Chapter 5
“Miss. Kashyap!” Ananya was shaken out of her reverie by his firm voice calling her name. Seated opposite him in his cabin, she bit her cheek, trying to overcome the overpowering nervousness she always felt when around the man who was her once-upon-a-time-crush. It was astonishing, even to herself, how such a dauntless and indomitable spirit as hers was intimidated by him, every time he came face-to-face with her. It had been more than two weeks since she had joined KKN, and she was now quite used to seeing him everyday.
In fact, now her infatuation had pretty much died away. She was so disillusioned by his style of working that she desired no more contact with him than was unavoidable.
But even now, she found it impossible to get over her erratic heartbeats when in his presence.
“Miss. Kashyap?” he said again, this time his annoyance more evident. Ananya coughed.
Kabir was puzzled by Ananya’s strange behaviour. She had been sitting in silence for the last five minutes in his cabin, totally lost in her thoughts and fidgeting with her fingers. She was occasionally giving him distant smiles, and had not wielded her sharp tongue even once. She seemed so lost in her own world that she did not even answer on his calling her name repeatedly, but yet he could feel her sharp gaze on him.
Having succeeded in gaining her attention, he cleared his throat.
Why did he call her?
Oh to see whether she would talk to you and smile at you, so that the two of you could live happily ever after!
“Shut up!” Kabir muttered to himself.
Ananya’s stared at him, surprised. “I didn’t even say anything!” She said indignantly, and scratched her head.
“I wasn’t speaking to you!” Kabir scratched his neck to avoid the flush of embarrassment rapidly covering his face, while she looked at him, even more confused.
“You speak with yourself kya?” she chuckled, but abruptly checked it as Kabir glared at her.
“Umm… I wanted to discuss…” Kabir stopped, trying to think of something to discuss. It was one of the most embarrassing situations he had ever found himself in.
“Discuss…?” She prodded him to continue.
Kabir began turning red with embarrassment. He, who was always on top of things no matter what the situation was, was finding himself so helpless and lost!
“How are you?” he said at last, and immediately winced for he realized he had made a complete fool of himself.
“That, my health… is a matter of discussion?” She said, surprised and amused at the same time.
“Yes, it’s my duty to make the reporters feel comforta…” Kabir made some attempt at redemption.
“Of course, sir! I know the lengths you went to just to make me comfortable here on my first day here. I couldn’t have wished for a more supportive boss. A man of his words, eh, Kabir sir?” Ananya said, in an overly sarcastic tone that irked Kabir all the more.
“Here I am trying to have a civil conversation with you, but you seem to spit fire, Miss. Kashyap!” he said, losing his cool.
Ananya winced at his tone. She shut her eyes, and counted down from ten to one. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Sorry sir,” she said. “Yes, I am fine. How are you?”
To say he was taken aback by her calm demeanour would be an understatement. “Eh… I am fine as well. How’s work?” he said, at last.
Ananya made another attempt to control her anger at this mundane conversation. What in the world was that man trying to do?! “Just the way you make it - perfect!” she said, after a pause.
Sarcasm rules!
“I see you still don’t want to bury the hatchet?” Kabir stood up, and walked over to Ananya, leaning over her chair. Ananya kept her cool.
“I don’t see why should I be interested in forming any sort of a relationship with my editor in chief. That we are able to have a conversation, a perfectly civil one, is more than enough.”
Kabir, who was struggling to control his anger, gave up. This woman, a mere junior reporter, was provoking him endlessly! Why he was affected so much by her flippancy, he could not comprehend, but he was!
Ananya had not anticipated an encounter at such close quarters with him. She was visibly unnerved, as she felt his warm breath fanning her face “I don’t understand this “perfect” civility, Miss Kashyap,” he said, in a steely voice.
Ananya paused a while to collect herself, before she replied, "Sir, it's just that I've realized that you aren't as important to me as I had first thought, and moreover, that you aren't that man I had imagined and expected you to be, so..."
“Shut up for one second, if you can, Miss Kashyap. I felt that I was, perhaps, a little too tough on you on your first day, and to make you feel a little more comfortable over here, I thought I would have a decent chat with you, but you, Miss Kashyap, fancy yourself to be above all this, right? You want to shower me with all the sarcasm that your little head there can afford you! Suit yourself, then! And I really can't be bothered about you think of me! I don't give a damn about whether I am the man you imagine and want me to be or not. Why, I don't even care about whether you exist or not, and you've just proven that you aren't worth even a second glance."
A deathly silence ensued.
Both looked equally affected. Ananya was deeply stung by this outburst, but what hurt her most of all were his last words - not even worth a second glance. But why was she bothered?
Kabir bit back a curse as he saw sadness reflect in her eyes for a second. What in her made him lose his temper?
Having got over the shock and sadness of the moment, Ananya fought back. "I don't see why you are interested in a simple conversation with a woman who isn't even worth a second glance!" she said, irate. "I think we have enough work to keep us fruitfully occupied at least through the office hours. I don't see why we should waste our time in each other's presence, when neither of us derives any pleasure from this conversation. Yes, you have succeeded in your motive - you have shown me my place quite well, now. There is nothing further for us to discuss, I presume. You are my senior and I respect you for that. That is all."
Kabir shook abruptly, as strands of her long hair brushed across his face as she got up to leave. In a few swift steps, she had reached the door to his cabin.
Suddenly, she paused. “For a man who doesn’t care about society's opinion of him, it is surprising how a mere reporter's lack of appreciation bothers him,” Ananya said, confusion and triumph reflecting in equal measure in her voice. "Strange!"
Kabir could've banged his head against the wall in that moment.
What the f*** was he thinking!
Wait, was he even thinking? Why were her opinions important?
Unable to find any other reasonable answer to his questions, he reluctantly admitted the truth to himself.
He was attracted to her.
Period.
Trying to divert his attention from his laugh-worthy attraction, he decided to take the next flight to Delhi. Malvika had worked around the bureaucracy and managed to convince the Finance Minister for an interview with him, regarding the central fiscal budget. Since it was just the week before the official announcement of the budget, and pre-budget speculations were filling the air, an interview with the Finance Minister was just what KKN needed to boost its ratings. The interview was scheduled only for the next evening, but Kabir decided to leave immediately. A little time away from Miss Kashyap would definitely do him some good!
Kabir was forced to call Malvika a God-send, yet again!
If Malvika kept doing this, she might get a place in heaven very soon.
~*~
Malavika was peeved off by Kabir’s lack of attention towards her. She was extremely conscious about maintaining her image as a focused and no-nonsense professional, and did not like mooning around men and appearing to be desperate, but Kabir Sharma was not just any man.
He was a magnet - it was impossible not to fall prey to his charms. She had almost thought that things were going her way when he started taking her out on dinners frequently.
But Kabir kept things strictly professional, and not once did he venture into personal spaces. Even Malvika felt utterly powerless in his presence, and none of her usual coquettish ways were at her disposal with him.
