by Ruchi Singh
He took a last drag and went to the gym for his own morning fitness routine.
* * * *
Seth Towers, Mumbai
7th October, 8:30 AM
Vikram made it a habit to come to work one hour before everyone to plan his day in peace. He looked forward to the serene silence of the office in the morning hours and found it therapeutic to watch the city come alive from his office window.
But today, he wasn't the first person to step off the office lift. Esha sat at Koel's desk watching the monitor intently and at times typing on the keyboard furiously. Nikhil must have asked her to come early. Surprisingly, the intrusion didn't irritate him.
For an army person who had never held a desk job, Vikram noticed that she could type really fast. She had that latent energy around her that gave the impression that she could move in a microsecond if she wanted to.
Some may call her pretty, but she was definitely different. Today, she was wearing black trousers and a pale pink shirt. The slight pink color was the only indication of her accepting her femininity—else she gave no sign of being conscious of the fact.
Her dusky face again had no makeup, and that looked a little odd to him, but she appeared fresh and cool. A lock of hair kept falling on her forehead, which she jerked in place with a slight movement of her head time to time.
The moment Vikram realized she had sensed his presence, he moved forward pretending he had just entered.
"Good morning." She stood straight in front of the desk with her hands behind the back, and head square to her shoulder—the smart army stance. She could have been a model with her height and lean figure. "Mr. Seth, may I have a word with you?"
Hiding his surprise at the request, he nodded and she followed him inside.
He kept his mobile on the desk, arranged the paperweight on the desk, and took out the Marlboro pack.
"It is of utmost importance that you don't expose yourself like you did when you opened the door for me last night." Lips pursed, she again stood in that straight posture.
"Agree." She was genuinely agitated. He suppressed a smile. "Even I have something to say. You'll have to shed this crisp way you stand."
"Huh... I'm sorry." She quickly brought her hands in the front.
Her hands dangled to her sides, swinging a bit. She felt odd with him, most people did. Vikram smiled to bring her at ease. "You can hold a pen or your mobile and fiddle with it."
"Yeah... sure, thank you."
"Also, if you want everyone to believe that you are working as my PA you shouldn't behave like my bodyguard. And another thing to remember, none of my office employees open any door for me. I have forbidden it. I don't like people doing things for me that are not in their official 'terms of responsibilities'." He made quotation marks in the air.
She nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank—"
"Where's your gun?" He didn't want her to leave.
"What...?"
"You were wearing a shoulder holster yesterday." He came forward and leaned against the corner of the table, striking the lighter against the cigarette pack. She took a step back.
"Oh, I have an ankle one today. May I le—"
"Vikram Seth..." Urvi's musical yet angry voice rang out from the door.
Esha imperceptibly came to attention then relaxed and turned towards the voice.
Vikram couldn't help but grimace at the interruption and sighed. "You surprise me Urvi. I've never seen you up and painted so early in the morning." Urvi stood at the threshold with one hand on the door frame and other on her waist, wearing an above-the-knee red skirt, a skimpy frilly white blouse, and silver stilettos.
"Why did you refuse to finance the film?" Urvi's shrill voice was in contrast to her glamorous entry. "Why did you cancel the project?" she shouted again when he lit his forgotten cigarette.
"It was a business decision."
"But, it was my re-launch project. I could kill you for this," she hissed.
Esha took one step towards her but stopped at a subtle movement of his head.
"I can't waste my money like that. I promised you a launch pad and you are foisting your brother on me as well. This won't do."
"What's wrong with his screenplay? And what authority do you have in this field?"
He narrowed his eyes and she stepped back. "Never question my authority or my decision, Urvi. You know you have never gotten far by doing that."
"Why you basta—" Her hand went up in an arc and halted mid-way, caught in a vice-like grip before it could even reach anywhere near him.
Used to Urvi's tantrums, Vikram was already on guard, but the split-second action by Esha surprised even him. He hadn't noticed her move from her place.
Urvi's big eyes widened even more as she turned towards Esha. "How dare you, you bitch? Leave my hand."
She swung the other hand, which was also caught with no apparent effort.
"Vikram..." Urvi wailed.
Esha looked at him. Vikram nodded, and she released her hold.
"Look at what you've done, you... you bitch..., the marks will show now," Urvi screeched, rubbing her wrists. "Vikram darling, I want you to fire her at once." Her voice dripping with honey, she fluttered her eyelashes.
"Thank you, Esha. I'll call you later," he said.
"Who is she, your bodyguard or something? Vikram, you know I need the money and—"
* * * *
Esha couldn't help but hear the last sentence as she closed the door of his sanctum and exhaled. What a woman!
Her eyes darted towards the clock on her screen. It was eight twenty-two, she had been with him for only ten minutes but it felt like she had been tortured for ten hours straight. He stood so close, playing with the lighter, even as he advised her to relax. Goddamn!
She sat on the spare chair near Maria's desk, knowing Koel would not appreciate her nosing around her desk.
"Hi!"
She looked up to find a heavily pregnant woman entering. The sight of a pleasant, smiling person was a welcome relief to her after yesterday. She smiled and greeted her.
