Yrkkh 4- Ek Anokhi Milan

The Birla Scandal

Sanjay paced back and fourth in his room furiously, "Wo saala kuch zyada hi uss incident ko use kar rahe hai mujhe jhukaane ki liye...aur main jhuk bhi jaata hoon," he rolled his eyes. Then his mind began to wonder, "Pata nahi kyun Papa ne wo lawyer ko choose kiya tha...kya tha uska naam," he thought for a second as he made himself comfortable on his bed, "A thi start hua tha kuch..."

"Sanjay" His father's deep baritone voice called from the entrance to his room.

Sanjay immediately got out of his bed and stood up, "ji dad"

Mr Malhotra looked around is sons room observing all the posters of various different cars, from Grizz to the Lotus R8 to the Hawk Hayai, he had pictures of the best race cars to ever exist. 

"Lagta hai aapka yeh khel ka shok pura nahi hua" He spoke.

"uh...wo sirf aise hi...acha lagta tha to laga liye" Sanjay responded.

Deepak sir chuckled, "Sure, mujhe bhi bahut saare log mile hai jisko driving acha lagta hai," he smirked, "ek aap ko school ko le jaata hai, dusra hume aapne office aur business meetings mein le jaate hai- chaihye humko din par jaana ho ya raat" Deepak sir taunted, "Aur bahut bhi saare hai jo humare business friends ko yahan wahan ghumate rehte hai" he walked closer to his son as he placed his hands in his pockets, "humko nahi chaihye ki aap bhi iss list mein aaye"

Sanjay nodded as a wave of shame gushed over his face.

Deepak sir lefted Sanjay's hand up all of a sudden, "yeh Yama Graha ring," he looked to Sanjay, "kahan chal gaya?"

"uh" Sanjay cleared his weakened voice, "shayad nikal gayi hogi accidently"

With an eyebrow raised, Deepak sir shook his head, "Aap kuch chupa rahe ho Sanjay"

Sanjay gulped, "no"

He couldn't let his father know that he had fought with Abhir. It was like their was an invisible protection field around Abhir, no one can touch him, hurt him or even so much as look at him in a bad way. When it can to Abhir, his father would always act so weird and protective over him, partly the reason why Sanjay despised that boy so much. Last time, his father's servant had caught him talking behind Abhir's back and told his father about it, his father ended up publicly humiliating Sanjay in front of his colleges about how dumb he was and Sanjay couldn't even say anything. It was like however much you hurt Abhir, his father will hurt you ten times harder. Sanjay had yet to know the reason why.

Deepak's face ever so subtly changed as he watched his son lie to his face, but he didn't speak a word. He looked to a poster of the Furious Lighter, it was the car that had sown the seeds of passion for racing within Sanjay.

"I want these posters down by tomorrow, start focusing on your studies now. I don't want a back bencher running my company" he said and walked off.

Sanjay impatiently waited until he couldn't hear his fathers footsteps tapping on the wooden hallways floor until he slammed his door shut. His heart beat faster and faster along with his breath, "yeh sab Abhir ki galti hai" he mumbled to himself. He looked to his left hands index finger, "aur wo hi mujhe mera Yama Graha ring dega. Lekin kaise? Jab bhi main kuch karne jata hoon, wo aapne family aur meri papa wali incident ko saamne laata hai," Sanjay walked to picture of the Furious Lighter and looked to it, "shayad yeh bad idea nahi" Sanjay uttered as an idea popped into his mind.

Sanjay ran out his room, down the stairs and outside onto the front driveway of his home where his dad was just about to get into his car, "dad!" he called out.

Deepak sir turned and caught sight of Sanjay, "jaldi bolo, kya?" he hastily said and looked to his watch.

Sanjay jogged over to his dad, "Abhir ki maa ka naam kya tha?" He panted out.

His dad slowly lowered his hands down and tilted his head towards his son. He watched Sanjay catch his breath in silence.

When Sanjay's heart finally began to beat steadily, he looked up to his father, "You know, the lawyer jisne humne use kiya tha wo Birla Scandal ki liye?" He quickly caught sight of the subtle scowl set on his fathers face. His father was silently questioning his audacity to ask such a question, but this time Sanjay wasn't explaining his behaviour, it was his fathers turn to answer.

"Yeh tum kyun pooch rahe ho?"

"Hum yeh pooch rahe hai kyunki...assignment hai. Ek Case study pe likhna hai, soch raha hoon Birla scandal pe karu. Toh, uss lawyer ka naam kya tha?"

Deepak sir nodded in thought, an unexpected smile came across his once unsettled face as he patted a confused Sanjay's shoulders, "Akshara...uska naam Akshara tha" he answered, his eyes stared at Sanjay with a gaze as chilling as the cold of the night, "yeh naam tu likh kar humesha yaad rakhna, bahut madad kiya hai usne humara"