Chapter 3

 

Durga's POV- Saving a life

I was so much busy in my work that I failed to notice it was past evening and night took over. I hurriedly wind up my work and grabbed my bag hanging it over my shoulder, I left the financial department.

I was walking towards the HR's department when my eyes fell on Mr Jay Bhatia, standing near the elevator.

Oh my god, is he leaving?

I need to talk to him about my wedding leave.

"Excuse me, Mr Bhatia"

I called running at him and he immediately snapped his face at me. He looked quite sad and distressed but after looking at me I noticed his eyes widening.

"Yes, Miss. Durga." He sounded more attentive. He looked little worried but in between, he kept glancing at the elevator. I think he was in a hurry to go back home I need to talk to him quickly.

"This is the final report of the work."

I handed over the printouts of my work. The way he shuffled pages, he looked quite impressed on my work. It gave me a big relief,

"Though the condition is worse but it can improve," I told him and he nodded.

Jay flipped the pages knowing about the condition but he didn't know the solutions over it. When I understood his queries, I immediately checked over it thoroughly.

"What is the best solution over it? " He asked me.

" Umm, If you don't look at any deal as a big or small and let them invest in you then the graph might change hopefully," I told him.

"That's.. Yeah... Actually " He scratched his head thinking about something. He looked bothered about something,

" Can you do me one favour? I know it's not the work I should give to any smart CA like you but.. "

"Sure what is it," I asked him.

"Can you help me deciding which deals could be better right now for the company's current situation" He said making me went into a deep thinking. Isn't it the CEO decided it?

"Yes sure," I assured him with a smile. Well, I can help him in choosing them, the last decision will be his. I noticed him getting relieved,

"Thank you come inside," He said opening the door of the cabin for me. Not wasting much time we started working over together.

After the work was done and he was a bit satisfied with the deals I helped him to choose, we walked out of the cabin.

"Thank you, Miss Durga, you are my saviour for today," He said. A relief was evident on his face as I helped him in the work.

"Mention not Mr Bhatia. I hope I have made your work a little easy. You can attend meetings with free mind now" I assured him and he nodded.

"You have made my work much more easier. I know this wasn't your part of work. But how did you manage to do this? " asked Jay. I smiled.

" I topped in management studies. I always wanted to do something in business. But never mind. Besides, we have done this work without discussing with Mr Agnihotri, is it okay?" I asked him and he looked calm.

"Aah no worries about him. He is my old friend so he won't mind." He said giving me an assuring smile.

"Okay then all the best," I said turning on my heels when he stopped me.

"Thank you again. Well miss Durga one more thing. This is my card. If you ever need any help in future I'm just one call away" He said giving me his card.

I took it, putting it in her purse. "Well sure" Smiling at him I turned to leave when he stopped me again.

"And one more thing," He said.

I looked up at him.

"Did you use the private elevator in the morning? Because It's only for the boss. I mean Mr Agnihotri. " He told me and I facepalmed.

"Oh shit... I mean... Sorry. So that's why he was angry before. " I was feeling so much hesitant and careless. How can I do this, so much unprofessional I am.

"Kind of. Well, I won't mind if you use it but you know the boss" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry Mr Bhatia I'll avoid his private elevator?" I assured him and promised to myself.

"Thank you again" He smiled at me.

"Goodbye"

Saying this I walked ahead.

I waited outside the lobby. Till the elevator comes to my floor I casually turned back and saw Mr Bhatia was still standing there. He was still smiling and looking lost somewhere. With that smile on his face, he walked towards his cabin. Weird!

When the elevator reached on the floor I remembered Mr Bhatia telling me about not using the private elevator. Now I have two elevator options in front of me, which was the private elevator from these both.

I looked around and there wasn't anyone, the receptionist I met in the morning was nowhere.

I sighed trying to remember which elevator I used in the morning. But I couldn't recollect. I got inside one and looked at the broken button palate. This must be for commoners, CEO's elevator wouldn't be damaged. I thought to myself and pressed the button of the private elevator to go down. But instead of going down, it started going up. I facepalmed myself. When the lift doors opened I got out from it cursing and pressed other elevator buttons to come up.

Meanwhile, the elevator was coming up, I looked around casually and saw a man standing at the edge of the terrace, looking like ready to jump over it.

Oh my god, is he really going to jump? I gasped in fear.

I was shocked looking at the sighed in front of me. Someone was going to jump from the building in front of my eyes. I immediately ran towards him.

I saw him moving his foot leaning forward to jump off but then I held on his hand and pulled him behind in a force. He fell on the ground with a thud along with me. The rains started pouring in the wrong time. I grabbed my arm as it pained when I fell over it. Then I saw him looking around and his eyes captured every corner of the terrace then fell on me.

