The Rainbow - A Shruthi-Shirley Collab - Ch-15 on P-23

THE

RAINBOW

Chapter 13: Page 20: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/139904796

Chapter 1 - The New Colleague

As Radhika drove through her daily route from her upscale Navrangpura neighborhood towards S.G. Highway on a rainy August morning, her phone rang. She harriedly fished around in her handbag for her phone while she maneuvered the steering wheel of her Maruti Zen with one hand. Putting on the hands-free, she picked up, "Abhi? What happened?"

"Where did you put our lunch-boxes?" asked her husband in an obviously irritated tone, adding, "Rohit already delayed me. Why does a Monday always have to start like this?"

"Relax dear, I already put them in your respective bags since Taraben prepared the food earlier! Sorry I forgot to mention!"

Abhijeet sighed in relief, "Oh okay! Thanks a lot Rads! (Shouting to their elder son) Rohan! Hurry up man, you are getting late for school. Have a great day dear, see ya.. love ya" he finished the call as he approached the elevator of their building.

Radhika smiled as she pulled away the earphones Usual Monday blues for a couple with demanding careers and two boisterous boys! Life had been fast paced since she and Abhijeet moved to Ahmedabad a decade ago from Nasik with a year old Rohan. Rehan was born 4 years back and completed their family. Though a charming peaceful place, Nasik did not offer growth opportunities to fulfill their, especially her, ambitions. Ahmedabad had the right environment to advance both their careers. Abhijeet was a middle-level manager in one of the city's topmost BPOs and she enjoyed her position as a highly-respected lawyer with Shah, Malhotra & Associates,a legal firm known for its 99.99% success rate! Hire them as your lawyers and you need not worry about losing your case - that's what they said! She earned on a salary plus commission basis. It added up to a handsome amount every month. Even Abhijeet made good money. Life was just perfect!

Soon she reached her office and parked her car. She hurried up the stairs (between her long hours at work and household responsibilities, she didn't get the time to work out, so she preferred the stairs to the elevator). Greeting and smiling at the staff, she walked to her cabin. With the increasing number of cases the firm took, came increasing workload, especially for her. They had just hired some new lawyer and he was supposed to join in a day or two. High time he joined, thought Radhika as she looked at the huge pile of files on her desk. She wondered what time she would be able to go home as her assistant brought in some more files with instructions from Mr. M. H. Shah, an eminent lawyer himself and one of the two partners of the firm.

Half an hour later, after she had assigned some urgent tasks to her assistant and sent her to the copier machine in the main lobby, she got a client's call. Since the signal was weak, she moved to the window to talk. As she hung up, her eyes briefly scanned the sky, and she stood still. "Wow!" She squealed, "A rainbow!"

Rainbows had always fascinated her since her childhood and that fascination still held for her at the age of 33. All cases, workload, everything was forgotten for a moment as she lost herself in the rainbow. Today, the rainbow just perfect, with well-defined colors. Somehow, the rainbow always had a calming effect on her.

"We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that the savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter."

The voice behind her, startled her out of her trance. She turned around saw a man in his mid thirties. He had an average body type, was about 5 feet and 7 inches tall, but had interesting features; especially his eyes - they had a unique depth and radiated intellect.

Before she could react, he continued conversationally, "I guess you have proved Mark Twain wrong!"

She was utterly confused, "Mark Twain? What?"

"That was a quote by Mark Twain. But I see you have not lost your reverence for the rainbow!"

Again before she could react, he continued, "By the way, sorry to barge into your cabin like this, but the cabin door was open, and you were too lost in the rainbow to hear my know. So, I just walked in. Hope you don't mind it terribly."

Still confused, she managed to ask, "But, who are you? And what can I do for you!"

He sighed apologetically, "oops! I am so sorry!" He extended his hand formally, "I'm advocate Keshav Mehra. I just joined here today"

Yes, he was the new addition to the firm, thought Radhika as she recollected his name being mentioned earlier. She smiled as she shook his hand perfunctorily, "Advocate Radhika Sinha. Welcome to the firm. I look forward to working with you!"

"Thank you. And I look forward to the new experience and challenges here! Actually, Mr. Malhotra told me to come here so that you could explain what needs to be done and how I should get started", replied Keshav.

She nodded, and motioned towards her desk, "please take a seat right there."

For the next hour and half, they discussed work. Then, he took a few files to his cabin right next door and went through them, until lunch time. As Radkika was going to their routine place where the senior staff usually had their lunch, she made a detour to Keshav's cabin. She knocked once and poked her head in, "care to join everyone for lunch?"

Everyone. I hope the short chapter will do, esp. since it is the intro chapter..

@Shirley good beginning. you have left me a task. I loved Radhika's drive to office and Keshav's entry. It was really natural.

Loved the title.. and the rainbow bit in the chapter.. I love rainbows too.. The characters are nice.. all having their quirks.. Abhijeet grumbling about the Monday blues while Radhika being prepared. Radhika not liking intrusion and being formal while Keshav trying to make a mark and being dedicated.. Radhika trying to make Keshav feel welcome and part of the group..

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

@Shirley good beginning. you have left me a task. I loved Radhika's drive to office and Keshav's entry. It was really natural.

Originally posted by: JRia

Loved the title.. and the rainbow bit in the chapter.. I love rainbows too.. The characters are nice.. all having their quirks.. Abhijeet grumbling about the Monday blues while Radhika being prepared. Radhika not liking intrusion and being formal while Keshav trying to make a mark and being dedicated.. Radhika trying to make Keshav feel welcome and part of the group..

like that they are not too goody goody ones.. so at present they seem like very normal people.. wishing it stays that way..

Waise Shirley hope this detailing is enough 😛 becoz more than this i cant do.. 😆

All in all a fab start.. waiting for tmrw as their will be Shruthi's update 😃

Nice start shirley. May be I will get the hold after 3 - 4 parts and will be in a better position to put forth my views. As of now, all I can say is all the best for new venture and rock. nice start for a Monday morning with Monday blues but some how I don't feel Monday blues, not so far in my complete tenure as a working lady. I look forward to it as a new challenge for the next week. All the best guys. keep us enlightened and entertained. 😉

@jaya challenge is for me. Shirley has done good detailing. 😆😆

started reserving. Go and check Seven Vows. Have written dhamaka there