Chapter 2
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[MEMBERSONLY]
EXPELLIARMUS 2013-06-26 04:59:56
I) In aankhon mein nafrat dikhayi deti hai...
May, 2013.
New Delhi.
"Fire her. Now!"
Aman Mathur stared at his boss, and almost cringed at the anger in his voice.
Almost, but not quite.
One month of constantly being subjected to various manifestations of his rage during their recently concluded election campaign had given him immunity of sorts, and he no longer paid any heed even when his boss threw things around with little or no provocation.
And so he took in a calming breath, and proceeded to remind him of the reality of the situation.
"Mr.Raizada, I'm afraid you can't do that. For one thing, firing your Principal Secretary just as soon as you have assumed office will create a needless controversy, for multiple reasons. Then there's also the fact that we need her knowledge and expertise since she has served the previous Minister for two years now. And finally, firing her will make you seem...uh...like a bigot..."
This time, Aman did cringe as Arnav Singh Raizada slammed his hands on the desk in frustration, then stood up abruptly to pace around the office.
"Dammit, Aman, do you think I don't know that? I just hoped that you would be able to do something about this situation! I can't even imagine working with that woman, and you know damn well why!"
Aman bent his head, considering his boss's words.
Yes, he did know why Arnav Singh Raizada couldn't work with Khushi Kumari Gupta.
As his campaign manager, Aman had made it his job to find out everything about his boss, just in case the media decided to have a field day with anything from his past.
But right now, there really was nothing he could do about the situation, and it was high time that his boss accepted that fact.
"I know that, Sir. But there really isn't anything we can do for the time being. We'll just have to take things as they come, and then maybe after a few months we can think about firing..."
"A few months?! Are you kidding me? I can't even bear to stay in the same room as her for a few seconds!"
"Bhai, you have to rein in your anger. I understand where it's coming from, but all that is in the past now, and it has been ten years since..."
"Akash, don't even go there. You have no idea what you are talking about. You weren't even there at the time, dammit! I am the only person who saw firsthand what she...dammit! It doesn't matter if it's ten years, or a hundred. I couldn't stand the sight of her then , or now... and that isn't likely to change!"
Aman stared at the two cousins, wondering what had prompted the usually reticent Akash Singh Raizada to speak up in front of his temperamental brother.
Whatever it was, it didn't bode well for the younger man , apparently.
Arnav rounded the table and came to a stop in front of Akash's chair, then leaned forward in a gesture designed to intimidate.
"And Akash, don't forget that most of this is your damn fault. If you hadn't suddenly decided that you weren't yet ready to step into politics, then Nani wouldn't have made the decision to summon me from the US when this seat fell vacant! You know damn well that I was perfectly happy with my work there, and you also know that I never wanted to step foot in this Godforsaken country again! I came back because you begged me to, and my current circumstances are largely a result of your indecision!"
Akash blanched, and looked away before answering in a noticeably lower voice.
"You know how grateful I am for that, Bhai. But...there was no way to predict that she would be here..."
"I was wondering about that as well. Why didn't anyone know about her? Did she escape Nani's usually infallible radar because she has taken on her adoptive parent's surname now?"
Aman chose to answer that, unsure if Akash was really privy to the truth.
"I'm not sure if Devyaniji knew about Ms.Gupta, but I do know one thing. Even though Devyaniji is the nominal party head, her influence has declined considerably over the years, and she isn't able to keep up with all that goes on in the corridors of power. That is one of the reasons why this seat was so important to her, and why she insisted on your return from the States..."
Arnav shook his head, then turned back towards his chair.
Once he was seated, he regarded the two men before him with a visibly calmer expression.
"Although it's undoubtedly interesting, all that is water under the bridge, Aman. Let's talk about the issue at hand now.So what you're telling me that nothing can be done about...her, at least for the next few months?"
Aman nodded, then watched his boss take a deep breath and lean back in his chair.
"Fine. Then so be it. I'll steel myself to tolerate her presence until we can get rid of her. "
He straightened again, then started looking through the files on his desk.
"So...getting back to work, tell me...what exactly does the Minister for Health and Family Welfare do on a day-to-day basis?"
Akash stood up and turned towards the door.
"That's my cue to leave, Bhai. I'll see you later, at dinner."
Aman waited until the door had shut behind him, then turned back to Arnav.
"I think that question could probably be answered by Ms.Gupta. I'm just your campaign manager, I don't really know these details. Shall I send her in?"