I looked at him, getting drenched under the rains. His eyes flickered with some emotions which I was sure he was getting angry on me. I saw him getting up without giving a hand to me to get up.

What an unmannered guy!

I stood up by my own support and never in my life ever my anger crossed the limits looking at his attitude.

"WHAT THE HELL YU... " He paused when he looked at me.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? WHAT THE HELL YOU WERE DOING? IDIOT, BRAINLESS CREATURE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO? " I shouted on him feeling full of anger and shock in my mind. He wasn't only ill-mannered but also a thankless person.

He looked frozen in his place looking at me don't know what he was thinking. Here I was shouting at him and he looked zoned out somewhere else. I snapped my fingers in front of him, breaking his trance and fetching him back to the reality. He looked little flinched but then he regained his posture.

Is he facing any kind of depression? Then I shouldn't have shouted on him.

Urhh Durga zip up your violent mouth and talk to him nicely. By his professional looks, he seems to be working here in Agnihotri's.

"I don't know what your problem is, but suicide is not an option. Life is so precious mister, don't give up by making stupid decisions, cherish every little moment and see how beautiful the world is " I told him and he looked still, unmoved. I hope he is listening to me.

"Listen promotion is not everything. Whatever you are getting in your life, feel happy and blessed with it"

I tried making him understand and there was a slight reaction from him as if he was surprised hearing my words. So he is listening to me.

"If you even think to do it again, I will inform the police about you because this is a punishable act and also sinful to do it in Vedas that you won't be able to find peace after doing it so don't you dare" I warned him, challenging him to cross my word. I am sure after giving him a warning of the police he will never think about to do suicide.

I held my chin up giving him a look of warning and walked off from there.

----

I reached home a little late and all drenched in the rains thinking my mother would be worried for me. The moment I entered my mother started scolding me.

“What is this Durga? Look at you who will say tomorrow is your wedding? What if you get ill?

I am a hundred and one percent sure my mother's voice must have reached till neighbour's houses.

I picked the towel and started wiping my wet hair, it was such a task to dry her long thick hair especially in rainy day.

“I didn’t know it was going to rain in the month of summer,” I told her hoping she would understand me but I saw her shaking her head sceptically.

“You have to take care of everything, you should know before going out” My mother was still in an anger mode and I was feeling too tired to quarrel with her.

“Yes, Mumma next time I’ll make sure to call rains and ask ‘Are you going to pour today?’ I made fun of it and saw her reaching to the peak of the furiousness. I heard Baba chuckling on her.

“Stop making fun of everything, is this how are you going to be after marriage? Who will be there for you at in-laws Durga? No one! You can only be careless in front of your mother others will not care for you” My mother started to lecture me again.

“Then why even I am getting married? If I have to do everything on my own?” I voiced out my opinion and saw my parent's eyes widening.

“It’s not like that Durga. If you stay fit and fine then only you can keep your family good. If you be careless like this then your family will get affected” My mother tried to make me understand this time in a calm voice.

“Your mother is right Durga. Keep taking care of yourself. We won’t be with you every time and it’s not bad caring about yourself right?” Baba said taking her side leaving me no option but to agree with them.

“Right baba”

Suddenly my nose twitched.  I went through a series of sneezing and then scolding by my mother.

Mumma immediately prepared hot coffee for me. I sat with Baba, drinking coffee.

The best time of my life spent mostly with them. I became emotional thinking that tomorrow I will marry and go away from them. I knew I was going to miss them. Baba noticed me getting emotional and he too couldn’t stop his tears.

“Baba please don’t cry,” I said holding my tears back.

“You were so small just a few days ago now look at you, grown-up so fast,” Baba said in his shaky voice.

“Can’t we tell my groom to live here in our house after marriage?” I asked naively.

Baba and my mother laughed on my words.

“Girls grew up so fast and then they get married, leaving the home they grew up to settle in their own house,” My mother said making me cry even more.

“Durga I know what you are thinking that you will go away from us but you don’t have to worry we can manage everything,” Baba was trying to make me calm.

“I will miss you all,” I told them what was in my mind.

“You can visit us anytime if you ever remembered me and your mother. Just because you are going to wed that doesn’t mean we can’t meet. Doors of our houses will be always open for you but just one thing I am tensed about” Baba was looking worried.

“What is it baba?” I asked him.

“Keep control over your anger and try to understand people at in-laws.” He told me.

I smiled. He was right in a sense.

“I will try Baba,” I assured him.

“And now go to sleep. You are going to be a bride tomorrow, you need a good amount of sleep.” My mother said patting my head lightly. I gave my Baba his medicines and then switching off the light of their room I went into my room.

