BEGINNING FROM THE SCRATCH

What on earth was that??? i wonder such a crazy guy. Such attitude, what the hell is that stupid i am done with the conversation. I wonder and head back home i am still not able to find a PG or an apartment to rent, i have to do something about this very soon.
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What did i do? i rack my brain, how could i speak to her like that? i must keep my anger fits in check, though i never had such a problem until the unfortunate moment i got the letter. THE LETTER! relax Raghav i tell my self. Is this the woman mom loved and cherished so much? how can she be the saviour and at the same time be a reason for the destruction of mum's life. What was that dad said about me owing my life to her? this is so confusing.. I have to find out more and stay away from the manner less girl, could she be the.. no she CAN NOT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. I slap my self for being so bothered about this girl i close the balcony doors and enter the warm drawing room and try to fall asleep at least on the couch.

I wake up to a pleasant cool morning, no rain but the weather is good, i go to the balcony and slide the doors which disturbs the melodious chirping sparrows and cawing of crows well at present these are the only birds one can spot easily in Bangalore, i look at my watch its 7 am i decide to take a shower and head to office.

I enter Mrs Madhurya Deshpande's cabin as i still haven't found out where my cabin would be, i did not give the manner less girl a chance to tell me about these things the previous day, i could ask Mr Kulkarni, yes that would be great. But as soon as i enter the cabin something stabs me what is it? her eyes oh!! her eyes and that smile, i literally shake my head to stop these thoughts and the door flings open.

"oh Raghav, what are you doing here? and you are quite early, it is just 8 you can come at 9."

"No, it is absolutely fine Mr Kulkarni, i didn't know where my cabin would be so i came into miss Deshpande's cabin."

" I wish she would accept this as her cabin... but she is quite an adamant child. She is in the reporter's block, you can meet her there, have a nice day Raghav."

"Thank you Mr Kulkarni."

NEW LEAF

Of course she was her mother, Madhurya Deshpande, the great business tycoon, the woman who wrecked my mother's life. I had to control my emotions well at least  my face would not reveal.. i was always able to mask my emotions, not that i needed to but it was definitely  of great help that my facial expressions didn't give me away. Sally used to tease me about this saying " oh ra gah v you have a stone face." after this she would nuzzle into my shoulder and give me a peck on my cheek.

Gosh! i missed her, she and i were together for almost 10 years now. ours was a easy relationship, we hardly fought. It was perfect in its own way but lacked spark and passion but probably it was best for us and i don't think i could handle other types of relation. I realized i was in India and had broken up with Sally. Well i could not ask her to wait for me, she deserved better than some one who is so unsure and burning in anguish.

i felt a gaze on me, it was the manner less girl glancing at me, i glanced at her meekly she smiled at me wryly. Whoa! such a peculiar girl with such breath taking smile. I sighed i should not be thinking about her smile instead concentrate on my work here.

"it is okay i am jobless any way you take your own time to tell me about yourself."

 and that smile again! was that sarcasm? and her smile ! concentrate Raghav

(the door opens)

"hello Amulya, and you must be Raghav."

a gentle voice i turn around to find a slim, kind faced man in a suit smiling warmly. This must be the man i talked to.

coming forward he extends his hand and says " I am Anupam Kulkarni the Gm of this company u spoke to me that day. How was your journey?"

finally a sane and well behaved person " nice to meet you, journey was okay thank you for asking."

"No issues please have a seat." turns to her

"Amulya have you given him the appointment letter?"
 
she scowls at me with those un avoidable penetrating eyes. And says "but uncle, sorry Mr Kulkarni he is here for an interview and we have not finished it yet."

"Oh no Amulya! i checked all his qualifications he sent me via email, he is quite a treasure we have found. He has made his father's business twice of what it was."

"Father's business??" he gets a call and he goes out. Her razor sharp glance on me again. No one has ever looked at me like this! so uncomfortable and i hate feeling this way!

She snaps " why have you come here? why didn't you stay with your father's company?

"You gave the answer yourself, it is my father's not mine." her glance softened but why?

"okay, but how can i trust you to handle such a responsible post? do you have Indian citizenship? and why did you come all the way here? why didn't you  stay there and work some where else."

i sigh! " look, yes i have Indian citizenship. You may not understand it but past few days have put me into an emotional turmoil, i do not wish to speak about it, it is personal.. But i could not, i can not stay there any more i wanted a fresh start far away so i decided to come to India of which i have heard so much from my parents, my mother actually so weather you hire me or not i am staying in India. I am not going to explain further i am done with this conversation."

What the hell had i done?? this isn't the way one attends an interview! what if she does not hire me? stupid me i gave myself away to emotions, it has never happened i need this job for my plan! i hope she does not bite the bait i rambled in anger.

