Legally Yours
Chapter 4
Days quickly flew by. Radhika had now been working at legal ease for past six months. She could still be called a new employee in comparison to the other old timers but her efficiency and accuracy easily matched any of them. Her bond with neil and sam was on a totally different level now. The trio was inseparable. Both in office and outside. There were times when the trio would enter late giggling and laughing together, Arjun would move forward to scold Radhika only to be silenced by neil and sam. Moreover, Radhika had shifted in with sam, moving out of her studio apartment. Neil had grown protective of Radhika. Sam and neil often wondered how the fragile looking doll had changed their lives and the company in such a short while. It was true, that Radhika had become a valuable asset to legal ease. She was often appreciate by nesam and some of the other non jealous old timers about her progress and learning ability. Radhika now was competent enough to handle Arjun’s meetings alone in case of his absence. Moreover, some of the major share holders and clients of Legal Ease had begun to personally request for her.
Arjun too had noticed all this. He was satisfied with the associate neil had got him. Moreover he was sort of proud of her as well. But he never spoke any of the things he felt or saw aloud. He felt differently around Radhika. And this feeling made him uncomfortable. It was as if he didn’t want to face but rather bury it deep within his heart, only to never be rediscovered again. He was often the mute spectator to the all the fun the trio had together. And no more how hard he tried to supress it but he couldn’t stop smiling at radhika’s antics even though he looked on from a distance. He tried hard to minimise his conversation and meetings with Radhika. He stopped short of discussing anything else than work with her. This even impacted the relationship he shared with two of his best buddies, neil and sam. The time he spent with them was drastically reduced. Radhika often felt low because of the lack of appreciation she faced from Arjun.
Arjun and Radhika shared a love hate relation. They were happy times, when they chatted like best buddies and even drank coffee together. But they were times when Arjun refrained to wish even a good morning to her. This felt weird to her, which was only natural. What the hell was he, bipolar?
Nesam were quite vocal about her progress and they truly happy about it. They were her pillars of support and cheered her up whenever the lack of appreciation from her boss started eating her up. They even tried talking to Arjun about it but he always avoided the topic.
But the truth was that Arjun had changed. Beneath, his hard, strict emotionless exterior he had become a soft soul.
One day, neil barged in Arjun’s cabin with a file in hand. He was surprised at the sight that awaited him. Arjun, the workaholic was sitting at his chair with his tie lossened, playing with a rubics cube. He was deep engrossed in his thoughts….his mind was involuntarily playing radhika’s memories since the day she joined office. A small cute little smile played on his lips. This was strange. She affected him. Badly. But he didn’t want to acknowledge that. He wondered whether she was a witch who had applied her vodo magic was him. He chuckled. While neil looked with a amused smile.
Neil cleared his throat and just like that Arjun was brought back from his parallel universe. Arjun spoke without giving neil a chance to, he got up moving leisurely around, “neil, yaar we don’t spend anytime together like we used to anymore. Lets hangout, you me and Sammy. Just like old days.”
Neil rolled his eyes at his mood swings.
“we still do. All the time, me, Sammy and chashni. But apparently, you seem to no longer be aware of it. But anyway, you are most welcome to join us anytime you like. But for now, lets focus on all the pending work we have, rather than day dreaming, right?” saying so, neil thrust the file into arjun’s hands. Neil left.
Arjun glanced at the file and sighed, Radhika…chashni… what the hell is happening to me? Why cant I just be the man I used to be, focused my work and having no tolerance for any kind of nonsense. But now….now, I urge for nonsense, just to see the bright smile of yours, the twinkling of your eyes. You are a witch, Radhika.
He himself was bewildered at the wave of change that overcame him. From hating Radhika, forcing her to leave to wanting her to stay. This was weird.
Arjun couldn’t realise that he was in love. Love didn’t exist in his dictionary. He believed what he felt was temporary and tried to resist it. The more he resisted then more this feeling jumped up.
Arjun slapped the back of his head, “time to work Mr. Mehra.”
He sat down on his majestic black chair and looked at the case files kept. He was reading one of the files when he stood up with a jerk and bolted out of his cabin.
“ Rahul Kapoor.” He called out in a loud clear voice.
The new associate trembled at his mention. He moved a couple of steps forward. “yes sir.” He answered in a meek voice.
“did you prepare this case report?” the loud voice doomed over, hung in the air turning all attention towards its source.
“yes sir.” Came the scared reply.
Arjun was angry. One thing, he couldn’t tolerate was negligence.
