The taxi sped in the dead of the night to the railway station, with the lone passenger at the back lost in thoughts.
They were too many, indeed some many things had happened in the past couple of hours. Arzoo had ran out of the office and hailed the first taxi. By the time the taxi had reached its destination, the decision had been made, much to the desperation of her hostess.
"Arzoo beta...early from Saiyyara? And what is all this?" The middle aged lady, her hostess was startled to the core. She had been reclining on the chair when Arzoo had walked in to say a final goodbye, a hand dragging her trolley bag behind her.
"Aunty, I am going back to Lucknow..." Arzoo barely managed the sentence before the words failed her and tears rejuvenated their course.
Alvira Chaudhary, her hostess with a kind demeanour eased her bulk out of the chair and hurried towards her, her plump face lined with concern.
"What happened beta? Why the sudden decision? I thought all was well...?" Arzoo had broken down completely at this. Alvira had hugged her maternally and eased out the complete story out of her.
"No Aunty...I cannot stay anymore. I have been insulted enough!"
"But Beta, what about your career? People I know would give their right arm to work with Sahir. Then why are you taking such a drastic step? I am very sure, this has been a misunderstanding, a miscommunication of some sort, which will clear itself in a couple of days. If not, I will speak to Sahir myself, Beta...Please don't go..."
Zaki, the younger brother of Sahir had also tried to intervene.
"But Jahannara, quitting at this point of time means...you agree with what you have been accused of? Instead, stay back and fight for your rights. I am sure Bhai never meant those words!"
"Zaki...please!"
Zaki had looked on helplessly at his mother, who looked skywards for some divine interruption.
Her sad face relaxed a little when she thought about him. Zaki, the carefree, flirt, easy going younger brother of the boss, was a good friend of hers. She would turn to him, rely on him at the times of difficulty, she would trust him...but this time, the answer from her subconscious was a NO. She smiled to herself when she remembered the fateful long drive that they had been on and he had casually informed her of his quest: to search for a soulmate... and the night in jail, when she had been tricked into venturing to the shady club...well, she owed him a lot. Someday she would return the favour, but this was not the time. Someday she would come back...
A dog howled nearby putting an end to the chain of thoughts. The taxi had come to a halt.
"What happened?" She peeped around. The driver was busy fiddling with the starter, which just refused to yield.
"Something wrong with the engine, Ma'm...let me check"
Arzoo nodded absent mindedly and looked around, only to jolt awake further.
The taxi had stalled at the entrance of Peerbaba's shrine!
Arzoo smiled sardonically, recalling a visit not too far in the past, when a fakir had hinted upon her soulmate. She had looked around puzzled, thought it over and then dismissed the idea as premature.
Who was her soulmate? She had no idea. And what role was he supposed to play in her life? Something like her father was to her mother? If that was what a soulmate was supposed to do, then she was better off without him. The whole idea was too much of a burden.
Maybe this place would give her the much needed solace at this point of time? After checking with the cabbie that it would take some more time for the cab to be back in action, Arzoo mechanically walked into the shrine, as if beckoned by a divine force.
---------
It was the dead of night and a person lay awake.
Arzoo claiming the designs to be her own.
Sahir accusing Arzoo of being unprofessional and of low moral standards, a cheat. Arzoo resigning in a huff...
Something did not fit in. From what little he knew of Jahannara, she did not look that way.
Unable to lie in the bed anymore, he sauntered to the window and something caught his attention.
A light in the outhouse. Someone was there. It was occupied quite recently by Arzoo and Kurti Aapa and was expected to be vacant at the time.
Zaki's long strides carried him to the outhouse.
The outhouse was a small non-descript extension of the mansion, with the entire basic infrastructure to house a small family. Basically it was a room with a huge sitting area, which also housed a huge poster bed, an almirah and a dressing table. One end of the room led off to a small kitchenette and a utility area. In short, it was a neat arrangement for a short time visitor to the family who couldn't be accommodated in the mansion itself. Privacy and security of the inmate was taken care of by a single door, which could be locked, if need be.
The door was open and Zaki was momentarily taken aback.
Who was inside? Arzoo had left for the station and Kurti Aapa had dislocated her knee a day before.
Zaki smiled to himself as he recollected the event: The calm of the house had been shattered suddenly by the scream of his nanny, Kurti Aapa. He and Sahir had rushed to the source, only to discern the ample form of Kurti Aapa squatting in the middle of the hall. Sahir, the kind hearted one had hurried to her side.
"Hey...Kurti Aapa, what's the matter? Did you slip on the floor? Are you Ok?"
A guttural swear from his nanny cut him short.
"You ****, don't just stand there and ask questions. My knee...I think it is broken. Zaki, you *****, don't just stand there looking pleased. Come and help me get up on my feet..."
"But Kurti Aapa, without an X Ray, and a doctor's diagnosis, how can you say that you have broken a knee? It could be your hip also, or a toenail...or even your neck" Zaki ventured cautiously, positioning himself so that he could bear half of her weight around his shoulders. Sahir was already in position and Kurti Aapa had regained the vertical without much trouble.
Kurti Aapa was about to beat her chest about the irresponsible present generation, when she realized that her hands were not free to obey her command. She resorted to verbalization instead.
"Ohh poor me...dying of pain...I have single handedly raised the kids and see how they talk to me...they have no compassion at all! I have devoted myself to this family and see what I get back in return. Ohh God! Why can't I just die, the soul divorce from my body rather than hear such things! Ohh God...I am about to die..."
"Aapa, the bedroom has come. Please lie down..." Sahir words cut through the tirade. Zaki carefully re-positioned himself so that the bulk of Kurti Aapa would lie down horizontally.
"Zaki, call the doctor...maybe she had a dislocated hip?"
