Chapter 02:

It was the time of the morning, the sun was complimenting the beauty of Khanna enterprise and an innocent soul was looking at it sadly. She was thinking about many things and suddenly, she realised something.

Avni: Avni, what are doing by standing here, go inside soon else you will surely be kicked out of the office.

She hurriedly goes there. She entered and came to her desk. She kept her bag on the table and looked at her boss’s office which was at some distance. Avni thinks and she sat on the chair.

A man came to her.

Man: Avni, sir asked you to report him when you come.

Avni was looking at him. She looked at the cabin and thinks.

Avni was standing outside the cabin of her boss’s office. She was afraid so she forward her hand but again she took her hand back. She closed her eyes and sighed then she opened her eyes and knocked on the door. She waited for her boss to allow her to come. She heard that her boss asked her to come. She looked up and closed her eyes.

Avni: god, please help me.

She opened her eyes and gulped by looking at the door. She opened the door and she slowly goes there. Already a few employees were standing there so she silently stood there and was waiting for the scolding. DD saw her and felt pity for her. Neil looked up and he saw Avni and then he resumed his work. Avni was standing by looking down. Soon, one by one, everyone went from there and Avni’s heartbeat was increasing with each passing second now she was left alone. Neil looked at her and he joined his fingers on the table by looking at Avni. Neil fumed.

Neil: Miss Mehta, again you are late today, what is your excuse for today?

Avni looked at him.

Avni: sir, actually…

They heard the knock on the door and Prakash came there.

Prakash: Neil…

Prakash saw Avni.

Prakash: Avni?

Prakash came to them.

Neil: yes, dad, Miss Avni Mehta. The dedicated, Miss Mehta is again late today.

Neil looked at Prakash and Prakash understood that his son is taunting him.

Prakash: late?

Neil: yes, late.

Prakash: you must be misunderstanding, she came 15 minutes earlier than the time. She was in my cabin.

Neil frowned and Avni was shocked.

Neil: What?

Prakash: yes, I had some work. Actually, I wanted to arrange some papers so, I asked her to help me and she said yes, even she did not have signed on the muster roll.

Avni was confused and was looking down. Neil looked at Avni.

Prakash: Avni, you didn’t tell him?

Avni looked at Prakash. Neil looked at Avni who looked at Neil and changed her expression. Avni looked at Prakash.

Avni: ab, yes, sir, I mean, no, sir. I mean, I was about to tell him but you came before that.

Prakash: oh.

They were relieved.

Prakash: ok, you go, now.

Avni nodded. She looked at Neil and then she looked at Prakash.

Avni: thank you, sir.

Neil frowned. Prakash nodded and signed Avni to go. Avni was going while she looked up and thank God. Avni smiled and goes. Neil looked at his father who avoids eye contact.

Prakash: Neil, see, this file…

Prakash kept the file near Neil and showed him. Neil shook his head to see Prakash. He looked at the file. Neil got up because his father was standing.

On the other side, Avni came out and her eyes fell on DD who was talking to the employee who was sitting at the desk and DD was standing. DD turned and was going. Avni came to him. Avni smiled.

Avni: thank you.

DD frowned.

Avni: I know, you informed Prakash Sir about my coming late.

DD smiled.

DD: it’s ok.

They smiled.

DD; now, get back to your work else if sir saw you then you will surely be scolded this time.

They smiled.

DD: go.

Avni nodded and she goes to her desk. She sat and opened the file and switched on the desktop computer but her phone rang. Avni took out her phone and she was shocked to see the number.  She picked up the phone and looked around.

Avni: hello.

In the corridor of the hospital, a doctor was standing near the bench.

Dr: Avni, when you are going to clear the bill for this month?

Avni: please, give me some time, I will clear the bill as soon as, I will get my salary. I always pay the bill.

Dr: but, still, the bill of three months is pending.

Avni: doctor, the salary, I get from the office, I pay the bill of the hospital with it. You know everything.

Dr: I understand, Avni but what should I say to higher authorities? They have nothing to do with the sentiments of others.

Avni looked down. She thinks.

Avni: give me some time, I will clear all the bills.

Dr: ok.

Avni: how is mamma?

Dr: she is fine. She misses you a lot.

