“Where were you?” he demanded. He was sitting on her bed, when she came back after a few hours from their last encounter. Both their eyes were red. His from drinking and hers from crying.

“That’s none of your business!” she had lost her meekness and it drove Siddharth mad.

“You live under my roof…”

“I won’t from now on…”

“Ramesh keeps his job,” his tone was suddenly reconciliatary, which was quite out-of-place in their otherwise fiery exchange.

“So what?” she opened her cupboard to take her clothes out.

“What are you doing?”

“Packing to leave.”

“Don’t you dare…”

“I am doing it and I would prefer some privacy.”

He became physical once again, as he grabbed her.

“You can not leave.”

“You can’t keep me here like a slave.”

“I will show you what I can do,” he dragged her away from the cupboard towards the bed.

“Let me go, Sir,” she cried.

He pushed her violently on the bed and before she could get away, he was on top of her. He covered her mouth and her cries got stifled. He was too strong for her, and despite her best efforts, she could not stop him as he literally tore clothes off her body. Then suddenly, when she had all but given up, he pulled back. He shot an angry glance at her and left.

Karishma cried piteously for several minutes, before she got up to pack and go home. To get a last glimpse of her father’s dead body. She had been away these last few hours making arrangement for her departure. She will not be coming back to these wretched people and this wretched city again. Her father had made his permanent arrangements now. He didn’t need her help, or her insurance cover! Ramesh had already informed her, and Siddharth had confirmed, that he kept his job. She had no reasons to regret leaving.

—

Three months later…

“Ramesh? What are you doing here?” Karishma was surprised to see Ramesh waiting when she came out of her office on a street in Daryaganj after finishing the day’s work.

“Running around publishers’ offices begging them to publish my book.”

“Huh?”

“I’m joking, of course.”

“Right. So, what brings you here?”

“I have come to meet you?”

Karishma responded with a hollow laughter, “You must be a sadist. Last time we were face to face, you had almost lost your much prized job. And you have come to meet me now.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do it, but its my job at stake again. Boss wants to meet you.”

“You are kidding me.”

“I am not. He is in Delhi.”

“Take him to see Qutub Minar, then. It is a good shooting location. What does he want by meeting me?”

“I don’t know. But you have to meet him once, for my sake.”

“I trust you Ramesh. Tell me honestly, what is going on?”

“I wish I knew. With you, his behaviour has always been odd. I can not figure anything out.”

“I don’t want to see his face again, Ramesh. Even if I got a chance to punish him for what he did… I do not want to see him.”

“Just once…”

“I couldn’t talk to my father before he died. All because of that maniac, who was treating me like a slave, a prisoner…”

“Sorry? You father…”

“Yes. The same day. And when I started to pack to come back after, he tried to…”

“I am sorry. I really am…”

“I know. To your credit, you are very humane despite working with…”

“I should leave now…”

“Hey. Let’s have a cup of tea at least…”

“He is waiting for me to come back,” his voice was tense and sad.

“Ramesh. Wait… Would me not going create trouble for you?”

“You know his tantrums well. I will handle, don’t worry…”

“No. Wait. I will come with you. Can’t see you in trouble again because of me.”

“Karishma. I…”

“Let’s go.”

—

“I’m not going to his room, Ramesh. If you have a problem, just ask the reception to call him and I will tell him that…”

“No. You wait in the coffee shop. I will talk to him…”

“I am fine in the lobby.”

“As you wish.”

—

Karishma did not look up from the magazine she had picked up when Siddharth Sen came to the lobby and sat across her on a sofa. His body-guards stood slightly away from them. Despite his large sunglasses, many people in the lobby recognized them. Several eyes turned their way. Some people even moved towards him, but were kept away by his body guards.

“It would be better to have some privacy,” he said.

Karishma did not react.

“How have you been?” he asked.

No reaction still.

“Why aren’t you replying?” he sounded annoyed.

“Have I been summoned for these small talks? In that case, I would like to make a move,” she replied curtly looking him directly in his eyes.

“You came away without telling me.”

“I am not explaining. Good Bye!” she got up to leave.

“Wait!” his voice was forceful and she did stop, “I have come to mend things.”

Karishma sat down and sighed. “Explain to me something Mr. Sen. Do you have any confusions about my identity? I am just a simple girl with a simple life. I am not an heiress. I am not an aspiring actress. I have no stature in the society or film industry. Why do you want to play any games with me? Broken or mended, why would any relationship with me matter to you? I am a nobody. A nobody, who didn’t take you to the court for attempted ra..” she chewed her words as she realized they were in a public place, “What can you gain by playing with my life? If you are doing it even for fun, do it with somebody who is at least an equal to you. Even for an ego-maniac, a sadist that you are, what fun can destroying a nobody’s life provide to you?”

Siddharth did not flare up as she had expected him to. He just stared at her with inscrutable expressions on his face.

“I think we are done here,” Karishma said after giving him a moment to react and then left. Siddharth also went back to his suite. He did not say or do anything, but his long strides told Ramesh that he was angry and agitated. Ramesh decided to use an old trick from his book.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“Anita is here.” she was his favourite escort in Delhi.

“Who asked her to come?” he demanded.

“I… I did… I thought…”

“Don’t do it again. Send her back.”

“R.. Right Boss.”

—

The narrow street to her office was jam-packed, a sight she had never seen before. She was already late. She did not stop to ask the reason or overhear the murmurs and just made her way to the office, assuming that the crowd was made up of onlookers of some road-rage fight. Then she spotted the car and the body-guards. And she realized that the body-guards were standing at the gate of her office, stopping crazy teenagers from entering the building.

She made her way to the gate, but was stopped by a bodyguard.

“Nobody is allowed to go in. He will come out and give autographs later,” he said curtly.

“I work here. I am not a fan of your boss,” she snapped.

“You id card, please.”

“I have never shown my id card to anyone in this office. Stop being a jerk and let me go.”

“No…” before he could complete, he was interrupted by his companion, who had been busy with another group of swooning fans till then.

“Let her go,” he murmured.

“You sure?”

“Yes!”

—

“Karishma!” her boss practically jumped at her when she entered the office, “You are good at keeping secrets, aren’t you?”

“What secrets?”

“Aww! The innocent girl. You never told us that you were doing screenplay for Siddharth Sen and that you had recommended adoption of one of our books.”

“I…”

“But it was a great surprise. MD is so elated. It seems Siddharth Sen has made a very good offer for the film rights of the book. We and the author will be rich. But of course, you will be richer. Working for Sen Motion Pictures. And not on a boring daily soap. The next block buster… Wow!”

Karishma walked to her desk without replying. More games? What did he want? And why did everyone around her have to become a part of his games as well. How would all these people feel when they would come to know that all of this is just Siddharth Sen’s way of getting back at her. And for what? Nobody knew. Why can’t he leave her alone?

—

To be continued