Kabir Sharma had considerable shares in the company, so had she. If they came together, they could be the majority stakeholders in KKN, and she could become one of the most powerful women in the field of journalism.
But such ambitions were meant to be a secret.
She put on a fake smile as her handsome but pea-brained boyfriend came into her cabin. She wasn’t unaware of his roving eye or his intermittent casual flings, but she didn’t really care. She wasn’t serious about their relationship, nor had any hopes for its future. He was just a source of entertainment for her. He would bring her gossip from all around the office, fawn over her with his honeyed praises, giving her an ego boost, and of course satiate her desires.
“Hey, sweetheart, how is work?” Manav asked, with a large smile plastered across his face.
Malvika gave him an equally insincere smile, and said, “Perfect! I was missing you terribly… Where were you today?”
“That’s a surprise, Malvika. You’ve almost forgotten that you have a boyfriend, nowadays. What with Kabir sahib all around now!” Manav chuckled, while Malavika snorted in an unladylike manner.
“Oh, please, Manav! You’ve never considered me a girlfriend, or that roving eye of yours would’ve got some rest, so let’s not get into that topic,” she checked him, sharply. “You tell me, how much gossip can you get on that Khurana’s son?”
Manav lazed casually on the couch, and helped himself to a can of chilled beer. “Wants you or Trisha or basically any woman to interview him! Tharki saala…Oh and yes, I’ve spoken to Partho Maitra, the Nobel Prize winner. He’s agreed to come over for an hour’s chat with us sometime this week,” Manav said, and received an appreciative nod from Malvika in response.
“I’m impressed. So there isn’t anything big this week other than that rape case, that road safety drive and these two interviews, right?” Malavika asked.
“Paralympics…We need to keep a watch on that, since India is expected to perform quite well this time,” he said.
“Hmm… that’s good news. Anyways, I am going to my hot tub to get a much needed relaxation…” her hips sashayed as she walked away. She turned behind and tilted her head slightly.
Malvika was no less than a gold hen for Manav. It would seem utterly foolish to give up on her… at least now.
Easing his shirt off himself, he followed suit.
~*~
“No, Ronnie, tell me, what do I think of myself? The queen Sheba? For the first time Kabir sir wanted to apologif to me, but I refufed that fol…” Ananya stuffed another pani puri into her mouth and continued pouring out of her woes and regret at having behaved like that with Kabir.
“Annie…” Ronnie’s half tired voice came through the receiver.
“Haan, now you also get tired of me and call me silly for ordering pani puri in a five star hotel and chomping them with Sunny! I know in five star hotels one must chomp on creme brulee or stuff like that but you know that I can’t resist chaat! I’ve been waiting so long for that MLA’s son anyway. And I feel so low after having behaved so foolishly, that I just needed some comfort food to revive my spirits! And anyway, what’s wrong with pani puri?” Ananya rambled on, while Ronnie listened on in exasperation.
“Annie, topic was Kabir Sharma, not pani puri!” Ronnie bit back a laugh, while Ananya faked a sob. “Waise, where are you?”
“At Grand Maharaj. Chal rakh, I’ll send him a sorry message.” Ananya relished the spicy liquid oozing out of the puri, and shook her head.
“Sunny, I’ve paid my bill, you pay your half and wait outside the hotel. I don’t think he’s coming today. We’ve been waiting for two hours, and it’s almost eleven,” she said.
“Arrey, but where are you off to?” Sunny grumbled at the bill.
“Washroom!” Ananya said, and walked away.
Sunny shook his head and walked back to where his scooter was parked. “Parking da yeh hi problem! Hotel kahi toh parking kahi!”
~*~
Having dried her hands, Ananya dialed Kabir’s number. She caught sight of her flushed cheeks in the mirror and chided herself.
She didn’t care about what Kabir sir said to her, because she was above taking people’s insults to heart. But for her to get anywhere, professionally, staying on the right side of her editor-in-chief was absolutely imperative.
Kabir’s eyebrows rose, as he saw Miss Kashyap flashing across his phone. He kicked off his shoes and socks and settled down comfortably on the bed in his hotel room, taking his own sweet time in receiving the call.
He answered her call at last. “Tell me,” he drawled into the phone.
His exhaustion and fatigue disappeared, as he prepared himself for a witty and sarcastic repartee with her.
But all he heard was her quivering voice. “H… help…” Her muffled sobs shook Kabir, and he sat up on his bed, cursing himself for not having answered the call earlier.
“Ananya, what’s wrong… are you fine? What happened…” he asked, worried.
Kabir clenched his fists in frustration as he heard the call being ended, his instincts telling him that something was definitely wrong.
He debated whether he should call her back or not. If she cut the call, was it wise to call her back? Not knowing what to do, he called up Ronnie, from whom he learned that Sunny and Ananya were at the Grand Maharaj Hotel.
He immediately dialed Sunny’s number. As he turned on the television, the blood drained from his face.
“We have news coming in just now from sources that there has been a terrorist attack at the Grand Maharaj in Mumbai. We do not have any estimates of the damage done as yet, but several casualties…” Kabir sat, shell-shocked, his eyes glued to the screen.
Sunny was screaming hysterically on the phone, “SIR! Ananya andar hai! Main bas abhi bahar aaya… Ann.. an…”
“Ananya…” he whispered.
~*~
A/N : This actually happened. A journalist family friend of mine was in the Taj during the tragic event but she survived. However, it may not be the same for Ananya… So yes, this is another of our famous cliffhangers and we truly wish you enjoy it. Will Ananya escape? What will Kabir do? Keep reading to find out!
Chapter 6
Blood.
Thick, odious, crimson blood.
Ananya’s feet drew to an abrupt halt and she perceived with horror the drops of blood all over the floor. She was too shocked to react. Her throat was parched and her hands trembled. She was oblivious to the phone pressed against her ear.
She was heading out of the in-hotel restaurant, having come out of the washroom, when she saw this horrific sight. She was shell-shocked, and desperately wanting to divert her attention from the gory sight on the floor, she looked up.
An masked man, armed with several rifles, was walking towards the restaurant.
Her body was paralysed in fear, and the first word to come out of her mouth was a feeble “Hh… help!” Just then she heard the sound of a gunshot, and the shrill scream of a woman.
It shook her out of the shock, and she realized she had to do something and quick, if she wanted to survive. She hastily cut the call and moved stealthily towards one of the corners of the restaurant, to protect herself from the view of the masked terrorist. Her phone slipped out of her hands and fell onto the carpeted floor, but she did not realize.
She exercised superhuman self-control not to scream, as she saw a woman being shot dead right in front of her eyes by the masked man. She broke out into a cold sweat, and looked around desperately for an escape.
Her eyes fell on a board to her immediate right - Cold Storage. Without a second thought, Ananya pushed open the door, and walked into the pitch dark room. She felt her fingers and body numb instantly, and the biting cold gnaw at her flesh.
