Amaal shook her head, setting the bundle down. She did not need to scan the speech because she had heard it three times already since last night.
A defeated god ceases to be divine.
Ages ago Jehangir called our Kashmir a heaven, the divine. And since then, we have accepted it as our god. This land that gave us life…
“She is starting tomorrow. Just take her under your wing, don’t go too hard in the beginning.”
Amaal’s eyebrows shot up — “Youare saying that? You make me throw them into the deep end on day 0!”
“Desperate times, desperate measures. How was Khalil Khan?” He leaned back on the glass wall behind him, arms crossed.
Amaal nodded — “He is coming around. He agreed for star journalists to come and cover our campaigns. Nitti gritties TBD. I am also trying to push in some of our op-eds and editorials across the broadsheets under Star. He has promised to introduce me to some of his friends. We may meet again next week.”
“Good. Let’s amp this up. Budgeting is tight as always, but tell me the number and I’ll make it available for this one thing. We need national coverage, now more than ever. That’s the identity of a truly ‘big’ party in the eyes of the locals going to vote.”
“I agree.” Amaal got to her feet. “Atharva?”
“Hmm?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Say it,” he chuckled.
“Did something happen yesterday?”
“Like what?”
“Like…” Amaal stopped his name from rolling across her tongue. She had never talked about Samar with anybody. Least of all Atharva. She wasn’t about to start now.
“Nowhatta.” She instantly thought on her feet.
“There was an attempt to open fire. It was contained in time. No harm done.”
“That’s good. Ok, then, I’ll see you around.”
Amaal turned and left his office, just as confused about Samar now as she had been this morning. More so.
————————————————————
That evening, Amaal walked out of the main house and turned towards the outhouse as the sun was setting. She would go back for another session with the editors, but they had gone to eat dinner, and she needed a lie-down. She knew it would be a long night.
“Hey, Amaal!”
She glanced behind at Adil’s voice.
“Hey, how are you? Did they do something to you…?”
“Later…” He looked like he was in a hurry.
“Where are you running to?”
“I have an emergency with the app. Listen, Iram, the new writer is coming right now with her luggage. Just settle her in, no?”
“Here?” She gaped. “Adil, it’s full. Even the hall is littered with these lousy logistics guys.”
“Just find some space. Atharva offered her without checking. I was going to see if any room has space for sharing…”
Hers did, and Amaal didn’t want to share it.