“what rubbish is this….didnt you read it again. Errors and errors. If you don’t know your work, its better you stay away from it.” He kept on and on, scolding him.
Suddenly a female voice as loud as his,
“that is enough, Mr. Mehra.” Spoke Radhika in a calm voice, dressed elegantly in a black and orange kurta.
Arjun was startled, this never happened before. Nobody in his office dared to even contradict him. His eyes shot up. He mentally cursed her Radhika…you should have known better.
“Miss. Mishra, you are thoroughly aware of the quality of work, I expect. So, please.” He answered in a rude manner.
The entire staff kept turning their gaze from Radhika to Arjun to Radhika. The super cool radhika had stepped in burning coals of Arjun. They were all very curious of knowing her fate. Some of them, even expected her to be fired there and then.
“Mr. Mehra, being diligent about your work and being illogically eccentric about it are two completely different things. I hope you understood. Your point is valid, okay….he should have double checked it. But finding a couple of typing errors in a report isn’t something to be fussed about. You are practically insulting a person in front of the whole office for something a normal human wouldn’t even find worth mentioning.” She paused, studying his face.
He had turned all red due to anger. But somehow, was containing it within himself. Had he been the old Arjun he would have screamed at Radhika non stop and would fired her instantly. But no, he had changed. He had lost his heart to her, and his heart didn’t fail to acknowledge that it was she was standing in front of him, without a ounce of fear in her eyes. He respected that.
Radhika understood, maybe she had crossed a line. She could just have told him to stop and could made him understand, politely and privately. She was regretting Contradicting him in front of the whole office.
She calmly spoke to end the matter there and then, “all I am saying is, if you want your staff to hand over quality work, you need to ask them politely.”
Arjun turned his heel and marched back to his cabin. He felt his anger rising to such high level that he felt he may do something to Radhika, which was last thing he ever wanted to.
The staff was shocked. The tiger of the legal world had just left without a word.
Radhika wished a calm and sweet good morning to everyone and headed to her cabin.
Sam had requested Radhika to carry on, and go to the office alone. She had planned an elaborate day with neil. She had been trying so hard, dropping hints all over to make him realise that she liked him. But the stupid idiot never understood a thing. She was surprised at the level of his idiotic tendency. how the hell could he understand things in a courtroom even before, they are actually said, when he cant understand what she is practically, screaming at him with all her actions. Now even Radhika had started hinting it to him in one form or the other.
“idiot, why don’t you get it that I want to be more than friends with you?” sam sighed as she picked up her car keys.
“idiot, you are driving me insane….no you tell me, which friend massages your feet at the end of a tiring day….plans a elaborate terrace dinner for just the two of you…kisses you good night on your cheek….” she kept muttering, throughout the drive to his house.
She entered his place, using a spare key, he had given her long back. She entered in found him sleeping on the couch with his mouth open and half his body hanging down.
“as expected.” Sam said with a smile.
She moved to the kitchen and toiled hard preparing an enormous spread for breakfast. Once, she was done. She walked his sleeping figure. And shook him hard but he just turned around. Sam thought for a second and smirked. She pinched him hard.
Neil jerked up, instantly jumping out of bed, shrieking loudly. Sam saw her moment, and hugged him tight…
“its okay…its okay…relax….it was just me.” She muttered.
Neil stopped jumping and opened his eyes. He too hugged her back.
“what yaar Sammy…..is this a way to wake somebody up?”
Sam pulled her tongue out and tease him about his behaving like a girl. He started chasing her all around the room. Finally they lay on the bed all exhausted.
Neil turned to face sam, “Sammy…you are all red..”
Sam turned around, “can you please keep quiet for a few minutes…you know, what just go to take a bath while I lay the breakfast…”
Neil cocked a eyebrow, “air for breakfast..? Because, the last time I remember, all I had in the house was a packet of chilli powder.”
Sam slapped her forehead, “yeah, its chilli paste for breakfast…..idiot, obviously, I brought groceries naa……now go.” She pushed him.
Radhika stood outside arjun’s cabin, praying to god. She took a deep breath.
“time to face the music….tiger, just don’t eat me.” She muttered to herself.
She pushed the door open.
“hey tiger!”
She gasped as soon as the words escaped her mouth.
She glanced at Arjun only to be met by a deathly gaze.
……….
Okay, so I am….i’ll try to be regular from now….how was it???
Reviews please. And please let me know of any change, you’ll like to see.
Sv akka….one shot coming up sometime soon…..next week probably. In the meanwhile, I’ll try updating the inmate.
Please ignore my typos and grammatical errors. No proof reading.