She hastily crouched inside a tiny fridge, and pulled its door almost shut, as she heard footsteps approaching the room. The door was flung open with a loud clang. Ananya looked out cautiously. She could make out three masked men with their rifles pointed, by the light entering the room from the door. They were carefully scrutinizing the room, to see if there was anyone hiding there. Ananya started sweating profusely, despite the bitter cold. She was terrified, and hoped against hope that she would not be discovered.
~*~
Kabir uttered a curse, and settled restlessly in the airport lounge. There were thirty minutes to his flight to Mumbai. He picked up his phone and dialled a number. “Sen, Sharma here. You’re aware of the attacks, right? When are the next forces going in?... Thinking? Sen after 26/11 are we still in the I-am-thinking-of-sending- the forces mode? The hell! I won’t favour the government this time, Sen, if there isn’t timely action. We all know that utna waqt nahi lagta hai yaar!” Kabir controlled his anger, and sighed as Defence Secretary Sen responded to him.
Putting the phone down, he ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t know why he was so tense. Of course, any attack on the nation always outraged him, but this time… it felt personal.
There were no words exchanged, no promises kept, no feelings harboured… yet there was this curious attachment.
He sighed.
“Yes Khalid… I’m at the airport. Will reach Mumbai as soon as possible. Tell Manav to go on air right now and take over. This is important stuff. We can’t afford to lag in our coverage. Wait… are you seriously hoping that Ananya will send you some footage while she’s trapped in there? No… what do you mean by you didn’t mean it that way? Let’s pray she comes out alive! Don’t you think that makes much more sense?” Kabir barked into the receiver and cut the call, leaving Khalid shocked at his unexpected outburst.
Three hours later, he was in the KKN head office in Mumbai. A few reporters whirred past him, running like headless chickens. “What’s h…” he began.
“Kabir, thank God you’re here!” Malavika said, running up to him, her emotions, for once, genuine. “It’s a huge mess. First of all, Ananya’s stuck in the hotel. Also, the police isn’t allowing our people to go anywhere within a hundred meter radius of the hotel, since they think it’s high risk.”
Khalid joined the duo. “We have very little information as of now, Kabir. Of course we have our reporters as close to the hotel as the police will allow, but they aren’t able to gather much, nor have any official figures been released as yet. So Manav’s having a tough time, managing the report with so little to go by.”
Kabir frowned. “Any news about Ananya?” he asked. Both shook their heads.
Kabir’s paced up and down the room for a few seconds, before reaching for his phone again. “Sen, I’m sorry to disturb, but if you would share some information with us about high alert spots and precautions, I think we would do a lot more good. We can broadcast SOS messages immediately… Great. We’ll be waiting. Thanks!” he ended the call, and gave a reassuring nod to Malvika. “You’ll get some information soon, don’t worry! Tell the someone in the PCR to follow up with the defence ministry. Sen has promised to oblige us.”
With a determined look, he dialled another number. “Listen, Khurana, I need to get to the Grand ASAP. I know you aren’t allowing journalists… I’ll come. Yeah. Okay…Thanks!”
“I’ll be going to the Grand,” he said.
“Are you crazy, Kabir?! Agar tumhe kuch ho gaya toh?” Malvika gesticulated wildly, in disbelief.
Kabir silenced her with a sharp look. “Stop being silly! This isn’t Main Hoon Na. Where do reporters stand in terrorist attacks?”
Malavika looked unconvinced, and excused herself, knowing well that nothing could make this man change his decisions.
Picking up his car keys and gesturing to Rohan to follow him, Kabir walked out of the office.
~*~
Twenty minutes later, they stood facing the Grand Maharaj. The sight that met their eyes was horrific. There was panic and confusion all around, as people ran helter skelter trying to flee, and the police and armed forces tried their best to bring order. Several people lay on the ground, being seriously injured or worse, dead. Some were lucky enough to get medical assistance, from the doctors and health workers gathered there, while others were being carried away on stretchers.
“Fu**” Rohan cussed, as the soul of his city was being ripped apart by the terrorists. Anger and fear surged through him. He set up the camera, wincing every time he saw another gruesome sight, and tried to get a good view of the hotel behind him. He was ready to start shooting, when he noticed Kabir paling.
“Sir?” he said, worried.
“Yes!” Kabir said, positioning his mic better, and motioning that he was ready.
“Ronnie, we’re ready to go live,” Rohan spoke into his mouth piece.
“Great! Manav Sir, Kabir Sir is ready,” Ronnie said, patching Rohan’s camera quickly, and signalling Manav.
“We have with us Kabir Sharma, talking to us live from outside the Grand Maharaj,” Manav said. “So Kabir, how is the situation out there? Are there any estimates of the fatalities yet?”
“Yes Manav… the scenario is disastrous and reminds one instantly of the atrocious 26/11 attacks. Sources state that the military and the NSG have already entered the hotel, and the commandos have already been dispatched. There is prompt action from the Home Ministry and Defence Ministry, thankfully, this time around. There is police and army cover across the city, and...” Kabir stopped, abruptly, as a loud explosion was heard behind him, and the top of the building lighted up.
Kabir’s hand involuntarily touched his heart and he took a deep breath to compose himself. In a second, he resumed, “As you saw just now, the terrorists as armed with bombs also, and have blasted the top floor of the hotel. No casualties have been reported yet.”
Rohan signalled Kabir, and the latter paused to take a breath. Kabir had given up on-field reporting almost entirely, and it had been years since he had been at such close quarters with terror and death.
A glance at the hordes of people running helter skelter and bodies scattered around, and Kabir had to swallow his own thought “How can anyone survive this?”
~*~
Ananya hugged her knees closer, trying to keep calm when faced with imminent death. The sound of a few gunshots in the air did not help. What if they had sensed her presence? Quite a novice with all this, hearing a gunshot so close to her rattled her morale considerably, to say the least. She was to petrified to even breathe.
Tears started pouring relentlessly out of her eyes. Death seemed inevitable.
“Too cold… have you heard from Malad as yet?” one of the men said. Ananya heaved a sigh of relief as she heard the sound of retreating footsteps.
But she knew that it wasn’t safe enough for her to come out of hiding, yet. She had to lie low for a while. In the frigid conditions of the cold storage, Ananya found herself sweating. They might burst in through the door any moment, and mercilessly shoot her down.
Just then she heard the blast. Shaken out of her nightmarish reverie, she decided she would have to help herself. Those people would stop at nothing.
The rough edges of the ice in the freezer were causing abrasions on her skin, her but she felt nothing. She wrapped her shrug around her numb head, fighting hard to stay conscious. The cold was blurring her senses, but with tremendous will, she managed to keep herself alive.
She carefully peeped through the door of the freezer, and seeing that no one was in the room, she slowly looked around. Sighting a window at the far end of the room, she drew in a sigh of relief.
Escape.
But her courage failed her… She felt too scared to move, and the cold was slowly overpowering her. Her muscles were as good as frozen, and she felt like she could fight no more.
As she was about to give up and surrender to the cold, a memory floated back.
“Papa, I am tired of this. I am always living unsure of whether you’ll come back home or not!” a sixteen year old Ananya cribbed, and refused to meet her father who had just returned from the Kargil.
