EPISODE FOUR
“Amma! My phone! Arrey just put the halwa into the puri, like a roll - I’ll eat it on the way! Hey Devi Maiyya, where are my files? Oye Hari, where’s the laptop charger you borrowed last night? Amma! Where’s that blue scarf… uff woh green blue waala nahi blue white waala… ” Payal laughed as her daughter flitted across the living room, stuffing a puri roll into her mouth.
“Arrey Titaliya, dhyaan se!” Payal admonished Khushi who choked slightly and grabbed another puri roll from Payal’s hand “Fine Amma. Chal, I’ll head to the off…” Khushi abruptly stopped her chatter, as the headline flashing across the television screen caught her attention. She turned up the volume and listened to the live news report.
“Actor Hridhwaan Kapoor has been accused of rape by his ex-assistant Sim Narula. She has filed an FIR with the Delhi Police, in which she claims to have been forced into non-consensual sex by the actor, while they were on an official trip to Goa. She claims to be pregnant with the superstar’s child too. Stay tuned for…”
Khushi turned the television set off angrily and brought her fist down on the table angrily. “What bullsh*t!” she said, quite frenzied. “This can’t be happening… Ri is innocent! I know it!”
“Di, pleef don’t let your fan lof for ‘Ri’ cloud your jufment,” Hari said, with his mouth full of bread. He scowled, as Payal hit him on the head for speaking with his mouth full.
“Listen, bhai, it’s my instinct… and a woman’s instinct is never wrong. Waise why am I even explaining all this to my lovely, insignificant brother, who is still a minor for the law!” Khushi said, enjoying her brother’s angry expressions.
Playfully slapping her brother on his back, she swung her sling bag onto her shoulder, and headed to Hridhwaan’s residence.
~*~
“Why should he entertain you?” Hridhwaan’s secretary snapped at Khushi. Khushi took a moment to assess the slim young lady, dressed simply in a pastel peach work suit. She had a no-frills look about her, and looked quite honest and sincere.
“Let me tell you that I am as upset as you are,” Khushi said, and half-smiled as the lady’s eyes widened. “I know that he is being framed wrongly, and that there is no truth, whatsoever, in these charges. Zara, you are the only one who can help me. Staying mum won’t help - we need to prove his innocence to the world.” Khushi said, softly.
“Hridhwaan is in...” Zara Rehman began, but stopped abruptly, when her phone vibrated. “Khushi, I am sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me now. I have a few more meetings to attend, but maybe I would like to have a chat with you later today.”
Khushi looked intently at Zara’s retreating figure, and was all the more convinced that she had approached the right person, and was determined to uncover the rest of the truth.
~*~
Khushi got off the cab and walked into the office, to be met by a young, hassled boy at the reception, “Oye!” he hailed her. “You are Khushi na! Hello ji namaste, I am Om Prakash but pyaar se you can call me Omi.” Khushi laughed at his introduction and shook her head. However, with the information at hand she knew there were more pressing things to do “I’ll call you OP, is that fine?”
Om Prakash blushed brightly and smiled his pearly thirty two “Definitely ji, anything is fine ji!”
“Okay OP ji, can you tell me where Raizada sir is? It’s urgent.” Khushi looked on while Om frowned, then snapped his fingers “Haan, sir is in the meeting at conference room number 5, but why…” Om gawked at Khushi as she sprinted off with a quick thank you “Arrey Khushi ji! Where are you going! Khushi ji NOT THE CONFERENCE ROOM! ASR ji will kill you ji!”
Khushi huffed as she ran up the stairs “Don’t worry OP ji, it’s vital that I tell him this before MBC reports a wrong version of events!” Om gulped and pressed the ‘Om’ pendent on his neck “Khushi ji, ASR will have you as his kebab, trust me! And… what, reporting now?” Om turned, distracted as another journalist called him. Giving a quick salute to Khushi, Om said “Devi Maiyya save you Khushi ji!”
As Khushi clutched her notes and dashed towards the conference room, she wondered why he was so dramatic about Arnav Singh Raizada, given that he was stoic towards her in the first meeting… he was definitely a guy who heard people and gave them a chance if the reports were true and worth it. She trusted him, her mentor, period.