Avni smiled sadly. Her eyes got moist.

Avni: I also miss her.

Avni wiped her eyes.

Avni: Ok, doctor, I have some work so I will talk to you later.

Dr: ok.

Avni cut the call and she thinks. She sighed and kept her phone in her bag and resumed her work.

Later, Avni was working on the desktop computer and someone knocked on her table. Avni looked up and she was shocked to see her boss who was looking at her. Avni got up in a hurry and she was about to drop the file but she holds it and Neil was also about to hold it but Avni holds it on time. Avni kept that on the table properly by closing it. Avni looked at Neil who was giving her a look. Avni looked down.

Neil: is that file complete that I gave you for corrections?

Avni: sir, it is almost ready. I just have to print out it.

Neil looked at the desktop and leaned to check whether she is saying the truth or not and he found that she is saying the truth. Avni didn’t like his doubting habit but what can she do? Neil looked at Avni who lowered her gaze and then Neil looked down. Neil stood up.

Neil: hmm. Get this file to me in 30 minutes.

Avni looked at him shockingly because he gave her more time.

Neil: 10 minutes?

Avni: no, no, sir, 30 minutes are fine.

Neil: hmm.

Avni nodded and Neil turned. He goes while smiling because sometimes, he found Avni cute but the very next second, he scolds himself for that. Avni was looking at him.

Neil was studying a file and he kept his hand on his chin and a pen was in his hand. He heard a knock on the door.

Neil: come in.

The door opened and Avni came there.

Avni: sir, here is the file.

Neil looked up and he moved back. Neil took the file from her. Neil kept the file on the table and started matching both files. The file, he gave her and the file in which she made the changes. Neil was studying a file and Avni was standing there looking down. Neil looked at Avni and fumed and then he again looked at the file. Avni was looking down. Suddenly, he threw the file near an innocent girl who flinched. Neil got up in anger.

Neil: what is this? What have I told you and what you have done?

Neil was looking at Avni angrily. Avni was looking at him.

Avni: what happened, sir?

Neil: what happened? What did I ask you to do?

Avni: to correct the mistakes in this file.

Neil: right and what had you done?

Avni: I have made corrections.

Neil: but, I am not able to see it.

Neil pointed to the point.

Neil: where is this point?

Avni moved to him and stood beside him. She saw that Neil is matching two different pages. Avni turned the page.

Avni: here it is.

Neil pulled the file to him angrily and saw that then he felt awkward. He looked at Avni and then he looked away. Avni was looking at him.

Neil: hmm, ok.

Neil licked his lips.

Neil: you, you can go now, I will call you when I will check it.

Avni looked down.

Avni: ok, sir.

Avni goes. She came to her desk and sits.

Avni: hmm, the mistake was his and was scolding me. I am from the accounts department but he gave the work of correction. First, he should learn what work should be given to whom? Nakchira Khanna, jab dekho gussa naak per chara rehta hai. Kharoos, akru, saru. Hmm.

Avni resumed her work.

Neil was sitting on the chair. He hits his head.

Neil: idiot, stupid. You should check it before scolding her. Damn, what was she thinking about me?

Neil hiccups.

Neil: it is she who is cursing me.

Neil hiccuped and he drank the water.

It was the time of evening, Neil was sitting at his table and Avni was standing on the other side of the table. Neil closed the file.

Neil: I want this file to be completed by tomorrow anyhow.

Neil passed the file to Avni. Avni took the file from him and she nodded.

Neil: you can leave now.

Avni turned and goes. Neil took another file and opened it.

It was the time of the night, Avni was working on the laptop but her phone rang.

Avni: Tch.

Avni picked up her phone and was shocked to see the doctor's number. Avni got worried. She picked up the call.

Avni: Hello...

Avni was shocked to hear the doctor.

Later, Avni was standing in the hospital and was looking worried. The doctor came out.

Avni: doctor, how is my mamma?

Doctor: she is fine now.

Avni sighed.

Avni: can I meet her?

Doctor: she is unconscious now.

Avni was looking at the doctor.

Avni came into the room and she came to her mother who was unconscious. Avni's eyes were filled with tears. She caressed her mother's hair and kissed her forehead. Avni sat beside her and she held her mother's hand and kissed it. Avni was looking at her.

