"Sir, Ms Tiwari wants to talk to you."
"Why, Mrs Kumar wasn't I clear enough? I said I didn't want to be disturbed", he said still engrossed in his work, irritated with his receptionist assigned to his new office in Shimla, when a word caught his attention before keeping the phone down, "who did you say it is?"
"Ms Suman Tiwari, she's the would-be wife of Mr Ahuja. She says it's urgent. Sir, Mr Ahuja is a prominent personality of our town, we can't displease them."
"Is she here?"
"No Sir but on phone."
He breathed a sigh of relief, "connect her call after five minutes."
He had left her behind, nothing about her bothered him anymore and if it was related to business then he had no reason to avoid her. If he had denied to take her call indirectly he would have fed her ego making her feel that she still mattered to him. It would have hampered him both personally and professionally. He thanked the fact that he was in his office chair that he could make a correct decision in time with minimal involvement of his emotions. But he wondered what did that deceiving woman have to tell after six days of his stay here now when she hadn't uttered a word then on the stage that night and also in the lift, their second encounter yesterday she hadn't spoken more than a few words.
The telephone rang. He literally jumped to pick her call.
He waited for her to speak.
"Aise kya dekh rhe ho? Shravan maine pehle bhi kaha hain ki mujhe sote wakhat mat dekha karo. I want to sleep, chalo look to that side."
"Arre main dekh kaha rha hu, main toh tumhe sunn rha hu."
"Par maine toh kuch kaha bhi nhi", she snuggled closer into his neck.
"Tumhari sanse. It's the most soothing music in the world. Isske bina mujhe neendh nhi aati."
"Shravan kisi ki itni bhi aadat achhi nhi phir shayad woh main hin kyun na hu."
"Tum kaha jaa rhi ho. Tum yahi ho. Mere pass, hamesha?"
"Meri aakhri saans tak."
"Ms Tiwari I assume you haven't called to breathe in my ears?" to which she breathed more heavily.
"Shravan, main... Actually main.. woh.. Can we meet up?"
"If you wanted an appointment you could have talked to my PA about it. Anyway now that you've called I am sorry to inform you that I'll be busy for the next two days after which I have to head back to Delhi."
"Shravan it isn't business related. I want to.. I actually.. "
A thin line formed on his face, "4 in the evening at my office today," he spoke with finality and put the phone down.
On the other side of the phone she sighed. "Thank God he's agreed to meet me today itself. He won't be back before tomorrow. I'll have to be very careful, he doesn't have to know of this, otherwise God knows what consequences it'll bring."
***
"I won't wait for a single second after this. Suman Tiwari I'm bored of your stupid old antics," and he got up to leave his cabin. It was ten past four by his watch and those ten minutes were too much for him to spare on her. He'd expected her to be present waiting for him to finish his work but seemed in all these years she still hadn't learnt any manners. "Some things don't change! But waiting suffocates me now. You'll die to meet me now."
He sat in his bed trying to focus on his work but in vain. He wanted to know exactly for how long had she planned to make him wait for her. He could definitely ring his receptionist to know assuming no one in the small town knew about their past relationship.
"Mrs Kumar?"
"Yes Sir."
"Did Ms Tiwari come to the office?"
"No Sir."
"Okay if she calls tell her I won't have time to give her after this."
So she hadn't come. Great! As if he cared!
It was forecasted that snow was to cover north in two days after today. He had to leave before season changed its color. He couldn't afford to get stuck in this place longer than that. He turned on the television to check the latest weather forecasting.
"What!" shock left his mouth to what he saw next.
"Aditya Ahuja, a rising politician of Shimla district found dead at his house. The body had cut marks on its neck and a knife pierced into the stomach. Postmortem reports say he must have been murdered in between 8 and 9 yesterday. It is to be noted that Ahuja had been a very remote person, he never met anyone except for some formal meetings and also, he used live in an apartment whose entrances were secured with codes. A few people are assumed to be behind this cold blooded murder which includes Ahuja's fiance. Suman Tiwari owns a reputed restaurant in the town. Her engagement with Ahuja was announced by the later himself just five days before today. Most of the proofs of this case point against her. Ahuja's fiance and alleged murderer is taken into police custody. Moreover, owing to the vast popularity of the late politician no lawyer has yet agreed to support her. That's all for now. Stay tuned for further updates."
Shravan couldn't believe what it said. Wait. Between 8 and 9 yesterday night. "How can that be possible when at time she was.. "
Shravan tried to remember what time was it when he'd seen her yesterday. Certainly not later than 9 and earlier than 8!
Yesterday evening he was returning to his stay from a business meeting when she'd shared the building's lift with him.
She had held him by hand, when electricity in the lift had gone out suddenly, in same manner as she used to in past.
He had tried and succeeded in appearing unemotional about her touch, "ab mujhe andheron se darr nhi lagta."
She had removed her hand mumbling, "it's a custom for light to go out after 8 in this building. The generator will soon be turned on."
She most definitely wasn't at fault and he couldn't see any innocent getting punished even if it was a criminal to his own emotions. He grabbed his phone and left to see her.
***
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Anupamaa
CID
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
