“This is going too fast.”
“What did you expect when you pulled her backstage with thousands of people outside and…”
“Fine, fine,” he pushed to his feet. “Nobody knows yet. Only you.”
“Not even Samar?”
“No.”
Amaal stilled, taken aback.
“But I think they all have an idea, Atharva,” she managed.
“I know they do.” He moved towards the door and pulled it open. “Thanks, Amaal.”
————————————————————
Samar sat in the conference room with Adil, Qureshi and Zorji, sharing messages from the day’s success. He nodded where he needed to, smiled where it was warranted.
“Sorry, I was on call with Mohan Dhar.” Atharva closed the conference room door and sat down in his chair at the head of the table.
“Good day today.” Adil slapped his back and rounded the table to his own chair.
“Yes, before we get on to the dissection, I have something to tell you all.”
“Are you getting married in the middle of the election?” Qureshi joked. Samar chuckled. Genuinely amused for a change.
“Not married,” Atharva said. “But I am in a relationship with Iram.”
Samar felt his chuckle die. His ears began to roar.
He knew it; he had seen them this last week, even confronted Atharva about dallying around her, scraped his throat raw trying to warn him. But here he was, making it official.
“Chilla, m*******d!” “
“C*****e, chilla! Yeh chillata hi nahi hai, biba.”
“Mashuka helicopter sahiba tashreef laa rahi hai!”
“…maataram.”
“… I am consulting with Amaal on making this seamless and minimise any controversy.” Those words were the first ones he heard in real-time. And that was because Amaal’s name was uttered. The static was too loud. Atharva was talking like he was throwing around names for ticket distribution.
“What about her father’s name?” Qureshi’s question completely broke through Samar’s static.
“What about him?”
“Are we sure she is completely clean of his contacts, history and loyalty?”
“Yes.”
Samar felt his mobile vibrate in his hand. He glanced down.
FARIS
SMC released Aamir Haider’s property papers today
Atharva had them collected