Avni spent her night there because she can not go home at late night alone. She didn't have any convenience.

In the morning, Avni came home and when her eyes fell on the laptop. She got shocked to see it and recalled that she had to complete the file. Avni got worried.

The sun was shining on the sky and Avni was standing in Neil's cabin who was looking at the file which was incomplete.

Neil: what is this?

Avni: sir, actually, my, my mother was...

Neil shouts: no lame excuses.

Avni flinched.

Avni: Sir, I am saying the truth.

Neil: you know, miss Mehta, you are not fit for this job. You are just a liability on this company nothing else. I should take strict action against you.

Avni was shocked.

Avni: Sir, please don't fire me, please, sir. I really need this job. Sir, please. I, I will complete it today.

Neil glared at Avni. Avni looked down.

Neil shouts: just get out from her and complete this file in two hours.

Avni closed her eyes in fear when her boss yelled at her. Neil threw the file near her on the table. Avni took the file.

Avni: thank you, sir

Avni came to her desk and she sat. Avni wiped her eyes and started her work.

Avni completed the file before time and then she goes to Neil's cabin.

Neil was checking the file.

Neil: Hmm...

Neil closed the file.

Neil: You can go now.

Avni nodded and she goes. Neil caught his head and sighed.

Neil: I should not yell at her.

Neil looked at the door and he thinks.

Like this, Neil daily scolds Avni on little things. One fine day, the sun was on rest and the cold breeze was teasing the people of the city. Neil came out of his cabin and an old man stood up who was sitting on the chair near the door of Neil’s cabin. Neil saw Avni is only present at her desk and doing her work. Neil frowned to see Avni. He saw the time on his watch then he looked at Avni.

Neil asked the peon by looking at Avni.

Neil: what Miss Mehta is doing here at this time? Is it not a lunch break?

Old man: yes, sir, it is lunch time but Avni doesn’t have lunch.

Neil was shocked.

Neil: what?

The old man nodded.

Man: yes, sir. She did not even have coffee.

Neil: but why?

Man: she tries to save her money as much as she can.

Neil thinks.

Man: Actually, she lives in an apartment which is near our area and I know her for almost six, seven years when she came to live there with her mother and around one year ago, her mother got ill. She is trying to save as much money as she can for her mother's treatment. She is such a nice girl with a golden heart.

Neil was looking at Avni.

Man: my grandson sometimes goes to her if he needs help with his studies and he told me that sometimes, she gave her food to him and the neighbours also told us that they hardly get the smell of cooking from her house.

Neil: so what is the bid deal in it? Maybe, she orders food from the restaurant.

Man: I don’t know, sir.

Neil: hmm. Ok.

Neil looked at Avni who was doing her work and then he goes. The old man sat on the chair. Avni was busy with her work but not her office work. She was busy with her freelancing work. She is used to writing articles on weekly bases and get some money from there also as she needs money, badly.

Later, Avni was standing in Neil's cabin. She saw a stain on Neil's shirt.

Avni: ab, sir.

Neil looked at Avni. Avni hesitated and she pointed to Neil's shirt.

Avni: ab, aa, the, there is a stain on your shirt.

Neil looked at his shirt where Avni pointed. He held his shirt.

Neil: oh God, how did it happen?

Neil looked at Avni who looked down then Neil got up by holding his shirt.

Neil: wait a minute, I am coming after washing my shirt. Don’t know, how it get this stain.

Avni nodded.

Neil goes and Avni looked around. She really liked Neil’s office so, she starts roaming there. Avni saw a beautiful vase. She is a fan of antique pieces. Avni smiled and she goes there. She touched it and when she heard the sound of opening the door she flinched. She turned in a hurry and her foot twisted, she was about to fall, her hand touched the vase and it fell. The vase was converted into a mess of several pieces.  Avni’s hands hit the side of the table and her hand cut with it badly. Avni squeezed her eyes and she jerked her hand and she looked at her hand then she again jerked it. Neil came there and was shocked to see it.

Neil: what the hell is this?

Avni flinched and she looked at Neil who was looking at the vase. Avni frowned and then she looked at the vase and was shocked to see it. Avni forgot about her pain and the bleeding hand. She looked at Neil with fearful eyes.