Stopping for a moment to gather her courage outside the door of the conference room, she nervously pushed open the door and stepped in.
The moment she entered the room she found herself faced with cold, hard stares - stares of anger, irritation, confusion and annoyance. One look at all of them and Khushi Kumari Gupta knew she was dead meat.
“I…” she tried to explain.
“Yes you’re in the wrong place Miss… whatever. Leave. Right. Now!” Anjali snarled.
“Wait, I am not in the wrong place. I have an important information which I needed to share. You see, I had gone to cov…” Khushi started to speak, but was interrupted by Akash.
“Before you were even assigned a job, you left to cover a story. And apparently it’s so huge that you easily interrupted an editorial meeting? My God, am I lucky enough to have a junior test reporter telling me about Hridhwaan’s case!” Akash’s sarcastic smile dimmed as Khushi folded her arms and nodded her head.
“Bless me, you’re a charlatan, sir.” she said, half smiling. She perceived Arnav’s eyebrows shooting up slightly as she mentioned Hridhwaan’s name. Preparing herself for an encouragement, she was halted rudely as Anjali shot back,
“Better keep your tongue for reporting. Irrespective of what you know… you do not have the position nor right to step into an editorial meeting.” Khushi felt her cheeks burn in humiliation at Anjali’s words. Blinking, she felt her voice quiver as tried to clarify “But ma’am… this was important and I had to convey this to…”
“Whom?” Khushi almost jumped at Anjali’s steely voice “Sir…” Khushi whispered, feeling slightly unnerved as Anjali traced Khushi’s gaze to an emotionless Arnav.
“Raizada?” Anjali gave a sarcastic chuckle and shook her head “Because I didn’t know anyo…” Khushi felt her own excuse lame as Anjali gave her a deadpan look “Honey, I am not going to give you tips in socialising with your fellow coworkers.”
Finding Khushi’s humiliation as amusement, Anjali continued “And babydoll, let me remind you that Raizada isn’t your speed dial friend, he’s the Editor in Chief of MBC. It does not mean that you go to him for the littlest of things, agreed he ‘found’ you…”
“Anjali!” Akash growled and thumped his hand on the table, darting at Anjali “That’s uncalled for.” He whispered furiously to a peeved Anjali who shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands at his warning.
“But Roy’s right.” Arnav commented, his voice as cold as ice. Khushi’s head shot up to meet Arnav’s frosty eyes. “Sir, I…” Khushi felt her confidence wobble as her mentor looked at her, disapprovingly.
“I just know you so I thought…” She started but was interrupted midway as Arnav raised his hand.
“What you think doesn’t matter Miss. Gupta. You know NK a rather too well, you could have easily called him and told him what conclusion, theory or information you had.” Arnav paused, alternating to look at an embarrassed NK and an ashamed Khushi. Khushi hadn’t expected Arnav to lash out at her.
“Either ways, you don’t belong here,”
“and you never will.” Arnav stopped as Khushi looked straight into his eyes, her own glistening with tears. So… she was an emotional one. Arnav loathed women who would cry at the drop of a hat. Such people could barely exceed. Lowing at her intimidated body language and her cowering stance, he felt his sadistic reassurance that she couldn’t be anything great as he’d feared her to be.
Akash’s eyes widened slightly, looking at the personal attack. Clearing his throat audibly, he looked at a crestfallen Khushi.
“Khushi,” Akash started, looking into her teary hazel eyes “It was wrong to enter into editorial meetings like this. Apart from myself, only Arnav, Anjali, Aman and at times other senior journalists or required members are called, such as Lavanya and NK for today.” Khushi nodded her head like a child and gripped her bag tighter, alternating between blinking her tears away and looking at Arnav.
“But,” Akash’s eyes softened as he looked at her, “If you have something that’s really valid and important. Please take a seat.” A few heads turned towards Akash in shock while he cooly gestured Khushi to sit down.
“Sorry for interrupting you all…” Khushi whispered, and pulled a chair next to NK who discreetly squeezed her hand gently, by way of reassurance.
“So, Miss Gupta, please do share your findings, without wasting any more of our time,” Arnav impatiently tapped the table, his annoyance quite evident.
Khushi found herself all nervous and shuddering, as she beheld his angry countenance.
