Chapter 34

Bloomie

@bloomie

Part 34 [MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]

Shree: Lizard bakwas mat kar, Rathore sir? aur girlfriend? Kahi sleepwalk karke toh office nahi aa gayi

Sakshi: are woh sach keh rahi hai, maine khud apni aankhon se dekha, aur Sameer ne use darling bhi kaha

The boys were stunned…………………………..

Chotu: ye tu kya keh rahi hai?

Ayesha: nahi! main nahi maanti, aisa kaise ho sakta hai?

Sakshi: hai Ayesha, mujhe toh lagta hai ki tera patta cut hi hai, woh ladki kitni khubsurat hai, dikhne mein toh model lagti hai, shayad isliye Sameer…

Chotu: ae Sakshi chup kar re! tu use console kar rahi hai ya fir uske ghaav par namak chidhak rahi hai?

Sakshi: jo dekha wahi toh bata rahi hun

Shree whispers to Chotu: sir ko time kaise mila ladki patane ka? Ya toh office ya fir hospital mein hi toh hote the

Chotu mumbles a reply: ha re, aur hume dekh, koshish karne par bhi nahi milti

Ayesha: kya Khusur-phusur kar rahe ho tum dono?!

Shree: uh kuch nahi, aise hi

Outside the hall-

Rathore and Riya were returning from the pantry having almost finished the tour, he took her to his cabin.

Rathore: and that’s my cabin

Riya: finally aapko acha waala mil hi gaya

Rathore: oh yes, and the chair is so much more comfortable (she laughs) aao aage Rawte baitha hai

Arjun was sitting with his usual cutting and a file in his hand. His concentration was broken by the door opening. He glared in the direction to burn whoever dared to enter without knocking. To his surprise, it was Rathore and Riya.

Rathore: lo maine kaha tha na, ye yahi baitha hoga

Riya: good morning Arjun sir

Arjun nodded as he stood up: tum toh kal se aane waali thi?

Riya: surprise!

Arjun walked across to them: shayad tumhari yaadasht kamzor ho gayi hai Rathore, tumhe use naye officers se introduce karwaana hai, main yahi tha

Rathore: baat meri nahi tumhari yaadasht ki hai Rawte, mujhe laga shayad itne mahino baad tumhe yaad nahi hoga ki humare paas ek SI bhi hai

Arjun glared at him.

Rathore: aur rahi baat dusro ki, toh ye tumhari favourite se pehle hi mil chuki hai

Arjun mv “ye kyun aag mein ghee daal raha hai kamina?” maintaining his poker face, his gaze darted to Riya, trying to see if she was angry. However, she was just rolling her eyes at their usual banter.

Rathore: waise SI se yaad aaya, Riya, tum chain of command mein ho, toh tumhe desk nahi milega aur cabin yaha sirf do hai toh tumhe Rawte ko jhelna padega, main peon se kehkar tumhare liye furniture shift karwa deta hun, I am sure Arjun sir ko zyaada problem nahi hogi, kyun Rawte?

Arjun just glares at him.

Riya: uski zaroorat nahi hai sir, main desk par comfortable hun, pehle bhi toh…

Rathore: are pehle option nahi tha, ab hai, tum zyaada argument mat karo, main keh deta hun

Saying so, he went outside. Riya shook her head and turned to Arjun.

Riya: lagta hai aapko mujhe jhelna hi padega

Arjun: Riya tum bhi ye jaanti ho ki main tumhe jhelta nahi hu

Riya smiled.

He teased her: maine toh tumse pehle hi kaha ki in gadho ke beech mein ek tum hi ho, jise main kam na pasand karta hun

She squints: toh is kam na pasand subordinate ke liye koi khaas message nahi hai aapke paas?

Arjun smiles: haina, kyun nahi hai? welcome back to ETF

Riya: thank you sir!!

Arjun: reporting time se pehle hi din late?

Riya: are nahi woh toh Rathore sir mujhe office dikha rahe the isliye

Arjun: ETF ka Chief tour guide kab bana?

Riya reprimands him: Arjun sir!

He winks at her: ha Riya?

Riya: aap dono humesha aise ladte kyun rehte hai?

Arjun: maza aata hai

Riya: ladne mein bhi bhala maza kaise aa sakta hai?

Arjun: kyun? tumhe bhi toh logon ki pitayi karne mein maza aata hai

Riya: ha lekin woh toh meri duty hai, main gundo ko peet ti hun, aise hi thodi random logon ko maarti firti hun?

Arjun: ha toh main bhi kaunsa random logon se ladta hun? Aur waise bhi, ladne ka shauk use hai

Riya raised her eyebrow: really?

Arjun: of course, main toh sirf uski baaton ka jawab deta hun

Riya: rehne dijiye, aap koi kam irritate nahi karte unhe

Arjun: tum kyun humare peeche pad gayi ab?

Riya: main toh bas puch rahi hun, bina kaaran ke cheezein kare toh log use paagal kehte hai (he raises his eyebrow) aur main nahi chahti ki aapko koi paagal samjhe

Arjun: itni daya kyun hum par?

Riya: jaise aap, sab mein se hume kuch kam na pasand karte hai waise hum, sab mein se aapko kuch zyaada pasand karte hai

Their eyes meet, locking with each other.

Rathore returns breaking their trance: maine keh diya hai, woh thodi der main shift kar denge

Riya: thank you sir

Rathore: you’re welcome Riya aur Rawte! (he raised his eyebrow) tang mat karna Riya ko

Arjun: warna?

Rathore(sternly): warna main pura cabin use de dunga

Arjun: oh, main toh dar gaya…. SIR!!