Lieutenant Sudhir Kashyap smiled indulgently, and knocked his daughter’s door again. “Beta…”
“Don’t Beta me Papa!” Ananya yelled back, desperately fighting off the rapidly forming tears. Sudhir put his bag down, and sighed.
His wife raised her eyebrows. “I thought nobody could defeat Lieutenant Kashyap!” she giggled, playfully, as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Wait and watch, Mrs. Kashyap!” he said, with a broad grin on his face.
“Ananya, beta… don’t you want to see what badge your Papa was awarded?” he laughed, as Ananya stormed out of the room, her eyes searching for the badge on his coat. Before she could complain about there being none, she was swept into a tight embrace by her father’s sturdy arms.
Bursting into tears, Ananya hugged him tighter. Sudhir laughed as his daughter apologized for her erratic behaviour, and smilingly bore all her anger.
“Papa, how do you survive in such conditions? When there’s so much danger about you… you might be shot any moment. I am not like Maa and Armaan… even the thought gives me shivers. Please, Papa, don’t go!” Ananya cried a little, as her father wiped away her tears, affectionately.
Her father smiled. “Ananya, in the beginning… yes. I did feel jittery and nervous. But, Beta, when I’m out at war, it’s not about myself. It’s about my country, my soil and the people I love the most… you, your mama and Armaan...” he said, ruffling her hair. “You see, beta, don’t fight against death… fight for life. That makes all the difference.”
Tears rolled down Ananya’s cheeks as she reminisced her father’s words. She saw glimpses of her family before her eyes. How could she give up?
Determination welled up in Ananya’s heart.
She recollected all the events of that evening. From all that she had heard and seen, she gathered that the terrorists were predominantly in the left wing… which meant that she had a fair chance of escaping before she was discovered by someone.
Her back screamed of an alien pain and her feet felt frozen, as she hobbled towards the window. She only thought of her family. It gave her all the strength.
Death wasn’t an option.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. A shiver ran down her spine. She was luckily at the window by then. It was sheer luck that she was only on the first floor. Gathering all her courage, and bracing herself for the worst, she leapt out from the window. The door burst open in the same instant.
~*~
Though Kabir kept up his live coverage of the attack, he found himself unable to focus, and his heart skipped a beat each time a dead body was discovered.
“According to our sources, the commandos have reached already, and are trying to get the situation under control...” Kabir paused to listen to the constable who was hurrying by. With a smile he continued, “The latest is that two terrorists have been shot down.”
He rested his mic for a second, while Manav continued the coverage with some fresh figures he had received. Sweat trickled down his forehead and anxiety gnawed at his insides.
There was no news of Ananya.
~*~
Anita turned off the television and bowed her head in silent prayer. “Maa...TV...” her son pleaded.
“No Armaan… I won’t watch anything. I don’t need to know how many people have died. Please just let me pray,” her voice quivered. “Please save her. Just save everyone.”
She broke into loud sobs. Armaan hugged her, and tried to support her as she collapsed helplessly on him.
“Nothing will happen to her! Papa will protect her,” Armaan consoled her, putting on a brave smile and praying earnestly to the man he trusted more than God. “You’re up there, right Papa… Save your princess, please.”
~*~
Pain throbbed through Ananya’s body as her body hit the rocky ground. Her knees buckled and gave way, as she tried to stand up. She winced in pain and trembled at the loud shouts and cacophony all around. Her world was spinning.
ANANYA, GET UP!
How would she know whether she was safe? What if the terrorists were outside too?
NO, ANANYA, GET UP!
The voice boomed in her head, louder than before. She placed her hands on the hard floor, and tried to hoist herself to her feet, ignoring the sharp stones pricking her skin. Her knees gave way once again. She wanted to feel secure. The last few hours had taken too much of a toll on her mind, for her to carry on solely on her will.
Finally, she found the safety she was yearning for. Through the crowds of people, she caught a glimpse of him.
It was then that her hope was revived. She started feeling alive again.
It was three hundred metres of fate. If she could walk through the uncertainty, she had life waiting for her.
And she ran.
Ran for her life.
Ran for her family.
Ran for herself.
Tears of joy formed in her eyes, as his figure grew clearer with every step she took. She was getting closer to safety.
He was so real - so was her escape.
Using every ounce of her energy, she screamed “KABIR!”
~*~
Kabir felt a tingling sensation run through his body. He felt like something was just about to happen. He shook his head, and continued his live report.
“Please Ananya… please be safe!” his heart prayed fervently.
A heart-wrenching scream cut through the air.
“Ananya…” he gasped and dropped his mic, oblivious to the camera recording the moment live.
~*~
“Ananya is alive!” the PCR shouted in disbelief. Manav, whose years of experience as a news reader had ensured that his face never betrayed any emotion, turned to the camera and continued speaking, “It looks like our Junior Reporter, Ananya Kashyap, who was stuck at the hotel, has survived the ordeal.”
Kabir’s pale face was fast regaining colour. Everyone in the office looked on with a genuine smile on their faces. Everyone, for once, forgot their pettiness and politics and together rejoiced, as they heard Kabir gasp her name.
Richa clasped Ronnie’s palm and held it close to her heart. Someone survived…
The feeling was exhilarating.
~*~
Kabir broke into a run towards Ananya, who was hobbling forth.
Neither paused to give the emotion a name.
“Oh My God…you’re safe!” Kabir half-smiled, as Ananya jumped into his arms and clutched his shirt tightly.
“I am alive…” Ananya cried out. Kabir staggered back at the impact of her soft body, but held onto her. He felt overpowered by his relief at her being alive. He couldn’t fathom why it meant so much to him.
“Oh God…” he whispered again.
Her hair was tousled and she was so cold. He involuntarily ran his hands over her icy, bare arms in an attempt to warm them.
“Please tell me I am safe,” she whispered, and clung to Kabir.
He whispered into her hair, “Yes… finally…. you are.”
~*~
“MAA! Ronnie bhaiya said that di is safe!” Armaan screamed and switched on the television. Anita closed her eyes and broke down.
“I told you Papa would take care of her!” he said, as warm tears trickled down his cheek.
~*~
Richa breathed a sigh and realised that her fingers were still entwined with Ronnie’s.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, she was about to remove her hand from his grasp. But Ronnie took her by surprise with a warm hug.
“Thank God!” he whispered, while Richa tried to overcome the odd feeling in her heart.
“Thank God,” she smiled softly, and distanced herself from him.
~*~
“My God! This has been one of the best coverages ever!” Khalid smiled, putting his fingers into his pockets.
“Yes,” Malavika smiled. “I’m waiting for this week’s reports!”
“Yep… Well, honestly, I am relieved that she came out alive. What say?”
“Of course.” Malavika’s smile remained just as plastic.
She wasn’t a sadist. She did want Ananya alive. It was just that she was getting maybe a little too much attention.
~*~
Khurana and a few constables guided Kabir and Ananya out of the danger zone. “Hospital?” Khurana asked, while Kabir was just stared at her, restlessness and relief coursing through him simultaneously.
