Mish' Fiction

It had been two more days of wait before she was ushered into his office again.

“Ms. Karishma Gupta,” Siddharth faked such warm enthusiasm that Karishma cringed, “Please sit down.”

“Thank you, Sir,” she took a chair and sat on the edge.

“What a coincidence. My assistant was just telling me about this writer, who used to work for us in the Films division. Had once tried to pass off somebody else’s work as his own. When we caught him, he had the balls to tell us that he doesn’t care. He will get a job elsewhere. Now, we don’t want such people in the industry, do we? Your association has just banned him. Fair thing, don’t you think so?”

Karishma gulped. Was that a hint asking her to stop sending around her resumes? Not that she was getting any responses anyway.

“Don’t you think so?” Siddharth repeated his question, when she did not answer.

“Yes Sir,” her voice quivered.

“Of course. I knew you were intelligent. So, what were we to discuss?”

“My job, Sir.”

“Ah! Yes. I am so sorry. I completely forgot about it. May be we could discuss this tomorrow.”

“Sir. Nobody has been hired to replace me yet. If I could just get that job back…”

“I’m sorry Karishma. That is not possible. We’ll have to think of something else. Why are you in such a hurry?”

She had to try hard to not react to all the humiliation. But she managed to do it and replied without choking on her words, “My insurance will run out in a month, Sir. I need it for my father’s treatment.”

“Right, right… And its a pretty expensive treatment, isn’t it.”

Obviously he remembered, but he was enjoying torturing her.

“Yes Sir,” she replied meekly.

“Hmm… We must do something then. You father should not suffer. That would be very sad. Here is the thing. I need someone to manage my office at home. Be an admin cum assistant to me, you know. Only I work from there, so I don’t hire a full team of staff. My housekeeper is looking after it right now. But she doesn’t quite understand the professional settings. Would you like to take it up?”

Karishma sounded unsure.

“I know. This is not a position that will usually earn you the same salary as a daily soap writer. But let’s say we will maintain your salary. And your insurance, of course. You will be on the payroll for the same company.”

Karishma sighed. If a demotion was what was needed to keep her insurance and salary, so be it.

“Yes Sir. I would take it up.”

“That’s great. But yeah – I forgot to add a little detail.”

“Sir?” Karishma was apprehensive again. He was hell-bent upon making her life difficult!

“You will have to stay in servant quarters.” The way he said “servant quarters” made her flush with insult. He was showing her her position. Servant!! “It is – you see – not a 9-to-5 job,” he continued, “It is a 24/7 job. I work from there all the time. So, I may need you anytime.” ‘I may need you anytime’ was again said in way that made it sound like he was he was hiring a mistress. “And there are no promised holidays or vacations. You will have to get my approval if you need one.”

What was it? A slavery contract? She could go back to Delhi. Getting a job in a publishing house there won’t be difficult. Even her old employer would take her back. But… Papa’s treatment! Her hands were tied. And her tongue was tied too for a few moments.

“Yes?” Siddharth urged her to answer.

“Can… I… tell you tomorrow, Sir?”

“Of course, you can. But if my assistant has found someone else to do the job by then…”

The ego-maniac. Karishma had no clue what she was getting into. But… But there was no other way… And surely Siddharth Sen can not afford a scandal. If it does turn out to be something totally unacceptable, she could just leave.

“I accept it, Sir. When should I start?”

“Right away. Why don’t you wait outside. My assistant will help you with the formalities and also arrange to take you to your new workplace.”

“Yes Sir. Thank you, Sir,” Karishma mumbled and went out the office without waiting to see the smirk on Siddharth’s face.

—

“I hope you are comfortable,” Karishma was startled by sudden appearance of Siddharth as she was settling her stuff in.

“Y.. Yes Sir.”

“My assistant thought it was better for you to stay in the outhouse. My office is downstairs; so you will be easily accessible to me all the time.”

The writer in her always analyzed his choice of words. Ramesh was the name of his assistant. And he never referred to him by his name. It was always ‘my assistant’. And then the ‘easily accessible’ phrase. What was she? Some file? Some object that he wanted to be ‘easily accessible’.

