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OS: Just One Touch
"There's something different about him today", thought Antara as she got into Raghu's jeep. "Have you fought with anyone today? Or did someone try to kill you again?", she questioned Raghu as he revved the engine. "Don't ask too many questions, Miss Call", he said to shut her up.
Raghu had been driving Antara to work ever since she had received the job offer as an Assistant. He wasn't the type to take no for an answer and was more reliable than waiting for rickshaws or taxis and she was always at work on time.
As they drove in silence, Antara couldn't help but wonder why he was so quiet. He was usually jabbering nonsense or bickering with her about some petty issue. So why was he so quiet?
She reached the office and dreaded it the minute she walked in. Her boss, Mr. Gupta, was a very odd guy and she felt uncomfortable around him. He would keep giving her all sorts of perverted looks and made her feel vulnerable every time she sat down for a dictation or to discuss any matter with him.
She had been tolerating him without revealing her situation at home. All because she loved her mother and required the money for her treatment. But it was getting even more intolerable for her every day and had reached quite a limit yesterday when he tried to touch her inappropriately. She slapped him and left the room, knowing that she could easily be fired for having done that. Throughout the evening, she had looked for another job to keep the income steady, but she had to face the music for what could possibly be the last time, today.
As she walked towards the reception, Payal, the receptionist, called out to her. "Anatara, your new seat is down the hall, outside Mr. Sharma's cabin. You'll be his assistant now as Mr. Gupta won't be coming for a while. I heard he met with an accident last night and fractured quite a few bones. You have the day off today since Mr. Sharma will only come tomorrow. I thought you knew."
Antara was shocked. She had heard of the phrase "What goes around comes around", but this was strangely coincidental. She suddenly remembered that Raghu was home late last night and seemed very angry. AND he was unusually quite this morning. Could he...?
She had to get back to the chawl and find out what had happened. She ran out to find Raghu waiting for her in his jeep outside the building. She ran to him, ignoring the rain that had started pouring, and asked him, dreading his answer, "What did you do?"
"He touched you. My fist touched him", he replied, simply.
"What are you talking about, Raghu? What did you do? And...and...how did you know what he did?" asked Antara frantically, disbelief raising the pitch of her voice.
"I saw him giving you dirty looks so many times when I dropped you outside your office. And yesterday, your hand had marks on it like someone had grasped it way to tight and your eyes were red like you'd been crying. And I knew what I had to do to teach that man a lesson. I knocked some sense into him. He won't ever touch you again. And don't worry, he ain't gonna come back soon either. Let's go home now."
"I could've handled this on my own. Now what am I going to do if he lodges a complaint? You don't have to do all this, Raghu!"
"Oh yeah, a fragile doll like you will handle a guy like him, right? What did you do as he looked at you? Look away? When he touched you? Cringe? Do you really think you could DO anything more? You need a man to take care of you, Antara. Stop pretending like you don't need one!"
"Stop it, Raghu! You are no one to take care of me! I can fend for myself!"
"No, you can't!" Raghu interrupted her. "I have always been there for you and I always will, ok?! You're too innocent for this city! This may mean nothing to you, but it does to me! I can't take it if anyone touches you, dammit! I love you!"
Both felt their hearts skip a beat with Raghu's last words.
He couldn't believe he had said it.
She couldn't believe she had heard it.
The rain had ceased and the skies had cleared, just as the misunderstandings and fight had given way to love.
Thanks for reading!
This is my first OS in the Do Dil Ek Jaan forum. Be nice! 😳
Please do comment 😊
Cheers!
-Larina
-Larina
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