Arnav stared at him for a long moment, then nodded before looking away towards the bay windows behind him.
Aman gathered his papers, then turned towards the door as well.
But he stopped just as he reached the door, and turned back again.
For all his faults, Arnav Singh Raizada had been a fair boss, and he couldn't leave without acknowledging that.
"Sir, I'd just like to say that it has been a pleasure to work with you. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance, at any time. And I wish you well with your new post. I know you'll do well here."
"Thank you. And you've been great to work with as well. Too bad that I can't just make you my Principal Secretary..."
Aman almost smiled at that before he caught himself, then quickly nodded and left the room.
As he walked towards Ms.Gupta's office, he found himself thanking God for one thing.
The fact that he wasn't in Ms.Gupta's place at the moment.
________
Arnav turned back to the bay window, and allowed his eyes to rest once more on the sight of the water fountain outside.
Water had always had a calming influence on him, ever since he had first seen the poolside at Sheesh Ma...
No!!
He stood up abruptly, the soothing spell broken by the memory of that place.
When he had left India ten years ago, he had vowed to never even think of that place again.
It had been essential for his sanity and peace of mind, and he had succeeded in his aim over the past decade.
He had even chosen a field of study that was far , far different from his family's field of influence, and had eventually built a career around it. After almost six years of hard work, he had finally succeeded in opening his own chain of adventure sports franchises in the United States. His stores organized adventure sport trips with varying levels of difficulty, and even sold the equipment for the same. He was not only the owner, but also worked in the field as an instructor for celebrity clients who came in for anything from Scuba diving in shark-infested waters, to summer treks through the notoriously deadly Death Valley. He had quickly discovered that this was the perfect calling for him, and he had fallen in love with the daily thrill of danger and sense of achievement that came from conquering nature.
"Active Risks", or A.R, as it was widely known, had become very popular, and he was now in the process of expanding his chain all over the West Coast of the States.
But all that had come to a standstill with one phone call from Nani.
She had told him that a very important Parliamentary seat had fallen vacant due to the death of the incumbent, and Akash , who had been groomed to make his entry into the political arena for years now, had suddenly developed cold feet. Nani wanted him to contest the election instead.
Arnav had reacted with anger and had immediately refused to even consider any such thing, but a second phone call from Akash had forced him to rethink his decision.
Akash had pleaded and begged, asking Arnav to take over for just a couple of years until he was ready. He had explained that their family's influence in the political arena was on the decline now, and they couldn't afford to lose this influential seat and the ministry that had fallen vacant at the same time.
Finally, after hours of wrestling with his own self, he had finally come to a decision.
He would go back to India.
And not because of Nani's demands, or Akash's begging, but because of his own guilt.
Guilt at the heartless way he had abandoned the only family he had ever known for over a decade now.
Nani had taken over the care of her grandchildren when his and Akash's parents had perished in a plane crash when he was six years old, and she was the only mother figure he remembered.
And ten years ago, she had been his only support when...
No!
He clenched his hands into tight fists, trying to keep the memories at bay.
After that...event, he had left the country and never looked back. Nani and Akash had made several trips to the States to try and persuade him to change his mind, but he had been adamant in his refusal.
Over the years, he had built a new life for himself, and he was damn proud of that fact.
But he wasn't proud of the way he had left Nani and Akash alone, and that was the only reason he had returned to India. He had left his business in the hands of his COO, and he was now in constant communication about the state of his franchise.
From the moment of his return, he had been thrown into a maelstrom of campaigning , and he had been overwhelmed by it all. But after a few weeks, he had learned to take it in his stride, and the subsequent victory and nomination for the minister's post had taken up all his energies.
He had managed to push the memories brought back by his return to a distant corner of his mind, and he would have succeeded if not for one thing.
This morning, as he entered his new office at the Ministry for Health and Family Welfare , he had seen a sight that had driven everything else from his mind in one fell swoop.
He had seen her.
Khushi.
Or rather, Khushi Kumari Gupta, as she called herself now.
She had been introduced to him as his Principal Secretary, and to say that he had been astounded would be an understatement.
In an instant, the past that he had spent the last ten years escaping from, had rushed in all at once, blinding him to everything around him.
When he had been led away to his office, he had only one thought in his mind.
How could he get rid of her?
But he had now been informed that he couldn't.
Not for the next few months, at least.
How was he supposed to work with her under one roof, when her very presence reminded him of...