Kurti Aapa responded to this command with a rejuvenated wail.
"Ohh my blasted knee...and water on the floor...why did I have to clean the floor today?" Sahir had turned to Zaki who just stopped short of rolling his eyes.
"Zaki, take care. I need to go...
And what care he had to take of his nanny! Zaki smiled to himself. The doctor had arrived promptly and diagnosed a case of ****, ordered an X ray and prescribed an injection to deaden the pain.
Kurti Aapa's howl, as the needle pierced her gnarled skin, could be heard a kilometre away. She had then sunk into a fit full sleep.
Zaki's toes encountered the threshold and he snapped to reality. He crept forward and cautiously peeped inside the half open door.
Kurti Aapa and Anam were sitting on the bed, squinting through a couple of papers.
Even from the distance, Zaki could see the drawing on the papers.
They were Arzoo's designs. What the hell was going on? He was about to barge in when he remembered something vital and he switched on the video recorder on his cell phone.
Sahir would need proof. The bitterness of his past had turned him into a hardcore sceptic.
--------
"You are worried, my child?" Arzoo turned around to the Fakir. His eyes exuded kindness and wisdom. She still decided to play it safe.
"Yes, Baba..."
"But why, my child?"
"I just can't stay here. I am going back..."
"Are you running away? From something? Or someone?"
Arzoo's downcast head confirmed the answer.
"Well my child, running away has never served its purpose. Be brave and confront the problems head-on..." Baba paused, and Arzoo looked up, "And the person you are running away from is destined to be your soulmate, my dear..."
Arzoo's eyes widened. The nagging issue would never be laid to rest, right? She decided to probe the Baba further.
"Baba, who exactly is my soulmate? Last time I was here, you told me the same thing. I thought about it and couldn't find anyone, so..."
"You have not looked properly, my child. If I am thinking in the right direction, once you close your eyes...you should be able to see him. And if you are running away from him, it is not going to be possible."
Arzoo closed her eyes and Sahir's face swam in front of her.
This was the face which would haunt her in future. The face with a spectrum of expressions.
The exasperation when she insisted on the window seat in the flight. The puzzled expression when she hurled Jhumroo Khan at him. Or when he caught the tamarind seed neatly. Or when she snatched the burnt toast half way to his mouth.
The thorough gentleman who didn't exploit the situation when she fell in the pool.
The concern in his eyes when she walked out to him after being released on bail.
The hatred in his eyes when he accused her of being a person with low moral standards.
The last vision was enough to kill all others preceeding it, Arzoo turned away to hide her pain aware of the fact that Baba was still there.
"I see pain, my child. Has he hurt you?"
Arzoo nodded amidst tears.
"Don't let that affect you, my child. He is innocent in all this, being led to believe what is shown to him. And if I am right, he will soon realize your worth and come searching for you!"
The fakir turned away, clanging his Manjeera.
Arzoo stood rooted to the spot. Her reverie was broken by the cab driver.
"Ma'm, the taxi has been repaired..."
Arzoo wiped her face clean and pasted a smile on her face.
"Ok, let's go to the station..."
--------
There was a new spring in her step that day.
Dressed impeccably as ever, her slim hands carried a folder. Confidence brimming in her demeanour, she entered the glass cabin with a perfunctory knock.
"Good Morning Sahir!"
The occupant grunted out a reply and continued his work.
"I thought of some new designs. The creative bug bit me just yesterday and I was up the whole night, you see..." Anam placed a sheaf before him.
Sahir looked up with a wooden expression on his face. She continued, unsure of the next course of communication.
"How about another media meeting? I am sure these will be a hit, and investments will start pouring in. And there won't be that blasted intern to interfere this time, you see..."
She was blabbering nervously as Sahir reached out to the sheaf of papers and eased out a couple of sheets. Anam waited with bated breath, her heart thundering. When the response came, she had to strain to hear it.
"Nice designs. You made them?"
"Well...yes. Who else would mak.." She swallowed the rest as Sahir looked her in the eye, assessing her, dissecting her to the bone. She tried to read the thoughts behind those eyes, but dammitt! The fellow knew how to mask them effectively.
Sahir, in the meanwhile, had settled back, after a fleeting moment of fury. He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them.
Gosh. It was so clear to him now. The conversation with Zaki made sense to him entirely.
Bhai, you may not believe me. So I videotaped the whole thing...have a look yourself. The voice quality is not that good but you can still discern everything. Whatsapping the video to you, the decision of the next course of action rests with you entirely'
He turned the laptop towards her, gesturing her to see the screen.
"And how about these designs? Have you seen them?"
Anam settled in the opposite chair and paled in a minute. The video was just too clear.
Sahir let the situation sink in and then decided to twist the knife a little more.
"And Hamid has also told me about you sending Arzoo to collect the samples..."
Anam was on her feet, protesting vociferously.
"What nonsense! This is an effort to tarnish my reputation. And I didn't send Hamid...I sent Aquil..." The words were out of her mouth before she realized the impact.
Sahir smiled bitterly. "Yes, you sent Aquil. And in case you have forgotten, there is nobody called Hamid on our rolls. Right?"
Anam sat down heavily, unsure of her fate in the organization. Sahir extended an envelope towards her.
"Your settlement...I cannot afford to have you here. Not only for Saiyyara, but even for an innocent soul like Arzoo, whom you tried to frame and what not...So, please leave at once!"
"But Sahir...I am your sister-in law! How could you do this to me? I am family!"
"There is also an open ticket to Dubai for tonight. As you are my sister-in law, I believe you should be with my brother there!"
Anam opened her mouth to say something but Sahir had already turned his back to her. His parting words skewered her further.
"In fact, I would prefer if you left tonight itself!"
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