The Beginning
Sprawling vast expanses of land, buildings, greenery and moving human masses of minuscule sizes. Kolkata! The city of Joy!
He splayed his fingers on the cold glass panes separating him from the panorama outside.
Standing inside the pent house office of high rise building; the highest in the vicinity and looking down at the bustling world on the ground; everything is looking so insignificant.
Shouldn't he feel like king of the world?!
Not Yet!
He gave a wry smile and slightly shook his head.
Not yet!
He has an unfinished business to tend to. Very personal unfinished business. Ruination of two men he once considered closest to his heart and called them family.
There was a time he was their shield. Now is the time morph into a spear; piercing their treacherous facades and giving them the same pain they bestowed upon him.
Ego, reputation and pride of one.
Love of another.
They will pay. They owe him one. And he intends to collect it.
He cocked his head to one side hearing click of the door.
"May I come in sir?' Nakul popped his head inside.
"Come right in Nakul!" He walked towards his desk and sat on his swivelling chair placing his palms on the teak wood desk.
"So what have you got for me?"
"Dharma and co out-bided Maheshwari and son's project Sir! Another victory for you." Nakul declared with a hint of pride for his boss.
The boss smiled.
"And what about the other project?"
"Project Laksh sir? Some progress there. Real progress by the look of it."
He raised an eyebrow with mild impatience.
"Lay it all Nakul!"
Nakul squared his shoulders.
"Yes sir! Laksh Maheshwari is showing quite an interest in one girl sir." He put emphasis on quite'. "We aren't sure but on surface it looks like he might be actually in love with that girl."
Now we are talking.
He mentally smiled and looked straight at his subordinate.
"Details!"
"Ah! Yes" Nakul snapped into attention "she is Gadodia and.."
"Wait a minute!" He cuts in. "Gadodia did you say. The same girl Laksh got engaged too and broke up."
Trust his darling brother to make it so easy for him.
"No sir!" Nakul declined "Other Gadodia girl!"
"There is one more?" He looked curious.
"Yes Sir! Half and half. Half Gadodia half Bose!"
"Half WHAT?" He snapped straight in the chair.
"Bose Sir!" Nakul looked a little worried seeing the changing expressions on his Boss's face.
"Bengali?" He asked tentatively.
"Yes Sir!"
He felt a frission passing through him.
Bengali!
Oh the irony. The sweet, sweet cruel twist of irony.
He snapped his eyes shut to shake off the train of thoughts going into dangerously painful zone.
"Sir!" Nakul hesitantly called out.
And he slowly opened his eyes.
"Go ahead!"
"We believe that Laksh Maheswari is possibly in love with this girl."
"And she?" He asked.
"Can't say for sure. But doesn't look like it. That is: she may not be in love with him. But they are friends." Nakul replied.
Interesting!
"Her name is Swara."
Swara! He rolled the name on his tongue.
Swara! Sounds musical.
"And she is into rock music and plays guitar." Nakul added.
Aha. Very interesting.
"She is also very liberal, progressive and go-getter. And.." Nakul paused.
"And?" He prodded looking openly amused now.
"She is supposed to be the bindass babe of the college." Nakul finished the description.
He leaned back in his chair folding his arms across.
And closed his eyes savouring the information.
Rock music, guitar player, bindass babe!
This keeps getting better and better.
He visualized a girl in leather tights, with eye, ear and navel piercing, tattooed arms, gothic makeup, banging hard metal on guitar right in the middle of Maheshwari Mansion's hall. And those Maheshwari clan giving reactions varying from shock to horror.
And Durga Prasad Maheswari.. Man! He would be apoplectic.
He grinned!
"Sir!" Nakul called.
"Yes!" He snapped out of the delicious reverie.
"We got her picture." He reached for his file and brought out a post card size picture.
He leaned forward and reached for the picture. Nakul handed it over.
He gave almost cursory look at the colour picture of young girl smiling at him and was thrown off the track for a moment.
THIS is Swara Bose?
Where is the wild cat with electric guitar? The tattoos, the piercings, the belly button, the gothic war paint?
He felt mild disappointment.
"She looks.." He struggled for words "She looks almost... Angelic! Innocent! Naive! Untouched and clueless about the dark side of human nature.
"Dammit!" He swore softly.
"Sir!" Nakul chimed in.
"Nothing!" He replied "Good job! You may go now. Keep me posted." He dismissed the guy and Nakul left the room quietly.
He got up from the chair clutching the picture and went near the window. He gently touched the girl with his long fingers. Feather touch! So light that it was almost sensual.
Damn! Damn! Damn!
He swore again.
"Oh snap out of it Sanskaar Maheswari! He chided himself.
The way he is walking on will justify any means that he would be using.
So if that means an angelic looking innocent girl getting hurt.. SO BE IT!
He clutched the picture in one hand and touched the cold glass pane of the window with another.
"Swara Bose!" He whispered softly.
Hick!
Swara violently hiccupped.
"Oh shona! What happened? Her mom and dida asked concernedly.
"This. Hiccups. Wont stop!" Swara struggled to reply punctuating each word with another bolt of violent hiccups.
"Someone is thinking of you my girl!" Her dida gave a teasing smile.
"Mom! Dida!" both Sharmistha and Swara chimed reproachfully.
"Oh ! You unromatics!" Dida waved her hands at them "I am telling you someone is thinking of Shona with lot of intensity and heart." She declared.
"Well whoever it is.. Wish he would stop!" Swara replied crossly reaching for the glass of water her mom brought for her.
Hick!
Just Stop it whoever you are!
************************************
Looking out with unseeing eyes Sanskaar whispered again.
"Swara Bose!"
And absently crushed the picture in his hand.
Edited by Banjaaran... - 9 years ago
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
