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LOVE LIKE FIRE Ch1
NIKKI
Nikki had just moved in to Mumbai. Compared to her home in the small town of Jashiabad, it was a gigantic city. Unlike most girls her age, Nikki never dreamed of living in the city. She liked her own town, with its familiar smells, smiling known faces.. that was one thing about small towns. There people know each other. There was no unfamiliarity. When Nikki's father came home from office and said to her mother, " You know Das ji from the next neighbourhood was telling me he was going to open another shop..." Nikki knew who he was talking about, and therefore could relate when her mother replied, " Oh no! That man has had as many businesses as one has hairs... business simply isn't his line, why can't he understand?!" But here, there was no such thing. Instead of neighbours there were next-door-strangers. People who didn't care what happened to you till you fulfilled the tenant rules correctly. But above all, Nikki missed her sweetheart, Parth. Parth was the owner of the local cyber cafe in her town. With a monthly income of around 30k his was a life of comfort and hard work. Nikki had planned to tell her father about their affair as soon as she got promoted, but when she found out promotion meant going to the city, she was half about to leave the job. It was Parth who made her change her mind. He pointed out that her family could do with a little bit of extra income since her father still had to work in his age. Besides, Parth said, it would not harm to save aside a little stash when they could for who knows what happens in the future.
Anyways, it was for Parth, that Nikki finally found herself alone in Mumbai one evening- with nothing but her meagre luggage and an address where Parth had arranged for her to stay. She would get the required rent from the company and Parth could come and see her on weekends or whenever he came to the city for supplies.
The landlady Sonal di, was of little solace to Nikki. Ofcourse, she knew Parth, he was some kind of a distant cousin. But that doesn't mean she would relax on the rent and she made it clear that she discouraged bringing up this connection while discussing business.
It was a hot summer afternoon. Nikki was at her new office working charts on her computer and thinking that this weekend Parth just might come to see her-or she might just hop on the train and go give Parth and her parents a surprise visit. The clock was dragging on to 5 pm and soon she would be going home. She had just finished assembling the last of her data into her chart when suddenly there was a whiff of a strong perfume accompanied by a strong male voice, " did you create this?"
Nikki looked up. Her eyes met a spectacularly handsome man, standing beside her table, with a file in hand which she recognised as having made the previous day. "Er-" she cleared her throat. The man had a strong commanding aura that seemed to make her unable to speak. "I.. I did. It was yesterday.."
The man would not let her complete.
" Ms. Nikki if you think you are going to prepare files this way, I am sorry to say that you would not be long in my company." he said in an authoritative tone.
Nikki felt her cheeks burn. All the employees were now looking at her wondering what she had done. She herself felt miserable thinking of some terrible mistake she must have committed.
She slowly stood up.
"I'm sorry, sir. I-" she stammered, "I must have made the mistake unintentionally- I.. will see.. that.. that..."
" See this" the man shook the file open and pointed to a word circled in red ink. Nikki saw that it was a common spelling mistake. Inwardly she sighed in relief. Though it puzzled her that this man went to the tremendous length of threatening her to be sacked for this.
The man dropped the file on her table.
"Correct and send it to my office." he said, and turned on his heels leaving the room.
Nikki's eyes followed him. She saw that he enetered a cabin marked by the name "Shekhar Sharma". Shekhar sharma? that's it? Nikki wondered why there wasn't an indication to who this person was. Usually the other rooms had "manager" or something like that written beside the name. She had heard the name since she came to this office but couldn't recollect who he was. People usually say this name reverentially, like some god or goddess and spoke in whispers about him.
"Hey" Nikki looked back ceasing her ponderings to see an attractive lady standing at her elbow. " What did Shekhar want with you?" she asked.
" Uh-" Nikki was unsure what to answer as she looked the woman over. She had seen her before with that man, something like an assistant she had supposed. But now looking at her jaunty face make up, flashy heels and short tight dress, she assumed she must be something much more.
Luckily, her only friend she had made till date, Neha stepped in to her rescue. " Ms. Chandni, how well you look!" she said tactfully, "Mr. Sharma was rebuking Nikki for something she had done. She had just joined a few days ago... she doesn't know her lines yet, you know." she finished apologetically. Nikki took her cue and made her face up to the most imbecile type look she could manage.
Chandni looked over Nikki once. Then with an arrogant smile on her face, she said in a silky voice, "It requires talent to stay on this field. Shekhar is all about perfection and he makes sure his company runs that way. One mistake however small, can set you back forever." She blowed at a speck of dust that had gotten under her stylised nails and added, "you better watch your step. Flirting with Shekhar won't get you anywhere." She finished with a sinister smile.
Nikki heaved a sigh as she leaned back on her chair.
" Neha" she said dejectledly, "I've only been here a week and I have already crossed paths unknowingly with the company head, made myself unpopular with his girlfriend and in general up against arms in this company. I don't know what's going to happen to me." She put her head on her hands.
Neha laughed kindly as she put a hand on her shoulders.
"Don't worry, it was the same for all of us."she said in a comforting tone, "we all began like this. Besides, you needn't worry, Ms. Chandni is not the director's girlfriend. She only acts like one." When she saw Nikki was still dejected, she said"I will finish this file for you. Ms. Chandni was right about the director being a perfection freak. You will know about it soon enough." She patted Nikki on her back. " Go home" she said.
Nikki could have hugged her with relief but Neha emphasized they needed to keep this a secret so she took her bag and quietly walked out, feeling at last this long day is coming to an end.
