Chapter 7
(Back in Jalal’s office)
Jalal (shrugging Ruks off): Enough Ruks..What is this all about?? This is my private office not any public platform..
Ruks (disappointed): I just missed you..I don’t understand, what’s your fuss..You’ve never been this cautious ever, with the way I behave..
Jalal (irritated): I told you its my workspace. There is no reason for you to behave that way in front of my employees..
Ruks (taunting): Employees???Or just an employee?? She must be really something to have come up at 30th floor..As far as I recall, no one has ever infiltrated your floor, other than me, Abdul and Mirza..
Jalal (serious): And I don’t recall having the need to explain myself or my decisions about my colleagues, to you ever..So, will you please just cut the crap?..It has started to annoy me..
Ruks (gave a nervous laugh): Ahh! You’re right..I’m sorry..All I should be concerned about is your schedule..You need to accompany me, at some of the events and a few lunch dates..
Jalal: With a crucial bid coming up..I’m really busy Ruks..Maybe some other time..
Ruks: Jalal..please..You do understand that there is already such a commotion in me being here at the city, and if you don’t make these appearances, or give a few shots to the paparazzis..God knows what are they gonna write about me..So, pleaseee!! Be my rescue..
Jalal (sighed hesitantly): I’ll see what I can do Ruks..I cant promise though..I expect you to be understanding..Will let you know..For now just go and get some rest..I’ll ask Abdul and Mirza to drop by at your hotel..
If Ruks was mad at the blunt refusal, she didn’t show..Although, Jalal never bore her tantarums, never had he ever denied any of her requests too..This was quite unexpected, but there was nothing she could do..She politely smiled, while fuming within, and left Jalal’s office..The mood was ruined and all she wanted was to vent off her frustration..
She came down and saw Jo working in her office..Ruks cursed underneath her breath, and kept staring at Jo..Jo feeling someone’s sight on her, looked back and gave a soft smile back at Ruks..
Jo (politely): Nice to meet you Ms. Khanam, I’m extremely sorry..I couldn’t share the pleasantries earlier..
Ruks (gave mock smile): Seems you do know, who I’m…Ms. Heer, was it..??
Jo (smiled): Yeah, its Heer..and ofcourse I do know you. Mr. Mohd. doesnt have many friends, so its easy to keep the tab..
Ruks (scoffed): You should do your research. I’m not just any friend..
Jo (nervous): Ofcourse! I’m sorry if I offended you..
Ruks (chuckled): Oh please..Ofcourse not..I’m just wondering how amazing you must be at whatever you do..I have never seen him hiring any aide, working in such a close-knit space, right next to him..You know Jalal is kind of claustrophobic when it comes to people..But he seems, just so fine with you..You guys being any prior acquaintances??
Jo (faultering): Oh! Not really..I mean nothing worth discussing, Ms. Khanam..
Ruks smiled, thought for a moment and spoke again.
Ruks: Ms. Heer ..Can I ask you for a favor, then..Given my and Jalal’s tight schedule, we don’t meet that often, but everytime we do, I make sure that we have the best of times..
Jo nodded with a frail smile..Ruks continued..
Ruks: Jalal wishes to go on lunch dates, but you know, given the upcoming bid, I think he is in a tight spot, managing work and leisure..Since you must be aware of his schedules, can you please find some time in between and get some reservations for our dates..I’ll forward you the list of restaurants..I’m not very comfortable asking for something so personal..But I and Jalal would truly appreciate, if you could manage this too..
Jo (hesitant): Well, if that’s what Mr. Mohd wants me to do, I can manage that..I do know some of the places, he likes to eat out. I’ll just confirm the place and time with him..
Ruks: Ahh! About that, it would be so helpful, if you kept it undisclosed. I want it to be a surprise, since how tirelessly he works. Do you think you can keep it a secret??If not, then please don’t bother..I’ll manage on my own..
Jo gave a quick thought. The request was pretty genuine on Ruks part, and more so, even if it was a tadbit uncomfortable for Jo, to do something like this..Jo was quite sure that she did want to do something that could give Jalal some comfort and happiness..
Jo: Okay Ms. Khanam..I’ll arrange everything and will keep it from Mr. Mohd. He has been holically working, so you’re right, he should have a pleasant surprise break..and what could beat a warm meal with a person you adore..
Ruks (smiled fakely): I see!! So thoughtful and considerate..I guess that must be your charm..Good luck! I would like to see how impressive can you be, at the tasks you uptake..See you soon..
With this Ruks left, and Jo sighed looking at the retreating figure, “God! You could have done so much better Mr. Mohd”..
