She gave a humourless chuckle. “Nothing.”
“Something is.” Amaal turned to her, lowering her voice. “Is it our beloved Party President?”
She shook her head — “I can’t seem to get through to him sometimes. Is it a curse of a soldier or what?”
Amaal didn’t know what to say without giving away how she was floating in the same boat.
“Everything happened so fast, maybe we jumped too fast. But he was so convinced from the get-go. Convinced me too. He has pulled this for a while, maybe now it’s my turn. Maybe that’s how it will always be, taking turns to pull through. And I am ready if he is, and if I can just know what’s going on in his head. It’s like a vault.”
Amaal related to it all. Except that Samar hadn’t been pushing for what Atharva had pushed for with Iram. And there lay the answer to her unasked questions.
This was love — pathetic, one-sided love which was never going to be reciprocated. And she was a woman touching thirty, not a new adult who could brush it off as a passing infatuation. If she went any deeper, she would not be able to return. Or live a normal life with a normal man.
“Forget I ranted, I am sorry to do this in the middle of a workday…” Iram began to get up.
“It’s alright,” Amaal produced a grin. “Always nice to take a break.”
Iram chuckled — “And get some gossip.”
“You know it’s sealed with me.” Amaal affirmed.
“I do,” Iram nodded. “Thank you, Amaal.” She pushed the chair back and walked into the storm that was the room. Amaal turned back to her screen, trying to read the lines that were looking like Hebrew.
She would have to fill the vacuum between them again. Maybe it would buy them another four years. And maybe, once this election was over, this proximity would be too. And it would buy them peace forever.
————————————————————
Samar set his overnight bag in the back of his Innova and kept the dickey open for the members to stuff it with the myriad promotional materials.
“Don’t fill the third row,” he warned the boys stowing material into any and every available space. His mobile pinged. Samar unlocked it, and his mouth tightened.
SS
Is Iram staying back in Srinagar?
He did not respond, closing the app and looking around. “Is everybody ready?”
“Fahad is gathering everyone. Another hour for sure.”
Samar strode up the main house, only to find Noora hauling a trolley bag — “What is that?”
“My clothes.”
Samar eyed the extra-large bag. “Find Fahad and tell him to gather everyone in twenty minutes. We need to reach Sonamarg before 11 am.”
“I will drive fast, don’t worry.”
“Go.”
Noora ran, his trolley hurtling over the steps. Samar walked into the main hall and turned towards Atharva’s office. The alley was peaceful today, all the noise transferred outside. He passed the Media Room and stopped short. Amaal’s voice echoed.
Samar pushed the half-open door ajar and found her sitting on a high stool, turned towards the window, talking on the phone.
“…but only if Toru Ray is confirmed… come on, Khalil, of course. Yes… They are leaving right now. Extra points if you cover the journey… hmmm?” She burst into a short laugh. “Fuck you!”
“Hmm… mmm hmm… I will email you the itinerary. Atharva Singh Kaul will be in all those places, but I’d also appreciate two separate crews — one for Meer Qureshi and one for Samar Dixit… Haan, so they are splitting mid-way and covering the whole of Ladakh before convening again in Leh… Mmm… no, I am right here.”
Samar stiffened.
