to him at the golf club seemed like a mild breeze that could only ruffle feathers, compared to the way her soul opened to him in that moment.
The older man, studying a file, called out to him and those mid-night black eyes turned to the papers spread over the table. The moment passed. She exhaled and glanced at the wall again, but the view had lost its charm to the man at the desk.
What's with this guy? She had met all kinds of virile, intelligent men and dealt with them with her legendary indifference. But, what's with this guy? She frowned. Why did her heart always react like a teenager's when he was around? She wasn't sure of the answer.
Making her face blank, she returned her attention to the room or rather him sitting behind the huge teak table. He was on the phone now, leaning back in his chair, slowly swiveling it in an arc. The scar on his right cheek seemed more livid as the bright morning sunlight fell on his face. How did he get that big a scar? He could have gotten a plastic surgery done but the fact that he hadn't spoke volumes about his character.
To her surprise, she spied another, similar scar on his right forearm, running below the elbow and disappearing under the strap of his wristwatch. The smoke assaulted her almost immediately as she noticed the cigarette in his hand. She turned away again and discreetly tried to breathe through her mouth. Mumbai below went about its business indifferent to the turbulence in her mind.
"Ms. Sinha." Vikram stood beside her.
The older man had left.
"I'm sorry." She stood in attention.
"No problem. The view has that effect on most of the people who enter the room for the first time. I'm rather proud of it, and would have been disappointed if you were not impressed by my window to the outside world."
She fought the urge to look at him when he stood savoring the scene outside in silence, watching the city going about its business—fast and with purpose.
"Am I assigned to your security, Mr. Seth?" Esha finally asked.
"Yes."
Goddamn! Her stomach churned at the confirmation of something she had been dreading all along. She had hoped she would be assigned to either his mother or sister when Nikhil had mentioned the assignment. Hiding her panic behind a nod, she asked, "Is this glass bullet-proof?"
He glanced at her, laughter lurking in his eyes just like on that day at the hotel in Delhi. It took all her energy and focus to keep her face impassive, but she couldn't control the sarcasm from creeping into her voice. "Something funny?"
"I'm wondering, how a person at five feet eight could be a bodyguard for someone who is six feet and wider than her."
The fact that he didn't mention her gender brought mild relief to her peeve. "The protection needn't be only physical. One needs wit and agility to tackle tight situations."
He nodded. "Agreed. That's the reason I've never questioned Nick's wisdom in these matters. Why were you rushing outside?"
"I wasn't."
"It didn't seem like that in the lobby."
"Your staff refused to let me in, so I was trying another way."
"Is there another way?" He frowned. "I'm intrigued."
"I was trying to nick the lady's I-card, who was on your right."
"You could have?"
"Yes."
"What if you were caught?"
"I wouldn't have."
"That's some confidence."
"Is the glass bullet proof?" She changed the subject.
He chuckled and said, "Yes."
"Can anyone access it from the roof?" She looked up but couldn't see anything beyond the parapet roof.
"I don't think so, though I've never given it a thought since we are on the twenty-first floor. Nick may have some information on it."
"How many exits are there in this room?"
"Two." Glancing at his watch, Vikram sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "No matter how much I want this discussion to continue I can't. There's a meeting in two minutes."
"I'll speak to Mr. Mahajan."
"You will work as my PA in place of Maria, who is going on maternity leave. Nick will brief you on the details, when he comes back around lunch."
Nervousness crept on her again at the thought of working closely with Vikram, for most of the twenty-four hours in a day.
"Don't worry, I'll guide you," he added.
The panic increased double-fold. She didn't want to be guided by him.
"Koel, my other PA, will also be there. Though according to Nick's grand scheme of things, no one should know about this except the three of us."
She hadn't realized she had become so transparent, but he mistook the panic on her face as someone dreading the responsibilities of a PA. That was some saving grace. She nodded at the appropriate pauses in the conversation.
"Why don't you sit with Koel and go through the company brochures?" All business, he pressed the intercom. "Koel, please come..."
Barbie number two, from the desk outside, opened the door and walked in. Esha rubbed her nose.
"Koel, this is Ms. Esha S
inha, Maria's temporary replacement. Between her and you, I think we will manage in Maria's absence. Ms. Sinha doesn't have much experience, so go easy and help her as required."
Esha was sure she saw Koel smirk.
* * * *
Esha sneezed the moment she closed Vikram's office door behind her. Three in succession.
"Wha...at happened to you?" Koel scowled.
"I'm allergic."
"To Vikram?" She smirked openly this time "You better be," she added.
"To cigarette smoke." Esha corrected with a fleeting indifferent glance. The look worked on most of the haughty women and it did on Koel too, who huffed and sat on her seat.
Esha passed her time reading the brochures and the boring annual reports of Seth Industries for full two hours. A headache brewed at the temples. She looked at her watch—it was two p.m.—and her stomach growled, empty after the breakfast she had had during the flight and the two cups of coffee thereafter.
Just then, the elevator pinged. Esha looked up to see Nikhil enter the office, shaking his head, grinning. She stood up and sighed. He exuded so much warmth that there was no way she could be angry or formal with him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry darling, never realized that Maria will call in sick." He took Esha by her arm and steered her towards the lift. "Koel dear, I need to do security checks and brief Ms. Sinha today, so she'll start work tomorrow. Will Maria be in office tomorrow?"
"Yeah... that's what she had told me." Koel sat on her desk, dismissing them without a second glance. Her response to him was surprising. She was as immune to Nikhil's charm as he was oblivious of his good looks.
Nikhil escorted Esha to a small conference room outside Vikram's office area.
"Have a seat."
"I prefer standing when I take orders."
"Esha, sweetheart, forget that you are in the army. You'll blow your cover behaving like this. Just relax. Sit."
She pulled a chair. "I request you to address me by my name. I'm not used to my superiors calling me 'sweetheart'." Though she didn't give in to the urge to pout, she was agitated and a little disturbed that she couldn't control her distress at the informal way he addressed her.
