Treacherous Souls

I. "You are going to marry him, okay?"

Manasvi Shankar

"Maa, I told you I do not want to lead the gang." I argued while walking around the hospital corridors with my lab coat hung around my arm.

"But why? It's such a good profession. It gives us easy money." My mother's voice rang in my ear, rendering me speechless.

I couldn't believe this was my mother who was saying this.

"You want me to be happy at the cost of other people's lives? I have helped in saving multiple lives, Mumma. How can you expect me to kill someone?"

"I don't care, Manasvi. You are my only heir and-"

"Dr. Manasvi! You are needed in the laboratory. It's an emergency." A nurse's voice made me look up, and this was enough for me to ignore my mother's words.

"Maa, I have to go. I am sorry. I will talk to you later." I hung up before she could yell at me.

Well, I was not actually a doctor. I had completed Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry, and had taken up the job of a chemical engineer at this prestigious firm a year ago.

At the tender age of 27, I was proud to declare that I was pretty good at what I was doing and I did not want to change my profession. If I took up the leadership of the gang, I would have to leave my office and my degree would go in vain. So, I had been trying to convince my mother not to give up her position as the leader.

"Alright! Thank you, Lindsay." I smiled and walked in the direction of the laboratory which consisted of almost hundreds of researchers and engineers.

"Mahika, what is the progress?" I asked my student, who was an aspiring chemical engineer and considered me her idol.

"The tests are failing, ma'am. We have tried everything possible to make this device efficient, but nothing is working." She said.

We were currently working on a device which would help in the safe delivery of children, reducing the number of deaths of mothers and children.

If this worked out, then our office would come under the Top 10 Chemical Firms.

"It's okay. Try again. Check the process again. And, can you please get me a coffee? I am pulling an all-nighter."

"But, ma'am, you just came back from Italy. I don't think it's a good-" I had gone to Italy for an important conference and landed here just now.

If my mumma got to know that I came to my office just after I landed back in India, she is going to kill me.

"Don't worry. I will be just fine."

"Okay. You want anything else?" She asked me and left after I shook my head.

Even though I wasn't a doctor, I knew how these people feel when they have to stay awake for days on end to save people's lives. I once had to work for 48 hours without any sleep and they were the most hellish days ever. My seniors were just cruel and loved to torture me.

"Well, well, if it isn't our favourite Manasvi Shankar." I knew this voice all too well.

Like every other office story, I had a rival too, but just with a small plot twist. My rival, Ashwika Sethi, was not dumb. She was actually very smart and beautiful. A perfect definition of beauty with brains.

Ashwika was my senior in terms of employment, but we were in the same position and maybe that was why she loathed my presence.

You see, I got a promotion much earlier than anyone in this industry.