Legally yours
Chapter 3
Please ignore my typos and grammatical errors. NO PROOF READING.
Happy reading….hope you like it.
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Radhika looked straight ahead, she was about to speak. She realised Arjun walking towards them. She looked at him and then at neil. She was about to tell neil all the crap Arjun was handing over to her since the morning. But changed her mind suddenly.
She pretended to be confused, “what bashing?”
Neil laughed, “as if you don’t know…..I am really sure that Arjun must be giving you a really tough time. I practically got him an associate against his wishes. Trust me, I know, he’ll do everything to make you run away.”
Radhika smiled a little, bull’s eye! But she didn’t tell him. She just smiled, “neil, I guess you are mistaken. Arjun sir was all cordial and helpful to me since the morning. No tough times, no making me run away…nothing like that.”
Neil looked at her all amazed.
“maybe, he turned a new leaf.” He muttered to himself.
Arjun, who had heard all the conversation looked at Radhika. And once, he had locked his gaze with hers, he blinked his eyes slowly. As if thanking her through his eyes. He knew, neil would have taken his class thoroughly had Radhika blabbered. More than that, he would became upset. Arjun feared this more, he didn’t want to disappoint his best friend. And Radhika, a new associate, the one he had troubled since the morning, the one he had no connection or coordination with, had saved him. He kind of started to respect her a bit somewhere deep in his heart.
Radhika smiled at Arjun’s thank you. Sam, who was walk behind her witnessed all this. She was surprised at Radhika, she could have easily told neil and her life would have become much easier but she didn’t…..sam couldn’t be more proud of her newly made friend.
Sam unknowingly smiled thinking about the future. Radhika was walking a very dangerous path. She was trying to tame the unruly tiger, Arjun. In whose world, she wasn’t any bigger than a rabbit. Would the tiger eat the rabbit? She shrugged at the thought…..but somewhere, deep down she knew that the tiger, Arjun wasn’t a completely bad man. She paused…wait what?! If we all are jungle animals…then what would neil be? Ohh, he was surely the idiotic donkey. She had been passing him hints all these days but he never understood. How hard is it for a guy to understand that a girl is interested in him? Such a big idiot!
She herself would be the cute dove….she smiled bright thinking about this.
Neil was kind of felt a different warmth and affection in Radhika’s smile. He fought the urge to hug her tight each time he saw her big brown orbs. This girl, she reminded him of someone…..someone, he was yet to place.
One thing was pretty clear to all three of them, which was that the new associate, Radhika was an beautiful and honest. A wallflower that needed to protected, well, for different reasons by each three of them.
Post lunch, after about an hour.
Radhika knocked on Arjun’s cabin door.
“come in, Radhika.” He commanded.
Radhika was surprised. She examined the door a little, it was completely solid wood…no holes…no glass…no nothing….nada. Then how the hell could her boss possibly know that it was her.
She walked in all curious. Arjun looked up as she entered. She seemed to fiddle a little with her watch, it was clearly written on her face that she wanted to ask something but was hesitant.
Arjun smiled, it was so easy to read this girl….one look in her deep set crystal eyes and you’ll have all the answers you want.
Neil, who happened to pass by at this point…caught a glimpse of Arjun smiling through the half opened door.
So she does manage him….taming the idiot.
“Not bad, Radhika.” He muttered to himself as he walked on.
Arjun smiled at her but looked down at the file he was reading. He asked without turning his gaze towards her, “what is it, Radhika?”
Radhika hesitant, but decided to get it off her chest, “sir, actually, I have a question…if you don’t mind.”
Arjun kind of saw this coming, “I myself have one. But you go first and before that please have a seat.”
Radhika nodded as she sat down in one of the plush leather chairs directly opposite to Arjun. She kept her hands at the table, her fingers interlinked. She asked, “sir, how did you know that it was me? I mean, I didn’t call out or something. I just knocked.”
Arjun bit his lower lip, it was kind of involuntary….he didn’t even realise that he took her name until this instant, when she pointed it out. This was pretty strange. What the hell was happening to him?
He covered it up, “plain guesswork. Who else could it be? Most of the regular staff aren’t allowed in my cabin, they usually go to sam or neil with their issues. Sam and neil, despite my pointing out about a hundred times, never bother to knock. They just barge in. Plus, it’s after lunch and we had to discuss the report you filed about victor textiles, so who else could it be but you. That’s why.”
Arjun took a deep breath, feeling proud of himself. Not bad! He was pretty good.
Radhika mentally facepalmed herself, cursing her stupid brain for over thinking. She reminded her self that in the legal world everything around you is governed by logic and reason and not by emotions and feelings.
She gave a embarrassed smile, “off course sir. You had a question as well?”