“Ss..s… I ff…” Khushi stuttered, very annoyed with her tongue for betraying her.
“If I had known you stammered, I would have thought twice before I appointed you, Miss Gupta,” he said in the same cold voice. Anjali and Arnav shot a glance to Akash who was responsible for keeping Khushi in the meeting. But Akash knew better.
“Are you serious of keeping her in the meeting?” Aman whispered to an amused Akash who bore a small smile on his lips “Trust me, this girl is more than what meets to the eyes.”
Aman stifled a laugh “What’s at stake Singhania? You’re using her for a bet right…”
“Hmm, a Dom Perignon sounds nice for this old man.” Akash pointed to himself and flexed his fingers “Over that… let me see if she can do something great.” Aman shook his head and folded his arms “If not by herself, I’ll make sure she ends up as something great… this Khushi Cute Gupta.” Akash almost facepalmed at a juvenile Aman who shamelessly checked Khushi out.
Meanwhile, Khushi stared at Arnav in disbelief. Was this the same Arnav Singh Raizada who was oozing with charm and sense of justice with her just the previous day?
Khushi pulled herself together with some effort. “I had a chat with Ri, as in Hridhwaan’s secretary - Zara Rehmaan. She doesn’t believe Ri is guilty, neither does his team,” Khushi said, and got skeptical, unimpressed stares from everyone in the room.
“Probably she’s Hridhwaan’s current fling, which makes her make so sentimental.” Anjali said, while Khushi squirmed. “Nice to see your unbiased view, Khushi.”
“But ma’am, don’t you think that it’s important to take in the views of his own team. Maybe they could help in the case and she could be making a point that we’re all probably missing.” Khushi put forth and stopped as someone interrupted her.
“I like you!” an unfamiliar male voice caught Khushi’s attention. She turned to see Aman Khuraana of ‘To The Point’ fame, looking at her, with a smirk on his face.
“Thank you…” Khushi replied hesitatingly, not knowing what to say. Arnav coughed.
“So yes, I do feel that he is being framed. Ri…”
“Ri?” Arnav pointed out.
“I mean, Hridhwaan. Er, he is Ri to his fans.…” Khushi said, embarrassed. “I really don’t think he is responsible for this, despite his colorful lifestyle.”
“See, Miss Gupta, I really don’t want you to get biased. We need to play safe with this case, at least for now. I need something than just your instincts,” Akash said, shaking his head.
“But sir we can’t telecast something…” Khushi began.
“But Khushi, right now that Sim Narula has more proof to her story. Her pregnancy reports are confirmed, and she being a woman, people will be more inclined to trust her story. And given Hridhwaan’s colourful ways, I don’t know if we’ll be doing the right thing supporting him.” The lady next to Khushi looked at her and then turned to Arnav.
Lavanya, Khushi recalled meeting her the day before to collect her appointment letter.
“Sir, her medical reports haven’t been covered by any channel till now. I can secure all the documents by tonight. Can we telecast them in one of our primetime slots?” Lavanya asked.
Khushi stared at her crossly, she wasn’t used to being sidelined and interrupted.
“Excellent, Lavanya! We shall telecast that tonight in my 9 PM show. Be there in the PCR…” Arnav said.
“B..” Khushi began, feeling let down on her first day at work.
“Raizada, I do think Khushi has a point to make,” Aman spoke up again, scratching his chin and resting his elbows on the table.
“And what is that point, Khuraana?” Arnav’s voice suddenly took an edgier note. Khushi frowned as she noted the slight rivalry between the duo.
“Every channel is talking about how characterless and perverted Hridhwaan is. What difference will our channel make if we say the same thing? I think we should take Khushi’s point into consideration and put forth another side of the story,” Khushi’s happiness at someone supporting her was short-lived as she noticed Aman smiling at her, a bit too brightly for her comfort.
“Khuraana, I truly appreciate your thinking. But what evidence do we have? We don’t even have a statement from Hridhwaan nor from his office. News is business, Khuraana ji, dirty business.You may be making sense to us but not to the public because there’s no proof at all,” Arnav said, while looking at Khushi’s face.
“Well other superstars are supporting him, like Rishi Khanna and Randhir Singh. Not only that, from his team we could get his schedules and further information of his involvement with Sim Narula.” Khushi proposed.