A knock reverberated through the room, and he was actually glad that his painful train of thought had been interrupted.
"Come in!"
He turned to face the door, and he pulled in a sharp breath when he saw who was standing there.
It was her.
Dressed in a pale lilac saree, her hair swept up into a knot at the back of her head, she looked every inch the typical administrator.
But to him, she was a reminder of the darkest hour of his life, and his back stiffened as she stepped into the room.
He had seen her earlier, but this was the first time that he was really observing the changes that a decade had wrought in her appearance.
She looked more...mature, more worldly, somehow.
But the thing that struck him the most were her eyes.
Devoid of all emotion, they stared back at him with a polite distance that unsettled him for a moment.
Until he realized that she was playing a game, one where he was just her boss, and she was his assistant.
One where the past had ceased to exist.
He jaw hardened as he understood this, and he decided to play along.
For the moment.
"Good Morning, Sir."
"It is a good morning, Ms.Gupta. Please take a seat, and let's get started."
He saw a flash of surprise in the hazel, one that was quickly concealed as she pulled out the chair in front of his desk.
He suppressed a grim smile, aware that the silent hostilities had begun.
And he couldn't wait to fire the next round.
He waited until she was seated before settling into his own chair, then leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest before speaking again.
"Ms.Gupta, I was just talking to my campaign manager about my duties and responsibilities here...and he informed me that he wasn't the right person to ask about that. He recommended that I ask you..."
"I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have..."
He cut across her words, and took pleasure in the way her polite smile dropped off her lips instantly.
"I'm sure you would be happy to assist me, Ms.Gupta. But before I take you up on your offer, I need to ask you something. "
She leaned back in her chair, and he recognized the defensive stance.
He had her where he wanted her, and he went in for the kill.
"I understand that my campaign manager is no longer qualified to advise me about my position. But my question is, are you?"
______
Khushi stared at the man in front of her, and felt her carefully cultivated facade begin to slip.
She must have been crazy to imagine that she could do this...successfully manage to behave like a professional, while facing a nightmare from her past...
She had spent the last ten years running away from the memories of that horrible time, and her life in Bangalore had helped her in that endeavor.
So had her studies for the Civil services Exam, and when she had finally graduated from the I.A.S class of 2009, she had had taken a giant step towards moving away from the Khushi Kumari Gupta who had fled with her family from Lucknow all those years ago.
Her hard work and dedication had paid off when she had been chosen to serve as the Principal Secretary in this ministry at a ridiculously young age,and she had given it her best since then.
She was confident in her abilities, and driven by her ambition to be the best at what she was.
And she had been successful...at least until this morning, when everything had been turned upside down.
Of course, she had known that Arnav Singh Raizada was the new minister, and her new boss. But it was one thing to know this in theory, and quite another to confront her worst fears in person.
When she had seen him this morning, the years had instantly fallen away, and for one moment, she had turned back into the vulnerable, helpless woman she had been ten years back.
But then she had reminded herself of how far she had come, and what she had been through to get to this point. That reminder had stiffened her spine, and given her the courage to greet him cordially.
Later, she had reassured herself with the knowledge that the worst was over now.
But she had been mistaken, she knew that now.
Her past was staring her in the face, and the hatred that simmered in the air threatened to burn her down in moments.
She hadn't been expecting this.
She had given him the benefit of doubt, and had assumed that he would be equally professional while dealing with her.
But she had been wrong about that too.
Arnav Singh Raizada was out for blood, and she was already bracing herself for more verbal blows.
But he had started by questioning the one part of her that she was confident about, and she had no trouble in answering him question about her qualifications.
And so she took a deep breath, and spoke in soft, measured tones.
"I believe so...Sir."
The slight pause before the Sir was intended as an insult, and the slight stiffening of his shoulders told her that she had hit her target.
"Really?"
"Yes. I have served the previous minister for the past two years, and my record is impeccable. I was chosen for my stellar academic record, which includes topping my I.A.S batch, and a gold medal in..."
He waved a careless hand, and she stopped speaking abruptly.
"I'm sure that's very...interesting, Ms.Gupta. But I'm afraid that you haven't really answered my question at all. All your qualifications sound great...on paper, that is. Unfortunately, that's not enough for me."
She couldn't believe the gall of this man , and struggled to keep her temper in check.
"What would convince you, Sir?"
A glint appeared in his deep brown eyes, and she battled an apprehension that caught her unawares.
"Theory doesn't work for me, Ms.Gupta. Practice, on the other hand..."