Arjun looked up at her. His gaze interlinked with hers. He slammed shut the file, he was reading and place it aside. He leaned a little, placing both his elbows on the table. His eyes locked deep with hers.
He spoke in a gentle voice, “why didn’t you sell me out to neil, when you had the chance to?”
Radhika pretended not to understand his question to avoid answering it, “what do you mean?”
Arjun smiled understandingly, “I mean, I am clearly giving you a hard time. Giving pointless cases and assigns to chase, shouting on you for no possible reason. Why didn’t you tell neil when he was asking? I mean, it would have definitely made your life easier.”
Radhika looked down, breaking their eye lock. She kept quiet.
Arjun stressed a little, “radhikaaa.”
Radhika looked up and matched his gaze again. Arjun could feel her big brown orbs to be warmer than before.
She smiled a little, “sir, I may have been here just for about half a day. But I could clearly see, that out of all the people, neil was somebody you never wanted to disappoint. That’s the reason I didn’t sell you out. As far as the thing between you and me, about you giving me a hard time goes….i guess, I am strong enough to tackle it myself, without bringing in a third party.”
“thank you.” His voice came out in a bare whisper.
“don’t mention.” She replied, earnestness reflecting in her voice.
Arjun smiled, “radhika, has anyone ever told that you practically cant lie?”
Radhika was a bit confused, “what?”
Arjun leaned in a little further, which made Radhika push back, “one look in your eyes and it automatically answers all the questions.
Your eyes are the mirror to your soul, Radhika.”
Saying so, Arjun pushed back.
Radhika didn’t reply, she was taking her own sweet time to register his words. What was he? How can anyone, possibly be expected to understand him? Half the day, he is a typical boss…yelling around. And the other half, he suddenly decides to be her friend. How was she to deal with such a man, who practically wasn’t clear about what kind of equation he wanted with his employee? And all this on her very first day….not just at legal ease, but on the very first day of her first job.
He spoke again on not finding a reply, “and don’t call me sir.”
Radhika gave a sudden smirk. If he was playing around, confusing her. She wasn’t any less….she too wouldn’t leave any opportunity to tease him.
“arjun sir, I don’t think we have reached that kind of an equation. I will, the second I start feeling comfortable around you.” She spoke in a sugary voice.
He was taken a back, he never expected this sort of an reply from her, “ohh, so you aren’t comfortable around me?”
“what do you think?” she counter questioned.
This was the one girl, who had been able to surprised him not just once, but two times a row. A feat that wasn’t achieved by anyone else before. She was different.It was almost as if she came with a tagline to expect the unexpected. He was thoroughly impressed. He wasn’t feeling that it was her first day at the job anymore…she knew her work like the back of her hand, was quick and witty in her replies. What more could you expect out of a employee…
What was he feeling? This wasn’t correct. This was the very associate he wanted to fire. Somebody, he hated even before meeting her. He couldn’t walk back now. No. No, he could not. It was almost as if a battle was being fought inside him.
Arjun looked down. He desperately drained all the emotions from his face. He spoke in a voice, heavily laced with professionalism, “so shall we discuss the victor textiles contract file?”
Radhika nodded and for the next couple of hours. They engaged in a sheer professional discussion. True, Arjun did steal a few glances at her a couple of times, just to satisfy his soul. But that didn’t amount to anything…right?
Sam entered neil cabin. Sam smiled. Neil had hung his blazer behind his chair and had his tie lossened up. His feet up on the table. He was so engrossed in the case file, he was going through that he failed to notice her presence. She walked up to his table and sat besides his feet. She picked his feet and started massaging them gently. Neil looked up, realising her presence. He passed her a embarrassed smile, “sorry sammy….didnt realise your coming in.”
Sam smiled in response. Neil started to pull his feet off her lap, “no…no…you don’t have to do this…I am fine…really.”
Sam passed him an i-know-dude-shut-up look, “why the hell are people being so formal these days? Neil, I know you aren’t okay. You are not comfortable. I know for a fact, that spending about all of your day with a three piece tightly wrapped around your body and your feet fixed in those black shiny shoes isn’t good for your health. And if you weren’t uncomfortable, you would have never have removed your shoes and pulled your legs up the table. So just chill, and give them to me.”
Neil mouthed a thank you and passed her animated air kisses, making her laugh, before pulling his feet in her lap again.
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Guys, since I didn’t want to extend this story for long…so i have started focusing more on the characters than the legal issues as you said. Plus, focusing more on the technicality would just dull down the story. So please just let me know.
I know, I haven’t commented on the some updates…..but trust me I have been reading them all…..actually, its just some issues with my net. Hopefully, will be sorted out by tomorrow or day after.
Silent readers please give your reviews.