She looks at me with a deep gaze and says 'Welcome to the family Mr Raghav Kashyap."

"Excuse me!"

"my mother would have told this." she says and her eyes casting a forlorn look oh this girl's eyes are so expressive...

"Thank you." i say and turn to leave

her voice beckons me to stop

" Are you close to you mom?"

what? i feel a choke welling up i had to stay away from this girl and wanted to tell that it was none of her business to ask but i just answer surprising my self  "I was, she is no more.. but i still feel close to her."

I can't believe i could speak about mom to a stranger, boy this girl is pure trouble, thinking this i start to leave again , but madame FBI is not finished.

"And your father?"

anger flushes deep into me

i snarl at her " I hate him, i wish he was dead. i am done here stop your stupid questionnaire it is none of your business."    

WET AND GLOOMY

I had called my boss and told him that i was not going back to London and was very sorry to not resign in person, well he snorted but he let me go in a perfect civil manner of an English. It has been a week that i set out to search for a MBA candidate who could fit into the shoes of CEO Amulya Communications. But had no luck so far, i turn to the window and listen to the pattering of rain. It has been raining heavily for quite some days now, the weather dull and gloomy. I turn back to my camera and start cleaning its lens...

A knock,

"come in"

a tapping sound of leather shoes on the wooden floor.

i ask "are you wet?"

"excuse me!"
 a sweet baritone, i realize my question had other inappropriate connotations. A giggle escapes my mouth

"I am sorry, i meant are you wet from the rain? because Ranga amma won't like it."

"Ranga amma?? "

"the janitor."

" Well not much but how do you know i came from outside?"
different accent, kind of  from Ireland

"no one who is from the office knocks this door."

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what?? such a peculiar girl, and so manner less she didn't even look at me once while talking  so much for Indian hospitality. The stupid receptionist didn't respond properly, all i said was ( excuse me i am here to apply for the CEO's post and she showed me the direction to this chamber without a word )

such a strange place whom am i supposed to meet? god!! and this strange manner less girl who is more interested in a camera than a person waiting in front her.

"Are you still standing?"

obviously i am not as manner less as her to sit down without being asked to, i sigh!

"sit down, and tell me about your self."

what the hell, who the hell is she? sitting on a bean bag cleaning camera lens ...

" I am sorry i thought  reporters and photographers were in the other wing and this wing was for administration." I say irritated,

"Yes, you are right. But this question was not an answer for my question."

such a curt reply,who could this peculiar, manner less and cocky girl be??

"Ma'am i am here to meet some one who is in charge of interview for the CEO post."

"Phew! yes, i know and call me Amulya."

what?? she is Amulya Deshpande, the sole inheritor of this empire???? is this some kind of a joke? i look at her more intently. Average looking. short, clumsy in her posture seated rather sprawled across the Bean bag, hair tied in a lose bun or just clutched with a clutch lose strands of unruly hair across her face, peering at the camera. This girl with no essence of grace, poise and manners owned this empire i let out a sigh!!

"If you are done checking me out and speculating about me can we get to the point?""

oops!!! i didn't think she noticed, she was cleaning that stupid camera the whole time, she was still changing it in different positions and peering at it admiringly! what was she trying to do any way? i knew i had to say some thing so i say..

"Miss Deshpande i am Raghav Kashyap...." she cuts my words she is so damn manner less

"okay Mr kashyap, don't call me anything other than Amulya and please get to the point faster."

she says still looking at the camera trying to do something and flash.

"oh i am sorry i didn't mean to .."

" it is okay" i say curtly now looking at her face which is hid behind the stupid camera and flash again.

" I am really sorry, i...." she trails of looking into the screen of the camera.

she looks at me for the first time, her eyes on  me scanning me her brown with black outlined eye balls fixed on me in a peculiar way. I have never been looked at this way, she gets up awkwardly and seats herself on the table directly in front of me.

"Where did you study?" she takes my file and looks at it and before i say a word she snaps and snorts

"MBA from Harvard, graduation from Yale "

Her reaction amuses me, and a smile escapes my lips, surprising me. She looks at me at that instant and her brows furrow. Is she confused? but why? and that look in her eyes!

"This is crazy", she tosses the file and hands me a photo frame.

i look at it puzzled, a picture of a woman sprawled on the floor with a magazine in front of her, her head tilted  to one side as if she is looking at the person taking this picture accusingly yet with immense love. But why did she give this picture to me? i look at it again i see a pair of green eyes looking at me. oh wait! my eyes? i dismiss the thought and look at her soft but well sculpted face her sly smile and it strikes again her dimple, my dimple! i shake my head and give the photo back to her.

"Crazy right?"

"No, thousands of people have green eyes and get a dimple."

"yes." she looks at the photo again.

"Who is she?"

"She was my mother."