“N… no. Water,” Ananya said. She drank copious amounts of water and shook intermittently, as her body tried to regain its balance, grateful to Kabir who held the bottle to her mouth, helping her drink.
“What’s the update?” Kabir asked Khurana.
“The NSG is going to head to the cold storage to see if there are any survi…”
“No, don’t go there!” Ananya said and stood up, wincing as pain hit her spine.
“Are you fine?” Kabir asked, concerned.
“Yes, but, sir, don’t send anyone there. There was no one apa… who’s in charge of the situation?”
“Ananya, what are you doing?” Kabir cried, as Ananya limped towards the officer. “Andar thi… if any information I can give helps someone escape, it means a lot to me!”
Kabir was bewildered. “Kis mitti ki bani hai?” he thought, taking up the mic again to continue his coverage.
~*~
“Ananya Kashyap. I was in the hotel. I just managed to escape. Sir, these terrorists are in the west wing, majorly, and the cold room had no one apart from me - I am positive. Also, the room may have some kind of traps or explosives set up, from the sounds I heard. Sir if you could find a way to open all the windows, then most survivors can escape,” Ananya said, without even pausing to take a breath, while the surprised officer looked on. “Sir, I also heard something about Malad, while two of their men were in the cold storage. I think we can expect something to happen there too. Is there any news yet?”
“No… nothing in Mal… Rathore!” The officer yelled. “Are you sure of having heard Malad, Madam?”
“Yes, sir,” she said, with a positive nod of her head.
“Thank you! Rathore… Ane..” he turned to his subordinate.
“Ananya,” she corrected.
“Yes, Ananya overheard a conversation between them where they referred to something in Malad…” He turned, and saw her still standing by.
“Aap jaa sakti hai. Thank you for your inputs.” The officer smiled kindly. In many ways he reminded her of Papa.
~*~
Ananya sat down on a chair nearby, and reached for the bottle of water kept nearby, when a larger hand pushed hers aside gently and handed her the bottle.
“Ananya…” Kabir smiled.
Ananya’s eyes softened. “Thank you...” she whispered.
Kabir looked surprised. “Why?” he asked.
“If I hadn’t seen you... I wouldn’t have been able to make it...” Ananya confessed while Kabir squeezed her hand, reassuringly.
“I am just happy that you are safe,” he said.
Neither could understand their own emotions at that point. Everything was a big mess. But they didn’t want to escape. For, confused as they were, those moments were blissful.
“I admire you, Ananya. I am so proud of you... we all are. It’s not easy to hold your own when faced with death,” he said softly, genuine appreciation shining through his eyes.
His words hit home and she found herself on the brink of a breakdown. She felt her father’s presence. Her father had saved her today - a memory of his was more than enough. She turned to look at Kabir who had produced a handkerchief to wipe away her silent tears.
With a grateful nod she gently dabbed her eyes with it.
“Listen to that...” Ananya said softly.
“What?” Kabir asked.
“Silence,” she replied.
“Silence?” he asked, confused.
“Yes… when blasts and gunshots are your constant companions, silence is the sweetest music you can hear,” Ananya’s eyelids fluttered for a moment, while Kabir gazed with astonishment at the woman who had aged dramatically in a matter of few hours.
“Wait for me,” he said, after a pause, and walked off.
~*~
“Ananya…”
Ananya opened her eyes and looked around. She was completely unaware that she had dozed off in the chair, exhausted after her harrowing experience. Kabir ran towards her and helped her stand up, wrapping his arm around her waist to help her balance.
“What happened…” she asked.
“The Army has neutralised the situation over here. It’s over,” he smiled, as Ananya’s face glowed with relief.
Rohan walked up to them and gave Ananya a friendly hug. “You have God’s grace on you,” he smiled with brotherly affection, and then turned to Kabir. “Sir, I’ll take a few more minutes. There are a few more pictures I need. You and Ananya can head to the car. I’ll join you guys soon.”
“Okay,” Kabir said, and they walked towards the car, his arm protectively around her.
“Ek baat puchu… if you don’t mind.” Kabir asked.
“Sure,” she said.
“What were you doing out here?” Kabir asked.
“Sunny and I were waiting for Rajdeep Garewal,” Ananya replied.
“Son of Cabinet Minister Ajitabh Garewal?” he asked, and Ananya nodded. “Isn’t Rajdeep going to be his party’s Prime Ministerial Candidate for the general elections next year?”
“Yes… So?” she didn’t see his point.
“Was he there in the hotel?” he asked.
“No… he didn’t turn up. After waiting a long while, we decided to leave. I stayed for a few minutes longer than Sunny, to go to the washroom,” she told him.
Kabir pursed his lips.
“What?” Ananya asked, quite surprised at Kabir’s sudden interrogation.
“Nothing… it’s surprising how he didn’t turn up after calling you people, and then the attack…” Kabir said.
“Matlab?” Ananya inquired, slowly beginning to see what Kabir was driving at.
“Do you think… they might have had prior information about the attack?” Kabir said, while Ananya’s eyes widened.
“But wouldn’t it be dirty on their part not letting the people know…” Ananya said, quizzically, rather shocked by this perspective.
“Not necessarily… they have reasons,” Kabir reasoned, but strongly doubting his own explanation.
“You don’t believe it, do you?” Ananya asked, looking into his eyes. Kabir only smiled in response. He helped her into the car and waited for Rohan to join them.
“Take rest Ananya… you’ve been through hell!” Ananya smiled faintly, as she thought of how literally accurate his description of her experience was.
As Kabir settled down in the driver’s seat, his mind was troubled.
Looks like I have to meet you soon, Garewal.
~*~
A/N : Well sincere apologies for the delay! With mid terms coming in, our minds were literally on flames in juggling everything together! Alas Reporters ended *sniff* so from now onwards, it shall be our dear readers who motivate us to write and edit this stuff <3 So do pour in your comments. Just for your information, apart from a few specific chapters… consider a week’s break [in the storyline] between each chapter. (not this one)
Chapter 7
A mother’s tears can move even the coldest of hearts. It was no surprise, therefore, that Kabir's eyes were moist as he looked on at Ananya's mother holding her daughter close to her heart and sobbing uncontrollably.
Anita embraced her daughter tenderly, and planted a few kisses on her head. She tightened her grip and clung to her daughter like Ananya was all she had.
Kabir’s sharp eyes narrowed on Anita's forehead and noted the missing vermilion. He then noticed that she neither wore a mangalsutra nor a shakha pola and her hands were totally bare and devoid of all adornments, so dear to a married woman. Her faded clothes suddenly made more sense.
Ananya was truly all that Anita had.
Pride swelled in his heart as he realised that Ananya was so strong despite her father’s untimely death.
Sympathy wasn’t even in question. Not having taken his mother’s death too well, Kabir genuinely admired anyone who managed to cope with their loss.
“Di…” came a small voice from behind Ananya.