What as happening to her? Within a week, her simple and straight-forward life had turned upside down. And right now she was pretty much at the mercy of this psychopathic man. She had always thought that such things did not happen in modern times. Apparently she was wrong. She had to get out of this mess. Finding another job in the same industry was not going to happen with Siddharth Sen being after her life. He might even get her banned by the association, as he had threatened indirectly. Going back to publishing industry was not going to earn her enough. She may have to go out of her comfort zone. Probably pick up a job at one of the call-centers. She had always looked down upon those jobs. Mindless – she had always called them. But desperate times call for desperate measures. A call-center job could not be worse than the situation she was in right now. Standing in the comfortable outhouse owned by the Siddharth Sen – and yet fearing when the ground below her feet would disappear.

“There are a bunch of scripts lying on my desk downstairs. All submitted by new writers. I need you to read through them and hand over the ones you think are good. I need it done by the nine in the morning.”

Relief and anxiety hit Karishma together. At last she won’t be mopping the floors of his office. Going through the script was a job she would be comfortable with. But did he say he needed it done by nine in the morning. She quickly looked at the huge clock on the wall. It was already half past ten at night.

“How many are there?”

“15-20 – I don’t know. Go check for yourself.”

After the day spent in waiting for him, bearing his humiliation, then shifting her stuff (as he won’t allow her even a day to do it later), she had to spend the night going through the scripts. Wonderful! He does intend to make is a 24/7 job, she rued. But at least, her health insurance was safe! Ramesh had told her that she hadn’t been officially fired from her last job. They had just ‘transferred’ her to a new position. So, there were no complications there.

—

Karishma was woken up by some noise right outside the office door. She realized that she had fallen asleep on the desk itself. She looked around and rushed into the attached bathroom to wash her face. She came out just as Siddharth was entering through the door. He looked at her curiously, but didn’t say anything. She also ignored the awkwardness of coming out of his bathroom, hastened towards the computer and fired a printout. He kept watching her silently, as she took the printout to him.

“This is a short assessment of each of those scripts…”

“I hadn’t asked for it.”

“I have sorted them in the order of quality – as far as I could judge. Three that I thought were good are in the separate pile.”

“I hadn’t asked for the report.”

“I just thought… it would be good to explain my assessment.”

“You look disoriented.”

“I… I had fallen asleep.”

“Come back in an hour.”

“Yes Sir.” Karishma was relieved. She needed time to freshen up.

—

“Where is my schedule for the day?” Siddharth barked as soon as she came back.

“I… I don’t know.”

“Who will know then?”

What all was she supposed to do here, she wondered. Didn’t he already have an assistant?

“I will call Ramesh and find out from him.”

“You are supposed to do it before I come.”

She just nodded and went to call Ramesh up.

“Why is he asking you for the schedule?” Ramesh was surprised.

“I have no clue, Ramesh. What’s going on?”

He sighed, “Never mind. I am sending you the e-mail. But I don’t know what is he doing there. All his meetings are here.”

—

“Shift the auditions and look tests here and cancel other meetings,” Siddharth said when she informed him of his schedule.

“There are some 50+ girls coming for auditions, Sir. Shifting at the last moment…”

“If they are not any smarter than you, if they don’t know what opportunity they have got, and if they are not willing to take that opportunity, that’s not my problem.”

Karishma had to bite her lips to stop herself from retorting. Ramesh was also annoyed when she told him about changes in the plans. But he had worked too long with Siddharth to question his decisions or moods. He roped in couple of more people and between them and Karishma, they managed to call all the girls and inform them about the change of venue. Karishma felt that most of them were excited by an invitation to come to his home. Ramesh with his practised patience canceled or rescheduled other meetings. Then he also came to Siddharth’s home and worked with the security to ensure smooth entry to the participants.

“What on earth is going on?” Diksha came to the outhouse office and was surprised at the commotion there.

“Auditions for the movie, Ma’am,” one of the staff informed her.

“Auditions? Here? Since when? Karishma?” she suddenly noticed her employee, “What are you doing here?”

“She is helping me run this office,” Siddharth came to the spot and saved Karishma from some embarrassing explanations.

“What the hell, Bro? You are poaching from your own company?”

“Let’s discuss this later, Diksha. You have just come back. You must be tired. Why don’t you go and take rest.”

“I think I need to go to the office and figure out what else have you turned upside down in my absence. And Karishma, we need to talk…”

“There is no need to talk,” Siddharth spoke in such fierce tone that it silenced even Diksha.