They glared at each other.

Rathore: chalo Riya, main tab tak tumhe baakhiyon se milwa deta hun

She agrees: ji sir

Arjun picks up the file and goes with them.

Conference hall-

The others were still racking their brains over Rathore’s girlfriend when the three of them entered. Shree and Chotu were surprised to see Riya but before they could react.

Arjun slid the file on the table: Shree isme corrections karo!

Sakshi: ye dekho! Yahi hai Sameer ki girlfriend

Riya: WHAT?!?!

Rathore: Sakshi tumhara dimag toh theek hai?! tumse kisne kaha ki ye meri girlfriend…

Sakshi: mujhe dikhayi deta hai Sameer

Chotu: are nahi! ye Rathore sir ki girlfriend…

Sakshi: yahi hai! maine khud dekha aur suna

Amused, Arjun sat in his seat watching the drama unfold.

Riya: kya suna?

Sakshi: ki Sameer ne tumhe darling kaha!

The two boys felt like banging their heads.

Arjun mv “Darling? Is kamine ki toh…. ise toh saza bhi nahi de sakta, Dammit!”

Shree: are meri maa! Ye toh...

Sakshi: ye toh kya? Ek reporter ki nazar se kabhi kuch nahi chut ta!

Rathore(sternly): Shut up!! Ye meri girlfriend nahi hai!!

Ayesha (relieved): dekha Sakshi? maine kaha tha na?

Sakshi: jhoot mat bolo Sameer, tumhari chori pakdi gayi

Rathore: chori? Kaunsi chori? Kya bakwas kiye jaa rahi ho tum?

Riya: ek minute, ek minute! (turning to Rathore) aap shaant ho jayiye (turning to Sakshi) aur tum thodi der ke liye chup raho, aisa kuch bhi nahi hai ok? unhone mujhe darling mazaak mein kaha tha, woh sirf mere senior hai, iske ilawa aur kuch nahi hai, nothing at all ok?

Ayesha: senior matlab?

Chotu: woh bhi ETF officer hai, Riya Mukherjee

Shree: ha! aur woh Rathore sir ki toh kya, kisi ki bhi girlfriend nahi hai

Chotu: par Ri, tu toh kal aanewaali thi na?

Riya smiled and answered the same question for the third time: main surprise dena chahti thi isliye jhoot bola tha

They came forward and hugged her.

Shree: tu nahi sudhregi

She winked. Rathore smiled seeing the trio.

Rathore introduced the others: anyway, Riya ye Ayesha Kapoor hai, encounter specialist, Forensic expert Liza D’cruz aur Sakshi se toh tum mil chuki ho

The girls greeted each other cordially.

Sakshi: tum nayi ho? toh fir sab tumhe jaante kaise hai?

Rathore: woh chutti par thi Sakshi, Riya ETF ki pehli female officer hai

Liza: chutti? Kitni? Itne time mein kabhi bhi nahi dekha humne

Chotu rolled his eyes: 4 mahine ki

Sakshi(shocked): 4 mahine ki chutti!!! Aisa kya kar rahi thi tum?

Shree was about to answer when Riya beat him to it.

Riya: kuch khaas nahi, bas world tour

The girls look at her in confusion. The boys shake their heads in disbelief.

Rathore mumbles under his breath: other world tour… woh bhi one way ticket ke saath

Arjun, being close enough to hear it could barely contain his smile. Lightly clearing his throat, he controls himself.

Ayesha: tumhara department kaunsa hai?

Riya: Research and Development

Liza: oh matlab tum files sambhalti ho

Riya: ha woh meri zimmedari hai

Shree: are woh sab chodo, Ri, office kaisa laga?

Riya: bahot hi acha

Arjun(sternly): tum logon ka bharat milap khatam ho gaya toh kaam kar loge thoda?

Seriousness returned immediately as the juniors stiffened on hearing his voice. Rathore shook his head mv “ye nahi badlega!”  and buried his face in a file.

Arjun: maine shayad tumhe kuch kaam kaha tha Shree

Shree: huh? Ha sir! abhi karta hun sir!

He took the file and sat down. Riya turns to leave the hall.

Chotu: tu kaha jaa rahi hai?

Riya: record room nahi dekha maine

Rathore(confused): dikhaya toh tha maine

Riya giggled: andar se sir

Rathore hummed in agreement and went back to the file as Riya left. The others and engrossed themselves in work.

A few moments later: AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Arjun jumps out of his chair: Riya!

They run to the record room. Arjun reaches first to see her frozen in her place. He worriedly places a hand on her shoulder. Her legs give away and she faints. Arjun wraps his arms around her. The rest reached just then.

Arjun(patting her face): Riya!... Riya kya hua?

She straightens with a jerk: Kya Hua?!?! YE AAP MUJHSE PUCH RAHE HAI?

Arjun squints. His gaze darts around to see what happened. Then it strikes him!

Rathore: Riya baat kya hai? tum gusse mein kyun ho?

Riya points to the room: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

Their eyes roam around the room.

The table had piles of files lying on them. The system was gathering dust in a corner, untouched since god knows how long. A bunch of files were still in cartons placed on the floor from the old office. The files on the shelves were all mismatched, out of order and unorganized. On top of it all, there were spider webs on them. The room had clearly not even been cleaned for a very long time.

Rathore, Shree and Chotu realise what happened. There were only two things that Riya had absolutely no amount of patience for, one being mismanagement and the other being lack of cleanliness. The room looked like her worst nightmare. They gulped in fear. Riya was going to have their heads cut off!

The girls however, were still unfazed and confused………………………….