Ananya’s maternal instincts surged as she pulled her baby brother into a fierce hug. He was crying profusely. “Hush Armaan! Main theek hoon. Your Di won’t go anywhere… aur tu jane bhi kaha dega?” Ananya chuckled as Armaan punched her shoulder lightly, a small smile forming on his teary face.
“Shut up! Promise you won’t ever leave me again!” His voice cracked, and he hugged his sister even tighter.
After their father’s death, Ananya had almost taken his place for Armaan, still very young then. She had spent time with him, given him the man-to-man talk he needed, and never let him feel the absence of a strong guiding force in his life.
“Kamini… ullu ki patthi… teri…” Ronnie sweared and hugged Ananya “You killed us. K-I-L-L-E-D us! You should have told me ki marne ka plan hai, main yaha phokat mein baitha tha.” Ronnie ruffled her hair affectionately and wiped away a lone tear from Ananya’s cheek.
“Ab jaa... being too emotional won’t be good for my reputation,” he laughed, while Ananya pulled his cheeks.
It appeared almost as if Anita, Armaan and Ronnie were taking turns at hugging Ananya. Between the three of them, they ensured that Ananya wasn’t free for even a moment. “I don’t know about the previous attack, but by this attack, Ananya will definitely faint,” Kabir cracked a small joke, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. It worked wonderfully, and everyone burst out laughing.
Ananya sought safety in her mother’s arms. No words were exchanged between the two women, for they read each other’s minds right from the beginning.
Khalid, Malavika, Manav and Richa came forward and expressed their congratulations and their relief at her safety.
A little while later, everyone started leaving the office, the time being close to 4AM. It had been an exhausting day and tomorrow was going to be a big day too.
As Kabir stepped out of his cabin to go home, Malvika stopped him. Standing too close for comfort, she told him that Khalid was asking for him. Distancing himself carefully from Malvika, he walked up to Khalid.
“Yes, Khalid?” Kabir said.
Khalid smiled. “Kabir, how does this sound… a one to one with a survivor? Just a thought - a half an hour special with Ananya. A survivor’s tale? I think it will strike just the right chord with the audience, and rake in viewership.” Khalid said animatedly, looking rather comical.
As if the pink cravat wasn’t enough.
“Fine. Tomorrow half an hour of my bulletin, I’ll do an overview of the entire thing, and the other half an hour will be an interview with Ananya. Though perhaps fifteen minutes may be better,” Kabir mused.
---
Ananya looked at her sleeping mother, and turned over for the zillionth time that night. In spite of the absolutely draining day she had had, sleep just evaded her.
She struggled hard not to think about the few hours she had spent in the hotel. So many things had happened so fast, that now she felt like all that had happened eons ago.
Every inch of her body screamed of fatigue, yet she found herself unable to close her eyes and drift off, far away from having faced the harsh realities of life.
That was when she saw another person flash before her eyes.
Kabir.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled him being present yet markedly absent from her.
She remembered her disappointment when he had said nothing to her, and been merely an onlooker as everyone poured in their congratulations.
Ananya shook her head. She was being utterly stupid. How did it matter whether he said something or not?
She closed her eyes and buried her head in her pillow.
Kabir didn’t matter that much…or did he?
If he did… why?
---
Why?
Kicking off his his shoes, a worn out Kabir threw himself onto his bed. He just wasn’t able to rid himself of that one question.
Why?
Why did he feel that it wasn’t right on his part to say anything to Ananya?
Standing under the shower, Kabir contemplated the sudden shift of dynamics… he was no child not to realise what was going on.
There was something… but then, hadn’t the wise ones said that ignorance is bliss?
Resolving to adopt the maxim, Kabir rubbed his sleep deprived eyes.
Yet, tonight, sleep was a distant dream.
---
“Welcome, Miss Braveheart!” Ananya read aloud with a smile. She felt overwhelmed looking at her desk filled with cards and flowers.
Sunny, Trisha, Ronnie and (surprisingly) Richa came up from behind her and yelled, “Surprise!”
Left speechless by the sudden pour of love, Ananya quickly embraced all of them, specially thanking Richa. She was touched to see Richa shed her slightly competitive streak and embrace her like a true friend.
“Thank you so much, guys” Ananya grinned. “That’s it, this weekend I am taking you all out to dinner! Don’t even think of paying, it’s on me!”
“Thank God, free food ka idea worked!” Sunny winked, while Ananya smacked him hard on his shoulder.
“Sunny…” she stopped abruptly, perceiving Kabir standing right next to her. She felt her heart warm up instantly and fill with a strange anticipation, as she looked into his warm yet inscrutable eyes.
“Ananya, will you come with me for a minute?” he said. Everyone was surprised by his gentle tone, and Ronnie noted a hesitant look in his eyes and slightly broken words.
He never knew that a heartbreak could sting so much. He was extremely perceptive and had taken full note of this rising attraction between his best friend and his boss. He knew it was too early to tell, but there was a certain something about their conduct that told him that this attraction would only grow. It hurt, but he was certain of one thing. He wouldn’t come in between them. Friendship was higher on Ronnie’s priorities than love, and there was no way Ronnie would let things go ugly between them just because he wanted her.
Clearing his throat, he turned to Richa and gave her a too-bright smile. Carefully avoiding everyone’s eyes, he said “Let’s have brunch at canteen…What say?”
Richa was taken aback by Ronnie’s sudden offer. “Sure!” she said, shrugging her shoulders casually, but was unable to restrain a smile from blossoming on her lips. It was strange… but the sudden race of heartbeats felt… good.
Ronnie took a last look at Ananya and Kabir, through the corner of his eyes. If one of them didn’t reciprocate the love or if it didn’t accumulate to love at all, he would be waiting.
So busy was he in his own thoughts, that he completely missed the shy smile on Richa’s face, when he unknowingly held her wrist and led her to the canteen.
---
“How are you… Miss Braveheart?” Kabir asked, raising his eyebrow.
Ananya chuckled in response, “Yeah… they did that for me, really sweet of them.” Her face lit up with a natural glow, as she thought about the wonderful surprise and all their love.
“So… kaise yaad kiya?” she asked, hoping that he wanted to enquire after her health. He looked into Ananya’s eyes and the words dried on his lips. Their eyelock burned Kabir till the core, and a stitched lie fell from his lips.
“Interview,” he said, at last.
A momentary flash of disappointment in Ananya’s eyes did considerably boost his male ego, but her avoidance of a deeper conversation put him off again.
“Yes, of course, interview… work… of course,” she said. She was unable to conceal her disappointment. Kabir looked into her eyes.
Though his mind refuted the idea vigorously, his heart sang a little in joy.
She was attracted to him.
But alas! Little are the mind and heart connected by thoughts the way they are by a bundle of nerves.
Ananya stopped her rambling abruptly, and her breath became erratic as she realized that Kabir had been looking at her without uttering a word.
“Are you fine?” he asked.
Ananya chewed her lower lip and nodded vigorously. “Of course! I have been brought up by an army man! I’m stronger than you think. I did get fever due to body fatigue but appar…” Ananya stopped, as Kabir drew closer, and looked into her eyes with a tenderness that she had never known him to possess.