After laying on the bed, I tried to sleep but couldn’t. I was feeling extremely nervous thinking I was going to get married tomorrow. I was thinking about Nikhil. He didn't call me yet since morning or perhaps I missed his calls. I checked my phone to see if he sent any message or called me but there wasn’t any notification on my screen. I kept my phone to the table thinking he must be tired or forgotten in the haste of wedding preparation.

“He haven’t called you yet, right?” Riya's sudden question making me flinch. Riya has reached the age to understand enough about anyone’s emotions. She could feel how I was feeling.

“Riya? You are still awake?” I looked at her hiding my phone. She gave me a knowing look.

“How can I sleep when I know tomorrow you will go,”

“Riya” I looked at her sister and sighed.“ So what? Even I am getting married we will keep meeting each other you can also come to my in-laws. Nikhil won’t mind” I said.

“Durga I don’t like Nikhil, don’t marry him,” Riya said bluntly. I gasped on how she can blurt any words comes to her mouth.

“Riya stop joking now,” I said adjusting her pillows.

“Even I don’t like Nikhil “ I heard Simran murmuring in sleep. This one too? Oh god my sisters doesn't like their soon to be brother in law. Should I laugh taking it as a joke or cry?

“Simran? You are too awake?” I looked at both of them and sighed.

“See we don’t like him that much” Riya said triumphantly.

“You both should sleep now,” I said shutting my tired eyes.

“No, I am serious. I don’t like him. He didn’t even call you for a week to check what’s happening here. That guy doesn’t care about you” Riya kept blurting out whatever in her mind.

“I have to take care of myself no one can do that for me. Baba told me this.” I replied to her.

“Still if out life partner shows little affection then it makes you feel better. He isn’t right guy” Riya was adamant on her words.

“He must be busy like me so he might haven’t got time to message me,” I started defending Nikhil.

“You are defending him, Baba also told once that you have to create time for loved ones no matter how much you are busy,” Riya said making me crazy a night before my wedding.

“Oh goodness, I am not that immature to fight with him just because he didn’t message me,” I said it like this wasn’t a big deal for me but in my mind, I was feeling a little upset.

Nikhil should have to message to me at least once. I liked the way Riya was putting her thoughts.

“If he claims to love you then he should have at least call you,” Riya said.

“Sometimes you have to adjust Riya,” I said shuffling my pillow. Why these pillows aren't feeling comfortable now?

“Tell me do you love him too? or just marrying him because he is a doctor?” Riya asked me directly. I was taken aback little by the boldness of her words.

“I am marrying him because I find him good as a person. Very calm and sensitive. He respects my parents and even agreed to my wish to have a simple marriage without any dowry. He is indeed a good man Riya” I said but Riya still wasn’t convinced.

“Oh so tell me if Nikhil wouldn’t have proposed you then will you marry anyone richer than him?” Riya asked making me annoyed.

“I am not marrying Nikhil for money,” I replied little loudly.

“Yeah yeah you are marrying him because he is a good man who can’t even call you once” Now Riya was mocking at me.

“Riya, ok listen you know what happened before I came home?” I said changing the topic of Nikhil.

“What?” Riya became attentive.

“At my workplace, a man was trying to suicide. I saved him but you know what I noticed?

Riya and Simran listened to me quietly. Their eyes widened and brows raised in a curiosity.

“He wore branded clothes, very expensive wristwatch basically seemed to be hailed from a rich background but looked so devastated. Like he has everything yet he can’t have those things which can make him happy” I told them and saw Riya was ready with questions.

“So? What you want to tell us exactly” She asked.

“Our baba earned less, sometimes we didn’t get what we wanted but we never get upset. We have always stayed happy and managed in what we had. You know to be happy you don’t need so much money, expensive things. Just being with the people we love can also give us happiness understood?” As I said. Simran nodded immediately. Being younger she understood most of my thoughts but Riya always seemed to disagree and cross me with her every logic.

I never felt bad instead intrigued seeing how she has her own point of view every time on everything.

“And what if my happiness lies in the expensive things?” Riya asked me.

“Then you can be happy after getting it but it will be temporary. Because once you get those things you want that excitement fades away and then again you get sad” I told her.

“Durga di is right” Simran agreed to me while Riya wasn’t convinced. Three of us spend some time at night talking with each other and then went to sleep. I saw my Baba was watching at us standing outside of their room. “I hope everything will go well tomorrow,” I heard him saying to Mumma.

Yes, Baba, everything will go smooth without any hurdles.

I buried my face deep in the pillow and suddenly I remembered something.

"Oh my god, I forgot to tell Mr Bhatia about my wedding leave for two days!"

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