Was it her imagination, or was there a hint of a sexual connotation in that statement?
Suddenly, overwhelmingly, she was made aware of the fact that he was a man.
A man who was staring at her as if he could see right through her confident facade to the unsure person that she used to be...
She pulled her thoughts away from the direction they were going in, and stood up abruptly.
"I understand, Sir. You want proof of my expertise, and you will get it. Over the next few days, I will prove to you that I know this department like the back of my hand, and you will then have to accept that..."
"Are you challenging me, Ms.Gupta?"
There was an edge of danger in his voice, but she chose to ignore it.
"Not at all, Sir. I am merely assuring you that I will leave no doubts in your mind about my qualifications for this job. And now, may I be excused for a moment? I will be right back with the details of your first official engagement scheduled for this afternoon..."
She waited for a reply, but he merely stared at her as he stood up slowly.
She turned away, and was almost at the door when she heard the soft, menacing tone.
"I did not excuse you."
She turned back immediately, her eyes widening when she realized that he had come up behind her soundlessly.
"What?"
" I never said that you may leave the room. In the future, Ms.Gupta, please wait for my dismissal before walking away from me. "
He was being deliberately provocative, but she resolved to ignore him.
Just this once.
"I understand...Sir. May I leave now?"
He stared at her for another moment, then nodded once.
"I want you back in two minutes."
She left the room and headed for her office, her heart pounding in her chest.
He was arrogant, highhanded, and altogether offensive...but she had to remember that she had a lot to lose.
Her career was on the line here, and she couldn't afford to lose everything that she had worked so hard to achieve. And if that meant turning a blind eye to his veiled insults, then so be it.
For now.
Moments later, she had gathered up the file she needed, and she quickly looked through it to see if it contained all the briefing material.
Her eyes were still on the papers as she walked towards his office, and she failed to notice the man who deliberately stepped in her path.
She collided with a hard, male body, and the papers went flying in all directions. Instinctively, she bent down to retrieve them before finally looking up to see who had been in her way.
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him.
Arnav Singh Raizada towered over her, his expression one of barely-veiled triumph.
And as she stared into his merciless brown eyes, he moved past her, and walked away.
But not before he deliberately stepped over a few of the papers strewn over the floor.
She clenched her fists, and willed herself not to respond.
A few calming breaths later, she had regained control, and quickly stood up with the rest of the papers, and continued towards his room.
A flash of something caught her eye, and she had the distinct impression that he...
Had he just closed the window blinds that opened outwards to the hallway?
She shook her head to dispel the ridiculous notion, and knocked once on his door.
When she entered, he was sitting in the chair again, and she quickly started speaking before she was tempted to give him a piece of her mind for the stunt he had pulled in the hallway.
"These are the details of your first appointment this afternoon. Since the function begins in the next one hour, I suggest that you look over this file while we are on the way there..."
He didn't say anything, merely nodded as he stood up and gathered his phone and pen from the table.
She waited for a provocative word, an insult...anything...but he was surprisingly silent as they entered the garage and stepped into his official car.
As they left the office with sirens blaring, she handed him the file , taking great care to make sure that her fingers never touched his.
"We are going to the site of the new Government Medical College, where you will inaugurate the building and address a press conference. Here are the things you should know about the people you will meet..."
The rest of the drive passed quickly enough, and she spent the half hour in answering his questions and making sure that he understood everything about the inauguration and the way things worked.
When they reached the venue, she was about to step out of the car when her eyes fell upon his clenched fists and thinned lips.
For a moment, she wondered if he was angry again for some reason.
But as she continued to stare, an astonishing realization dawned on her.
Arnav Singh Raizada was actually nervous.
Her first thought was that she should reassure him. After all, this was his first day on the job, and the environment was new to him as well since she knew that he hadn't lived in this country for a decade.
But then she reminded herself about his veiled barbs and insults earlier today, and that reminder made her smile inwardly as she taunted him with her next words.
"Are you alright? I know what you must be feeling, these things sound easy in theory, but in practice..."
Her deliberate use of his previous words had the intended result as he stiffened, then turned to face her.
"Touche. But I have no problem with theory...or practice, Ms.Gupta. In any area of my life."
She tried to control my blush, but was unsuccessful in doing so. As she cursed her pale complexion, she realized that he had already stepped out of the car after his latest jab.
