" Sir, I mean , please '."
"Please what?? Madhubala. What is it that you have come here to say?" I was puzzled I had always been gentle, warm and affectionate towards her then what on earth had caused such nervousness in her.
"Sir please Help me. I am in trouble and only you can help."
Trouble that word buzzed in my ears even now. I could understand now what trouble she was in but I was late or so it appeared. The pooja before her engagement ceremony was nearly over. Her fianc Mukund was sitting next to her all the while. I could recount very vividly the number of times he had touched her with his lecherous hands. It was not hidden from my eyes every time he had touched her she had flinched and tried to move away. I was desparately stalking the entrance, he would come any minute.
It all came back to me,
" Sir I love you sir, I have loved you for as long as I can recall. I cant even think of anyone'''.."
" Madhubala" I had screamed "do you even know what you are talking about."
I had lost at that very moment what ever little sense that used to inhabit my top floor. She had been working with us the" Kundra chain of Industries" for past 3 years. She had joined us as a temp when doing her MBA in finance. She was one of our finance analysts now. I never had any opportunity to harbor any complaints against her. She did it to perfection whatever project was assigned to her.
"Sir I know very well what I am talking about. I am telling you that I love you and I will do anything to convince you to marry me."
"Madhubala shamsher Mallik enough stop it right now. I cannot imagine this in my wildest dreams. Leave.
" Sir in these past three years have you not ever ever ever thought of me as someone more than just your employee. Did you never thought why I did all that was not even required of me? Did you never give a second thought to all those lovely flowers on your table every day? Did you think I went around looking after everyone's allergies and making sure it did not hamper their daily schedule?
Go Madhubala go, before I am forced to call security'
"Why should I leave? What are you scared of? Look into my eye and say that what I am saying is wrong. Tell me into my face that you don't love me. Say that you are fine with me marrying that nothing of a man Mukund dixit. Tell me that you have no problems with me sleeping with him.
I have no Issue with any of this. Why should I? You are my employee and that's it. End of the story ,why should I look into your actions? They were not damaging to my business and that is all that I care about. Madhubala Shamsher Mallik I don't give a damn about your marriage or anything else but your work for us. Get out'.
She had yet not moved. Instead she looked even more determined.
"I love you. I have always loved you even when I did not know you. I kept every single newspaper cutting that had your name even if in the last line of the news column. I had cried the day you had married, I had died half with you the day you met with an accident''"
I did not have the courage to hear any more of it. I screamed
" Bittuji"
The plump stout and a tiny man with a pleasing personality came in.
" chief"
"Bittuji throw Miss malllik out of this office with her termination letter."
There I did it. I hit her hard enough to knock some sense into her. She looked drained out as if in just a moment all her dreams had crashed.
" I will leave myself, but live in peace knowing that I had to marry this high society pimp of a man my uncle is forcing me to marry because he squandered his 40 lacs gambling. Be happy that the only women who loved you will now be paying off her uncles debt''''"
I threw the vase at her but she had left and the vase hit the closing door and crashed into a million pieces on the floor , quite like her dreams and like my desires.
She was very close to me personally and professionally. At the young age of 25 she had shown phenomenal business acumen. She had a bright future ahead of her and I loved shaping her future. She considered me as her mentor and I loved mentoring her. she was a quick learner. Personally she had taken care of everything that I needed, I liked or disliked. Since she had taken charge of my person I had never ever missed my therepy sessions. Her presence brought peace to me inside out. There was so much more that I felt when she was around and there was so much more to live for when she was near. Her smile , her joys, her scrutinizing gazes, her ambitions, I had memorized her by heart. I could close my eyes and recite her like a poem. Oh yes! I loved her but I had no right to expect or accept love from her. How could I when a freak accident 10 years ago had left me shackled to this bloody wheelchair. How could I when I was a divorcee old and stale and she as new and young as a fresh drop of dew on the flower. I was 14 years older than her, I had no right to let her love me so I had pushed her away ruthlessly.
"Bittuji find out all about this Man Mukund Dixit by tomorrow"
" Yes chief, but tomorrow is miss mallik's engagement."
"Then do it by today evening" I snarled back
"I will chief."
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