One can bear the brunt of passion unflinchingly, but in the face of raw tenderness, the heart has no option but to surrender.
“You’re not,” he said softly. Ananya closed her eyes, lest he see her tears.
“Is it okay to admit that I was and am scared?” her voice broke, and hot tears poured down her cheeks. Yes, she had kept up a strong facade in front of everyone, and pretended as if she had forgotten the horrors of the previous night just like a nightmare.
But truth was a far cry from it.
Her reverie was broken by a rough, calloused finger caressing her cheek. She looked up to find Kabir gently wiping her tears with the utmost care. She closed her eyes again and felt his warm breath over her cheeks.
“People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong too long.”
Ananya opened her eyes to find Kabir smiling at her, genuinely. For the first time, she saw him smile without any flirtatious charm or sarcasm.
Ananya’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up. Her pupils dilated as she her eyes met his darker ones. “We are proud of you, Ananya. No one expects you to be strong; no one expects you to be a super human. Being who you are is the most important thing in life, remember that.”
Kabir was almost about to brush another lock of hair off her face, when his phone buzzed with an incoming text. They were both startled and uncomfortable, and looked away from each other.
Her cheeks still blazed from his touch and his fingers itched to touch her once more. Kabir wondered how he could keep himself away from her. He had thought that awareness of his plight, of being attracted to her, would reduce the intensity of his emotions… but it seemed to have done just the opposite.
“Johnny Depp.” Ananya smiled.
Kabir frowned. “What?” he asked.
“The quote, people cry not because…” she said, with a smile, her voice slowly regaining its original quality.
“Ah!” Kabir chuckled slightly. “Yes… though I wish you hadn’t guessed.”
Ananya rolled her eyes and sniffed slightly, “Don’t you forget that I am quite passionately attached to the entire film fraternity, and that includes Hollywood as well!”
Kabir laughed as he recalled the silly tiff between them during the Hridhwaan case. “We were really childish, then,” he sighed. Ananya noted his indirect apology and finally, buried the hatchet.
“So…” Kabir said. “We have an interview.”
“With whom?” she asked.
“With you,” said Kabir, with a smile.
“With me?” Ananya was flabbergasted.
“In my 9 PM show, I’ll have a fifteen to thirty minute interview with you, regarding your account of the attack and how you survived this ordeal,” he said. Looking up at her, and seeing the trauma reflect in her eyes at the mention of the attack, he wondered if it was good idea.
“But why me?” she asked. “Kitne aur survivors hai! Gosh… I’ll make a fool of myself. In front of the camera? That too camera wala interview? I…” Kabir sat in his chair and looked rather amused as Ananya continued to babble non-stop.
Oh, he was so sure that the interview would go perfectly!
---
Khalid couldn’t help but clap at the end of the interview. His eyes were trained on the journalist he had mistaken for a kid.
Ananya Kashyap was an uncut diamond.
Few knew of Khalid’s outstanding foresight and eye for talent. The only reason for his strong friendship with Kabir was that Khalid had spotted a spark in him at a time when no one else did. When a young man from a modest background, fresh out of journalism school, came to Mumbai fifteen years ago with a vision, no one took him seriously - except Khalid.
Today, Khalid saw the same spark in the woman next to Kabir.
Hunger was what she shared with Kabir - the hunger for news, the hunger for justice. They were definitely miles apart at the moment, but Khalid could easily envision Ananya scaling great heights.
But then, she would have to be put to test.
---
Ananya smiled faintly as she felt a hand reach hers from under the table. Her cheeks started regaining their colour, and she felt reassured. She knew that he would be the only one who knew of her harrowing experience recounting the tale.
She wanted to cry badly but held back her tears.
As Ronnie signaled cut, she took in a deep breath and flashed an understanding smile to Kabir.
She mouthed ‘Thank You’ to him. Had she not been focused on his eyes, she would have missed the slight crinkle of happiness around his eyes that said ‘Welcome’.
They were both silent as they packed their belongings and prepared to leave for the day.
“Goodnight?” he said, while Ananya nodded slightly.
“Goodnigh…” her voice trailed, as Kabir took her handbag and files.
“Come on...” he said.
“Aap… my bag… I mean why are you taking my bag?” Ananya asked, confused.
“Don’t you know? I like your bag so much that I’ve decided to steal it,” he said, with a deadpan expression to Ananya, who scratched her head and nodded sheepishly.
“Now come, I’ll drop you,” he said and Ananya paused for a minute.
She turned to Ronnie. “Ronnie, Sir will drop me today,” she said, while Ronnie raised an eyebrow
“Oh-kay,” he said.
“Sorry yaar...” Ananya started but Ronnie cut her off.
“No issues. Anyway, I was going to drop Richa today,” Ronnie fibbed. It was Ananya’s turn to raise an eyebrow
“Cool!” she said.
As they sat in the car, Kabir turned towards her. “What’s between Ro…” he started.
“Best friends, fifteen years of friendship!” she paused to look into his eyes. “Nothing else.”
“I didn’t ask.” he said, mildly embarrassed at himself, while Ananya peered into his eyes.
“Yeah, I know,” she said.
“Well… thank you… like during the interview…” Ananya fumbled and played with her fingers, while Kabir shrugged his shoulders.
Ananya didn’t know why she felt the need to explain.
Kabir didn’t know why he felt relieved upon learning that it was just friendship between Ronnie and Ananya.
Some things just need not be explained.
---
“Richa, I’ll drop you,” said Ronnie, putting on a bright smile.
Richa crossed her arms and looked slightly uncomfortable. “Usually you drop Ananya, right?” she said.
“Does that mean I can’t drop you?” Ronnie asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning on her desk.
Richa was visibly flustered. “No… I… I didn’t mean that,” she stammered.
“Chill! Now do you want to come or not? If you don’t, I’ll have to take Sunny with me and trust me I don’t want to reach home three hours later!” Ronnie chuckled.
“Three hours?” Richa asked, confused.
“Yeah! Sunny paji needs to stop at every corner to find the fifty fifth first love of his life!” Ronnie laughed. Richa joined in the mirth, but stopped after a moment. She was looking intently at Ronnie laughing from the bottom of his heart, with her lips curving into a beautiful smile.
It did strange things to her heart.
Very strange things.
“Now will you come or will we have Sunny’s fables?” she asked and trotted forward, while Ronnie smiled.
Richa was different.
Her company lessened his pain of not having Ananya.
Richa glanced at the man beside her. She chided her mind for thinking astray! Shaking her head, she leaned her head on the headrest and stared at the metropolis whirring past.
---
The next day was a hectic one for all of KKN. Media offices were always buzzing with activity after such disasters.
Finally, as they all found some time, the entire group sat in the canteen for dinner.
As she tugged off her irritating bun, it was only Kabir who noticed the slight shake of her fingers.
Was Ananya upset?
Her phone beeped. She looked rather confused as she checked it.