“So, you are saying I should take Hridhwaan to be innocent just because a few superstars and team members are supporting him?” Arnav frowned.
“Why not? If you can’t handle it, Raizada sahab, then do leave it to me,” Aman continued. Arnav tilted his head and looked grim at the tense Khushi and the smiling Aman.
“Khuraana ji, don’t worry! I’ll handle it just fine. Khushi, meet me in my cabin after the meeting, and be at the PCR today and tomorrow night during my bulletin,” Arnav said, while Khushi’s heart soared at his change of thought. Perhaps, Arnav Sir did acknowledge that she had a point, and would give her a chance.
And, he just called her Khushi, not Miss. Gupta. That was positively a good sign!
The gratified Khushi nodded and excused herself for the rest of the meeting, not wanting any further ire from Anjali and walked out of the room with a bounce in her step, to have Aman stop her with his card and drop her a few more sugary sweet words. “You’re new around here… so don’t hesitate to drop by my office. Say, tonight for dinner? I’ll guide you to this world… you see, you’re very talented but a bit naive. Okay Khushi?”
“Definitely!” Khushi fake smiled and grumbled ‘slimeball’ just as he left. After an hour, NK came up to her and tapped her on the shoulder, asking her the reason to be pissed off. “ Your Aman Khuraana! How does anyone even tolerate him! And he looks at me as if I am some Paradisian beauty!”
NK laughed at Khushi’s annoyance. “Khush, Aman sir is like this to everyone. He tries everyone, but stays on with Anjali ma’am to keep his job secure!”
Khushi gaped at NK “What! This Aman Khuranna and that Hitler Anjali Roy are dating?”
“Of course, I mean Anjali ma’am tolerates him because he’s the only good enough single man out here. Other than me!” Khushi punched him on his chest and laughed. “Yaar NK! Tu bhi na! Honestly speaking, today’s meeting did freak me out!”
“Khushi meri maa, please be more careful the next time! I couldn’t even say anything for you!” NK sighed while Khushi gave him a good hearted hug “I understand, don’t worry. And this has been a good lesson for me as well!” She smiled optimistically while NK crossed his arms.
“Khush, this is just the beginning!” NK laughed. “By the way, congratulations on becoming the latest scapegoat in the Aman-ASR rivalry! Before you ask, ASR got the chair Aman sir thought he should rightfully have got, and the rest is history.” Khushi nodded her head in understanding, their cold tones towards each other making all the more sense.
“Anyway, I don’t think Raizada sir is angry now. He called me Khushi!” Khushi said, excited.
NK just raised his eyebrows. “Khush… let me tell you one thing - if ASR ever changes the way he addresses a person, that just spells T.R.O.U.B.L.E. So… God bless you.” NK smiled and walked away while Khushi gulped.
Trouble? Again?
Damn!
~*~
Khushi bit her nails as the show went live. The meeting in his room was terrible. He wasn’t abusive - not even remotely angry.
He was just cold, plain ice cold.
And that threw Khushi off her charts.
“Yes sir,” I said, taking a chair and looking at him, my heartbeats escalating for all the wrong reasons. He was angry, and yet I was busy drooling at him. Grow up Khushi Kumari Gupta! Not to mention his slight insult a few hours ago in the meeting!
Ah, that splashed waters on my dreams for now.
“Explain,” came his curt reply. He glared at me as I edged to take a seat.
“I didn’t ask you to sit down.” He replied and I remained standing, feeling utterly disappointed and confused.
“Explain, I don’t like repeating things.” He gestured towards the coffee tray but didn’t wait for an answer as he took a sip of his own coffee.
“What?” I asked him, confused.
“Explain how much you know about this case.” Arnav’s voice was very different from what I had known it to be. It was rather cold and businesslike.
Was this the real Arnav Singh Raizada?
“Confused what to make of me?” Arnav half smiled while I gaped at him. Was he reading through me?
