I. Ek Ajnabi Haseena Se...

There was something different in her.

She dressed sober and looked simple. Her gaze was fixed into emptiness as if she were a doll. Her voice was sweet and the pitch was downscale. Her smile measured and calculated yet beautiful. Aloof from the world, she was still a good friend of all. While the rest of the world around her buzzed and bonked, she, like a monk, stood still and calm. Nothing to hurry, nothing to worry!

Her colleagues loved to socialize and she loved to keep herself away from such gatherings. She only met and spent time with those, whom she considered were approachable and like-minded.

There was something different in her, but what?

Rahul was constantly disturbed by this unusual beauty in a usual show off and otherwise chaotic corporate world. He yearned to spend time with this unusually simple yet magnetic personality, Krishna who otherwise was not easily approachable.

While wishing each other was a routine interaction, there was nothing beyond this that Rahul and Krishna interacted. That Krishna belonged to a department which was feared by almost all in the organization, Rahul kept his desires to himself.

“Don’t want to get fired for no reason!” he said to himself.

A few months later, when there was a meeting of all the departments and he was about to be reviewed for his performance, he got a chance to interact with Krishna once again. She was his reviewing officer and for Rahul, it was a mixed moment- happy, excited yet nervous.

“When have you joined your services, Mr. Rahul?”

“Maybe three months…”

“Maybe?”

Krishna gazed and Rahul froze!

“I mean I joined in the month of May and its three months.”

“Good. Your DSR seems inconsistent with several remarks-why?”

“Errr….Ummm… Ma’am…. Am learning to… I mean am a fresher and …”

“So what if you are a fresher? Three months into the system and you still do not have a clear understanding of how to maintain DSR. Am afraid I will have to report the same to our regional head.”

Rahul was at the edge of his seat by now- nervous and sweating profusely. “Gone with the wind Rahul… Tu To Gaya!” he thought about himself.

“There is a way out though.”

Rahul raised his head as a snake would and with his eyes fixed and ears pricked up, he was ready to listen to what the suggestion was.

“Meet me in the café after this meeting, I will tell you. Now you can go.”

“Ma’am… is that all?”

“No. I forgot. Be seated. I have ordered pizza and then a farewell ceremony after a valedictory speech by me.”

Bewildered, he nodded and retained his seat with a smile.

Krishna stared at him for a second and said, “Mr. Rahul, you are done with your review. Thank you.”

Rahul felt as if he was being made a scapegoat and even though he smiled, he said to himself, “Isne Toh Meri Leli!” and left the room without a second glance at her.

At the door, he could hear her voice and returned to listen to what she said.

“Meet me at the café at 5! Don’t forget.”

“Ok, Ma’am!”

He shot out of sight. ASAP!

“What’s up Rahul? All fine?” asked his colleague Chetan when he saw Rahul rushing in as if he were a meteor.

“Hey… ya! Uh, I mean..Yes. All fine. Heck no. Nahi yaar. Nothing is! Waat Lag Gai Meri Toh. She marked me heavily on my DSR maintenance and said it would be reported to Regional office.”

“Tut oh Gaya beta ab Toh!” Chetan clapped his hands and with eyes wide open, he prophesied of the days to come.

“She asked me to meet her at 5!... she said there is a way out. Ab kya?”

“Be careful bro… HR department ki hai. Don’t get swayed huh!”

Rahul could not believe that his friend could think of this even at this hour and simply closed his fist and introduced his middle finger to him.

“Chal man! Am all stuck up in the mud and you are making fun of it. Will kill ya!”