Kabir was sitting right across and was still texting her?
“You ok?”
“Thanks for asking, really… but can I ask you a q?”
“Hm.”
“Why are you texting me when we are in the same room?”
“Cause there are people all around!”
“So?”
“So!”
“So? You’re afraid of complimenting me in front of everybody? ;)”
Ananya giggled and felt the weight on her shoulders reduce considerably as she indulged in playful conversation with him.
Kabir raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself.
“You should know very well, Miss Kashyap, that you won’t be able to handle it.”
“Mr. Sharma, you should refrain from repeating dialogues.”
Kabir smiled as he recalled what he told her the first day.
“Ah, so you remember everything I say?”
Ananya looked up to find Kabir staring at her, the tenderness in his eyes replaced by an intensity which made her toes curl.
“Leaving a question unanswered is a bad thing.”
A violent crimson crept up Ananya’s neck and cheeks and she looked baffled.
“How does it matter to you whether I remember or not?”
Kabir looked up to find a challenging smile on her lips.
“Leaving a question unanswered is a bad thing, Mr. Sharma.”
He laughed out loud to find a few people staring at him in utter confusion. Apologizing hurriedly, he turned aside and typed furiously.
“Miss Kashyap, you should refrain from repeating dialogues.”
Ananya’s eyebrows shot up.
“Touche.”
“Touche.”
They smiled silently and resumed their dinner.
“Kabir?”
Ananya looked up sharply, as Malvika leaned a bit too closely on Kabir. The blush on Ananya’s cheeks turned to a seething irritation, as Malvika clung to him.
“Khalid is calling us for a meeting,” Malvika said with an alluring smile.
Ananya turned sharply away “Ronnie, can you drop me today?” she asked.
She was so focused on looking at Ronnie that she completely missed the sharp eyes trained on her.
Richa hiccuped just then and gulped water.
“Ah… woh… cool I’ll drop you along with Richa…” Ronnie said, slightly hesitant.
“Oh, don’t bother! I’ll manage,” Ananya smiled.
Manav leaned in towards her “Don’t worry, Ananya, I’ll drop you,” he said, with a sugary smile.
Kabir smirked and started typing again. Ananya looked sheepish and furious at the same time, as she read his text.
“You dug your own grave.”
Ananya controlled her anger and quickly signaled to Sunny. “Arrey, Manav sir, I’ll drop Ananya. Don’t worry!” Sunny winked at Ananya who winked back.
Kabir saw that the problem was resolved but decided to play along a little more. “Really? But Sunny who will drop our new reporter, Miss. Baby?” he asked, in a most innocuous tone. Ananya glared at Kabir, who looked innocently back.
“Love or friendship? Friendship will remain forever but love might slip off before it starts. Sorry, Ananya,” Sunny said to himself, and looked right into Ananya’s eyes which had a dare-you-say-no expression.
“Sorry, Ananya, Kabir Sir is right. Baby is new… I have to help her,” Sunny said, quickly getting up, before Ananya had time to respond.
Just as Manav opened his mouth again, Malvika almost barked, “Kabir, if we’re done who’s dropping whom game, then can we head to Khalid’s office?” She was irritated with all the focus on Ananya, as usual!
“Ananya! What’s up?” Trisha smiled.
Ananya sighed, “Nothing, trying to find an auto…”
“I’ll drop you.” Kabir texted. Ananya glanced at him.
“Kya re! Come, I’ll drop you. Anyways I need to show off my fiance’s Mercedes!” Trisha giggled and dragged a reluctant Ananya with her.
“Another night! Trisha literally ‘popped’ in! :O”
Kabir smiled at the text and realised that Malvika and Khalid were staring at him as if he had grown horns. They weren’t used to him being so generous with his smiles.
“Em… so yeah, what’s the matter, Khalid?” Kabir cleared his throat and settled down on a chair.
“You know that Trisha’s getting married and shifting to America, right? So we’ll be short of a senior reporter, very soon...” Khalid said.
“Hmm… so?” Kabir asked.
“I took a day to review Ananya’s work, and I think she’s perfect to take Trisha’s place.” Kabir’s eyebrows shot up at Khalid’s words.
“Khalid, she’s been with us for barely one month . Who gets a promotion in one month?” Kabir said, incredulous. Malvika smiled seeing Kabir supporting her in some way!
“That’s exactly what I told Khalid! But he doesn’t seem to listen to me!” Malavika said, shrugging her shoulders.
“Malavika, Kabir… hold your horses. I did a complete analysis and found out that Ananya has been instrumental in delivering over eighty percent of our big coverages this month, going by which we can safely give her a good amount of credit for our soaring TRPs over the last few weeks. Also the connections this girl has... you know gaining Hridhwaan’s confidence and getting us exclusive rights for such a big story was not a piece of cake. She does have an insane talent for on field journalism. And the way she didn’t even flinch while recounting her tale, even though with Kabir’s support, was truly remarkable. The girl surely has some spark.” Khalid smiled, and deliberately drawled on the world support.
Kabir was frowning. Ruffling the feathers, as it were, of the ever in-control Kabir Sharma was always a pleasure.
What the fu… Khalid you seriously didn’t…
Khalid adjusted his cravat, and continued looking at Kabir with a smirk.
Kabir, I‘ve known you fifteen years.
He narrowed his eyes on Kabir’s hand and smiled.
I know exactly where that was during the interview, Kabir.
Kabir coughed slightly and stiffened his arms. “Well, we’ll do the usual promotion check and see if Ananya is deserving enough.”
Malvika started and looked at Kabir and Khalid. “Wait, am I missing something? I will do the promotion check. I’ll let you guys know after a week,” she said, snatching the file from Khalid and skimming through its contents.
“Malvika, we’ve been through all this yesterday… why are you still skimming through this file?” he said, looking exasperated. “Okay, I’ve an idea… let’s keep this conditional, what say? If she can keep the work up for the next two months then her promotion is permanent, else… she’s back to her spot.” Khalid pressed his sore temples, as Malvika nodded and walked out of the cabin.
Kabir waited for Malavika to leave and turned to Khalid “Anyway, just for your information, we’ll have the Garewal interview within the next few weeks. There are some things to be finalized before that, which I’ll do myself. You don’t need to send anyone to him. Regarding Ananya, hmm… let’s see if this works out, fine.”
Kabir took a sip of water, and turned to Khalid again, “Khalid, even I have known you for fifteen years… I truly hope that there’s no other reason for your sudden decision to promote Ananya.”
“Of course not. I don’t intend to hold her hand or text her frequently… nice moves Kabir. I knew she was interesting but it looks like… ” Khalid replied nonchalantly.
“Khalid, with due respect, please fu** off.”
“With pleasure.” Khalid smiled and bowed to Kabir who generously smiled back.
Khalid eased the stiff posture of his back and glanced at his iPad. “Hmm…” Khalid hummed as he re-read the information.
“Well, Ananya, I am sorry for not being completely honest, but then I truly hope that you excel and show your best.”
---
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