SOLACE, SERENITY, SOULMATE

Chapter 32: Contrariety

  Vansh sat in his office chair, his entwined hand resting on his forehead as his elbow rested on the table.

    Angre, Smith, Shakib, and Varun, the head of Vansh's IT team were standing in front of him with their heads bowed. 

    "Shame on you people, how could someone come before us and kill that manager. I wanted him alive.", Vansh roared making all three of them shiver. 

    Standing up from the chair, he threw the files on the ground, opened his coat and threw it on the sofa. 

    He continued, staring at Varun, "Crediting that small sum of money on Riddhima's account doesn't make you an expert at your job. It took almost 6 hours for you to find the information about that email id. Do you know what would have happened if Riddhima replied to that email? Varun, that bastard manager morphed her pictures and made them lewd." 

    Varun went on to apologize, "Boss, I'm sorry."

    As Vansh threw a glass paperweight in full force at Varun, he shouted, "Keep your sorry to yourself.". 

    The blood from Varun's forehead was dripping on the ground. 

    Vansh put his hand in his trouser pocket and standing in front of them he asked being rhadamanthine, "How many more hours do you need to find the slayer?" 

    "Boss, 48 hours, I promise we will find him.", Angre replied not being able to meet Vansh's eyes in guilt. 

    In frustration and anger, Vansh roared, "Leave.".

    "Hi! How was your interview?", a candidate asked Riddhima.

    "You were the last one. Right? Is it over?", she asked in reply.

    "Yes. But you didn't answer me.", that candidate chuckle.

    "Oh! I'm sorry. Interview went well, but they found a problem with my application form.", Riddhima replied.

    "That's ok. Everything can be sorted out. So, why not leave together?", the candidate offered.

    "Yeah, let's go.", Riddhima agreed.

    They were now on the campus of the college walking towards the main gate.

    Riddhima broke the silence as both were wondering the college campus, "What's your name?"

    "Oh, I just forgot to introduce myself.", stretching his hand for a handshake, "Vyom. Your name?"

    "Riddhima," she replied, accepting the handshake.

    "Where do you live?", he asked.

    Riddhima became nervous but finally told him the locality of her own house rather than where she lives now.

    The main gate was near and Riddhima desperately tried to find a way away from Vyom so that she could inform Vansh to pick her up as per his instructions.

    She took her phone out of her bag and excused herself. Vyom nodded and moved out of the main gate.

    Riddhima felt relief. She connected her call to Vansh and it got disconnected. She noticed the screen and realized the phone had been switched off.

    Taking a deep breath, she moved out of the main gate turning towards the left she she started walking towards the metro station.

    "Riddhima... Riddhima..."

    She turned back and saw Vyom was calling her.

    "Are you planning to travel by metro?", he asked.