"Hi, I'm Maria. You must be Esha. I'm sorry, I couldn't come yesterday. Ready to start?" Maria said, firing up her PC. "Is Vikram in office?"
"Yes, and so is his wife." She recollected from the file Nikhil had provided.
"Wife? Oh, you mean Urvi. They are divorced. How come she is in so early? As far as I know, she never gets up before ten."
Esha shrugged. "She seems a little upset at something."
"Must be in need of money. They always want something or the other from him, always thinking of their own needs. Selfish all the way!" Maria shook her head and settled in her seat. "He never had time to even mourn his father properly. Bless his soul." Maria had worked with Seth Sr. for twelve years, and was now working with him.
The door to his office opened and Urvi stormed out muttering something, her blonde streaked hair blowing behind her back.
"I don't understand. Why does he entertain her?" Maria shook her head.
"Good personal assistants do not gossip." Koel entered the office. With gorgeous hair and a petite personality, she could have been attractive, if not for her permanent diva-like pout.
"Koel, did you finish that market research report I gave you yesterday?" Maria asked.
"What will be her responsibilities?" Koel ignored Maria.
"She'll handle the appointments and will be with the boss for all the meetings and conferences. The rest you will handle."
"I'm senior to her, so I should be doing what she has been assigned." Koel pouted even more.
"You are senior here, and you know the organization's history better than her, which is why you will handle the reports. Remember, in my absence, Vikram will look at all the reports directly. So be careful."
Throwing dagger glances at Esha, Koel went to her desk. Esha, amused at the one-sided tug-of-words, looked at Maria with raised eyebrows.
"All of them want to be the Mrs. Seth Jr.," Maria muttered.
&nb
sp; The rest of the morning went by in a flurry of meetings, which Esha found hard to follow. What she came to realize later though, that documenting the minutes of the meeting was even harder.
Vikram stormed out ten minutes before lunch without his notebook, asking Maria to cancel his appointments for the next two hours.
* * * *
Versova, Mumbai
7th October, 4:30 PM
Vikram brought the vehicle to a screeching halt right at the entrance lobby of Vandana's apartment building in Versova. He tossed the keys to Jay sitting beside him and ran out of the car.
Vandana's trusted housekeeper was standing by the entrance door as Vikram reached the twelfth floor.
"She is in the bathroom..." the woman said.
Vikram nodded and rushed inside. The two maids, talking in whispers in the living room, went silent at his thunderous gaze. He entered the bedroom and breathed in.
After the elegantly ordered living room, the state of the bedroom came as a shock to Vikram. It was in utter disarray—the mattress was on the floor and the pillows lay ripped apart with the down-feathers dotting the carpet. The dressing table was devoid of all the bottles, tubes and knick-knacks she loved. They were scattered all over, some of them broken staining the carpet, some rolling on the floor. Daija, Aaryan's nanny, was chanting something soothing sitting on the floor beside the bathroom door with her holy string in her hand.
Taking a deep breath, Vikram knocked on the door. "Di... please open the door... everything will be all right."
She whispered something from inside, he crouched down and kept his ear on the key hole. "Shall I call mamma? You know she'll worry and we shouldn't bother her, don't you think so?"
"Go away Vikram... nothing will help..." Vandana's voice was a mere whisper.
"She's upset," daija said. "I don't know who started the fight in the morning today..." She trembled and hiccupped, unable to finish the sentence.
Vikram patted her wrinkled hands. "It's okay daija, she will come out. Won't you di? Look you are upsetting daija, she is so worried... please come out and we'll sort this out."
"He hit her again. She had a big bruise on her forehead in the morning... oh my baby." Daija's eyes filled and overflowed with tears. She wiped her tears with the pallu of her snowy-white, starched cotton sari.
Vikram pursed his lips at the picture she painted. This had happened intermittently over the years but now it was frequent. He would have to find some closure for this. He knocked on the door again.
"Vandana di, why don't you come out and we can have a nice cup of tea and chat?"
Feet scuffled behind the door and it clicked open.
Vandana came out, clad in a pale blue silk negligee with a gown of a darker shade over it. His jaw clenched and his hands fisted. She was drenched in water waist down and the bruise on her left temple stood out like a beacon against the pale skin. Her lower lip was also bleeding on the left side.
He stepped forward and hugged her tight in his arms and she began crying again. He patted her back, rocked her, murmuring soothing words. All along, he kept thinking of ways to kill Jindal for torturing his sister like this.
Vandana stopped weeping after a few minutes and daija took over. She fawned over her with a towel, the maids were instructed to make ginger tea and tidy the bedroom. Vikram sat and waited in the living room.
He glanced up as she came out wearing a jumpsuit, her hair tamed in a ponytail. She looked so fragile and yet so beautiful.
"He is a bastard of the first order," Vandana said, her voice hoarse. "Gautam is having an affair."
"You know he won't have an affair. He is aiming for a seat in the parliament, he won't take that risk." Vikram rubbed her cold hands between his own. "Even the private investigators you had hired could not unearth anything."
"He is a chameleon Vikram and I think he practices black-arts."
"Don't be silly! He is a public figure. How can he mange his company and political engagements and find time to practice magic?"
