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Vikram :- I am sorry....I didn't offer you an internship...

Anupama was at a loss of words. Did she hear wrong or he was just teaching Kavya a lesson by offering her the internship under him.

Seeing the worried look on her face, he continued......

Vikram:- Anupama....I am not offering you an internship....I am offering you a job on my marketing team....

Anupama was shocked. It has been a day full of shocks and surprises and it was getting difficult for her to digest this one.....

Anupama :- Did I hear right?....aap mujhe job de rhe hai....

She asked confused.

Vikram :- Haan Anupama...mai tumhe job de rha hoo....you are clearly very talented as everyone has seen today....plus tumne jo idea suggest kiya hai use.... working me laane ke liye bhi koi to chaiye hoga....who would be a better person for the job than the one who gave the idea...

Anupama:- But....but...

She stammered...

Anupama :- But sir I have still not completed my MBA.....I have 6 months left.....

Vikram :- okay.....but it's fine....you can intern with us for the summer...and if you find it pragmatic and you decide to join us......you can work from home after that...after the whole covid scenario....this has been pretty normal for us....of course you have to come to office sometimes for important meetings but no one is gonna call you if you have an exam or an important class....

Anupama didn't know what to say...

Anupama :- Sir....the company would really do that for me....

Vikram sighed realising Anupama has no idea about her potential. He doesn't want to push her to take a decision but also wanted her to realise that he is not offering the job as damages for what has happened today...but because...she really deserved it.....

Vikram:- Anupama...I mean Ms Joshi....you are not the only person we would do this for....we have had employees who had to both work and study....but we have invested in them because we know they would turn out to be a great asset for the future....and you Ms Joshi are an asset for our company....

Anupama :- Thank you so much sir...it really means a lot...

Vikram :- So what do you think..?

Anupama :- I think....I will take the job sir..

There was still some reluctance in her voice....

Vikram :- we will discuss the terms of your job after you complete your internship.....and don't worry if the whole work from home thing causes any disruption in your studies....you can always join the company after your MBA...

Anupama was grateful....she has no words to express her gratitude...the feeling of being appreciated for her work was very new to her.

Anupama :- Thank you....

This was the only thing that managed to escape her mouth.

Vikram :- Why don't you take today off and meet me tomorrow in my office?

Anupama :- okay sir.....I should get going now...thank you once again....

Vikram nodded.

Saying this she turned and walked out of the conference room....

Vikram( to himself) :- Devika ne bataya tha ki Anupamaa is a housewife..to achanak se yeh internship...aur wo to bahut traditional bhi thi.... college me bhi proper saree, sindoor, magalsutra and all pehan ke aati thi....but she seems to be different...

Vikram was thinking when he realised he was being too judgemental......

Vikram (to himself) :- Tu bhi kaisi baatein kar rha hai yrr....time ke sath log change ho hi jate hai.....it's good ki she is pursuing her dreams even at this age....

He thought but he was baffled that Devika didn't tell him about all this. He was wondering if Anuj knows about it.

He realised only Devika can answer all his questions so he picked up the phone and called her...

Over the call...

Devika :- Haan Bunty bol....

Vikram :- Abe aise order de rhi jaise phone utha ke tune ehsaan kar diya ho...

Devika :- Mai khi bahar hoo...tujhe kuch kaam h ya mai phone katu.....

Vikram :- Accha theek hai...sun tujhse kuch important baat karni thi...mil sakte hai kya aaj ?

Devika :- Sham ko milte hai...8 bje

Vikram :- kha pe?

Devika :- Apne adde pe...aur kha stupid...tu itna dumb kaise hai re..

Vikram :- Just shut up....and don't make me wait okay...

Devika :- Fine...chal bye...got to go

Saying this she cut call...

Vanraj :- Whattt?.... Vikram ne use apni marketing team ka part bna liya....

Kavya :- Haan V....

Kavya said fuming in anger.

Vanraj :- But kaise....?

Kavya explained the entire scene as how she tried to insult Anupama but Vikram heard her and instead of firing Anupama....he gave her a job.

Vanraj was furious.

Vanraj :- You had one job Kavya...just one....aur wo bhi tumse nhi hua...

He yellled.

Kavya :- V....stop yelling...maine whi kiya jo tumne kha...

Vanraj :- Haan to tum wo conference room ka darwaza band krke bhi kar sakti thi na....tumahri is bewkoofi ki wajah se mere sare plans pe paani fir gya...

Kavya :- Haan to V....mere sath kaun sa bahut accha hua....tumahre kehne pe maine us Anupama ke sath kaam kiya....aur badle me uski wajah se us Vikram ne meri sabke samne insult ki....us Anupama ko to mai chodungi nhi....

Vanraj realised Kavya was in rage and might do something irrational that might backfire on them.

He tried to calm her down...

Vanraj :- Kavya....relax...abhi gusse me kuch mat kar dena...have patience...us anupama ke pankh kaatne ke bahut mauka milenge hme...

He said with a smirk....

Anupama unlocks the door and enters the apartment. She was tired from all the drama at the office.

She put her purse on the table and went into the kitchen...

Anu (to herself) :- Aaj itne drame ke baad tu to kadak adrak kali mirch wali chai deserve karti hai maadii Anupama...