“All right. We’ll talk then,” she pointed towards Siddharth and herself, “And I am not staying here..” She left in a huff..
—

“I don’t understand you Karishma? You declined an offer to act with him and then you took up this job? Why would anyone do that?” Ramesh asked her. It had been a month of bearing Siddharth’s tantrums and she interacted a lot with Ramesh. They had developed good camaraderie.

“He is a jerk, isn’t he? Why do you work with him?” Karishma’s tone was so sharp that it startled Ramesh. But he responded calmly, “Several reasons. Pay is good. Over time, I have come to understand how to work with him. So, it isn’t that bad. And if you want to be in this industry, you don’t antagonize Siddharth Sen.”

“Right!”

“Right? So, which of these is your reason?”

“None. I have already antagonized him and this is my punishment, not choice.”

“How did you manage to antagonize him? Sure – you are no stranger to the industry?”

“I couldn’t have imagined in my worst nightmare that refusing to act would be such a blow to his ego.”

“He is so mad at you because you refused to act?”

“You sound surprised. I thought you have known him for so long…”

“I have seen him crush his rivals, the way his father would never have dreamt of doing. I have seen him… sorry to say… but exploit the girls desperate to act. But trying to crush someone who is…” Ramesh stopped as he realized he didn’t have a good word in mind. But Karishma completed it for him, “who is a nobody.”

“Well. Yeah. That is too odd even for him.”

“I also never imagined that someone of his stature… But I guess pettiness has nothing to do with your stature… It’s in you…”

“What’s your plan, then?”

Her face clouded at that.

“My plan? I am… probably waiting… for my father to die…” she choked.

“Hey… Karishma… Stop crying. What is it?”

“I am not in love with this industry Ramesh. I would love to go back to my desk in a publishing house. But I can’t manage to lose insurance cover for even a day. My father is fatally ill and is undergoing expensive treatment. I am scared of stepping out of Boss’ sight even for another job interview. What if I don’t get that job and he carries out his threat of firing me again. To make sure my father is being treated, I can’t take even a day off to go see him in Delhi. Because I am at the mercy of the great Siddharth Sen. I…”

She lost all strength and leaned on him. Ramesh hugged her lightly to comfort her.

“Ramesh!!” They separated startled on hearing Siddharth shout, “Leave now!”

“Boss…” Ramesh was tongue-tied. What was his boss thinking and whatever he thought, why should he get angry?

“You are fired!” Siddharth declared menacingly and walked away.

Karishma glanced quickly at a flabbergasted Ramesh and ran after Siddharth.

“You can’t do that!” she grumbled.

“Yeah? Since when did it become your call what I can or can not do?”

“If he goes, I go too,” she said not knowing if it was a threat at all.

“I see. Someone is not bothered about her father…”

“My father would never want to be treated at the cost of an honest man losing his job…”

“Sure. And I am so worried about you leaving, right?” Siddharth was sarcastic.

“Once I leave Mr. Siddharth Sen, I have no reasons to be discreet. Media would love to gobble up controversial stories about you. How you treat your employees would be for everyone to know. A lawsuit or two won’t hurt either…”

All his sophisticated sarcasm went away. He pulled her harshly and pinned her against a wall. With an animalistic anger and threat in his demeanour, he growled, “Don’t you dare threaten me. You have no idea what I can do.”

His physical attack on her visibly shook her and she could not utter a word as he walked away. She went back to where she had left Ramesh. But he was no longer there. Just then her mobile rang. The call was from her home.

—

To be continued

As if all the annoyance she was already feeling was not enough, she had to wait for over an hour before Siddharth finally met her.

“What’s your problem, Karishma?” he asked as soon as she entered his office.

“Why are you asking me that? I don’t have a problem. Your casting team seems to have one though. They think you have recommended me for the look test…”

“They are right.”

Karishma took a deep breath to control her irritation. She tried to speak calmly, “You probably don’t remember me. I am not an actress; I am a writer…”

“I know who you are. I don’t waste time on people I don’t want to meet…”

“Excuse me?”

“I asked them to call you for look test. Let’s do it right away…”

“Hang on. When have you seen me act?”

“I haven’t and I don’t care. I can teach you enough acting…”

“Sir. With due respect, I have no aspirations to act.”

Siddharth laughed condescendingly, “I can understand. You are too shocked right now. And probably nervous. Come back tomorrow.”