"You don't know the powers of these things, he might have an alter ego—"
"Here is your breakfast and medicine, love." Daija came with a bottle, a maid wheeling the breakfast trolley behind her. "Look I have asked them to prepare everything you like."
Vandana hugged daija around the waist and tried to smile but winced. "What will I do without you!"
Vandana sighed and wiped a lone tear. "It's of no use Vikram, he will always deny. He never loses control in front of anyone. Ask daija. The shouting, insulting, everything happens when we are alone. He is trying to portray me as a mental case, so he can get rid of me and marry that harlot, Urvi's friend. I don't even want to take her name."
"I'll talk to him and probably donate something for his election fund. What do you think about the idea?"
Chewing her lips, she shrugged.
"May I leave now? I have a meeting with our Japanese investors. Will you be okay? Rest today. I'll see you tomorrow at the office."
Vandana nodded, another tear escaping from her eyes. Vikram wiped it from her cheek, kissed her temple, and left.
* * * *
October 8th
Seth Towers, Mumbai
8th October, 11:30 AM
"I can't believe this!" Vikram threw the reports and they landed at Esha's feet. "I can't even get a single error-free document amongst the three of you? Why do I pay you guys so much if I have to proofread everything?"
The three of them stood in front of him, in his office, getting grilled for something for which Esha was responsible. He had been blasting them for the past five minutes and she hadn't been able to get a word past, in between his tirades.
Esha had typed the report in which she had missed a couple of points and misspelled a few words. The word processor did not throw the error for obvious reasons. 'Manager' had become 'Manger', 'their' she had typed as 'there', and some more.
Twice she told him that the report was done by her, hoping he would take the hint and dismiss the other two. But no. Maria fidgeted, tired of standing Esha guessed. And Koel shot daggers at her.
"Please don't justify." He yelled when she tried to apologize once again. He was past caring and paced the floor, the cigarette ash dotting the carpet.
Koel smirked. The smoke, as usual, tortured Esha. Then the door opened.
Vikram pivoted. "Can't you bloody knock?"
"I have to talk to Esha and you." Nikhil's tone, although quieter, matched the seriousness in his eyes. Something in Nikhil's voice penetrated Vikram's haze of anger. He nodded and dismissed the other two.
"Where did you go today in the afternoon?" Nikhil's hands fisted at his side as he turned to Esha. "And why were you not there with him?"
"I... afternoon. He had gone...?" Her eyes widened.
"Vikram, of all the irresponsible..."
"Cut it out, Nick. Jay was with me. It's over and done with." Vikram lit another cigarette and moved to the glass wall.
"You didn't even take the other vehicle with you. By the time they were informed, you were already at Vandana's place. How could you forget?"
Vikram whirled and spread his hand. "Nothing happened. I'm here, am I not? In one piece."
A pulse ticked on Nikhil's jaw as he glared at Vikram.
Vikram sighed. "Next time, I'll take care."
"Next time? Next time? Last week also you said the same thing. Have you no care? I'm leaving no stone unturned for this and you are behaving so recklessly. What if something happens to you? How will I show my face to the world, to your mother?"
"Fine, I will give you in writing that if anything happens to me, no one is to be held responsible."
"This is ridiculous." Nikhil stamped his fist on the credenza beside him. The Buddha bust rattled precariously, then settled. He turned to her. "Did I not tell you to stick with him like glue?"
She wanted to say 'yes sir', but kept silent. Her hands went behind her back subconsciously and she stared at the painting on the front wall. He was r
ight, she had been given her orders and had failed to follow them.
Nikhil sighed and raked his hair with his fingers. "Esha, you may leave."
"Fine, I made a mistake," Vikram began the moment Esha closed the door behind her. "It was just that I can't think straight when mom or di are in distress."
Nikhil sighed and nodded, knowing at best this was the only apology he could get.
"Any update from Uday?" Vikram asked.
"Yeah, they are questioning anyone they can get their hands on. One of the parking guys is missing. Uday's team is trying to track him down. Meanwhile Jindal, Viraj and their close confidantes are under surveillance. The illegal arms dealers in Delhi are being tracked. The bastard has sneaked off into his burrow like a coward mouse."
"I can't think of a single incident or person whom I have offended to the extent that he could be after my life."
"We'll figure this out, don't worry," Nikhil said as he moved towards the door.
* * * *
Outhouse, Seths' Residence, Mumbai
8th October, 9:30 PM
The pressure cooker whistled again. Esha switched off the stove and attacked the onion she was slicing as if it were Vikram and Nikhil's ego. She simmered with the rice and the vegetables she cooked. Was she supposed to learn shorthand in a day? It wasn't as if she had never been reprimanded. In the army, they were punished for anything and everything. What she didn't like was the way he had done it in front of that smirking Koel.
And Nikhil! What did he think of himself? Was she supposed to be omniscient? Vikram had stormed out without his laptop and she had assumed he must have gone to a conference room or somewhere in the building. How was she supposed to know that he took only Jay? She could ask Jay to inform her if he pulled this kind of a stunt again. But that would blow her cover. Goddamn!