To be continued...
© jb
Nikki had just moved in to Mumbai. Compared to her home in the small town of Jashiabad, it was a gigantic city. Unlike most girls her age, Nikki never dreamed of living in the city. She liked her own town, with its familiar smells, smiling known faces.. that was one thing about small towns. There people know each other. There was no unfamiliarity. When Nikki's father came home from office and said to her mother, " You know Das ji from the next neighbourhood was telling me he was going to open another shop..." Nikki knew who he was talking about, and therefore could relate when her mother replied, " Oh no! That man has had as many businesses as one has hairs... business simply isn't his line, why can't he understand?!" But here, there was no such thing. Instead of neighbours there were next-door-strangers. People who didn't care what happened to you till you fulfilled the tenant rules correctly. But above all, Nikki missed her sweetheart, Parth. Parth was the owner of the local cyber cafe in her town. With a monthly income of around 30k his was a life of comfort and hard work. Nikki had planned to tell her father about their affair as soon as she got promoted, but when she found out promotion meant going to the city, she was half about to leave the job. It was Parth who made her change her mind. He pointed out that her family could do with a little bit of extra income since her father still had to work in his age. Besides, Parth said, it would not harm to save aside a little stash when they could for who knows what happens in the future.
Anyways, it was for Parth, that Nikki finally found herself alone in Mumbai one evening- with nothing but her meagre luggage and an address where Parth had arranged for her to stay. She would get the required rent from the company and Parth could come and see her on weekends or whenever he came to the city for supplies.
The landlady Sonal di, was of little solace to Nikki. Ofcourse, she knew Parth, he was some kind of a distant cousin. But that doesn't mean she would relax on the rent and she made it clear that she discouraged bringing up this connection while discussing business.
It was a hot summer afternoon. Nikki was at her new office working charts on her computer and thinking that this weekend Parth just might come to see her-or she might just hop on the train and go give Parth and her parents a surprise visit. The clock was dragging on to 5 pm and soon she would be going home. She had just finished assembling the last of her data into her chart when suddenly there was a whiff of a strong perfume accompanied by a strong male voice, " did you create this?"
Nikki looked up. Her eyes met a spectacularly handsome man, standing beside her table, with a file in hand which she recognised as having made the previous day. "Er-" she cleared her throat. The man had a strong commanding aura that seemed to make her unable to speak. "I.. I did. It was yesterday.."
The man would not let her complete.
" Ms. Nikki if you think you are going to prepare files this way, I am sorry to say that you would not be long in my company." he said in an authoritative tone.
Nikki felt her cheeks burn. All the employees were now looking at her wondering what she had done. She herself felt miserable thinking of some terrible mistake she must have committed.
She slowly stood up.
"I'm sorry, sir. I-" she stammered, "I must have made the mistake unintentionally- I.. will see.. that.. that..."
" See this" the man shook the file open and pointed to a word circled in red ink. Nikki saw that it was a common spelling mistake. Inwardly she sighed in relief. Though it puzzled her that this man went to the tremendous length of threatening her to be sacked for this.
The man dropped the file on her table.
"Correct and send it to my office." he said, and turned on his heels leaving the room.
Nikki's eyes followed him. She saw that he enetered a cabin marked by the name "Shekhar Sharma". Shekhar sharma? that's it? Nikki wondered why there wasn't an indication to who this person was. Usually the other rooms had "manager" or something like that written beside the name. She had heard the name since she came to this office but couldn't recollect who he was. People usually say this name reverentially, like some god or goddess and spoke in whispers about him.
"Hey" Nikki looked back ceasing her ponderings to see an attractive lady standing at her elbow. " What did Shekhar want with you?" she asked.
" Uh-" Nikki was unsure what to answer as she looked the woman over. She had seen her before with that man, something like an assistant she had supposed. But now looking at her jaunty face make up, flashy heels and short tight dress, she assumed she must be something much more.
Luckily, her only friend she had made till date, Neha stepped in to her rescue. " Ms. Chandni, how well you look!" she said tactfully, "Mr. Sharma was rebuking Nikki for something she had done. She had just joined a few days ago... she doesn't know her lines yet, you know." she finished apologetically. Nikki took her cue and made her face up to the most imbecile type look she could manage.
Chandni looked over Nikki once. Then with an arrogant smile on her face, she said in a silky voice, "It requires talent to stay on this field. Shekhar is all about perfection and he makes sure his company runs that way. One mistake however small, can set you back forever." She blowed at a speck of dust that had gotten under her stylised nails and added, "you better watch your step. Flirting with Shekhar won't get you anywhere." She finished with a sinister smile.
Nikki heaved a sigh as she leaned back on her chair.
" Neha" she said dejectledly, "I've only been here a week and I have already crossed paths unknowingly with the company head, made myself unpopular with his girlfriend and in general up against arms in this company. I don't know what's going to happen to me." She put her head on her hands.
Neha laughed kindly as she put a hand on her shoulders.
"Don't worry, it was the same for all of us."she said in a comforting tone, "we all began like this. Besides, you needn't worry, Ms. Chandni is not the director's girlfriend. She only acts like one." When she saw Nikki was still dejected, she said"I will finish this file for you. Ms. Chandni was right about the director being a perfection freak. You will know about it soon enough." She patted Nikki on her back. " Go home" she said.
Nikki could have hugged her with relief but Neha emphasized they needed to keep this a secret so she took her bag and quietly walked out, feeling at last this long day is coming to an end.
To be continued...
© jb
