SwaSan FanFic (TOL)

CHAPTER 11

As soon as Swara reached office, she noticed that there was an unusual buzz of movement. People were hurrying to and fro with files and papers. She reached her table and asked her friend about the unusual tension in the air.
'What is the matter today? Everybody seems tense.
'Big Boss is coming so all our bosses are on their toes. 'She replied
'Didn't he come yesterday? I thought he was coming yesterday.'
'He did come yesterday but this morning, his office informed us that he was visiting today also.This has never happened before.He only visits the office once or twice a month.'
'Oh... Does it mean good or bad news?' Swara asked
The girl shrugged her shoulders and continued with her work.

Just before lunch, Ashutosh called Swara to his room
'Swara, go to big boss office and meet him. All interns met him yesterday.' He commanded
'Now Sir?'
'Yes now. Your papers are with him. You have to sign in front of him' He explained
'Sir, who is the big boss?' She asked hesitantly
'SM' Ashutosh answered her distractedly and continued with his work.

Swara did not know where the office was, so she asked her friend and went to the top floor to meet the man himself. All the way up, she kept pondering who SM was...She also knew SM was the big boss but who was he? That is what she asked Ashutosh but as usual he was vague. When she reached the floor, his assistant asked her to wait till he finished his important call. Swara waited for almost an hour.Then the lady asked her to go in.

She tentatively knocked on the door and went in.A tall broad shouldered man was standing at the window with his back. Swara slowly reached the table and wished him

'Good Afternoon Sir..'

He slowly turned around and came towards the table. Since the light was behind him,she could not see his face.But as he neared,Swara could not help the shock she felt. She froze on the spot.......

Annapurna and Sujata welcomed the astrologer home and served him tea and snacks. He took out a small bundle of horoscopes and removed one by one to explain to them about the background of girls and their families. When he came to the last one, he showed it to Sujata and said
'Sujataji ...This is the best of the whole lot. This horoscope suits Sanskar the best. Everything is aligned perfectly here.'
Sujata picked it up and studied it
'Moreover, this girl will protect Sanskar from all hurdles.' He continued to sing praises of the girl.
Annapurna smiled to herself 'Panditji was saying exactly what he was asked to explain by her.' Only thing left now was to convince Sujata about it.

Swara Bose was rooted to the spot....

Oh god! SM meant Sanskar Maheshwari.......Her jaw almost dropped and her eyes widened with comprehension... Hey bhagwan.... What the hell have I got myself into? She asked herself silently..

He took the chair and leaned back,looking at her. Swara noticed that he seemed to enjoy the myriad of expressions flitting across her face.He had not taken his eyes off her since he turned around from the window.There was a smug expression on his face.Did he know about her working here? Hundreds of thoughts wove her around head but his first question threw her off balance.

'Are you following me Swara Bose? First at the airport and then office?' The question jerked her out of the shock and angered her

'Of course I am not! I was there at the airport to do a feature but why am I explaining myself to you?' she asked him

'You have to explain Swara Bose because I am your boss. And every move of yours is answerable to me.' He said with immense pleasure. Only then did the whole impact of the situation hit her. She tensed. Did this mean that she was out of the job?

'What do you mean? Are you sacking me?' She asked him

Sanskar watched her.The girl had guts.Someone else in her place would be guilty of her rudeness at the airport and apologizing.She looked as if she had no intention of such things.

'Should I?' he asked

'Should I what?' she asked. His eyebrows rose

'You tell me whether I should sack you or not.'

'Why should I tell you? You are the boss.' Swara gave an equally fast reply

'Maybe if you apologise' he said

'For what?'

'For what? I can give ten reasons for you to apologise.' He said

'Like?' Swara asked

Sanskar gave a head to toe look. 'You don't even know why you should apologize.How can you expect to work as a journalist without basic manners?' He was getting irritated with her unapologetic attitude

'How can you head a channel without having the basic manners?' Swara asked him getting worked up over his interrogation

He pushed forward in his seat and asked her 'What the hell are you talking about? Let me remind you, I am the boss here.'

All her pent up fury at him erupted

'You did not have the basic courtesy to say sorry after almost hitting me and breaking my luggage.You did not think twice before accusing me of having an affair with your brother behind my sister's back. Why the hell should I apologise?' she almost shouted at him spitting fire from her eyes.

Sanskar stood up slowly and asked softly 'Aren't you?'

'Aren't you what?' Swara asked breathing heavily.

'Are you not having an affair with my brother?' he asked walking slowly around the table

'No... No.... No...I was never interested in him..... And this is the last time I am answering you about this.' She yelled, slowly becoming aware that Sanskar was standing right in front of her, close enough for her to smell his aftershave. She took a step back.

'Ok, I will drop the subject but what about flinging water at me?'

'What about knocking me down and breaking my luggage?' she asked looking up at his eyes. They were not black but dark brown......