Throughout the formal proceedings that followed, she was reluctantly impressed by his poise and apparent confidence as he handled his new role with perfection. He was gracious and polite to everyone, and his humility soon made everyone comfortable with him.
Soon, it was time for the press conference, and she took her seat in the sidelines as he took center-stage on the dais.
She looked around the room, and noted the various reporters from the major dailies and news channels. As she looked down the rows, she recognized one particular journalist who represented a sensationalist news channel, and hid a smile as she imagined her boss's discomfort when faced with his brand of sarcastic questions.
And a few minutes later, she had her answer.
Up until that point, Arnav had answered every query with a disarming mix of frankness and tact. But the very first question from this reporter left him stumped, and he looked towards her for guidance immediately.
"May I ask the honorable minister just why it is a good idea to open a new Medical College when the old one is languishing for want of funds and is in a state of disrepair?"
Khushi stared at the reporter, then turned back to Arnav.
She knew that Arnav had no idea about what the reporter was talking about, since he hadn't lived in Delhi for long enough to know the state of it's Medical Colleges.
And now he was looking to her for help, and as his assistant, it was her duty to provide that for him.
She looked down at her papers, and wondered how she could communicate an evasive, yet polite reply to him. But when she looked back up, he had already looked away.. and she had lost her chance.
The rest of the press conference went downhill from there, as the other reporters joined in and threw question after question at him.
Finally, after fifteen minutes of the torture, she stood up abruptly and waited until silence reigned before speaking.
"I apologize for cutting this short, but the Minister has another appointment and we will have to put off all further questions for a future occasion."
There were a few protests, but she ignored them and walked up to him.
His eyes blazed down at her, but she ignored those as well and quickly led him out to their waiting car.
They had barely pulled away from the curb before his rage took over, and she shrank back against her seat as he loomed over her.
"That...was all your fault, dammit! Your damn material had nothing about the poor state of the colleges in Delhi! Did you do it deliberately? Did you want me to lose face in front of the media?"
"I would never do that, Sir. I am a professional, and I am insulted that you would think that I would sabotage this conference! I never included all that in that file because frankly, I did not expect that issue to be raised today, at your very first press conference That's all there was to it, and I..."
"Don't raise your voice while talking to me."
His voice was deadly , and cold.
An answering anger rose within her, but at the very last moment, her glance fell on the driver who could hear every word.
Fortunately, he followed her glance, and seemed to realize the same thing.
Both were silent for the rest of the drive, but the unspoken currents throbbed and pulsed between them, and she was unable to relax for even one moment.
When they finally reached the office, she started walking quickly towards her own cabin.
As she did so, she realized that it was after hours, and most of the staff had already left.
But she had barely taken a few steps down the hallway before she found herself grasped by the hand and pushed back against the wall, and she instinctively started to struggle against his hold.
As if he realized what he was doing, he suddenly let her go and stepped back.
"Don't you ever, ever touch me again!"
He leaned back against the opposite wall in a nonchalant manner, but she could still see the embers of his anger in his eyes.
"Why not? I was wondering about that earlier, in the car. Why are you so careful about not allowing the slightest contact between us?"
"What kind of question is that? You are my boss!"
"I'm well aware of that fact, but you seem to have forgotten that entirely. First, you omit important details from my briefing file, then you refuse to accept that fact. And finally, you have the courage to stand here and raise your voice when..."
"Bas!"
She was literally trembling with rage now, and she had had enough.
For hours, she had tried to remain professional and stay focused on her work, but he had made that impossible.
And now, she could only see one way out of this.
As she continued, her voice shook with the force of her suppressed emotions.
"I cannot take this anymore.You have wasted no opportunity in belittling me, insulting me, and questioning my professionalism. And I have kept silent...but not anymore!"
He raised a mocking eyebrow, and her anger escalated beyond her control.
"This stops right now, Mr.Raizada."
She ignored his look of surprise at her use of his name for the first time today, and continued her tirade.
"Why don't we talk about what's really going on here?"
**************
A/N:
I hope you have noticed the date at the beginning of this chapter, which takes place one month before the Prologue as I've mentioned earlier.
I'd like to thank each and every one of you for the amazing response to the prologue, and I hope that you will continue to stay on this journey with me. I do not have an in-depth knowledge of politics, but I am trying to do some research as I write. So if there are any glaring errors, please feel free to point them out!
All feedback is welcome, and I treasure your comments!
New readers, add me to your buddy list for PMs of updates.
You can also follow me on twitter for update alerts @Patronus31.
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