“Why?”
“I met Singh sir today to destroy some memos, and they raided his house.”
“What memos?! Are you stupid?”
Atharva was silent. Probably humbled.
“Ok, listen,” Samar tried to get his mind to work. “Is Jammu fair game?”
“No, the state is off limits. It is either Delhi or Shimla.”
“Come to Shimla.”
“Iram and Arth are also with me.”
“We were in the process of finalising leases for three bungalows. I will speed it up tomorrow. Delhi will be too far for you from Srinagar. How long will this last?”
Atharva went silent again.
“Atharva!”
“Undecided.”
“Ok. There is a house here, where I am staying. If nothing else, come here. I’ll shift out.”
“I’ll book a hotel until a lease is finalised.”
“How many years did I live in your house?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
Again he went silent.
“You have been my backbone for a very long time, let me do whatever I can.”
Silence again.
“Atharva, you are coming here with your wife and a baby. A hotel will not be ok, even if temporarily. Let me worry about the arrangements. There is a big bungalow that is on the lease list. It’s Victorian or something, with a garden. Iram will be comfortable there, and Arth will also be safe. Just give me until tomorrow morning to get back to you on the details.”
“Mail me the lease agreement, I will lease it.”
“The Intent To Lease is already signed between HDP and the owner. If you want, you sublet it from HDP.”
“Ok.”
“Don’t worry, everything will be managed.”
Samar never thought he would say this to Atharva again.
“I will handle it.”
“Thank you.”
52. There was heaven, there was hell, and then there was purgatory…
There was heaven, there was hell, and then there was purgatory. Amaal was stuck in the latter. She had been the one to push Samar to heal outside of her realm, to figure out what he wanted and fix what he didn’t. But he had gone off without a trace.