'I gave you compensation but you refused to take it.' he said

'Money is not the answer to everything.' She barked out

'I had my reason that day,' he said as if reluctantly apologizing

'Oh Yeah.. I forgot.. You were drunk...Driving while drunk is not legal.' She reminded him stepping back a little. Every time she stepped back, he came forward and loomed over her

Her last sentence rattled him and he caught both her shoulders 'Stop giving me advice and listen to me.' He said

She pulled herself out of his grip and went around him to stand near the table. He glared at her for few minutes and went around the table.

He picked up her contract from the table and thumped it in front of her

'Think before you sign it. Either you quit now or get ready to face hell for next six months. Even if you find the going too tough in between the six months, you cannot leave. If you do, according to the contract,' he pointed out at the document and continued 'you have to pay the company one lakh as compensation. If you are willing to put up with it, you can sign it or leave now.' He said

Swara took the contract and read it. Was it worth the trouble? Should she leave now and search for another internship? She read the instructions. It clearly said that if she left in between, she would have to compensate by paying one lakh. She looked up at Sanskar. He was watching her closely.

'Hightail like a scared rabbit to your mother or stick around and face hell.' He challenged

That made her decision. She took out the pen from the holder and put her signature.She felt like making a deal with the devil himself.

He watched her sign and chuckled

'What are you laughing at?' She asked with a frown

'Nothing. I was wondering if you would be able to survive the next few months.' He told her

Swara knew he was trying to scare her but she did not react. Instead she annoyed him with her saccharine sweet words

'If your interview is over, can I go now Sir?' and smiled at him

He leaned back on his chair and nodded, looking thoughtfully at her.

Only when she left the lion's den, did she heave a sigh of relief. Whew! That was one hell of a meeting.The lady who ushered her in was busy with phone.There were two managers waiting to see him. She hurried back to her floor but was on tenterhook the whole day. As a result of which, her work suffered. She could not concentrate,expecting Sanskar to appear in front of her at any moment.

At lunch, Swara met Nadira and Karan

'Oye Swara, tumhara gas chamber kaisa hai?' Karan asked about her boss Ashutosh. Since the time she told him about the cigarette incident, he has been calling him Gas chamber. They were joined by another intern Suman..
'Hey guys how did you find SM our head? I met him for the first time yesterday.' Karan asked

Swara tensed. She did want to think about the day's fiasco. Mr Sanskar Maheshwari seemed to haunt her everywhere.

'He is so handsome yaar....' Suman could not stop gushing over him.

Swara looked at her irritatingly but did not say anything.

'He seemed very dynamic.' Nadira added her observation

'Hmmm... Swara You didn't meet him yesterday. Did you meet him today?'Karan asked

Swara nodded her head

'And?????' Both Karan and Nadira asked simultaneously

'And what?' she asked them

'Matlab, what is your opinion?' They asked.

She was about to say that he is one of the most irritating people in the world but she did not. After all he was Ragini's dear brother in law. So she just mumbled

'He seemed ok'

'Ok???' Suman echoed 'My friend Geetu could not stop describing about how sexy he was and how beautiful his hands were..'

All of them said loudly 'Hands??????' and burst out laughing....

Sanskar went for a meeting to his family's company. It was situated in Alipore. The administrative cum office building and the warehouse were spread out over four grounds. He reached the office just before the meeting started. Some of the old timers recognized him but there were many new faces.When he reached the oval conference room,all the members and his family were already in their seats. Durga Prasad occupied the head seat and his father and Adarsh took each side. Laksh was sitting next to Sanskar's father and there was a chair vacant beside Adarsh. They asked him to occupy it and he sat facing Laksh who was glowering at him.

The meeting began but Sanskar listened halfheartedly,all the time thinking about Swara working in his office. He was going to make her life hell. And he would take immense pleasure in bringing her to her senses. Maybe,he should take her to a godforsaken place and keep her with him for days. This thought brought a dry smile on his face and his father who was sitting next to Laksh looked at him enquiringly. He brought his mind back to the present.

He could well imagine her reaction. He was getting bored of the Annual report that was being read out and picked up a pen to doodle on the pad.

The meeting came to an end and he was shocked to see Swara's name on the pad he doodled. Shit......! What the hell was wrong with him? He stuck off the name before anyone could see it. And promised himself to not to think about her anymore.

Lying on the bed, Swara looked out of the bed at the waning moon. The gentle breeze wafted the sounds of faraway ships blowing their horns, into the room.The muezzin's call for the last prayer of the day could be heard from a mosque.The baadi was settling down for the night. Swara could smell the mild fragrance of a flowering spice in the garden.The night was so peaceful but Swara was anything but peaceful. What was Sanskar going to do with her during the training period? Her mind went round and round in circles. After convincing herself, that nothing was going to happen, she fell into a disturbed sleep.

Sanskar too was watching the waning moon from his balcony.He could not wait for tomorrow.What would be her reaction? There was a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eyes. Somehow life seemed brighter to him now.........

PRECAP

What is in store for Swara and Sanskar? Will Sanskar's faceless enemies try to harm him again?..................