He started to round her to open the door, but she made a frustrating groan and blocked him — “Talk straight some time! I am asking you what’s wrong, what happened at KU?! Can’t you answer that straight at least?”
“Quiet,” he held his finger up to her mouth. Not touching. Hovering. Amaal had been over his intense behaviour a long time ago. But… he hadn’t stood this close to her since that time a long time ago. Her breathing picked up. Something buried long ago began to throb.
“It’s a disaster.”
She reeled back — “What?”
“You asked, I answered. Now move.”
“What disaster? Fahad said the road show was good, the enthusiasm was palpable, the engagement numbers are also coming in…” She swiped her mobile open and, as always, it was to a long list of notifications. “No security breach. This speech is also catching up. He is trying some new writer, who is she?”
“A Trojan Horse!”
Amaal gaped at him. He never yelled. He never looked like he was out of control. Right now, the veins on his neck were swelling. Vibrating.
“Samar,” she said quietly. “Did something happen? Do I need to go to the office right now…?” She turned and took a step when her arm was caught in a grip. It wasn’t tight, but it was firm. Samar had never touched her before.
Amaal whirled, ready to tear into him for this.
“Sorry.” He left her arm immediately, as if he had come to his senses. His eyes widened behind his specs, shocked. Amaal was unable to gauge what was happening to him. She was unable to decide what to do. She stepped back, but kept her eyes on his — “What is happening? Are you ok?”
He kept staring at her. What was he feeling? Pain? Anger? Shock? What? What was he thinking? Did he even think? In the years that she had worked with him, closely at first and then at a distance, she had figured him to be a blank mind. He did not think too deeply. He just did the work that needed doing and moved on. She had never seen him frozen like this. Not literally, but in something completely invisible. Maybe inside his head.
“Where is Atharva?”
His shock broke. And the anger took over again. This time, she had no chance to do anything before he pulled the door open and stormed inside the outhouse.
————————————————————
“Fahad, debrief,” Amaal ordered first thing the next morning, before she had even had a drop of coffee. The Media Room was buzzing, as were the other rooms. Yesterday had been a boost to their draining engines, especially after the blasts the day before yesterday.
“One minute, Amaal…”
“Right now. Eat after you cough up.”
He huffed, marching to her and standing with his arms tied in front of him.
“I’m not in the mood right now, get on with it.”
He huffed again — “It was a good day, all things considered. What made you so snappy?”
“Later. Tell me in detail, from the beginning.”
“A girl dropped in here out of nowhere and she was in Atharva Bhai’s office for a while. Next thing, Adil Bhai was telling us that she is doing a copy test for the speech. I told him it’s risky and all but he said Atharva Bhai is minding it.”
“Then?”
“The road show was peaceful. One attempt was made at Nowhatta. Nobody got to know because it was neutralised.”
“Samar.”
Fahad shrugged. He never said it out loud. None of them did. But everybody, at least all the old ones, knew it. Things that ‘cannot be asked, things that need to be on a need-to-know basis.’ Especially about Samar’s affairs.
“Then?”
“The welcome Atharva Bhai got in KU!” He shook his head dramatically. “Oh fuck, you had to be there to feel it, Amaal! Half the battle was won there only. And then that speech. Fuuuuck. That writer, Eram… she is a must-have now.”
“Do we have her contact details?”