Karishma lost her temper at that. “This is heights of presumption. I am not coming back and you don’t understand a thing. The world doesn’t revolve around you. Can I leave now?”

Siddharth looked at her curiously, “Yes, you can. But you will come back.”

Karishma did not reply and stormed out of his office.

—

“Where are you Karishma? How come not in the office?” Mou called her the next morning.

“I… I am at the CCD.”

“What’s wrong? Your voice is…”

“Can you come here for a few minutes Mou? Please.”

“Yeah sure. You stay there. I won’t take more than five minutes.”

—

“Fired? You are fired? Why? When?” Mou was aghast when Karishma told her why she wasn’t in the office.

“HR manager asked me to come early to the office today. And he just said… supposedly for performance reason.”

“Performance reason? Who decided that? Diksha Ma’am is not here. Ritesh Sir is not here.”

“I asked him that too. But he won’t offer any explanation. I begged him to let me talk to Ritesh Sir. To wait for his return. But nothing worked… He escorted me as I collected my stuff and went out of the building. What is going on?”

“I can not imagine… Performance reason? Seriously? Your episodes are getting the highest TRPs. What the hell is going on… Hey. What happened yesterday at Sid Sir’s office?”

Karishma got tears in her eyes as she recalled the last evening. She told Mou about her encounter with Siddharth in brief.

“He got you fired because you refused to take a look test?” Mou asked.

“I don’t know Mou. I can not imagine somebody of his stature stooping to this level. I mean… I am a nobody. Why should he even bother?”

“He is known to be egoistic.”

“I… I tried my best to be polite. What should I do? Mou – the worst thing is the way they have done it. Performance reasons? How will I even get another job. And you know about Papa’s health… Health insurance is gone. Even if I get a contract job or something, where will I…”

“Hey. Look – I know it is unfair. But if Sid Sir is behind this, you could try apologizing to him…”

“You think that will help?”

“Worth a try. If you don’t mind…”

“I don’t mind anything right now. I need my job and that insurance…”

“Then do it.”

—

Karishma tried taking an appointment with Siddharth on phone. But his assistant won’t give her one.

“I suggest you come here and wait for him. If he has time between meetings and shoots, he would probably meet you. There is no way I can fit an appointment in the calendar for you.”

She waited in his office from morning till evening for next three days. She had been given one month’s salary and her health cover was also available in that period. But she needed to do something about it before that period ran out. The expensive treatment her father was going through would not be possible without the health insurance. That was the reason she had taken up a full-time job writing for a daily soap, rather than trying some more interesting work which won’t give the same security of income and benefits.

Finally on the fourth day, she was called in his office.

“Ah! Who do I see here? Ms. Karishma Gupta? I thought you weren’t coming back.”

His taunt was not lost on her. But humiliation is not what worried her the most at that moment.

“Sir. I…”

“Yea Ma’am? How can I help you?”

“I am really sorry if I hurt you with my behavior the other day…”

“Hurt me? You think you have the power to hurt me? Heights of presumption, I must say…”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way… It’s just… Probably I wasn’t polite. I’m really sorry for that. What you had offered was… obviously… an extra-ordinary opportunity…”

“It’s gone now.”

“I know… I just… Sir. My father is seriously ill and is undergoing treatment. I need my job and health insurance to cover the bills. I apologize to you for my misbehaviour. But please don’t make my father suffer because of that. Please give me my job back. I will do anything…”

“I’m afraid that is gone too.”

Karishma bit her lips to prevent herself from crying as well as shouting in anger, “Sir. I am ready for any punishment. But this job…”

“Why don’t you come back tomorrow and we can discuss your options.”

“Y… Yes Sir. What time should I come?”

“Looks like you are already very busy…”

“N… No Sir. I will come here and wait for you.”

“Great. Now, excuse me.”

—

To be continued

Author’s Note: This is not a fan fiction. Characters are different, but you should be able to spot the inspiration from GHSP and MB-EIEJ. 🙂

—

“It can not be a coincidence,” Siddharth Sen spoke out aloud while watching last week’s recorded episodes of his production house’s serial, “Does Ritesh get creative every third week?” An idea struck him and he saw the credits of all the episodes for the week. Then he took out some more DVDs from a cupboard and checked the credits for the episodes on them too. Then he called Diksha, his sister.