Embarrassed, I shook my head. “Sir, according to me someone is framing Ri. And the basic facts of the case don’t add up! Sim says she is three months pregnant, but she quit her job five months ago. Plus, Ri has been in Thailand and Indonesia shooting for his latest project for the last five months. So, I don’t see how he could’ve molested her three months ago. I can arrange for all the evidence that Ri hasn’t been in India the last five months. Also, I could sense that Zara seemed very troubled about the team he travels with. Well, I don’t know for sure, but I felt that Zara holds in very high regard, and knows that someone in his team is acting against him.” I paused to take a breath to find his deep brown eyes staring intently at me.
I felt my mouth becoming dry, and my pulse quickening, though there was no perceivable reason for the increased tension in my body.
Strange.
Suddenly, he shook his head and muttered something incomprehensible. He flexed his fingers and continued staring at me. “Get me the statements of all those stars who have shown their support to Hridhwaan,” he said, his displeasure evident in his tone.
I exhaled in relief, and tried to calm myself, when I suddenly felt him holding my wrist very gently. “Let me remind you one thing, Miss Gupta,” he said, in a low, drawling tone, that caught me off guard. “If anything goes wrong with this, I won’t spare you. Do you understand?”
Anger bubbled in me, and I found it hard to conceal my rage when he bent lower, his nose almost brushing against mine.
“Too bad you don’t trust your own team, Mr. Raizada!” I said, from between my teeth, and stood up, forcing him to retract. He came towards me in two steps and glared at me “I never disappoint myself, and it isn’t my fault if you can’t figure that out for yourself.” I bit out.
“Zubaan sambhalo apni, Miss Gupta! You work under me!” I noticed a muscle in his sharp jawline twitch, as he continued to maintain inhuman control on his wrath.
“Exactly, I work under you… not for you,” I retorted, and stormed out of his cabin to find my arm twisted as he pulled me towards him “Take an advice from me, don’t ever mess with Arnav Singh Raizada.” I yelped slightly as his grip became tighter. As he left my arm, I held on it… looking at the rapidly forming red bruises. He walked back to his chair and continued to drink his coffee.
“This is just the beginning.”
As soon as I was out of his cabin, my wobbly knees and cold fingers gave way, and I rushed to my desk to collect myself.
Her phone beeped, disturbing her reverie.
“He’s ready.”
Khushi was confused. Should she stay in the PCR or take the risk of leaving?
She turned towards Lavanya, a journalist who wasn’t in her favourites, but was the most capable of them all. “Lavanya, I need your help. Please guide Raizada sir through this show. I have to be somewhere urgently.” she said, and rushed out of the PCR, while the ever focused Lavanya nodded, sat at Khushi’s place, and looked intently at her files, skimming through the notes.
~*~
“The truth is not always visible, and what is visible is not always the truth. Every coin has two sides to it. When we return after this short break, we’ll attempt to take you through the other side of the Hridhwaan Kapoor case. Don’t go anywhere! We’ll be right back!”
The smile on Arnav’s face vanished the moment NK signalled him of the break.
“Where the fu** is Khushi?” Arnav yelled and stormed into the PCR.
“Sir she said she had something important to do,” Lavanya said, flatly.
“Does she even know what it is to do a live show? How can she think of going in and out of the PCR, when she is on duty to guide the anchor through a live show? Irresponsible! The minute she comes her tell her that…” Arnav unleashed his wrath, but was interrupted by a voice to his rear.
“Tell her what?” Khushi panted. “I don’t know why I have become the object of your constant ire, on my very first day here! Let me tell you why I had left! Probably you will be less inclined to yell at me then! I have proof that Hridhwaan can’t be the person involved in this scandal!”
Arnav cursed himself as he let his focus go astray for a few seconds and his eyes rested on her flushed cheeks and heaving br…
Get a grip, Arnav Singh Raizada!
“What is it?” Arnav asked.
“Sir, first of all Hridhwaan hadn’t been anywhere near Sim since the past four months as he was busy shooting for Do Lehre. I have confirmations from several reliable people for this. Secondly, Sim has tried to prove that they were in a relationship, on the testimony of two people seeing them in a club once and two others seeing them at a romantic dinner together. What is surprising is that just two people from each place have testified. Hridhwaan is a superstar, and if he was seen in a club or a restaurant or practically anywhere, a lot of people would have noticed, and it would have even been all over tabloids!” Khushi said. “Also, Sim shows no signs of being a rape victim. It’s written all over her face that she’s lying.”