Jo got back to his office, and gave a quick glance to Jalal’s schedule.
Jo: Arghh! Its pretty jam-packed..I cant even change schedules without informing you..And what reasons would I give, if you asked me why I made the change in the first place..I’m not suppose to tell you, that I’ve been asked to arrange for your lunch time with your rumoured “rude and brat” of a girlfriend..
Jo scrunched her face, “This is annoying. I should have said No.Stupid me! What was I thinking..Planning a date for the man…who pretty much was “My first love”..perhaps is still “My…..”…Ahh! Gotta get my head straight..If there is one and only good thing I can do for you Mr. Mohd, is to re-paint the canvas of your memories, replacing my color with some fresh ones..I might feel awful doing this, but I’m pretty sure, the thought of you having a good time, filled with warmth and comfort with whosoever it may be…will ease my heart too”.
With this, Jo made some changes in Jalal’s schedules and managed to pull through couple of hours for lunch..With the last week left before the bid for the project, everyone was running on deadlines..The moment Jo made the changes on Jalal’s calender..Jalal got notified..Looking at his calender, at the changes made, and the spare two hours with no appointments logged in..jalal gave a call to Jodha..
Jalal: Ms. Shekhawat..I see you changed my schedules..Is there any fresh appointment to be accomodated, in this spare mid noon log??
Jo (stammering): Ahh…! Yes Mr. Mohd. I’ll fill in the details, once I confirm it from the other party..
Jalal hung up the phone..But the thought of, what Jo might have felt seeing Ruks with him, refused to leave his head..He wanted to explain it to her right away…But he wasn’t even sure how to bring up the subject…
In the meanwhile, Jo booked the reservations for lunch at couple of Jalal’s favourite restaurants, requested for certain specific menu considering the likes of Jalal, and forwarded the details like date, time and place to Ruks...
(Late Evening)
It was 8:30 pm, when Jalal left his office..Coming down the stairs he gave a quick glance to Jo’s workspace. The light was still on, and probably she still hadn’t left..He gave a mild knock before entering, and Jo stood up,
Jo: Mr. Mohd??
Jalal: Aren’t you leaving??
Jo: Yeah! Probably in another half an hour..
Jalal: Okay..
Jalal left Jo’s office, while Jo resumed her work..After half an hour Jo wrapped everything, picked her bag, turned the lights off, and left her office to get to elevator, when she saw Jalal sitting in the waiting lounge, browsing his tablet..He looked up to see Jo..
Jalal: You done?
Jo (taken aback): You didn’t leave?
Jalal: Ah! Its pretty late to walk all by yourself. I thought I should drop you home..Have you eaten??Would you mind any late night snack..??
Jo: Its not needed Mr. Mohd, the company’s residence is at a walking distance, and yeah, I did have my dinner..not hungry..
Jalal (nodded): Anyway I’ll walk you home..Have got to say something too..
Jo: Is it about our bid??
Jalal gave a soft chuckle, and moved towards the elevator..He signalled Jo, to join in, “Hurry Up”..Jo a little worried followed Jalal immediately to give an ear to what he had to say..
Once, outside the building, Jalal stopped by the subway, and got sandwiches, one for him and other for Jo..
Jalal (forwarding the wrap): Here..
Before Jo could refuse, Jalal insisted again, “Yeah, yeah..I know, you ain’t hungry..will you please munch it in, I would hate to eat alone, while you keep oggling me”..
Jo took the wrap, “I ordered the dinner for you…You haven’t dined, Have you??”..Jalal looked back at Jo, while taking a big mouthful off his sandwich..
Jalal: I’ll eat it later..Didn’t get time..
Jo: Aren’t you going home..??
Jalal nodded in a NO..”I have got something to wrap up..Wanted some fresh air..So, thanks for the walk”..
Jo: I can help with the stuff..if you want me to..
Jalal: Noway..Go home and get some rest..Don’t you ever sleep woman?
Jo looked accusingly back at Jalal, and muttered inaudibly underneath her breath, “Look who is talking, like you sleep so well??”
Jalal: Hmm?? What did you say..??
Jo: Nothing..
Jo looked at Jalal, who was busy munching... perhaps it was something in the air, frangrance in the breeze, or moonlit night, she couldn’t revert her gaze..Her heart ached with part longing and part regret..”You grew up to be so nice and warm, didn’t allow the pain, sour your heart, must have been so hard. But you did so well Jalal..and I’m so sorry, to have made you endure all that”..
Jalal looked sideways to find Jo gazing at him without a blink..
Jalal: You’re staring..Am I that irresistable??