“Yes Bro! Hold your complaints about the serial, okay? I’m pretty sure our ratings are going to skyrocket this week,” she said even before he had the chance to say hello.

“Ritesh doesn’t write all our episodes?” he asked her.

“He is the story and script writer.”

“That’s not the answer. I see another name being credited in each episode and it keeps changing every week.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Why do we do that? That’s the reason the story keeps going here and there.”

“Bro. We are producing twenty-two minutes of content, five days a week. Do you think it is possible for a mortal human to write all that content given our deadlines? We do not have the luxury you have in making films. One person just can not do it. But Ritesh supervises everyone who is writing, gives the overall direction to the story and personally approves the story and screenplay.”

“How many people, sub-writers should I say, does he employ?”

“Three.”

“And they take turns in writing the story for a week each?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Bye.”

“You are not going to say anything to Ritesh, are you?” Diksha was worried.

“Of course not. This is your project. You know I won’t interfere.”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t mean I condone creating the sub-standard content that we are creating with the serial.”

“Not again, Bro.”

“Right. Bye.”

Siddharth sighed after disconnecting the call. He had inherited Sen Motion Pictures from their father Goutam Sen and had carried on the legacy left by their father very well. They produced movies – mass-market romance and action as well as those catering to the now emerging “multiplex market”. Siddharth himself had emerged as a super-star in the industry acting in his own production house’s as well as other movies. Even at 38, his popularity was not going down. And then Diksha had come up with the idea of making TV serials. He hadn’t been comfortable with the idea, but her logic could not be defied. TV was big, risk was shared with the channel. Unlike the super-hit or super-flop economics of movies, producing serials meant continuous, assured income.

“And TV serials connect with an audience, even your mass-market movies do not connect to!” she had an argument beyond economics. It was decided that she would run the show there and he had to leave it at that. He had a weakness for her. Fourteen years younger to him, she was already a sharp woman of business. But for him, she was a kid sister. Despite sticking to his word about not interfering with her project, he did keep an eye on her all the time. It was not possible to watch the episodes as they aired. But he made it a point to record them and watch them later. He hated the content. He never watched any other serials. But there was a pattern he could not miss. Every third week the screenplay and dialogs were better. They showed a touch of realism otherwise completely absent. The characters became tolerable and the writing showed a glimmer of brilliance – something that wasn’t destroyed even by the constraints of writing for a daily soap. Earlier he used to complain about the inconsistency of the characters, but Diksha knew her business. She wasn’t worried about his snob-stand.

“My audience is happy and is lapping it up. It is already number 3 across all channels on the TRP chart. And we will be number 1 soon,” she would say.

He still continued to watch and whine – to himself when she wouldn’t listen. Until he noticed the pattern that every third week, he actually liked something about the show. Soon he had pin-pointed it to the screenplay and dialogs. After going through the credits that day and talking to Diksha about the multiple writer, he knew what, rather who, made the serial watchable every third week.

—

“Madame Karishma Gupta. Is you screenplay ready? We need to send it to the channel for approval.”

“Give me two more hours Mou…”

“Ms. Perfectionist. I am sorry. I can’t. I know you have a version finalized and you are working on making it better. But babes – we don’t have time for that. No. Really. But I assure you – someday you will write for a movie of Sen Motion Pictures and then you will have all the freedom to perfect your art.”

“Right. I will write for Sen Motion Pictures – why not? You have the connections you will use for me, won’t you?” Karishma smiled as she mailed her the last version of her screenplay. The improvements she was working on will go as a fan fiction on her anonymous blog as usual.

“Some day Babes. Some day, I would be acting – what I am made for. And not running around doing administrative work. And I will be paired opposite one and only one – Siddharth ‘Sid’ Sen. Wait and watch.”

“Of course, I am waiting. How else will I get my big writing break, if not by writing for your debut movie.”

Karishma and Mou shared a friendly laughter and Mou went back to her work. But she was back within next five minutes.

“Oh God! Dear perfectionist. What would it take for you to keep your desk also perfect, and clean, for a change?”

“What happened?”

“Sky has fallen. Sid Sir is coming to the office.”

“So? He must be coming to meet Diksha Ma’am.”

“Diksha Ma’am is in Paris. Her assistant is going helter-skelter ever since the call has come.”

“So, are you I see.”