Arnav muttered irritatedly, “Miss Gupta this is not a Lie To Me show, that I can use her face as evidence of her guilt! And anyway, your views won’t make much difference here...”
Arnav was interrupted by a deep masculine voice from behind him. “Would my views be of any use Mr. Raizada?” asked an extremely handsome, suave man, dressed impeccably in casuals. Anjali’s jaw dropped. While Lavanya swooned as the superstar walked coolly into the PCR.
Hridhwaan Kapoor cleared his throat and smiled charmingly at the ladies. He gave Khushi a soft look and a reassuring smile, and Arnav frowned looking at them. “I want to have an interview with you now Mr. Raizada… that is if you don’t mind,” he said.
How the hell had she managed this? Till now Hridhwaan had not released any statement regarding this matter and interviewing him, being the first channel to do so would just break the roof! Something made him want to snap at Hridhwaan. Of course the slight hug and soft looks exchanged weren’t the reason at all.
“Sure!” Arnav smiled and walked back into the studio. “NK, create a premature wrap of this show and give an early head start for To The Point. Send someone to Khuranna. Lavanya, get an interview essentials ready… ” Khushi looked on as Arnav rescheduled the entire list of series.
“Roy, we’ll telecast this tomorrow at the prime slot. So you know…” Anjali nodded at his words “Promos run for twenty hours and enough time to bring in the hype, got it.”
In spite of her initial distaste for Anjali, Khushi had to admit of her admiration towards Anjali. She was par to Arnav and did have a prized brain as she and Arnav worked out a few details.
Arnav turned towards Khushi and Hridhwaan, overlooking Khushi and said “Our assistant, Jai, will take you to where you’ll be interviewed. It will be like a statement release and trust me to ask unbiased questions.”
Hridhwaan flashed a brief smile and turned to find Akash walking towards him with a smile “Hridhwaan, wonderful to meet you!”
“Pleasure’s mine.” Hridhwaan nodded and turned towards Khushi. “I know the questions running in your head Akash, so I’ll fill you on the way to the interview room… if you can excuse me now.”
“Definitely!” Akash nodded and took in the details as Anjali informed him about the latest developments.
“Thank you...” Khushi whispered, while Hridhwaan shook his head.
“If only what you promised happens…” he said and relaxed as Khushi gave an earnest smile “Sir, I’ll make sure. I promise.” As Jai led Hridhwaan to the room and prepped him up, Khushi called up Zara, “Hey…”
~*~
The day before
Zara slept fitfully. She couldn’t believe that the man she had respected for so long had actually done something so terrible.
However, knowing Hridhwaan wasn’t easy. Hridhwaan was a complex person. It was only her gut feeling that told her he was innocent, and worthy of every bit of her respect. Even though she had been working under him for so long, she barely knew him as a person. It was always like the real Hridhwaan was always hidden under several layers… like he had an impenetrable wall around him, always.
But she knew that the woman was a fraud. Sim probably wanted to rake in crores and gain publicity through all this. She knew her quite well, and knew her to be an ambitious but unscrupulous woman, who could go to any extent to achieve her own ends.
She felt beads of perspiration roll down her temples, as she thought about the impact all this would have on his reputation and standing in society. His career, name, fame and hard work would all be reduced to dust. Guilt gnawed on her insides. Should she call Khushi and tell her the truth?
But how could she trust this journalist? What if she was pretending to be supportive of Hridhwaan, but actually just wanted more information to further implicate him? But then hadn’t she been the only one who actually wanted to help Hridhwaan? Hadn’t there been that honest gleam in her eyes, as she spoke about him?
Deciding to follow her heart, she picked up her phone and called Khushi, despite the late hour, and asked her to come over. Zara knew that this was the time she could tell Khushi the truth. If she postponed this to the morning, she probably would be too scared to speak up. No, she had better do it when she had the courage. She couldn’t live with the guilt of not having helped Hridhwaan when she could have.
She slipped out of her lace negligee, and pulled on another of her formal pastel dresses.
The doorbell rang, and Zara took in a deep breath. Wow, she thought. Khushi was fast! She walked upto the door and opened it with a plastered smile on her face and a resolve to tell her all. But all that escaped her lips was a whisper of disbelief. “Aap?”
0 comments:
Post a Comment