The trance was broken, and Jo pulled herself up, trying to look impassive and unaffected. The residential area was so close by, that Jalal-Jo were already there..Jalal being done with his eating kept staring at Jo, who in order to get hold of her nervousness (having been caught staring) was struggling to gobble up her sandwich..
Jalal: You should slow down..No one is after your wrap..
Jo wiped the ends of her lips and after a quick swallow of the bite, asked Jalal..
Jo: What is it that you wanted to say??..
Jalal (sighed): Yeah! I just wanted to clear the air about earlier..
Jo: Hmm?
Jalal: Ah!! about Ruks.. She is a close…
Before Jalal could finish, Jo turned stern, she interrupted, and the air suddenly went cold..
Jo (insistent): Don’t??? Please don’t make things awkward..I don’t want to have this conversation..
Jalal: Why??
Jo: I don’t see any reason why you should be explaining that to me.. I’m just a professional aide to you, Mr. Mohd. What concerns would I’ve with who is who..in your personal space..??
Like someone, splashed a bucket of cold icy water on him, Jalal felt smashed on the ground of reality..
Jalal (felt uneasy yet managed a smirk): I see..So, I must have looked like a pathetic jerk to you, while I was intruding your personal space, trying to interrogate you about your friend, Mr. Singhaniya??
Jo softened, “I didn’t mean it, that way….”
Jalal: Well! I do know Ms. Shekhwat what you mean..But I felt it was my moral obligation to tell, who is Ruks, to the woman who meant the world to me..So just tell me aren’t you even a little curious..??
Jo (snapped): That’s what I’m trying to tell you..I'm not curious at all...It has been more than a decade..Why would you keep pestering yourself with hurtful memories for this long..Why would you stay hung up without hope..
Jalal (smiled): Who said without hope??I did hope for the best, and you wouldn’t believe, it turned out even better than that..
Jo (lost her cool): You’re so naive Mr. Mohd, if you don’t believe that people change..Or you’re just being ignorant??..I’m a completely different person now..I accept that I did come back, but not for you..I told you..that I felt haunted because you kept hovering my mind..so, if there is just one thing that I’m here for, is to put an end to this haunt..We had an abrupt ending, ten years back, I’ll make sure that this time, we get to have a “fair” closure to this chapter of our lives..
Jalal (gave a polite smile): You’re being too hard on yourself..I’m just not sure, whether you’re trying to convince me or yourself, with this crap you’ re uttering..And by the way, I’m a coauthor in this story of ours..Whether it is up for conclusion, or there is still more left to it..I’ve an equal say in it Ms. Shekhawat..Afterall you want a “fair-play”..Don’t you??
Jo (welled up): Yes! Not just fair, I want it to be very very happy for you..After all this hurt and pain for so long, what you deserve is all the happiness of the world, and believe me, when I say, I CANT EVEN ASSURE YOU AN OUNCE OF IT..So please, all I ask you to do, is to invest your time, your feelings for someone who can revert them back..DO YOU HEAR ME..
Jalal smiled and stepped up close to Jo, patting her cheek dry from the back of his hand to wipe off the single drop of tear that had rolled off her eyes ..He then lifted her chin up..
Jalal: For someone who has no concerns with my personal space, You sure are talking in a very authoritative tone..bossing me over where to invest my time and feelings into..Not that I’m complaining..I recall being use to it..Reminds me of your younger self..
Jalal then turned Jo to her residence, giving her a mild nudge, “Stop stressing, and get going, have some rest..I will see you tomorrow..”
Jo looked back at Jalal, defeatedly, “Just leave, please”..
Jalal (insisted again): I’ll leave, once you get in..Go on..
Jo turned and entered the building, giving a final look back at Jalal..who waved at her, and turned to leave..Jo kept looking at his retreating figure from the window of her place..”What a fool..He should hate the girl, who left him broken so long back..and here is he, being so affectionate and warm..For God sake, please please don’t bond again, Jalal..It would feel like dying, if I ever had to see you crumbling for me, yet again”..Jo did go to bed but sleep denied to creep in her eyes..It was going to be another long sleepless night..Jo sighed, allowing the exhaustion to take over, while staring at the shining stars, awaiting for them to fade away at the break of dawn..
(Next morning)
Not been able to sleep, Jo reached COSMOS early, the following day..She prepared Jalal’s mint tea, and being curious, if at all he pulled an allnighter, she moved up the staircase towards his office..Entering the office, she couldn’t see Jalal anywhere around his desk. Papers were pilled up, and handwritten notes were stuck, everywhere on the proposal sheets, which were probably Jalal’s reviews that had to be included in before the final draft..It would have been an understatement that Jo was literally awestruck..Giving a few glances at all the notes, Jo could tell that he had almost covered everything pending..She kept the tea on the desk, and looked around towards the couch in the far corner of his office..There he was lying, in an uncomfortable position, as if trying in a vain attempt to accommodate his long legs within the perimeter of the couch..perhaps in deep slumber..
