chapter 1 -----
''oye, have u come out of a sauna session ? U r sweating like anything yaar. All your makeup has melted, kya yaar, what if kabir sir calls u now ! Would u sprint to his cabin, looking like this?''...Tinkling laughter followed with a loud smack at the back. Ananya groaned inwardly. Ahh ! So thatz exactly what it was to be like Triisha, our weather report girl.The only thoughts she could manage seriously were of make up, fashionable stilettos, designer wardrobes. And she actually did keep a good follow up. No wonder, Kabir sir's omniscient eyes had not missed the potential she had for a good fashion journalist. Now a days, she often goes out to cover celebrity interviews, new film releases, outdoor on shooting location news. It had boosted her self confidence immensely, and after getting compliments from a certain male actor while interviewing, she felt herself every inch a fashionista of journalism world and a self appointed adviser of poor souls in her office so lost in work that they barely noticed how hideous they appeared sometimes. and her primary target was always ever busy,too drowned in thoughts to brush her hair Miss Kashyap. ''Trisha, not now yaar. I am giving a final touch up to my report...I have to submit it in fifteen minutes.I dont want to be roasted alive by Kabir Sir's wrathful words.'' but Trisha wasnot to be dissuaded so easily. ''tabhi toh!i am telling u to go and freshen up a bit. Who knows, seeing u all shiny and dewy he might change his mind and ask u for dinner instead of throwing darts''.
''Trisha, he would very certainly ask me if he has in his mind microwaving my brains for his dinner, and seriously, it does not look appealing to me'', Ananya made face sending trisha rolling in laughter. From a desk across the row, Richa threw questioning glances at them while Ronnie frowned and gestured a silent no with his head.
It was late afternoon and Ananya was busy making final reports of the progress she made on the ration card scam case. She had just returned from High court covering the live telecast of a very ruffled looking MP and his cronies emerging from police van and being pulled away to the courtroom in heavy security amidst the loud ''shame'' ''shame'' slogans of common men who gathered at the gate to watch the spectacle. She was following the case from the beginning,noted its proceedings ,marked the turning points and and this was her end report drawing conclusion and drop the curtain.Although pleased with her handiwork, she had to admit there was no thrill in such work. What Other people found safe and comfortable, appeared to her predictable, dull. Where was excitement in a story where there was no sting operation, no trespassing in disguise, no peeling out the face of culprit in guise of an influential respectable person. Working along side with kabir had refined her skills and she knew, no matter how much he berated her for impulsive stupidity, he secretly relied upon her bravery and fast thinking. Inspite of their differences of opinions, they had become quite a team. If only she could act more wisely and win his trust. If only she could know what goes inside his head. Ananya pouted muttering to herself,'' no more dare-devil acts for miss ananya kashyap''. She had to be shown her place firmly. Hence these dull assignments.her punishment for not having faith in her editor-in-chief, for letting him down and openly disobeying him for what she thought humanitarian issue.who knows, if she brought Mahi Malhotra straight to Kabir as he bade , he might have presented the whole news from different angle. The man did have a heart afterall, how selflessly he went all himself and saved Arman from the drug racket arrest. God knew what would have happened to her poor brother, to her family,had he not appeared out of thin air like an angel.she had become forever indebted to him, no matter how callously he would brush the topic aside calling it trivial.
'' Dear God !'', she murmured,'' whats wrong with my country ? Plz let something exciting catch my eyes. I desperately need a thriller now to get back to his good books. '' It was getting impossible day by day to toil over excessively boring assignments under manav sir and tolerate his endless whining while someone else got chosen to take the cheese under her nose. Ananya stopped at the middle of thought...''did i just compare kabir sir with a cheese''. Laughter bubbled from within like a freshly opened can of soda.'' isnt he a big slice of cheese...just the right amount of sharpness and delicious temptation, too expensive to taste''. more laughter oozed out.not bad, huh ?
Suddenly a familiar melodious jingle zapped her back from reverie. Her mobile was ringing. It was a call from unknown number.''Hello, Ananya Kashyap here'',She started with a trained neutral voice but all the color drained out of her face as the call continued.when after few minutes it end, she was shaking. Purba Suri , her best friend of college and university days, a promising field journalist had been kidnapped early morning that day. The call was from her elder sister, who asked her to meet her within an hour at the cafe just down the street. She asked to her to bring someone reliable with her. ''Shall go and ask Kabir sir ? Will he agree to help me ? '' Somewhat reluctantly she started towards kabir's office. '' after all those stuffs, he has become cold and unreadable. He treats me with deliberate indifference, as if i do not exist. What if he says no in my face ?'' she groaned, ''ooh, ananya ! For once,keep your ego out of the box,'' she chided herself. Afterall purba's life was in danger. And she was already a known face in news industry. Even if he did not want to come to her aid for her own self, he would do that for the sake of a startling news . This was kabir sharma, he could never resist a possibility for breaking news.
... ... ... [ to be continued]
Chapter 2 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/123219782
Chapter 3 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/123385393
Chapter 4 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/124092864
p.s : A very special thanks to a very special friend, May, who never ceases to amaze me with her creative talent and push me with new challenges. she wrote an amazing story herself, and this SS is in some sort a return gift to her. we always do this to each other, pushing our boundaries harder and come up with something unexpected. last time it was an erotica😳, this time thriller...our creative exercises continue !
So, sugar ! (Toast) To our friendship and our creative skills !
letz produce something yummy 😆.
plz review, pretty plz . and press the like button if u really like😃. and your valuable inputs 😊
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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