Anupama was preparing herself a tea while thinking about the time when Samar made her favourite chai for the first time to console her after she was berated by Baa and Vanraj for selling her jwellery to buy Kinjal an engagement ring.

She missed him.

She poured the tea into a cup and went into the living room saying....

Kitne din ho gaye Samar ko dekhe....ek wahi to tha jo meri pasand...na pasand...mujhe janta tha....

She switched on the TV and adjusted herself on the couch enjoying her alone time when it hit her....

She realised that Vikram looked somewhat familiar but how could he. He was the CEO of an MNC so it's not possible that she would have met him before. Perhaps she has seen him in some news or article. She tried to reason but yet couldn't stop thinking about it when it hit her that he was her classmate.

Anu(to herself) :- Are yeh to whi hai...jiske sath Devika ghumti rehti thi...uska best friend...Bunty...mera mtlb h sir....bunty sir....nhi nhi Vikram...Vikram sir...kya kar rhi hai pagal chokri....

She laughed at her stupidity...

Anu( to herself) :- Mai abhi Devika ko call krke batati hoo...

She excitedly picked up her phone to call Devika but then stopped....

She thought to herself....

Anu yeh kya kar rhi hai tu.... tujhe pata bhi nhi hai ki tu usko yaad hai bhi ya nhi....mujhe nhi lagta tu use yaad hogi....agar hoti to usne zarur kuch bola hota.....

Anu sighed thinking that she might not be worth remembering.

Anu ( to herself) :- Rehne de Anu....agar tu Devika ko bolegi...to wo pkka overexcitement me usko bata degi....aur fir khi wo awkward na ho jaye.... tujhe uske sath kaam karna hai Anu...khi yeh janne ke baad ki tu Devika ki dost h wo differently na behave karne lage....nhi nhi....already life kaafi complicated hai....let it be...

Anu decided to let it go and then started recalling her college days sipping on her favourite chai.

Anu( to herself) :- Yeh teeno to bilkul chewing gum ki tarah chipak ke ghumte the....Devika...bunty aur wo teesra....are kya naam tha us battery ka....Anuj....

Anu stopped at his name and took a deep breath....

she breathed...

A memory flashed before her eyes.....

Anu was practicing her steps for the college dance competition in the college auditorium to the beats of classical music.

It was late. Everyone in the college had left but Anupama stayed back for practice. It has been her daily routine to practice in the auditorium after the lectures got over since her name was given for the dance competition. She was shocked when Devika told her that she has been selected as she never entered her name in the competition.

She wondered who could do this for her but then decided to make the most of it.

Her mother was searching for a prospective groom for her marriage and she had no idea what turn her life might take.... whether she would be allowed to work after marriage....or if she would be allowed to dance or not...or much worse if she would have to give up her college entirely.

She was anxious. All these thoughts were stressing her out when the dance competition came as a relief.

She didn't know who gave her name but she was thankful. She decided to make the most of the opportunity she has been given. So she pleaded to her mom to let her stay for practice after college as she might not get a chance again. After much persuasion, her mom agreed.

She was twirling to the beats of classical music when her gaze fell on a boy in a blue denim shirt and washed jeans with specs standing by the door at the corner of the auditorium....

She has seen him once or twice in her class...before....

His gaze was fixed at her studying her every move....her every expression....

If it would have been someone else staring at her....she would be creeped out by now and would have left the auditorium right away.

But there was something different about him....his gaze didn't creep her out....but made her feel beautiful.....she could see the admiration and appreciation in his eyes.....the way he looked at her as if he was proud of her...something she has never been....she didn't know him but the look in his eyes gave her the assurance she very much needed at the time....

The music stopped and she came down the stage to have some water from the bottle kept in her bag pack gulping the entire water bottle in one go as if she has been thirsty for ages.

She could still see him looking at her lost in his own world. He had some flyers and glue in his hand.

Perhaps he was there to put up the flyers for the fest in auditorium and stopped seeing her practice, she thought to herself.

She realised she should leave so that he can finish what he came for.

She started walking towards the door. Her hair was all sweaty from the practice and little dishevelled. It kept falling on her face so she took off the rubber band and was going to tie it in a bun.....when he spoke....

Rehne do na..........khule baal tum par ache lgte hai...

She looked at him perplexed...this was the first time anyone complimented her beside her family and Devika.

And she let her hair fall on her shoulders....

He gave her a warm smile and moved away from the door trying to make sure that she doesn't feel uncomfortable.

She nodded at the gesture and started walking away.

She turned back to have one last look and found him walking backwards with his gaze still fixed on her....

Seeing a chair behind him, she was about to warn him when he stumbled and fell.....

And Anu burst into laughter.....

He sat up and looked at her laughing her heart out....

She caught his stare and nodded in a smile as if telling him that how stupid he is.....

He stood back up and ruffled his hair as if telling her that he knows....

She gave him a warm smile and walked away.

This was probably the first and the last time they had an interaction.

Anu got married in a month and returned back to college 3 months later.

Since then, he never tried to interact with her directly or indirectly. He wasn't being rude but respectful of her boundaries. Devika, Anuj and Bunty were inseparable yet whenever Anu was in college both of them left citing some excuses giving her and Devika the much needed time.

It was years later that Devika told Anu that it was Anuj who gave her name in the dance competition in college.....she was surprised and thankful....

she thought to herself and a broad smile broke out on her face....