Jo moved towards him and called softly, “Mr. Mohd??”..Jalal didn’t listen. Jo gave a soft nudge at his shoulder, and called again..This time he moved..But seeing him turning and given the narrow edges of the couch, Jo instinctively moved as to hold his face and shoulder, to avoid the anticipated fall..Sensing a physical touch, Jalal became consciously awake, and in an innate reflex to get up, turned abruptly..Jo not being able to carry his weight, failed to prevent the fall…and in the matter of just a breath, Jo fell flat on the ground, underneath Jalal, who had rolled off the couch right on top of her..Wide awake and eyes open, Jalal’s heart almost stopped seeing Jo beneath him..It took just a couple of seconds for Jo to get out of her shock, and she fidgeted her fist hard on Jalal’s chest to push him off..While Jalal still being in a state of utmost dismay, didn’t move an inch..when out of blue Jo’s right fist made a strong impact with jalal’s nose, and he squeaked, “Ahh!! aaa…”. Before, he could compose back, Jo’s elbow made another impact with his chin, and Jalal yelled again, “ Shit! That hurt…God! Stop fidgeting woman”…But Jo was frantically banging as to get him off her..In an attempt to stop her from hitting, Jalal caught hold of her wrists and planted it forcefully on ground..Breathless Jo looked nervously at Jalal..
Jalal (still on top of Jo, while looking at his wallclock): Its 6:00 am in the morning..What the hell are you here for??
Jo (breathless from all the fighting replied absent mindedly): I got you tea..You don’t drink coffee, right??
Jalal went speechless...he then chuckled and broke into fits of laughter..He rolled off Jo, lying next to her, laughing hysterically..while Jo still breathless, looked at him frantically..
Jalal (trying to compose his laughter): Ahh..ha hah..God that was cute..You sure are gonna be the death of me, Jo..
Hearing him call her “Jo”..Jo smiled mindlessly, and gazed at him..He was still laughing, his curly flocks completely dishevelled from sleep, wearing his white shirt that has half tucked in..the flashes of him, as a teen boy laughing unhinged racked Jo’s memory..Not able to revert her gaze from the precious sight, Jo kept looking at him without a blink, drinking the tinkling sound of his laughter..Jalal composed himself seeing Jo completely lost in thoughts and snapped his finger in a thimble to break Jo’s reverie..
Jalal: You’re staring..Not that I’m complaining..But if you’re having any racy thoughts, just so you know, I can gladly comply with..
Jo: Eww..Do I look like a pervert to you??
Jalal: Ah! That would be such a value addition to “Asso. To CEO” designation..
Jalal smiled brightly again, and Jo scrunched her eyebrows at the spicy remark..She hurriedly got up, and started collecting the files with handwritten notes, while Jalal got up and picked up his tea..
Jo: You reviewed all the folders for the proposal. That would save us so much time..Its pretty impressive..
Jalal (faking disappointment): Did you realize it, like now, seeing me that upclose??
Jo (sighing defeatedly): Will you pls cut me some slack..I came in early, because I was curious… if you worked all night..??Pls stop picking, I’m already embarassed..
Jalal (chuckled again): Okay..I’ll get going..You Abdul and Mirza have ample time now, to wrap up the final reviews of the project..Pass along the files .I’ll see you all later..Going home, should be back in couple of hours..
Jalal picked his jacket, and turned to leave, while Jo started gathering the required documents..When suddenly Jalal spoke again..
Jalal: Oh I’ve an appointment at 12:00 noon today..You told me yesterday..Who is it with exactly..
Jo looked nervously at jalal, it was the lunch hour with Ruks..Since Jalal was still unaware of it, Jo was quite convinced that Ruks hadnt informed Jalal yet..Jo looked at Jalal, a bit scared, totally confused..it now seemed like such an awful idea to have indulged with Ruks affairs in the first place..and more so keeping that a secret from Jalal..Sensing Jo in delimma, Jalal spoke again in a polite tone, “Nevermind! I should be back by 10’..let me know then..” Jalal left for his home, while Jo kept looking at his retreating figure..For some reason, she wasn’t having a good vibe, about the day..She sighed, “Oh God! Did I make a mistake…Now that I’m thinking about it, he sure wouldn’t be happy once I tell him, that I fixed him a date with..ahhh….Would he be mad…What do I do now”..
Edited by sm1308 - 3 years ago
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