“Of course, I am. Apparently he wants to see the office, meet the staff…”

“Oh God!” Sudhakar, another writer on the team sitting in the cubicle next to Karishma’s, exclaimed, “I have heard that he always complains about the story and screenplay. What if…”

“Chill Sudhakar,” Karishma spoke calmly, “Ritesh Sir is not here either. He won’t bother meeting us. And Mou – Calm down. What do you want us to do? Clean up our desks, right? Consider it done. I’m sure he is not going to check the coffee machines in the office.” Everyone laughed at that. The coffee machine had not been working for at least a week.

“Yes. Yes. It’s my fault, isn’t it, if the office budget allowed purchase of this pathetic brand only. And if the service calls are not being answered…”

“Relax Mou. We are only pulling your legs. Go out. Receive him. Nothing will happen… If anything, he might find the heroine for his next venture as soon as he looks at you.”

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Hope what you are saying is true.”

Karishma shook her head smiling as Mou went away still looking quite worked up.

But Mou was back again after ten minutes, “He wants to meet the writers.”

“No!” exclaimed Karishma and Sudhakar in chorus.

“Yes!” Mou mimicked their tone, “Come with me quickly.”

“But Ritesh Sir is not here.”

“He knows that.”

“Even George hasn’t come in today,” Karishma mentioned the third member of the team.

“Yes. That leaves just the two of you. Save our jobs please.”

“Shut up, Mou,” Karishma ridiculed Mou’s idea that it had anything to do with their jobs or the future of the serial, but she was also quite nervous about the idea of meeting Siddharth Sen – the Siddharth Sen – that too in absence of Ritesh as well as Diksha.

—

“He has left? Already?” Mou was flustered.

Sudhakar and Karishma nodded, both looking quite confused.

“What did he talk to you guys?” Mou asked.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“He basically asked things that we write in the first page of our resumes. Where we have studied and worked, where we live, and funnily enough about our families,” Sudhakar offered the explanation.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it!” Karishma said, looking annoyed with all the fuss, “These rich, bosses are like that. Doesn’t Diksha Ma’am get fits once in a while, screaming crazily and asking for random things? Like sister, like brother I guess. He unnecessarily upset the entire office. Let’s go and do our work. Cleaning the desk, my foot!”

—

The afternoon was crazier for Karishma.She received a call asking her to come for a look test that night.

“Look test? Look there is some confusion. I am not an actress. And I have not applied anywhere.”

“But Ma’am I have all your details here. And…”

“Where are you calling from?”

“Sen Motion Pictures…”

“Right. I am an employee in the TV division. But I am a writer, not an actress. There is some confusion. Now, please let me concentrate on my work and you call the right people.”

But her phone rang again after ten minutes. It was the boss of the woman who had called earlier asking if she can come the next day.

“I am not coming ever. Look – I already told you. I have not given any auditions. There is some confusion. You are probably looking for some other Karishma Gupta.”

“Ma’am. You have a very good chance of getting this role. You have Sid Sir’s recommendation.”

“Sid Sir’s recommendation? I have never met him. Well – I mean…” she hesitated for a moment as she recalled that morning’s meeting. But surely that had nothing to do with her acting, “Okay. I met him very briefly this morning. But it had nothing to do with acting. He is a busy man, isn’t he? He must have confused my name with someone else. Now, please excuse me and concentrate on finding the right person.”

“Karishmaaaaa….” It was Mou back to her desk fifteen minutes later.

“What the hell is wrong with the world today? Will anyone let me work? I need to read the story Mou…”

“No time darling. Sid Sir’s office had called. You have to meet him in forty-five minutes.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“This is getting crazier.”

“Crazier? So something crazy has already happened? What’s going on babes?”

“I will tell you once I know. Right now I am out of my mind. How the hell am I supposed to reach the other end of the city in forty-five minutes?”

“Take a train.”

“I hate trains. Why do you think I am paying so much to stay close to office?”

“It won’t be crowded at this hour. You can take a taxi while coming back. But please reach there in time. I shouldn’t get blamed for not telling you in time.”

“God! Now you are going to go all bureaucratic on me.”

“What to do with people who are favourite with bosses?”

“I am favourite with nobody. Anyway – I will go and end this madness.”

“What is the madness?”

“Somebody seems to think that I should become an actress.”

“What… Karishma…”

But Karishma had picked up her purse and had run out before a baffled Mou could ask her anything.

—

(To be continued)