Ronnie was aghast on hearing her plan.

“Ananya. Tu hum sab ko naukri se nikalwayegi.”

“Please Ronnie. Ye risk to worth it hai na. Ek to woh selector ko sabak sikha sakte hain. Aur phir mera challenge bhi. Please!”

“Office mein sting operation?”

Trisha intervened, “Karte hain na, Ronnie. Mazaa aayega. Aur agar job gayi to sabki jayegi na. To theek hai. Mil kar dhoondhenge job. Kahin na kahin to mil hi jayegi. Chaar saal ka experience hai hum sabka.”

“Please Ronnie. Tere bina to ye bilkul nahin hoga,” Ananya pleaded.

“Fine!”

“Thank you so much, Ronnie!” she hugged him.

—

Ananya panicked on seeing Kabir and Malvika approach the conference room where the cricket team selector was waiting. He was to announce the team on Kabir’s bulletin.

“Sir!”

“Ms. Kashyap?”

“Mujhe aapse kuchh zaroori baat karni thi.”

“After the bulletin?”

“No Sir. Woh story…”

“Ms. Kashyap. Agar aap koi story layi bhi hain to ye thoda late ho gaya hai aaj ke bulletin ke liye. Kal dekhein, haan?”

“Nahin, nahin, Sir. Abhi baat karna bahut zaroori hai.”

“Ananya!” Malvika adminoshed her, “Ye kya tareeka hai? Hato aur hamein jaane do. Kabir needs to meet the guest he is interviewing.”

“But Kabir Sir to expert interviewer hain. Itne saare celebrities ka interview kiya hai. Pahle se milne ki kya zaroorat hai?”

“Ms. Kashyap? Have you lost it? Let me go.”

He made to push her aside, but she grabbed his arms. He looked at her hand on his arm. She followed his eyes and blurted, “Yes! Bracelet.”

“Excuse me?”

“Bracelet. Maine yahi waali pahni thi us video mein. Pata hai Malvika, Kabir Sir itne observant hai ki unhein logon ke bracelets tak yaad rahte hain.”

“Ananya, tum–”

“Didi!” Varun came out just then.

“Ho gaya?” she asked.

“Haan Didi.”

“Ye kaun hai?” Malvika asked.

“Ye? Mera… Mera bhai. Armaan. Mera office dekhna chahta tha. To main use le aayi. Aur cricket ka bada fan hai na. To woh seletor se milna chahta tha.”

“Isliye aap hamein stall kar rahi thi?” Kabir asked.

“Yes… Yes, Sir.”

“Bachkani harquaton se baaj aa jaiye, Ms. Kashyap. Hatiye saamne se. Now!”

“Yes Sir.”

She fled the place with Varun following her.

“Ab Didi?”

“Ab aar ya paar! Main Trisha ko bolti hoon ki camera nikaal le conference room se mauka milte hi aur Ronnie ko de de.”

—

Kabir was already in the studio with the selector, when Ronnie told him, “Sir. Ek emergency hai. Abhi saat minute hain programme shuru hone mein. Aap please PCR mein aa sakte hain?”

“Kya hua Ronnie? Malvika handle nahin kar sakti?”

“Woh abhi yahan hain nahin, Sir. Waise bhi aapka dekhna zaroori hai.”

“Theek hai. Aata hoon. Excuse me, Mr. Pattanaik,” he apologized to the selector and came to the PCR.

Kabir, Ronnie, Trisha and Richa watched in silence, while Ananya fidgeted, as the short two-minute clip showed Varun telling the selector that he had arranged for the money and him replying that he should give it to his driver waiting outside. Once the driver messaged him that he had received the money, he would change the list on the spot.

Kabir shook his head and smiled. “Really, Ms. Kashyap? Another sting operation? Now? In our own office?”

She stayed silence.

“Agar is rate se hum logon ko live interview ke liye bula kar unki band bajate rahe, to jaldi hi hamare channel par koi interview dene aana nahin chahega.”

She feigned nonchalance, “Aapko nahin air karna ho to aapki marzi.”

He chuckled. Malvika and Khalid had also walked into the room by then. “Khalid. Tumehin channel ki TRP badhane ke liye mujhe hire karne ki zaroorat nahin thi. Ye hain na fireball baithi hui tumhare office mein chaar saalon se. Jab KL political risk lene ko taiyaar hi hai to bas inki ek footage har roz chala do. Kyon?”

Khalid gave an appreciative chuckle, while Malvika looked unhappy.

“Ye last minute lineup change karna…” she began to say, but Kabir interrupted her.

“Ronnie. You have ten minutes. Utni der main normal interview chalaunga. Tumhein tab tak is clip se bachche ka chehra blur karna hai. Mera cue hoga: state ke bachchon ki nigaahein junior cricket team par hain. Tabhi tumhein ye clip air karni hai. Okay?”

“Ho jayega, Sir.”

—

Kabir watched Ananya and her friends celebrating the success of their sting operation and he could not help smiling. Malvika was there too as she usually was.

“Kya kuchh khaas baat hai is ladki mein?” she asked.

Kabir was too preoccupied in his own thoughts to notice her bitterness.

“Khaas baat usmein nahin hai, Malvika, uski is khushi mein hai. Uske is vishwaas mein hai ki the world can change for better if she tried. Maine jaanta hoon us vishwaas ko. Kabhi mere andar bhi tha.”

“Kabhi tha ka kya matlab, Kabir? Abhi bhi hona chahiye. Do din ke do bulletins mein tumne hungama macha diya hai.”

Kabir realized his mistake in praising Ananya before Malvika. He did not pursue the conversation. He had refused her dinner invitation twice already. Today he woud have to give in. Her advances on him were beyond his comprehension. She was the daughter of the owner of the channel. Why did she feel the need to get close to him? She couldn’t really have fallen for him so quickly!

“Kahan chalna hai dinner par? Tum apni car le kar chalo. Main bhi wahin pahunch jaunga.”

“Yahan!” she gave him a slip of paper with a address.

“Tumhare ghar?”

“Mere ghar!”

He was trapped. “Okay. See you in half an hour?”

“I will be waiting.”

—

“Ms. Kashyap!” Kabir spotted Ananya in the parking lot, “Kaafi raat ho gayi hai. Main aapko drop kar doon?”

“Nahin Sir. Mere paas mera scooter hai.”

“Scooter? Itni raat mein scooter se aana-jaana safe nahin hai.”

“Main to hamesha jaati hoon hoon, Sir. Mere ghar ke raaste mein koi problem nahin hai.”

“All right. Take care.”

“Sir!”

“Yes?”

“Main daily ye stories nahin la sakti.”

He smiled, “Good night, Ms. Kashyap.”

“Good night, Sir.” A flicker of hope kindled in her heart for a moment and she asked before thinking, “Sir. Kya aapne kabhi Delhi Kranti mein kaam kiya hai?”

He looked angry for a moment, then gathered his expressions and replied sharply, “Nahin.” He then climbed into his car without even glancing at her.

—

To be continued