CHAPTER 1
THE VOICE
The car stopped suddenly with the screeching of the brakes. Kavya almost banged her head in the front coz of the sudden jerk.
" Are you f**king mad? Damn!!! I got saved... THANK GAWD!!" She heaved a sigh of relief as she found that her head was perfectly fine. With utmost anger she turned to face him only to find him staring at her amusingly.
" Are you serious? What the hell was this?", she inquired him of his sudden jerky performance.
To this he simply shrugged his shoulder.
" What did you say? please repeat that first."
" Have you gone nuts, Ishan? first you make me almost bang my head and then ask me to chant my rants? ", she stopped understanding what he was talking of.
Exactly...
ISHAN...
She never had called him by his name. And today she had uttered for the first time in 6 months of their acquaintance.
He always had asked her the reason but she cleverly dodged him every single time. But today she was caught.
" I think we should leave. We are quite late. ", she said not looking into his eyes.
He understood that she was in no mood to clear the air.
Taking the shortest route to their office they reached their destination within 15 minutes.
" So, who has called us this urgent? will you tell me? you almost dragged me out of my house. your car had almost killed me, thanks to your driving.", she began pouring out her frustration.
" Well if you think your accusations are going to stop me from pulling you into this project then remember i still have an ace with me. So think well before you indulge in an argument at least with me", with a stern look he passed by her gesturing her to follow him.
She had never seen this face of Ishan. GOD!!! How she hated to take his name even in her thoughts. The name that was a rock solid foundation of her existence. The name that made her, broke her, changed her.
" I guess we are supposed to move, aren't we?", she heard his whisper holding the door open for her. He was in such a hurry, that she didn't even read the name plate on the door. Who was she meeting? Why was she meeting? she didn't knew. But she felt protected when he was with her. And that was strange.
" Sir, here we are.", Ishan's voice again brought her back to the senses. How easily could he do this job. He always broke the trail of her thoughts. He loved it always.
She was staring down when a voice so familiar to her asked them to take a seat.
There was no one at the table. The sound came from the adjoined store area of the cabin where the old records were kept.
THAT VOICE.
She knew it. It should be him. Though she was 6 then, but she had heard this same voice then.
" Why don't you understand preet. It's important to get out of this mess. It's important that you cooperate. it's important that you become strong."
A 6 yr old stood at the door as he was talking to her. She saw them as she hid behind the door. She didn't knew this place was not safe to hide. She was playing hide and seek with her cousins. The store room was the safest option.
He pulled out a chair and made preet sit.
" I asked you to take a seat dear", the voice echoed in her ears, as someone pulled out the chair for her. Kavya sat with a THUD...
"Are you OK?", ISHAN asked as he was already seated in a chair beside her.
For a moment she was bewildered. She had thought Ishan was behind her.
" I guess a glass of water will make you make you fine.", as the man handed the glass to her. She was too frightened to even glance at him. With shivering hands she took the glass and gulped the water in a hope that "the voice" will stop haunting her.
As she was done with it, closing her eyes she took a deep breath only to be interrupted.
" How are you kavya?", THE VOICE asked.
In a desire of proving her doubts as illusion, she opened her eyes fearfully only to find the same face before her.
He sat in front of her. A man with a fair complexion, tall, broad chested and dark brown gleaming eyes. He was the same. Probably in his forties.
He was the same except for his age. Those eyes, that would pierce deep in anyone's heart and know all the secrets not giving his own. He was shrewd, clever and diplomatic.
" Ishan you need to collect the details of what happened years ago. We are still clueless of what happened after that night. ", he told ishan stealing glances at her.
" I don't understand why are getting involved in this issue. We are mere reporters. It is so unethical to get involved in a national issue.", Kavya stood up in rage as he made a reference to that night.
For others the night was a mere piece of news. For her it was a catastrophe.
She stormed out of the cabin.
Ishan followed her.
" Yaar kya hua kavya?", he pulled her by her arm.
She banged on to his chest.
" Maine pehle bhi kaha tha ishan, mujhe iss project par kaam nahi karna. Aur iss insan ke saath toh bilkul bhi nahi."
" Arre kya tum. Jara naam bhi toh dekh le."
He brought her near the door.
" Ye padh. Naam mein hi joke hai. Ab ye bata kis sher ke gill hote hai? Gill toh fish ke hote hai na?", Ishan started laughing at his own joke.
" PJ tha yeh."
" Yaar naam toh padh.", he said reading the name on the door.
" JAY SHERGILL, SENIOR EDITOR IN-CHIEF, THE QUEST"
"Jis paper ke liye hum kaam karte hai uski cutting karne wala. 😆 if he isn't happy toh humara kya hoga kavya 😲 "
" Do you even know tum baat kis ki kar rahe ho? Jay Shergill ki. Don't trust so easily.", kavya retorted.
" Bol toh aise rahi ho ki tum iss ko pehle se jaanti ho."
Kavya walked off as ishan went on laughing hysterically mocking JAY.
Edited by daydreamers - 9 years ago
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
